When it comes to sustainability, there's long been a thought that in the corporate arena it was all for show. However, the 2026 State of Transportation Report by Breakthrough paints a different picture - at least when it comes to the freight industry.

On this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, Breakthrough COO Jenny Vander Zanden joins us to go over the report, which shows a strong majority of shippers and carriers report progress on sustainability goals, and more than two thirds expect to reduce emissions in the coming year.

We discuss how even with fewer outside incentives tied to sustainable behaviors, companies see their own benefits - like decreased fuel costs and greater supply chain agility - that keep them on a positive environmental track. We even learn the related term "greenhushing." 

Jenny tells us how about a third of shippers explored (or are exploring) mode conversion - including using more intermodal - to realize emissions and fuel savings on top of rates. She also talks about her career path, which took her from intern to the C-suite, and how Breakthrough started with a fuel focus but now does much more. Learn more about Breakthrough and find the report at www.breakthroughfuel.com.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

While intermodal is our focus, it's important to remember how all forms of freight transportation around the globe tie together to make supply chains go. On this episode, we welcome Cathy Morrow Roberson, Founder and Head Analyst of Logistics Trends & Insights, to give us a fuller picture.

Cathy takes us through a number of major supply chain stories - touching on the railroad merger between UP and NS, trucking capacity and FMCSA (as well as state) rules enforcement, ocean freight volumes (and Red Sea status), tariffs & trade policy and air cargo activity. Speaking of air cargo, Cathy goes over the general relationship between air and ocean cargo as well.

Before getting into all those topics, though, we talk with Cathy about her background - moving from a librarian to a logistics career with UPS, to where she is now as a leading industry analyst. 

She discusses the value of research and making connections with other people involved in freight, and she talks about how more women and minorities have gotten into logistics since her career began - with more work to do.

Learn more about Logistics Trends and Insights at logisticsti.com and find Cathy on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-morrow-roberson-lti), where you can also subscribe to her free weekly Freight Forward newsletter (www.linkedin.com/newsletters/freight-forward-6915791014746066944).

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

Retail is the final link in supply chains getting finished products to consumers. So how did the industry do for the crown jewel period of the holiday season (and last year overall), and what are the expectations for 2026? For those answers and more, we welcome Jonathan Gold, Vice President, Supply Chain and Customs Policy with the National Retail Federation (NRF) to The Intermodal Logistics Podcast.

Jonathan tells us how consumer spending stayed strong through the holidays, appearing to meet lofty expectations even if there were some adjustments in spending patterns related to pricing concerns. He also goes over how retailers were able to ensure item availability unlike some instances in the past when there were shortages.

Looking at 2025 as a whole, we discuss the effects of tariffs on retailers and how many were able to shift supply chains to keep products flowing while minimizing costs. And on the flip side, we talk about how fluctuations in trade policy caused the inventory pull-forward phenomenon, with smaller retailers having a tougher time adjusting over the course of the year.

In 2026, Jonathan explains that NRF membership is especially hoping for more certainty and stability policy-wise, and he expresses optimism that consumer spending will stay strong throughout the year. Beyond those questions, we touch on credit card swipe fees, retail theft, the NRF Big Show and more.

Learn more about the NRF at www.nrf.com.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

Just over a year after taking over as President and CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), Anne Reinke joins us on The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to both look back at her first 12 months on the job, and look forward to how IANA aims to tackle the biggest challenge facing intermodal - increasing market share.

Anne gives an overview of IANA's 2025, which included a focus on more policy advocacy and becoming even more of a go-to for industry data - along with the things that affected intermodal last year like tariffs, the Union Pacific - Norfolk Southern railroad merger announcement and the freight market as a whole.

But everything does come back to intermodal market share, and Anne discusses how much room it has for improvement as it currently sits at roughly 5% of domestic freight. She goes over IANA's survey of shippers who both use it already and don't use it at all to get a clear picture of what to address - while also recognizing that it's beyond raising awareness and changing minds: It's about getting shippers to take action and incorporate intermodal.

And as a tease for IANA's big annual conference, the Intermodal EXPO, Anne shares a special guest planned for September's event related to that aforementioned merger.

To learn more about IANA including educational resources, EXPO, and how to join, visit www.intermodal.org.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

Truckload and intermodal rate and volume trends - along with market conditions - are shaping shipper and broker strategy for 2026. For the first episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast of the new year, we discuss all that and more as we offer our 2026 outlook.

InTek Logistics President Shelli Austin and InTek Logistics CEO Rick LaGore have you covered, looking at how transportation operations are going right now, how 2025 wrapped up, and the economic factors that led to last year's disappointment and will likely continue that direction this year.

Plus, they discuss how truckload rates have generally risen while intermodal has stayed lower (with fewer fluctuations), why companies continue to leave the market and impact capacity, why price plus service makes intermodal worth a try for first-timers and those who've used it in the past, and whether there is any volume catalyst coming to ignite the freight market this year.

Find Rick's deeper analysis of the coming year on the InTek Logistics blog https://www.inteklogistics.com/blog/2026-freight-market-forecast-2019-parallels and watch our freight forecast video https://youtu.be/NCH-wXfAI1A?si=y4CJnG7Em_oV3rZZ.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

While traditional forward logistics gets most of the attention, reverse logistics (in essence, returns) is a significant part of business as well. And our guest on this episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast explains how doing it right means a circular approach. 

Rich Bulger is the Founder of All Things Circular and author of "Going Circular: The Evolution of Reverse Logistics Into a Competitive Weapon." Rich explains how an early job at Verizon involving used phones got him into the reverse approach, and  how experiences with Cisco and other companies - along with others in the industry - helped him triangulate the circular approach.

Rich tells us what goes into reverse logistics and how businesses can win with an approach that looks not only at the first, but the second customer. He also goes over how younger generations make purchases expecting to return or resell, how sustainability factors in, and how the Trump Administration's tariff policy actually encourages resale over new product purchases.

Find Rich on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/rich-bulger-43b02112 and visit All Things Circular at allthingscircular.com, where you can find more about the company, Rich's podcast of the same name, and his book.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

On this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, we cover a variety of bases with Port X Logistics Founder and CEO Brian Kempisty - joining us from his home in Montana.

We start by learning about his background and the founding of Port X in 2017, then we get into the company itself - the areas it covers and services it provides.

Next, we bounce around a few key issues, as Brian explains the situation with drayage (and trucking in general) in California - why regulatory enforcement has led to drivers leaving the profession (and how cargo theft ties in). He also points out how market conditions have forced out a number of smaller carriers.

Brian then takes us through his thoughts on the market this year and next, port activity, a surprisingly strong product of late, the housing market, and the advantages of transloading.

Learn more about Port X Logistics at www.portxlogistics.com.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

Almost all the way through year one of the second Trump administration, it's possible to assess the effects of some major policies on freight. On this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, we welcome Arizona State University Professor Dr. Dale Rogers to discuss three key initiatives that relate to supply chains:

• The English language requirement for truck drivers
• Ramped up immigration enforcement
• Tariffs

Dr. Rogers talks about how, particularly in areas like California and other states that border Mexico, a number of drivers may not be English-proficient. He tells us how the combination of the English policy - as well as worries about being targeted by immigration enforcement - are causing many to leave the field. 

But he points out that the industry is already dealing with a shortage of new truck drivers (without a lot of signs that younger Americans are interested in trucking- much like other jobs immigrants traditionally take on), so such an exodus will slow freight activity in these areas. 

We also pivot to tariff policy, and how this year's decisions on trade have reshaped global supply chains. Dr. Rogers and co-host, InTek Logistics CEO Rick LaGore, go over how this year and next year could shape up like 2018-19, when the previous Trump administration levied more targeted tariffs (they even go further back to Smoot-Hawley around 1930). But they share optimism that trade policy could evolve and lead to brighter days ahead for freight.

See the paper Dr. Rogers co-authored on tariffs just last year, providing valuable historical context: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1478409224000037. And find out more about ASU's Supply Chain program: https://wpcarey.asu.edu/supply-chain-management-degrees.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

With an undoubtedly changed international trade environment along with differing priorities on sustainability, two key freight factors went from somewhat predictable to up in the air this year. On the latest edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, we explore two surveys commissioned by Sphera that take the pulse of those logistics decision-makers: one on the effects of new trade policy and the other on how much sustainability still matters to them when government incentives are pulled back.

Sphera VP of Product Development Scott Lehmann takes us through both surveys, laying out the background on each issue and what those polled said. A key finding from the trade survey was that nearly three quarters of businesses experienced supplier disruptions leading to revenue loss this year - and one quarter characterized those disruptions as "significant." Scott tells us how companies are adjusting, and how AI is coming into play as both a reactive and proactive tool.

On the sustainability front, Scott explains how respondents fall into three categories today: leaders still fully committed, compliant actors who prioritize it based on outside factors, and re-assessors who are using the period of lighter pressure to reconsider and align their strategies with business goals. In that case, he discusses how sustainability, service and cost-savings can all align when planned properly - especially in transportation.

Get the survey on trade: https://sphera.com/company/news/sphera-survey-nearly-three-quarters-of-companies-suffered-revenue-losses-from-supplier-disruptions-in-the-last-12-months, the survey on sustainability: https://sphera.com/resources/blog/sustainability-in-flux-why-regulatory-shifts-demand-smarter-strategy, and find out more about Sphera: https://sphera.com.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

As with any industry, transportation requires standards to operate at maximum efficiency. And the organization behind setting those standards for LTL, truckload and more, is the National Motor Freight Traffic Association or NMFTA. NMFTA VP of Operations Keith Peterson joins us on The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to discuss not only those standards, but an initiative that combines them with digitization known as the Digital Standards Development Council (DSDC).

Keith explains why the push for digitization alongside standardization is so important in freight, with positive side effects including streamlined operations and protection against fraud/theft. Plus, he discusses why NMFTA has focused on involving industry stakeholders including carriers, shippers, 3PLs and more in setting these processes to ensure broader adoption.

Speaking of adoption, we discuss how the use of a current transportation management system (TMS) helps make integrating with these standards through APIs simpler, even for non-tech savvy (or small-staffed) companies. And bouncing off the digitization conversation, we talk about cybersecurity, and why it's also a focus for NMFTA - Keith specifically emphasizes educating everyone in your organization to look for suspicious communications.

To learn more about NMFTA, visit www.nmfta.org. For information on the DSDC and how to get involved, go to dsdc.nmfta.org.

As for our podcast, subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at [email protected]. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.