The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) is nearing its annual milestone event known as EXPO - taking place September 9-11 at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. To discuss what to expect from this year's edition - including attendee counts, programming, highlights, registration costs and more, we welcome longtime IANA President Joni Casey to this episode of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast.

Joni shares her favorite things from EXPO, IANA's recent announcement regarding its future location and more - plus she explains the annual case competition that puts aspiring intermodalists to the test.

She also tells us why this year's EXPO will likely feel a bit different for her and checks in on the challenges facing intermodal - especially of the legislative variety relating to owner-operators and independent contractor regulations.

On a brighter note, Joni goes over a couple of her favorite accomplishments in her 27 year tenure at the head of IANA, including her passion for its very successful scholarship program. And we discuss the sustainability advantages of intermodal as environmental impact of freight continues to be a hot-button issue.

To learn more about IANA and to join - or to register for EXPO - visit www.intermodal.org.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

It's long been the backbone of construction, but lumber goes beyond its practical uses. It also serves as a key market indicator and an important one for freight particularly. Joining us on the latest InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast to discuss its vital role is Kyle Little, COO of Sherwood Lumber.

Kyle shares why lumber reflects economic conditions, where its pricing stands today and the very familiar (for freight watchers) cycle it's been through over the past few years. He tells us how Sherwood moves its products and the importance of a functioning supply chain.

We discuss the connection between lumber and home building - and renovations - and he offers his thoughts on the Fed and how interest rates may affect things going forward. What's the outlook? Kyle sees some positive signs over the next several months but also sees pricing at a current low. Follow @lumberlittle on X/Twitter for more from Kyle, and visit www.sherwoodlumber.com for more on the business.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

As we reach the halfway point of 2024, the latest edition of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast welcomes an expert on the freight market and all the indicators that tell us about its health - or (spoiler alert) lack thereof as summer heats up. Dr. Jason Miller is a tenured Associate Professor of Logistics at the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University who teaches supply chain management and more.

In addition to his instruction though, Dr. Miller also tracks data that relate to how the freight market is doing and shares his analysis on a daily basis through LinkedIn posts that are understandable for those less versed in statistics. 

On this episode, he talks about where the market stands today, what a number of key indicators - like manufacturing, the Fed, housing, inventory and more - tell us, and his outlook for when a recovery occurs. He also discusses intermodal versus truck this year, and overall, and where he sees AI and machine learning influencing supply chain managers into the future.

For more from Dr. Miller, follow him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-miller-32110325.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

Shipping cross-border with Mexico involves considerations beyond moving freight within the U.S. - with customs being what many consider a primary obstacle. However, the right partner makes things much less daunting. Joining us on this episode of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast to discuss the customs process between or across the borders is Antonio Luna, Managing Director of Vitti Logistics.

Antonio tells us how ensuring the proper I's are dotted and T's crossed makes things smoother, which types of freight require special considerations, why some shipments get held while others don't and the growing advantages of intermodal both for smooth customs processes and more reliable capacity.

Learn more about Vitti Logistics at www.vittilog.com or by contacting us here at InTek -www.intekfreight-logistics.com/contact-us - as we partner with Antonio on a variety of crossborder solutions. And learn more about Mexico freight shipping at www.intekfreight-logistics.com/mexico-freight-shipping.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek. 

The traditional vision of intermodal transportation involves what are known as intermodal containers - of the 53 foot variety. But another option is out there in the form of ocean containers. It's known as ocean container repositioning.

Joining us to discuss what the process involves and how its beneficial to carriers and shippers alike is returning guest Jeff Brashares, CMA CGM Director of Intermodal. Jeff talks about why ocean carriers prefer to have their empty containers filled when returning them to port, how many types of cargo - both traditional and non-traditional - are a fit, how blocking and bracing can be easier, and why it's good for the environment as well.

Speaking of other types of cargo, Jeff also discusses agriculture - cottonseed specifically - and steel as other loads that are beginning to use these international boxes. And on a completely unrelated note, he shares some roller coaster updates, including a new Snoopy coaster at Kings Island.

For more about CMA CGM, visit www.cma-cgm.com. To learn more about ocean container repositioning, visit intekfreight-logistics.com/ocean-intermodal-equipment-specs.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

Machine learning - a subset of AI - is a tool that many in the supply chain management field already use for inventory forecasting. But using optimal machine learning - a technique developed by our guest Dr. Naren Agrawal and his co-authors - can unlock a whole new world of decision-making ability for businesses.

Dr. Agrawal, the Benjamin and Mae Swig Professor of OMIS at Santa Clara University, shares what OML is, how it improves upon other uses of machine learning that focus only on the forecast and why getting to the decision is often the problem for companies that feature teams with competing perspectives, data & interests.

He talks us through two different types of companies with before and after scenarios for each, the need for agility and resilience in supply chain planning, and more. Plus, we discuss a commonality successful businesses he's worked with share, and his outlook for students and future supply chain managers.

Read How Machine Learning Will Transform Supply Chain Management via the Harvard Business Review, and find more from Dr. Agrawal here: www.scu.edu/execed/custom/universitypartnerships/faculty/naren-agrawal-phd.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

Olives can be a popular snack, drink garnish and ingredient, but as with any product, there's plenty of work that goes into getting them on store shelves and eventually into kitchens. On this edition of the podcast, we explore the process from farm to plate (or glass) with Musco Family Olive Company Senior Director of Supply Chain Michael Lin. California-based Musco is the U.S. leader in providing table olives, behind brands like Pearl and Early California.

Michael takes us through the olive supply chain, the value of using intermodal, why he turns to a third party logistics provider (3PL) to help manage their freight operation, the importance of relationships in the industry, and how the company has navigated the peaks and valleys of the logistics industry in recent years. He also shares his favorite recipes, and there's a lot of talk about bleu cheese stuffed olives and their role in dirty martinis.

For more on Musco, visit www.olives.com.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

Supply chain pros come in many forms, with career opportunities spanning just about any skill one can think of. But how does one get started in a freight or logistics job? And has the situation improved for women and diverse populations? For those answers - and more - we welcome Michelle Livingstone, a decorated supply chain leader who has worked in high-level positions with Home Depot, Kraft, JC Penney and more.

Michelle tells us about her career and her passion for cultivating more diverse leaders in the industry. She shares tips and discusses organizations to help folks at various levels, from those just starting out to mid-career professionals and leadership. We talk about the University of Denver's Transportation and Supply Chain Institute, where she teaches and serves on the board, Indiana University's Transportation Board and degree opportunities, AWESOME (https://awesomeleaders.org), WISE (https://walton.uark.edu/departments/supplychain/wise.php), the new WISE-Beyond and more.

Hear more from Michelle on Transportation Talks interview series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa2zXYrUWOA) on which she speaks to other industry leaders. Or find her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelledlivingstone).

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

With shipping between the U.S. and Mexico continuing to be a hot topic, we turn to an authority on how to move freight via rail between the two countries - Union Pacific. On this episode of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast, we're joined by Beto Vargas, UP Vice President of Sales & Marketing - Mexico.

He discusses Union Pacific's 30-year history in Mexico, its flagship Falcon and Eagle cross-border solutions - the latter of which also connects to Canada, and his outlook on the coming nearshoring boom. He also talks about the value of having experienced, bilingual partners to deal with customs and the speed of intermodal versus over the road solutions when it comes to cross-border shipping. Spoiler alert: it can be faster than truck in many scenarios.

Learn more about Union Pacific and its crossborder solutions www.up.com/customers/mexico. For additional information about intermodal between the two countries using UP and other partnerships, visit www.intekfreight-logistics.com/mexico-freight-shipping.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.

Intermodal transportation offers a consistent advantage in savings over its over-the-road trucking counterpart mode, but a lingering question for many shippers is intermodal service. As in, how consistent is both the rail service and the service a company can expect from an IMC - intermodal marketing company?

Ari Ashe with the Journal of Commerce joins us to discuss how he tracks both the savings and service pieces of the equation, through the quarterly Intermodal Savings Index (ISI) and the newer addition to JOC's portfolio, the Intermodal Service Scorecard. He talks about what goes into each report, how he tracks the data, just how much intermodal typically saves versus truck, and which (and which types of) IMCs shippers prefer.

He also recaps last week's TPM24 conference, which focuses on international ocean container shipping but brings together key players from throughout supply chains, sharing the mood of those in attendance and the effects of the Red Sea crisis so far.

Access to the ISI and Service Scorecard requires a JOC Gold Subscription, which is available here: www.joc.com/subscription/choose-plan. Learn more about TPM and September's Inland Conference (also discussed on the podcast) at www.joc.com/events.

Subscribe or follow now to catch new episodes of InTek Freight & Logistics: The Podcast 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.intekfreight-logistics.com to learn more about InTek.