The Intermodal Logistics Podcast

Truck fleet, capacity, rates & outlook

Plenty is happening in (and to) the trucking market of late, so we welcome back an old friend to The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to check on where it stands. ACT Research VP and Senior Analyst Tim Denoyer joins us as our first ever in-studio guest, to go over truck production and the state of the fleet, and what that signals for capacity and activity going forward.Plus, we address FMCSA enforcement measures and their effects on the market, how high diesel prices from the Iran conflict are changing driving behaviors (and how they're affecting costs), and why the combination of elevated rates and fuel seem to setup an opportunity for intermodal.Additionally, Tim takes us through his thoughts on the volume picture - with a look at manufacturing, the Federal Reserve (and interest rates), tariffs and whether AI data centers are making a dent.For more from Tim and the ACT team, visit www.actresearch.net. And you can also check out the monthly Cass Transportation Index updates at www.cassinfo.com/freight-audit-payment/cass-transportation-indexes.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 podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

Agriculture shipping today

Whether it's domestic, import or export, shipping agricultural products involves unique challenges - challenges that the co-founder and Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) Peter Friedmann has been tackling on behalf of membership for many years. Peter joins us on this edition of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to offer an overview of the organization, what goods and products fall under the ag umbrella, how they ship and more. Included in the "and more" is a discussion of the vital role of intermodal, perhaps surprising to some who think of bulk grain shipping. He explains how many different items require containers to move - and how intermodal and transloading (something we also discuss in this blog: www.inteklogistics.com/blog/the-third-option-bulk-and-agricultural-shippers-dont-know-about) helps them get where they're needed. Plus, he goes over the import, export and domestic scenarios involved - highlighting key locations like ports and rail terminals that make movement happen.Additionally, Peter points out how cargo theft is affecting agriculture in multiple ways, both with targeted products like whey protein and beef, and with thieves simply breaking seals on containers then leaving the contents - making them no longer viable for use.Learn more about AgTC at www.agtrans.org and get more detail on their Annual Meeting coming up May 18-21 (which Peter also discusses) at agtrans.org/events.Subscribe or follow us now to catch new episodes of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

The diesel spike & the trucking market

The spike in diesel prices is starting to show up in the trucking market - with implications for intermodal as well. That's according to DAT iQ Principal Analyst Dean Croke, our guest on this episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast.In a wide-ranging conversation, Dean goes over how the sudden increase in fuel related to the Iran conflict has changed the equation for trucking carriers, essentially eliminating margin especially for smaller, independent contractors. He tells us how elevated diesel prices may keep capacity (already a bit tight) out of the market, lead to a greater pursuit of contract versus spot rates, and send shippers toward intermodal to keep shipping costs down.Speaking of capacity, Dean explains how many have exited the market due to FMCSA enforcement activities - and why a driver safety focus is a good thing in relation to a large portion of suspect training facilities being shuttered.He also takes us through produce season, which areas are hot and which are not so much, the issues at both the Canadian and Mexican borders, port activity and why the reefer market may be especially tight at times this year. Plus, Dean and Rick recap their time at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference in Washington.Get more from Dean through the DAT Freight & Analytics YouTube channel youtube.com/@datfreight and website www.dat.com/blog/author/dean-croke. And learn more about DAT iQ at www.dat.com/iq.Subscribe or follow us now to catch new episodes of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast as soon as they're out, and please do rate and review us. Have a question? Contact us at podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

How the Iran conflict clouds ocean cargo

Less than three months into 2026, the ocean cargo outlook for the year has been thrown a major curveball with the U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran.Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand returns to The Intermodal Logistics Podcast to go over both what was expected and what's changed in the ocean freight space now and for the next several months because of the Iranian situation.We go over the status of the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz and oil, what adjustments carriers are making and the overall ocean rate picture.Plus, we discuss Xeneta's 2026 Ocean Outlook (released a few months back), which expected a bit of a shipper's market, how U.S. (and China) tariffs were projected to impact behavior, how the Supreme Court's IEEPA ruling may make its own mark, and some sage advice for shipper and carrier relations during turbulent (and not so turbulent) times.To learn more about Xeneta and see the outlook for yourself, visit www.xeneta.com, where Peter also offers regular industry updates via Xeneta's blog.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 podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.

Sustainability breaks through

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 podcast@inteklogistics.com. And visit our website, www.inteklogistics.com to learn more.