Norfolk Southern is entering a new chapter in its history as it moves past a devastating derailment, activist activity and leadership changes. The railroad is focused on attracting volume onto its network by providing a more consistent service centered around safety. In this Talking Transports podcast, Ed Elkins, Norfolk Southern’s chief marketing officer, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insights about how the company is making progress toward its long-term goals of generating a sub-60 operating ratio. Norfolk has made inroads to this target this year. Elkins also discusses growth opportunities, peak season, precision scheduled railroading, coal demand and how his father nudged him into a career in transportation over three decades ago.

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A hybrid approach might be a winning strategy for logistics providers in the current challenging freight backdrop. In this Talking Transports podcast, Scott Pruneau, ITS Logistics’ CEO, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insights about how the company’s hybrid approach has helped it organically gain market share. While the company leans into technology, it never loses sight of how relationships are key to expanding a freight-brokerage business. The company’s fleet of 3,000 trailers as well as its warehousing and delivering capabilities provides ITS with value-added offerings that go beyond non-asset players. Pruneau also discusses peak season and rate expectations, the freight cycle, fraud, and how a career in transportation found him over 30 years ago.

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The recovery of the truckload market may be around the corner, but the pace will likely be slow and steady in the months ahead as slack capacity gradually exits. This should help drive a better freight-rate environment next year. In this Talking Transports podcast, Harman Cheema, Cheema Freightlines’ CEO, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share insights about the state of trucking market from his perspective as a midsize carrier operating in the western US. Cheema Freightlines is the 38th-largest truckload carrier, according to Transport Topics, and has both asset-based and non-asset operations. Cheema also discusses fraud, the additional costs that come with greener equipment and his early beginning in the trucking industry as a teenager working for his father.

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FreightVana’s trailers and technological approach differentiate it from other emerging freight brokers, providing shippers with more flexibility and carriers with access to previously out-of-reach markets. The company seeks to increase its fleet of trailing equipment to 10,000 from 700 in the long term. In this Talking Transports episode, Shannon Breen, co-CEO and founder of FreightVana, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insight into how drop trailers can be a game changer for the truckload broker. Breen also offers his thoughts on peak season, 2025 rates, the pros and cons of entrepreneurship and how football led him to the industry.

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The brokerage industry continues to leverage technology to improve processes, productivity and profitability. It will also help drive costs per load down, which can help brokers win share on price without sacrificing margins, and that could help consolidate the top end of the market. In this Talking Transports podcast, Matt Pyatt, CEO and founder of Arrive Logistics, joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insights into how technology coupled with the company’s sales culture has helped fueled its explosive organic growth over the past decade. Pyatt expects a similar brokerage market next year to one seen this year, but with slightly better margins. He also discusses his entrepreneurial spirit, leading a data-centric company, fighting fraud and how a date at a BBQ joint landed the woman of his dreams.

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Lackluster trucking conditions and a slow recovery in spot truckload rates may limit carriers’ ability to deliver upside surprises when reporting 3Q earnings, and could put 4Q expectations at risk, according to Chris Wetherbee, Wells Fargo managing director and lead analyst on airfreight, surface and marine transportation. In this episode of Bloomberg Intelligence’s Talking Transports podcast, Wetherbee joins Lee Klaskow, BI senior transportation and logistics analyst, to discuss what investors should be thinking about ahead of 3Q results for the truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL) and railroad companies. J.B. Hunt is the first to report results on Oct. 15. Wetherbee also discusses his Canadian National upgrade, how mix has weighed on parcel carriers’ margins and a potential FedEx LTL spinoff. Wetherbee also provides some insight about the day in the life of a sell-side analyst.

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Operating a privately held debt-free less-than-truckload (LTL) operator provides Estes Express Lines the flexibility to make growth investments and keep its commitments to customers and employees through the freight cycle, Webb Estes, president and chief operating officer, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. This approach has allowed the company to opportunistically acquire facilities and equipment against a challenging freight environment as well as keeping workers’ morale high, he says. In this Talking Transports podcast, Estes joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst, to share his insights about LTL rates and demand, which saw a pick up in growth in September. Estes also discusses sustainability, maintaining high service levels, technology investments and doing most jobs working his way up the organizations.

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Trucking and railroad demand appears hard pressed to come out of its malaise anytime soon. Trucking markets have been slowly improving, while pockets of weakness are mitigating some stronger end-markets. This backdrop may drive low-single digit volume growth for these freight modes next year. In this Talking Transports podcast, Jonathan Starks, FTR’s chief executive officer and chief intelligence officer joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation & logistics analyst, to share his insights about the state of the freight railroad and trucking markets and what the demand outlook may have in store for these freight markets. Starks also talks about peak-season expectations, regulatory pressures on trucking equipment, need for better visibility for rail shipments and how burning CDs lead to a fulfilling career.

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