The right pricing strategy can make or break margins on less-than-truckload shipments, especially amid weak demand. In this episode of Bloomberg Intelligence’s Talking Transports podcast, SMC³ President and CEO Andrew Slusher joins BI’s senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to explain how the company’s technology-driven tools help shippers, carriers and brokers make informed decisions on rates, costs, transit times and emissions. They discuss trends in the LTL industry — from dynamic pricing and sustainability to market uncertainty, consolidation and FedEx Freight’s planned spinoff. Slusher also shares insights on leadership, innovation, AI’s potential impact on transportation and his shift to trucking from aviation.

The right pricing strategy can make or break margins on less-than-truckload shipments, especially amid weak demand. In this episode of Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Talking Transports podcast, SMC&sup3; President and CEO Andrew Slusher joins BI&rsquo;s senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to explain how the company&rsquo;s technology-driven tools help shippers, carriers and brokers make informed decisions on rates, costs, transit times and emissions. They discuss trends in the LTL industry &mdash; from dynamic pricing and sustainability to market uncertainty, consolidation and FedEx Freight&rsquo;s planned spinoff. Slusher also shares insights on leadership, innovation, AI&rsquo;s potential impact on transportation and his shift to trucking from aviation.

Talking Transports by Bloomberg Intelligence features forwarding thinking conversations with analysts, executives and entrepreneurs that are shaping the future of the freight transportation industry. The focus will be on trucking, railroads, ocean and air freight markets and everything in between.

Talking Transports by Bloomberg Intelligence features forwarding thinking conversations with analysts, executives and entrepreneurs that are shaping the future of the freight transportation industry. The focus will be on trucking, railroads, ocean and air freight markets and everything in between.

Talking Transports

SMC³ on Making Better LTL Rate Decisions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/29560514-26f6-49f9-8c83-b3440145cdc2/transcript

Railroad freight remains a critical but often overlooked backbone of the economy, even as uncertainty clouds capital investment decisions. Railcar orders have moderated amid tariff concerns and cautious shipper spending, yet Greenbrier’s backlog remains strong, underscoring resilient underlying demand. In this Talking Transports podcast, Greenbrier CEO Lorie Tekorius joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss the company’s strategy to balance cyclical new railcar manufacturing with expanding recurring revenue from leasing and services. Tekorius outlines margin expansion through footprint optimization, steel sourcing discipline and insourcing initiatives, while addressing tariffs, inflationary pressures, rail consolidation and the long-term opportunity to increase freight rail’s share of the transportation pie.

Railroad freight remains a critical but often overlooked backbone of the economy, even as uncertainty clouds capital investment decisions. Railcar orders have moderated amid tariff concerns and cautious shipper spending, yet Greenbrier&rsquo;s backlog remains strong, underscoring resilient underlying demand. In this Talking Transports podcast, Greenbrier CEO Lorie Tekorius joins Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Lee Klaskow to discuss the company&rsquo;s strategy to balance cyclical new railcar manufacturing with expanding recurring revenue from leasing and services. Tekorius outlines margin expansion through footprint optimization, steel sourcing discipline and insourcing initiatives, while addressing tariffs, inflationary pressures, rail consolidation and the long-term opportunity to increase freight rail&rsquo;s share of the transportation pie.

Greenbrier Navigates Rail Cyclicality

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2b8fb14d-dd25-4323-91fb-b3fa016afdce/transcript

Supply chain technology adoption is shifting from pilots to measurable gains in productivity and margins. In this episode of the Talking Transports podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow shares conversations from the floor of Manifest conference in Las Vegas, where innovation — not freight volumes — dominated. Vendors spotlighted AI agents for less-than-truckload workflows, robotics for e-commerce packaging, autonomous trucking, corrugate solutions to cut waste and reverse-logistics platforms to speed up resale readiness. C.H. Robinson cited 95% automation of LTL missed pickups, while robotics firm Ultra targets a $2–$3 billion packaging automation opportunity. Last-mile startup GoFo is challenging FedEx and UPS with lower-cost DSP models, while autonomous trucking firm Bot Auto is prioritizing cost-per-mile economics before scaling.

Supply chain technology adoption is shifting from pilots to measurable gains in productivity and margins. In this episode of the Talking Transports podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Lee Klaskow shares conversations from the floor of Manifest conference in Las Vegas, where innovation &mdash; not freight volumes &mdash; dominated. Vendors spotlighted AI agents for less-than-truckload workflows, robotics for e-commerce packaging, autonomous trucking, corrugate solutions to cut waste and reverse-logistics platforms to speed up resale readiness. C.H. Robinson cited 95% automation of LTL missed pickups, while robotics firm Ultra targets a $2&ndash;$3 billion packaging automation opportunity. Last-mile startup GoFo is challenging FedEx and UPS with lower-cost DSP models, while autonomous trucking firm Bot Auto is prioritizing cost-per-mile economics before scaling.

Manifest Highlights Supply-Chain Tech Payoff

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1bc6093e-731b-47e2-9002-b3f700da128b/transcript

AI’s growing appetite for power is quietly reshaping freight demand, creating new opportunities for transportation providers serving the oil and gas industry and its supporting infrastructure. In this Talking Transports podcast, Pinch Transport President Thomas Massalone joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss a niche corner of the freight market: flatbed less-than-trucking serving every major oil and gas basin in the US and Canada. Unlike traditional LTL carriers such as Old Dominion or XPO, Pinch’s demand is more tied to oil prices than to the ISM manufacturing index. Massalone also provides insight into how consolidation has strengthened specialized carriers, helping mitigate inflationary pressures and combat fraud, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the company’s brokerage and drayage businesses.

AI&rsquo;s growing appetite for power is quietly reshaping freight demand, creating new opportunities for transportation providers serving the oil and gas industry and its supporting infrastructure. In this Talking Transports podcast, Pinch Transport President Thomas Massalone joins Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Lee Klaskow to discuss a niche corner of the freight market: flatbed less-than-trucking serving every major oil and gas basin in the US and Canada. Unlike traditional LTL carriers such as Old Dominion or XPO, Pinch&rsquo;s demand is more tied to oil prices than to the ISM manufacturing index. Massalone also provides insight into how consolidation has strengthened specialized carriers, helping mitigate inflationary pressures and combat fraud, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the company&rsquo;s brokerage and drayage businesses.

AI’s Demand for Power is Good for Transports

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ddd67fda-9385-4d81-bf2e-b3f400d8ab33/transcript

SMC³ on Making Better LTL Rate Decisions

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