US railroads may still be too short staffed to continue improving service, especially as volumes recover this year. In this Talking Transports podcast, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation & logistics analyst, to discuss the state of the railroad industry from the regulator’s perspective. Lower head counts from the transition to precision-scheduled railroading and furloughs in 2020 contributed to poor service and supply-chain dislocations during the pandemic, Oberman says. Improving service is imperative for railroads to win share back from trucks and also for the overall health of the economy. Oberman also discusses reciprocal switching, industry consolidation and his pending retirement from the STB.

US railroads may still be too short staffed to continue improving service, especially as volumes recover this year. In this Talking Transports podcast, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman joins Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation &amp; logistics analyst, to discuss the state of the railroad industry from the regulator’s perspective. Lower head counts from the transition to precision-scheduled railroading and furloughs in 2020 contributed to poor service and supply-chain dislocations during the pandemic, Oberman says. Improving service is imperative for railroads to win share back from trucks and also for the overall health of the economy. Oberman also discusses reciprocal switching, industry consolidation and his pending retirement from the STB.

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

STB Chair Takes Railroads to Task on Service

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e10a3b7a-2481-4556-81f8-b0f90112d09e/transcript

Freight demand remains uneven, but ArcBest is betting on integration and technology to drive long-term growth. In this Talking Transports podcast, ArcBest CEO Seth Runser joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss the company’s evolution from a traditional less-than-truckload into a multibillion-dollar integrated logistics provider. Runser outlines how managed transportation is gaining traction, why dynamic pricing and AI-enabled tools are improving efficiency and how $175 million in annual tech investment supports customer retention and productivity. He also addresses supply-side tightening from regulatory enforcement, union labor dynamics and EV pilots and how ArcBest is positioning for the next freight upcycle despite economic uncertainty. Runser became CEO at the start of the year, capping a 19-year career at the company that began in its management-trainee program.

Freight demand remains uneven, but ArcBest is betting on integration and technology to drive long-term growth. In this Talking Transports podcast, ArcBest CEO Seth Runser joins Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Lee Klaskow to discuss the company&rsquo;s evolution from a traditional less-than-truckload into a multibillion-dollar integrated logistics provider. Runser outlines how managed transportation is gaining traction, why dynamic pricing and AI-enabled tools are improving efficiency and how $175 million in annual tech investment supports customer retention and productivity. He also addresses supply-side tightening from regulatory enforcement, union labor dynamics and EV pilots and how ArcBest is positioning for the next freight upcycle despite economic uncertainty. Runser became CEO at the start of the year, capping a 19-year career at the company that began in its management-trainee program.

Technology Key to ArcBest’s Transformation

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4c2eddc6-d5a3-476d-8ac2-b40200dec5de/transcript

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c1d55c3b-a8e6-40ee-a1ef-b3fe013487cd/transcript

Escalating US–Israeli strikes on Iran have injected fresh volatility into global energy and shipping markets, pushing Brent crude toward $80 a barrel and sending very large crude carrier spot rates sharply higher. About 20% of global oil and 25% of LNG flows transit the Strait of Hormuz, making the region critical to global trade. In this Talking Transports podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow convenes BI’s defense, energy, and shipping analysts to assess how the conflict could reshape oil prices, tanker rates, container flows, and broader freight markets.

The discussion explores the emerging geopolitical risk premium in oil, insurance-driven tanker disruptions, continued Red Sea diversions and second-order impacts on rail, trucking, air freight and defense contractors. The key question being whether volatility remains a risk premium or becomes a true supply shock. 


See {BI IRAN<GO>} for BI’s comprehensive global research on the Iran War.

Escalating US&ndash;Israeli strikes on Iran have injected fresh volatility into global energy and shipping markets, pushing Brent crude toward $80 a barrel and sending very large crude carrier spot rates sharply higher. About 20% of global oil and 25% of LNG flows transit the Strait of Hormuz, making the region critical to global trade. In this Talking Transports podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Lee Klaskow convenes BI&rsquo;s defense, energy, and shipping analysts to assess how the conflict could reshape oil prices, tanker rates, container flows, and broader freight markets.
The discussion explores the emerging geopolitical risk premium in oil, insurance-driven tanker disruptions, continued Red Sea diversions and second-order impacts on rail, trucking, air freight and defense contractors. The key question being whether volatility remains a risk premium or becomes a true supply shock.&nbsp;
 See {BI IRAN&lt;GO&gt;} for BI&rsquo;s comprehensive global research on the Iran War.&nbsp;

Iran Conflict and the Freight-Market Fallout

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/131317b2-be4d-47e1-98c6-b401011e382d/transcript

STB Chair Takes Railroads to Task on Service

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