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.

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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} for BI’s comprehensive global research on the Iran War.

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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.

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