Freight railroad, intermodal, and logistics update with Paul Tonsager, CEO IMS Advisory

GUEST: Paul Tonsager, CEO IMS Advisory

Topics covered in this podcast included: the current status of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger and what it could mean for shippers; the current state of rail carload intermodal service and volumes; how intermodal can gain market share from trucking, at a time when energy prices continue to rise, due to the Iran conflict; Amazon's ongoing and emerging freight transportation and logistics presence; tariffs and trade; the impact of AI on logistics operations and where things could be going; cargo theft and fraud; the fate of USMCA; and the Federal Reserve's most recent rate pause. 

Paul Tonsager is the CEO and Founder of Integrated Multi-Modal Solutions, LLC, where he advises companies and investors on building more efficient, resilient, and data-driven supply chains across global transportation networks.

With more than 30 years of experience, Paul has held senior leadership roles at CN, Maersk, and Coyote Logistics. He served as Head of Procurement at Maersk, leading global sourcing and logistics strategy, and as Vice President of Intermodal at Coyote, where he focused on integrating rail and truck networks to improve service and performance. Earlier in his career, he led international expansion initiatives for CN, building and scaling logistics operations across Asia, and later led a major restructuring of its global logistics business.

Today, Paul works at the intersection of operations, technology, and capital—advising startups, private equity, and corporate leaders on logistics innovation, AI-driven decision-making, and how to translate technology into real operational performance.