Logistics Management Podcast

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.
 

GUEST: Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation (NRF).
Topics covered in this podcast included: tariffs and tariff refunds; NRF's Port Tracker report with Hackett Associates; the 2026 Peak Season; economic indicators; and how retail supply chain stakeholders are using AI, among others. 
Jonathan Gold is vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation. In this role, Gold is a primary spokesperson and is responsible for representing the retail industry before Congress and the administration on supply chain, international trade, product safety and customs-related issues impacting the retail industry. While with NRF, he has been a leading advocate of the value of trade and global value chains to the U.S. economy. 
Prior to joining NRF, Gold served as a policy analyst in the Office of Policy and Planning for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He joined CBP in May 2006 and was responsible for providing policy guidance on issues surrounding maritime cargo security and trade-related matters. Gold also worked on implementation issues surrounding the SAFE Port Act and other issues within the agency including CBP intelligence reform, pandemic flu and trade facilitation.  
Before joining CBP, Gold spent nearly a decade with the Retail Industry Leaders Association holding several government relations positions including director and then vice president of international trade policy before being named vice president of global supply chain policy in January 2005.  
Gold has served on several government advisory committees including the Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, the Department of Homeland Security’s Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) and on the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Advisory Committee on Distribution Services.  
Gold graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in international business with a concentration in finance. 

GUEST: Ben Gordon, founder and managing partner of Palm Beach, Florida-based Cambridge Capital, and managing partner of Ben Gordon Strategic Advisors.
Topics covered included: the current state of freight transportation and logistics M&A; key trends and themes in the dealmaking space; how things like AI, and e-commerce and last-mile logistics are impacting the market; and a look at what may be in store down the road, among others. 
Gordon has led his firm’s efforts in advising on more than $1 billion worth of transactions. Over the years, he has worked with and advised various household names in transportation and logistics, including: UPS, DHL, Echo Global Logistics, and a whole host of others, too. 
He draws on a career spent investing in, advising and building supply chain and technology companies. At BGSA Holdings, Benjamin led the firm’s efforts, advising on over $1 billion worth of supply chain transactions. Benjamin has worked with firms such as UPS, DHL, Kuehne & Nagel, Agility Logistics, NFI Logistics, GENCO, Nations Express, Raytrans, Echo Global, Dixie, Wilpak, and others.

GUEST: Avery Vise, Vice President of Trucking, at FTR.
Topics covered in this podcast included: the state of the freight economy; the impact of the Iran conflict on trucking; rates and pricing; and the capacity outlook, among others. 
Avery Vise is vice president of trucking for FTR Transportation Intelligence, a forecasting and data analysis firm specializing in freight transportation. He has closely studied the transportation industry for nearly 35 years as an editor, analyst, and researcher, including more than 20 years dedicated to the trucking industry.
Avery Vise served as executive director of trucking research and analysis for Randall-Reilly from 2011 to 2013 after a decade as the chief editor of that company’s Commercial Carrier Journal. Before joining FTR in 2017, he held several positions related to the trucking industry including manager of public relations for Volvo Trucks North America and principal of his own transportation consulting and market research practice. Before beginning his involvement in trucking in 1998, he covered the commercial aviation industry for 13 years as a reporter in Washington, D.C.
 

GUEST: Pete Mento, Director, Global Trade Management Services, Baker Tilly 
In this podcast, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviewed Pete Mento, Director, Global Trade Management Services, Baker Tilly. Topics covered included: the current state of the global trade environment; the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the White House's IEEPA tariffs; the Court of International Trade's ruling on IEEPA refunds; the upcoming United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations; and supply chain uncertainty related to trade, among other topics.    
Pete is a licensed Customs House Broker and a widely recognized voice in global trade, customs and duty minimization strategy. As director of global trade advisory at Baker Tilly, he helps companies identify savings, reduce risk and design efficient, defensible trade compliance programs.
With more than three decades of experience, including senior leadership roles in major logistics and advisory firms, Pete brings a rare combination of operational depth and strategic perspective. His expertise spans customs operations, transfer pricing alignment for importers, audit defense, trade tax integration, valuation, cargo security and global supply chain risk.
Pete holds a master’s degree in government with a concentration in trade theory from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in customs and economics from the University of Durham in the UK and completed his undergraduate studies at Maine Maritime Academy where he served five terms as a member of the advisory board. Known for his engaging, insightful speaking style, he translates complex global trade issues into clear, practical guidance for executives, compliance teams and industry audiences worldwide.

GUEST: Keith Prather, Armada Corporate Intelligence, Managing Director
Prather is a Managing Director and Co-founder of Armada Corporate Intelligence. During his 24 years with Armada, he has consulted to Fortune 500 and companies of all sizes providing corporate intelligence, economic forecasting, and insights on changing global dynamics, geopolitics, supply chain issues, and other factors that affect the corporate operating environment.
Keith has spent 24 years working with clients in the transportation and global supply chain industry, providing strategic support and insights on the global operating environment.  
Keith is a former CFO and is the chief editor for the Flagship, an “Officer of the Watch Report” read by more than 18,000 corporate executives weekly. He and co-founder Chris Kuehl present keynotes on the economy at more than 120 events a year. 
 

To illustrate what this new playbook looks like in practice, Michael Levans, Group Editorial Director of Peerless Media’s Supply Chain Group, is joined by Steve Barber, Vice President of Solutions Architecture at Uber Freight. Barber works directly with shippers as they rethink network design, cost strategies, and how to operate in a market that’s becoming more dynamic—and less forgiving of slow decision-making.

GUEST: Chris Rogers, S&P Global Market Intelligence Research Director 
Topics covered in this podcast included: United States-bound containerized imports; the global trade outlook, with a focus on ther impact of tariffs; container shipping rates and capacity; and the current status of Red Sea shipping, among others. 
Chris Rogers is Research Director for S&P Global Market Intelligence. He has more than 10 years of experience in building research businesses covering corporate decision-making and government policy in the supply chain and logistics sectors at S&P Global, Bloomberg, and Flexport. Chris’s prior experience includes power, gas and emissions markets analysis at investment banks, including JP Morgan and UBS.

GUEST: Larry Gross, President, Gross Transportation Consulting 
Larry Gross is a forty-year veteran of the freight transportation sector, and President of Gross Transportation Consulting of Durango, CO, an independent consulting practice specializing in freight transportation matters. He is the author and creator of “Intermodal in Depth," an analytical report covering the intermodal sector.
Larry is an acknowledged expert on intermodal matters who makes frequent appearances before the transportation community. He has played a key role in the creation of educational content at the IANA Intermodal Expo for the past four years. He enjoys teaching and has authored business case studies for use in the IANA Academic Challenge competition at the University of North Florida as well as the IANA Expo Academic Challenge.
Prior to starting his consulting practice, Larry enjoyed a long career in intermodal equipment development and sales. He is the individual most closely associated with the innovative RoadRailer intermodal system, an organization that he headed for over a decade.
 
 

GUEST: Bruce Chan, Managing Director, at Stifel
In this podcast, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviews Bruce Chan, Managing Director, at Stifel. Topics covered included: the current state of the freight economy; the over-the-road capacity outlook; rates and pricing; the impact of tariffs on freight transportation; and the parcel sector, among others. 
Bruce Chan joined Stifel in March 2010.  Based out of the Miami office, Mr. Chan is an analyst covering the Transportation, Global Logistics, and Future Mobility sectors, covering Global Logistics. Before joining Stifel, Mr. Chan was a senior project manager for a real estate investment and development firm. Mr. Chan graduated from Georgetown University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland.  He serves on the Board of Directors of Zync, Inc., an automotive media and technology company.