Sizing up the freight transportation and logistics M&A market with Ben Gordon

Transportation infrastructure update with Randy Mullett

GUEST: Randy Mullett, transportation lobbyist Topics covered in this podcast included: the current state of transportation infrastructure at the national and federal level; the United States Department of Transportation's 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan; the BUILD America 250 Act; and the ASCE's 2025 infrastructure report card, among others.  Randy Mullett is a retired member of Con-way’s executive leadership team and long-time D.C.-based transportation lobbyist. His time inside the Beltway included: testifying several times before Congress and the White House Council of Economic Advisors; being named a member of the National Freight Advisory Committee; and serving as Vice-Chair of National Cooperative Freight Research Program of the National Academies of Science. After leaving Con-way, he had his own lobby practice in D.C,, representing Clients ranging from Fortune 50 Transportation Companies to Tech start-ups. Today, Randy is a Senior Partner at Venture 53, a venture fund focused on early stage supply chain tech companies. He also advises several tech start-ups and serves on several company boards. He and his wife now live in Charlottesville, VA.

Examining the Supreme Court's Montgomery v. Caribe Transport ruling with Carrier Assure's Cassandra Gaines

GUEST: Cassandra Gaines, Founder & CEO, Carrier Assure In this podcast, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviewed Cassandra Gaines, Founder & CEO of Carrier Assure, a transportation risk management platform she built to help brokers and shippers identify carriers that may meet modern industry vetting standards, using safety, fraud, and operational data. Topics covered included: the recent Supreme Court on broker liability, regarding whether freight brokers can be under state negligence law for hiring unsafe trucking companies and its impact on carriers, shippers, and brokers; lessons learned from the ruling; and how the ruling could impact carrier selection. Cassandra Gaines is the Founder & CEO of Carrier Assure, a transportation risk management platform she built to help brokers and shippers identify carriers that may meet modern industry vetting standards using safety, fraud, and operational data. She is also a nationally recognized transportation attorney and expert witness specializing in broker liability, carrier vetting, and transportation risk management. She advises brokers, shippers, insurers, and law firms on negligent selection exposure, FMCSA safety data, cargo theft prevention, and defensible carrier selection practices. Gaines previously held legal and leadership roles at large brokerages and trucking companies and has become a leading voice on transportation safety analytics and broker standard of care issues. She has spoken at more than 100 industry conferences nationwide and was named one of Business Insider’s “100 People Transforming Business in North America.”

Sizing up current freight railroad and intermodal market conditions with Tony Hatch

GUEST: Tony Hatch, principal, at ABH Consulting In this podcast, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviewed Tony Hatch, principal, at New York-based ABH Consulting on various topics, including: freight railroad and intermodal volumes and service, rates and pricing, and the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, among others.  A nationally-known freight railroad and intermodal expert, Hatch also examined the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the freight railroad and intermodal sectors, railroad policy issues, and service and operations, among other topics. Tony Hatch has nearly three decades of experience in the freight railroad and transportation sectors, primarily as an analyst. As principal of New York-based ABH Consulting, Hatch has been focused on the freight transportation segment, particularly surface transportation. And he is well-known for his knowledge of the intermodal area, where the various modes of freight transport converge, on which he has held several dozen specialized conferences. Prior to launching ABH Consulting, Hatch was an analyst for Salomon brothers; proceeding to Argus, Painewebber, and most recently at NatWest Markets (USA) prior to starting his independent analyst/consultancy in 1999.

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.

NRF's Gold examines the state of the retail supply chain

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.