State of Freight 2025: What Lies Ahead

10 snips

Feb 5, 2025

Guest

Lee Klaskow

Guest

Brian Oxley

In this insightful discussion, Lee Klaskow, a Senior Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence with extensive expertise in transportation, and Brian Oxley, Co-founder of Vector Global Logistics with a passion for impactful logistics, tackle the pivotal trends shaping freight by 2025. They cover the emergence of zero-click logistics, the role of automation in ports, and the challenges of freight theft and geopolitical tensions. Their analysis also highlights the dynamics of air, ocean, rail, and truckload sectors, emphasizing the necessity of nimbleness in an evolving landscape.

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INSIGHT

2024 Freight Market Disappointment

The 2024 freight market was generally disappointing, with low volumes and poor pricing.
International freight saw inflated revenues, primarily due to disruptions in the Red Sea.

INSIGHT

2024 Freight Disruptions

The Red Sea conflict and Biden administration's tariff announcements significantly impacted 2024 freight.
These events, coupled with labor strikes, forced importers to be nimble in routing freight.

INSIGHT

Automation and Labor

Automation at ports is a key point of contention in labor negotiations.
While it can improve efficiency, it raises concerns about job displacement.

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In this episode, host Scott W. Luton dives into the evolving state of the freight industry with an expert panel featuring Lee Klaskow, Senior Analyst for Transportation & Logistics at Bloomberg Intelligence and host of Talking Transports, and Brian Oxley, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Vector Global Logistics. Together, they discuss the biggest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping global freight in 2025.

This insightful conversation covers the rise of the zero-click environment in logistics, the transformative impact of automation at ports, and the shifting dynamics in air, ocean, rail, and truckload freight. From freight theft and geopolitical disruptions to the potential of nimbleness as the key to success, the panel shares data-driven perspectives and actionable takeaways to help supply chain leaders navigate the road ahead.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(06:24) Lee’s insights on Bloomberg Intelligence and the freight market

(09:30) Freight theft and geopolitical disruptions in 2024

(11:09) Key takeaways from the state of freight in 2024

(15:38) The impact of automation on port operations and labor dynamics

(19:03) Air freight trends: E-commerce drivers and China’s role

(22:24) Ocean freight challenges and the Red Sea’s impact on capacity

(27:06) Railroads and the potential of north-south connectivity

(29:33) Freight volumes and pricing trends across modes

(32:34) Truckload and LTL trends: Recovery signs and spot market dynamics

(36:47) Nimbleness as the key to supply chain success in 2025

Additional Links & Resources:

Connect with Lee Klaskow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeklaskow/
Connect with Brian Oxley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-oxley-98319a/
Learn more about Bloomberg Intelligence: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/products/bloomberg-terminal/research/bloomberg-intelligence/#overview
Learn more about Vector Global Logistics: https://vectorgl.com/
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
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This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Amanda Luton and Trisha Cordes. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/state-freight-2025-1387