The Freight Table

David Garofalo
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Freight doesn't move in isolation — and neither do the decisions that shape it. Every month, data tells us where freight is moving, policy tells us why the environment is changing, and the people moving cargo every day tell us what it actually means on the ground. This is The Freight Table — where intermodal comes together

Episodes

  1. Aug 20

    The Freight Table

    In this episode of The Freight Table, IANA's President and CEO Anne Reinke and Board Chair Chris Brach discuss the state of intermodal, the role of IMCs, and how the association can help the industry navigate a fast-moving set of opportunities and challenges.

  2. Aug 19

    The Freight Table

    The Freight Table, host David Garofalo sits down with an expert panel—including Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) President and CEO Ann Reinke, InTech Logistics President and Co-Founder Shelli Austin, InTech Logistics CEO and Co-Founder Rick LaGore, and transportation advisor Paul Tonsager—for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolving landscape of intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) and third-party logistics providers (3PLs).    In this episode, you'll learn: How partial deregulation in 1980 allowed the 3PL industry to flourish as true intermediaries The retail vs. wholesale dynamic Rising shorter-and-longer-term customer expectations Why the best way to resolve service delays and asset issues is for IMCs to foster direct relationships with the regional rail operating personnel, trainmasters, and superintendents who control actual day-to-day decisions How weekend arrival times and tight 24-hour notification windows create severe constraints for receivers that aren't open 24/7 Why utilizing empty domestic equipment and recognizing structural pockets of capacity is the ultimate key to true organic intermodal growth and supply chain flexibility How emerging automated tools can improve data truth and eliminate hiding behind flawed reporting The amount of freight moving isn't going to decrease. The question is who will be equipped to move it.   About The Freight Table A monthly podcast from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), connecting data, policy, and industry voices to give you a clear view of what's changing now — and what's coming next. Where intermodal comes together.

  3. Jul 22

    The Freight Table - Episode 6

    In this episode of The Freight Table, host David sits down with Chris Machut, a technologist, serial entrepreneur, and the leader of a groundbreaking AI project for the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). We move past the initial hype of large language models to explore the transition from asking "why" to use AI to "how" it can be practically implemented to drive efficiency across the supply chain.12 In this episode, you'll learn: - Why Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are critical to ensure AI results align with the real-world movement of freight - How IANA's initial framework identifies specific touchpoints in a container's journey where AI can provide immediate value - Chris shares a powerful personal story about using AI to help triage a life-threatening medical infection, illustrating the importance of a "human-in-the-loop" philosophy - How AI can reduce operational stress by handling repetitive tasks, allowing professionals to focus on higher-level decision-making - Why AI is evolving exponentially, and what that means for the gap between current frameworks and future implementations - Why now is the time for all stakeholders—from carriers to rail to BCOs—to bring their feedback and help define how AI is adopted - How AI acts as a "pinnacle" technology, similar to the evolution from the abacus to the PC, by making complex capabilities accessible to everyone Find out more about why IANA is uniquely positioned to lead the intermodal industry toward a future of unprecedented technological collaboration.    About The Freight Table A monthly podcast from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), connecting data, policy, and industry voices to give you a clear view of what's changing now — and what's coming next. Where intermodal comes together.

  4. Jul 22

    The Freight Table

    In this episode of The Freight Table, host David sits down with Michael Darden, a supply chain standards expert, AI subject matter expert, and newly appointed founding member of ASTM's F50 Committee on AI in Manufacturing. This conversation goes deep on standards, data quality, regulatory gaps, and why the industry may need to rethink the entire freight journey — before the box even leaves its origin. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why ASTM's brand-new AI in Manufacturing committee matters — and what it signals about where government and industry are heading on AI standards - Why "garbage in, garbage out" isn't just a data problem — it's a standards problem that the industry has been circling for 50 years - How AI is already forcing conversations that legacy operators have long resisted — and why that's both exciting and disruptive - Why keeping humans in the loop isn't optional: the sensor data analogy that explains exactly when a signal becomes an action - What surprised this SME most about the IANA AI project — and the project design choice that shaped everything - Why the planning phase before the container arrives on shore may be the single biggest AI opportunity the industry is overlooking - How 49 CFR 371.3 — the property broker transparency regulation — has eroded trust across the supply chain, and why enforcement matters - Why IANA is uniquely positioned to sit at the policy table and represent the full multimodal stakeholder picture to the federal government The chirp is getting louder. The question is whether the industry knows when to watch — and when to act.   About The Freight Table A monthly podcast from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), connecting data, policy, and industry voices to give you a clear view of what's changing now — and what's coming next. Where intermodal comes together.

  5. Jul 22

    The Freight Table

    Who gets left behind if they don't act now? In this episode of The Freight Table, host David Garofalo sits down with Curtis Pogue, a supply chain and AI subject-matter expert and longtime IANA contributor, for a wide-ranging conversation recorded live at IANA's Intermodal Business Meeting in New Orleans. From visibility and control as the twin principles of supply chain management, to why AI is fundamentally a mindset shift rather than a technology purchase, Curtis brings sharp insight and refreshing candor to one of the industry's most important conversations. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why visibility and control have always been the hardest problems in supply chain — and how AI is finally making them achievable - What "bad data in, bad results out" really means for intermodal operators considering AI adoption - Why the hallucination problem with AI is mostly a question of how you're using it — and what a smarter approach looks like - How AI breaks down siloed P&L thinking and forces a whole-chain perspective that benefits every mode - Why the interchange point between modes is where bottlenecks form — and where AI-driven optimization has the most to offer - What the pandemic exposed about supply chain decision-making in silos — and the lessons the industry still hasn't fully absorbed - Why one CEO's warning — "half of these companies won't be here next year" — may not be an exaggeration - Why AI adoption is less an economic issue than a mindset one: and what it means to think bigger than your own part of the chain The amount of freight moving isn't going to decrease. The question is who will be equipped to move it. About The Freight Table A monthly podcast from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), connecting data, policy, and industry voices to give you a clear view of what's changing now — and what's coming next. Where intermodal comes together.

  6. Jul 22

    The Freight Table

    How is AI actually being used on the ground in drayage operations — and what could it mean for the future of intermodal freight? In this episode of The Freight Table, host David Garofalo sits down with Chris O'Hea, Vice President of Maintenance and Operational Finance at Medlog USA and Chair of IANA's Maintenance & Repair Committee, for a candid conversation about AI in the real world of drayage. From back-office data mining to AI agents handling routine tasks, Chris shares how Medlog is already putting AI to work — and what a broader, supply-chain-wide framework could look like. In this episode, you'll learn: - How Medlog is using AI today to cut hours of data work down to minutes — and what that means for cost visibility across terminals - Why efficiency is the single biggest driver of AI adoption in drayage right now, especially with rates at near pre-COVID levels and expenses still rising - How AI is helping drayage operators manage container planning, chassis decisions, customs holds, and driver capacity more effectively - Why developing AI agents for routine, high-volume tasks frees up people to handle the problems that actually need a human - What IANA's four pillars of AI framework is designed to do — and why the goal is a practical guidebook, not a mandate - Why the interchange point between modes is where AI could have its biggest supply-chain impact - What it would take to move from internal efficiency gains to true cross-partner visibility across the intermodal network  Embrace it or get left behind — AI isn't coming to intermodal, it's already here.   About The Freight Table A monthly podcast from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), connecting data, policy, and industry voices to give you a clear view of what's changing now — and what's coming next. Where intermodal comes together.

  7. Jul 22

    The Freight Table

    What's really happening in the intermodal supply chain right now—and what does it mean for freight, policy, and the economy? In this episode of The Freight Table, industry experts break down the biggest forces shaping intermodal today, from rising cargo theft and supply chain fraud to shifting freight demand, tariffs, and global oil disruptions. With insights from IANA's government affairs and economic leadership, this conversation connects the dots between legislation, market trends, and real-world impact across the supply chain. In this episode, you'll learn: Why cargo theft and supply chain fraud are at "intolerable levels" and what legislation is being proposed How tariffs are impacting jobs, manufacturing, and freight demand What rising oil prices and global conflict mean for trucking vs. intermodal Why intermodal may gain share during economic volatility The biggest disconnect between policymakers and the supply chain What to watch over the next 30–60 days in freight and infrastructure As the industry navigates uncertainty, one theme stands out: freight doesn't move in silos—and neither should the conversation.     About The Freight Table A monthly podcast from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), connecting data, policy, and industry voices to give you a clear view of what's changing now—and what's coming next.

  8. Mar 12

    The Freight Table, Episode 1: What's Moving on Capitol Hill for Intermodal

    In the inaugural episode of The Freight Table, David Garofalo sits down with IANA's Lucy Marvin for a timely conversation on the legislative and policy issues shaping intermodal freight in Washington. From what's actively moving on Capitol Hill to where policy and operational realities can diverge, this episode offers a practical look at what intermodal leaders should be watching now — and in the weeks ahead.

  • 8 Episodes

About

Freight doesn't move in isolation — and neither do the decisions that shape it. Every month, data tells us where freight is moving, policy tells us why the environment is changing, and the people moving cargo every day tell us what it actually means on the ground. This is The Freight Table — where intermodal comes together

Information

  • Creator
    David Garofalo
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Freight Table