Talking Transports

Parcel delivery is getting faster, increasingly fragmented and more technology-driven as alternative carriers and automation challenge traditional models. In this bonus episode of the Talking Transports podcast, recorded on the exhibit floor of the PARCEL Forum 2026 conference, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow speaks with executives from Loop, OnTrac, OSM Worldwide, Parcel Pending by Quadient, Veho, UniUni and Slip Robotics. The conversations explore AI-powered freight audit, seven-day parcel networks, postal workshare, smart lockers, gig and DSP delivery models, and robotics that can load and unload a trailer in about five minutes. The episode also highlights OnTrac’s 75-80% shopper reach, UniUni’s roughly 1.5 million daily packages and how technology is helping carriers and shippers lower costs, improve speed and expand consumer choice.
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Technology enhancements, Amazon.com and a growing roster of carriers are reshaping the US parcel market. At the PARCEL Forum 2026 conference, a panel moderated by Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow, Gartner’s Chris Kina, Deloitte’s Joanne Strong and Pharand Advisors CEO Andre Pharand discussed how AI and dynamic routing are shifting competitive advantage away from physical networks alone. Shippers increasingly use multiple carriers to balance cost, service and reliability, with Gartner noting some retailers now use 10-20. The panel also explored Amazon’s growing third-party delivery ambitions, rising consumer expectations, parcel lockers and why reliability is becoming more important than speed as technology helps shippers select the best carrier for each shipment.
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Tighter truck capacity and higher diesel prices could accelerate intermodal’s highway share gains. In this Talking Transports podcast, BNSF Group Vice President of Intermodal and Automotive Jon Gabriel joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Lee Klaskow to discuss why rail’s 10-12% share of long-haul freight can move considerably higher. BNSF has seen more inbound customer calls in the past six months as trucking conditions tighten, and Gabriel believes this could evolve from an intermodal “moment” into an “era.” He also discusses BNSF’s technology investments, J.B. Hunt partnership, rail consolidation, Barstow International Gateway and automotive business, where demand remains resilient and tariffs have caused only limited changes to established supply chains.
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Amazon.com is turning the logistics network it built for itself into an end-to-end supply-chain platform for other companies. In this Talking Transports podcast, Amazon Supply Chain Services Head Peter Larsen joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to discuss how ASCS is expanding across ocean and air freight, trucking, intermodal, fulfillment and parcel. Larsen says parcel is “cooking with gas,” while international markets offer significant growth potential. He explains how Amazon’s scale, more than 1 million robots and AI-powered inventory placement can give customers greater visibility and resilience. They also discuss rising trucking costs, Amazon’s shift toward more intermodal, its mix of owned and third-party capacity and why supply chains should be viewed as a growth driver rather than just a cost center.
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Warehouse demand is strengthening as e-commerce, onshoring and data-center investment fuel the need for logistics space. In this episode of the Talking Transports podcast, Link Logistics CEO Luke Petherbridge joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to discuss the outlook for industrial real estate. Link, which manages nearly 500 million square feet, has seen leasing activity rise about 30% this year as new supply remains below recent peaks. Petherbridge highlights growing demand in Texas and the Southeast, while e-commerce continues to drive inventory closer to consumers. They also discuss AI, nearshoring, warehouse rents, inventory strategies and how data-center construction is creating spillover demand for logistics facilities.
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