Your Post-Conference Hub:
Freight Insights Without the Noise

Missed the 2025 FTR Transportation Conference? This page is your one-stop hub for catching up—from quick-hitting 10 Minute Takes to analyst-led breakout sessions that explain the “how” behind our forecasts.

When you’re ready for the full story, upgrade to unlock every speaker session and each day’s keynotes with the complete replay bundle.

10 Minute Takes
Quick, data-driven snapshots

Bite-size analyst conversations on what’s moving freight, equipment, and rates—fast enough for a coffee break, deep enough to steer decisions.

Stability and Shifts in Rail Finance: A Conversation with David Nahass

by Eric Starks, Chairman of the Board

Covered Hoppers and the Future of Rail Leasing with Bryan Vaughan

by Eric Starks, Chairman of the Board

Shelli Austin on Intermodal Opportunities Amid Uncertainty

by Jami Sargent, COO

Watch all the 10 Minute Take Videos

Welcome to the Breakout Session Replays

While our speakers were on the main stage sharing high-level insights, our analysts were leading smaller breakout sessions to dive deeper into FTR’s forecasting process. These sessions unpack the data, models, and reasoning behind the outlooks you saw presented, offering a closer look at how we build the forecasts that guide our clients’ decisions.

Now you can catch the replays and experience the same in-depth discussions that attendees did on site — a behind-the-scenes look at the tools and analysis powering FTR’s market intelligence.

Active Truck Utilization:

A Closer look with Avery Vise

In this session, Avery Vise unpacks one of FTR's most important metrics — Active Truck Utilization — and why it matters for fleets, shippers, brokers, and others in the supply chain. He will also address other key FTR proprietary metrics related to the driver market and relate them to data available from other valuable sources, including data from BLS and FMCSA.

Freight•cast™ Foundations:

Mastering Economic Signals to Predict CV Demand

How do macroeconomic trends influence equipment demand? In this session, Eric Starks breaks down FTR’s Economically Derived Demand metric—what it is, how it’s calculated, and why it plays a critical role in FTR’s Freight•cast™ methodology. Learn how to use this powerful forecasting tool to anticipate market shifts, align strategy with economic signals, and gain a competitive advantage in a fast-moving landscape.

Beyond the Coast:

Evolving Port Trends and Their Impact on Freight Demand

U.S. port activity has seen major shifts in recent years—driven by near-shoring, reshoring, and evolving global trade dynamics. This session explores the freight flow trends emerging from key coastal and inland ports and how they reflect broader changes in manufacturing, sourcing, and shipping patterns. Learn what the data is telling us, what’s changed since the pandemic, and how these trends might shape freight demand, infrastructure investment, and supply chain strategy moving forward.

Market Intelligence 101:

A Playbook for Practical Insight

Launching a market intelligence function doesn’t have to be complicated. In this session, Derek Young outlines the essentials of what market intelligence is, how to build it, and why it matters. Learn how to assemble the right team, drive alignment across departments, and implement a practical, action-oriented approach to turning insight into impact. Whether you're building from the ground up or refining an existing strategy, this session provides a clear playbook for getting it right.

Navigating Uncertainty

Using Economic Indicators to Forecast Rail Equipment Need

Railcar demand is shaped by far more than transportation trends—it's rooted in the broader economy. In this session, Eric Starks explores FTR’s Economically Derived Demand framework and how it connects macroeconomic activity to rail equipment needs. Gain a deeper understanding of this approach and how it can inform decisions for shippers, lessors, OEMs, and service providers navigating today’s uncertain economic climate.

Intermodal Chassis Market:

Insights on Inventory, Production, and Planning

Chassis availability continues to be a pressure point in the intermodal system. This session unpacks the key market indicators—including inventory levels, deliveries, production rates, and order backlogs—to provide a clear picture of supply and demand across the chassis landscape. Whether you're a shipper, lessor, or intermodal provider, understanding these dynamics is essential for navigating capacity constraints and planning ahead.

Inside the Indices:

Benchmarking Market Pressures on the Rail

Want to understand the pressures rail shippers face today? This session breaks down FTR’s Rail Shippers Conditions Index and Intermodal Competitive Index—two composite benchmarks built from metrics including freight demand, rates, service performance, fuel costs, and rail capacity. Learn how to use these monthly indices to support better planning, improve negotiations, and refine your strategic positioning in the intermodal and carload markets.

Unlock All Session Replays

FTR Conference Highlight Graphics - TEMPLATE(1)

Want the full conference experience? The replay bundle gives you front-row access to every speaker and each day’s keynotes—start to finish. Hear the complete lineup, unedited insights, panel debates, and audience Q&A exactly as they happened, so you don’t miss the nuance that never makes it into summaries. Move beyond quick clips to the full context from our analysts, executives, and industry voices across Truck, Rail, and Intermodal tracks. Jump between days and sessions, bookmark the moments your team needs, and download slides where available—all on your schedule. Get the complete picture—every speaker, every keynote, every day—for $500.

Your Post-Conference Hub:Freight Insights Without the Noise

10 Minute Takes Quick, data-driven snapshots