• Inland Distribution
  • September 25- 27, 2023 | The Westin Chicago River North

Shane Blair

Swift Transportation

Senior Vice President-Intermodal

Shane joined Swift Transportation in 1995 managing sales for the Central division. He held several leadership roles throughout his tenure, including Area Sales Manager, Terminal Leader, and RVP Intermodal Sales. Shane left Swift in 2003 to join the Union Pacific Railroad where he worked as General Director of Domestic Intermodal Sales, leading their asset-based sales team. He rejoined Swift in May of 2022 as Vice President Intermodal Sales until June 2023 when he was promoted to Senior Vice President Intermodal.

Shane holds a Business Administration degree from the University of Northern Iowa.  

Sessions With Shane Blair

Tuesday, 26 September

  • 03:15pm - 03:45pm (CST) / 26/sep/2023 08:15 pm - 26/sep/2023 08:45 pm

    Domestic Intermodal Pricing — What You're Getting for Your Dollar

    The Journal of Commerce Intermodal Savings Index is showing that 2023 is the year of the shipper. Pricing power was in their corner during contract negotiations in the first and second quarters. Cheap truckload rates provided stiff competition to intermodal providers on lanes less than 1,200 miles. Trucks were cheaper than trains on several key lanes, making it difficult for intermodal providers to keep volume. On long hauls, particularly out of Los Angeles, asset-owning intermodal providers who brought in more than 37,000 new boxes in 2022 jockeyed for market share by slashing rates to manage their container glut. Non-asset intermodal providers struggled to fend off trucking and asset-owning competitors without significant sacrifice to margins. This session will explore whether any peak season has materialized, its impact on rates, and a look ahead to whether the scales will tip back toward carriers in 2024.

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