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Ari Ashe

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal RailmailLinkedin

Ari Ashe is senior editor of intermodal rail, and co-chair of the annual Inland Distribution Conference. He is also the author and creator of the quarterly Intermodal Savings Index and Domestic Intermodal Scorecard. Prior to joining the Journal of Commerce in 2018, he covered commercial transportation for Transport Topics.

Read Ari's Latest Coverage

UP reaches agreement with IBB union to support NS merger

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The job protection deal with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers is significant because previous rail mergers have led to overlapping operations and the consolidation of terminals, resulting in workforce reductions.
North-American railRail News

UP enhances intermodal between LA and Cincinnati

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
UP's changes will make things easier in Southern California but might make interchanges in Chicago more difficult for shippers.
Intermodal providersRail News

BNSF, CSX launch faster cross-country intermodal service

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The move represents the latest effort by the two railroads to jointly convince shippers to shift more truckload freight to rail by addressing intermodal’s slower transits.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American rail

Former CSX CEO denies that UP came to him first on potential merger

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The comments from Joe Hinrichs follow a report that CSX’s board of directors was displeased that UP allegedly contacted Hinrichs first about a potential UP-CSX combination and only turned to Norfolk Southern after receiving a tepid response.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

UP, CSX give priority loading to Schneider’s new intermodal service

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The new details clarify the role the two railroads will play in Schneider’s just-launched Fast Track product, which comes with a 95% on-time guarantee.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

UP says cargo owners in Midwest would benefit from NS merger

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Whether for or against the UP-NS deal, a merged railroad would reshape the Chicago drayage market.
North-American railIntermodal providers

Schneider launches premium intermodal service with 95% on-time guarantee

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The product, known as Fast Track, is the latest effort by an intermodal carrier to attract customers who depend on precision and dependable service, qualities that railroads have often struggled to deliver.
Intermodal providersRail News

Trump support likely to get UP-NS deal approved: ex-STB chairman

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Daniel Elliott III told a webinar that the proposed $85 billion merger is “leaning more toward approval” because of the White House’s support.
SurfaceRail NewsTransport, Trade and Regulation NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

Intermodal savings rose in Q3, but might not yield high rates in ‘26

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
While intermodal savings remain above 20%, according to the latest Intermodal Savings Index, there is not enough pressure yet in the trucking market to drive up rates across the US on intermodal rail.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

CPKC-CSX target 2026 as big year for Mexico-Texas-East Coast trade

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The railroads will make a harder play to capture Dallas-to-East Coast freight after track upgrades come online along the Gulf Coast early next year.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

CPKC slams UP, NS on Meridian congestion, merger plans

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Recent tensions involved CPKC’s opposition to the UP-NS merger, but the battle has morphed into a larger disagreement about poor service on a 300-mile stretch of track in Louisiana and Mississippi known as the Meridian Speedway.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

J.B. Hunt’s East Coast strategy is shifting as rail alliances realign

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The largest US intermodal provider’s relationships with competing eastern railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX are shifting and will continue evolving through 2026 as the proposed merger between NS and UP winds its way through the regulatory process.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

UP CEO pushing to file formal NS merger application by Dec. 1

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Union Pacific’s application seeking federal approval to acquire Norfolk Southern will be 4,000 pages long and provide the first detailed look at how the railroads believe customers would benefit from the $85 billion deal.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

September domestic intermodal volumes show unexpected boost: IANA

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
One possible explanation for the gain is the softer volumes that were artificially suppressed and shifted in August and September of 2024 due to separate labor-related events, but clarity should come over the next week when market players report third-quarter earnings.
North-American railRail News

Volume, not pricing, driving US intermodal results in Q3

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Carriers continue to struggle to raise rates on intermodal shippers, resulting in revenue gains or losses based solely on volume.
Intermodal providersNorth-American rail

J.B. Hunt: Intermodal volume retracts amid cost-cutting measures

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
J.B. Hunt lowered its peak season surcharge because of disappointing volume on the West Coast.
Intermodal providersNorth-American rail

Norfolk Southern tweaks international services from West, East coasts

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The overhaul marks the latest in a series of network shakeups among North American railroads competing for international intermodal freight.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

CSX CEO removed amid activist pressure in wake of UP-NS merger

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The move by CSX to relieve Joe Hinrichs of his duties comes after Ancora Holdings urged the railroad’s board of directors to seek a merger with BNSF Railway or Canadian Pacific Kansas City in response to the UP-NS deal.
SurfaceRail NewsIntermodal providers

CSX restarts Baltimore tunnel service for double-stack in 2026

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The disruptions in the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore and Blue Ridge subdivision on the Tennessee-North Carolina border resulted in longer transits for intermodal shippers on CSX this year.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American rail

Major rail union backs UP-NS merger after job-protection deal

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The about-face from SMART-TD, which had initially opposed the $85 billion transaction over fears of job losses, makes regulatory approval of the merger far more likely.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

BNSF intermodal partner returning to Mexico

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
COFC Logistics joins a growing list of intermodal providers that see Mexico–US cross-border freight as a major growth engine going forward.
Rail NewsNorth-American rail

CSX to reopen two East Coast intermodal lanes in early October

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Completing the Howard Street Tunnel and Blue Ridge Subdivision projects will allow CSX to restore service — and better compete with trucking — on two major north-south corridors in the eastern US.
North-American railRail NewsSurfaceIntermodal providers

BNSF, UP kept rail terminals fluid in August amid IPI surge

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail and Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific |
The smooth flow of containers is an improvement from the near gridlock of four years ago during the COVID-linked volume surge and the elevated dwell times during last year’s peak season, progress trucking companies say they have noticed.
Rail NewsNorth American ports

Bad weather, early peak demand slowed BNSF trains last month

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Weather-related slowdowns were compounded by track work that typically wraps up in August but overlapped this year with an earlier-than-usual surge in international and domestic intermodal demand.
Rail NewsNorth-American rail

Knight-Swift says it backs Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern deal

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Knight-Swift already partners with both UP and NS, so a combined transcontinental railroad would fit nicely into its existing service for shippers.
Rail NewsIntermodal providers

Trump move to oust STB’s Primus boosts likelihood of UP-NS approval

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Robert Primus has been vocal in his opposition to consolidation in the rail industry, voting against the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger in 2023 and Canadian National Railway’s acquisition of Iowa Northern Railway earlier this year.
Rail NewsNorth-American rail

UP-NS deal would trigger ‘unnecessary wave’ of rail mergers: CPKC

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
CPKC’s opposition comes just two years after its acquisition of Kansas City Southern Railway was approved by US regulators.
Rail NewsNorth-American rail

BNSF, CSX unveil new joint intermodal lanes in aftermath of UP-NS merger

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The joint BNSF/CSX services come as rivals Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have agreed to an $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad, if approved by federal regulators.
Rail NewsNorth-American rail

J.B. Hunt reduces peak season surcharge on Southern California moves

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Domestic intermodal volumes have been stagnant on partner BNSF Railway out of Los Angeles, likely dulling the justification for the original $1,500 fee.
Rail NewsIntermodal providers

New TRAC offering reimagines pricing model for chassis use

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
A new method for billing for chassis usage involves GPS technology and geofencing, something TRAC hopes will encourage truckers and cargo owners to build a resilient fleet of equipment.
Trucking NewsMaritime

Shippers, logistics providers satisfied with H1 rail performance

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The latest Intermodal Service Scorecard from the Journal of Commerce marks a major boost in confidence that railroads can deliver reliable intermodal service only a few years after historic disruption gridlocked rail networks across North America amid pandemic-linked chaos.
Intermodal providersRail NewsSurfaceNorth-American rail

UP seeks surcharges amid intermodal volumes surge

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Union Pacific Railroad is instituting surcharges for the second consecutive year out of Los Angeles, although it’s unclear how long the current uptick in volume will last.
Intermodal providersRail NewsSurface

Americold-CPKC venture expands US-Mexico reefer rail services

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The new 335,000-square-foot facility will reduce border delays and maximize cargo capacity for shippers moving temperature-controlled loads between the US and Mexico.
SurfaceRail NewsCool Cargo NewsNorth-American rail

New and faster intermodal services put BNSF, UP on hunt for truck freight

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Shippers stand to benefit on lanes where both western US railroads are vying for market share.
Intermodal providersRail News

Intermodal savings dipped in Q2; surcharges to factor into Q3 decisions

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The spot and contract savings from domestic intermodal eroded in the second quarter compared with a year ago, while the fate of the third quarter depends largely on whether volume in Southern California keeps up to support peak season surcharges.
SurfaceTrucking NewsRail NewsTruckloadNorth-American rail

UP confirms in ‘advanced discussions’ on deal with Norfolk Southern

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Any tie-up between the two railroads would be classified as a “major transaction” under US Surface Transportation Board regulations and subject to a rigorous review that could take two to three years.
Intermodal providersRail NewsSurfaceNorth-American rail

Hub Group boosts reefer intermodal business with Marten acquisition

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The $51.8 million cash deal includes Marten’s physical assets and the transfer of its existing contracts with food and beverage shippers.
Cool Cargo NewsSurfaceIntermodal providers

Potential UP-NS tie-up would cause major shift in US intermodal market

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
But other Class I railroads will likely be vocal in their opposition to any deal and look to rally support from shippers to block the move, setting the stage for a contentious regulatory battle.
SurfaceRail NewsNorth-American railIntermodal providers

BNSF to use ‘southern’ route to Salt Lake City under UP intermodal deal

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The agreement clears the way for BNSF to move cargo from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to Salt Lake City for ocean carriers CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co.
Intermodal providersRail NewsSurfaceNorth-American rail

J.B. Hunt says surcharges necessary to maintain peak season service

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
Some customers and competitors were surprised by the timing of the surcharges, which are typically implemented in August or September, if at all, and only after volume spikes.
Intermodal providersRail NewsNorth-American rail
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