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FTR | State of Freight

State of Freight is a series of industry resources from FTR, the leader in market intelligence and forecasting for the North American freight transportation industry. FTR podcasts provide updates for the Trucking and Rail markets, as well as the broader economy. Each podcast includes a slide deck of graphs that can be used in presentations or for internal analysis. For show downloads and to signup for more State of Freight content, go to www.FTRintel.com/podcast.

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FTR | State of Freight

Rail Market Update - Week ending November 14, 2025

November 14, 2025 • FTR | Joseph Towers • Episode 257

In today’s episode, Joseph Towers recaps key takeaways from FTR’s recent Houston events and breaks down the latest railcar and intermodal trends. He highlights weak new car orders, declining backlogs, and a softer outlook for builders heading into 2026, then shifts to intermodal with October’s sharp TEU declines at the Port of Long Beach and muted U.S. rail traffic. Despite broad softness—especially in automotive—he notes a few bright spots in chemicals, petroleum, and nonmetallic minerals before closing with an invite for listeners to reach out with questions.

The Rail Market Update is hosted by FTR’s Senior Analyst, Rail, Joseph Towers. As this information is presented, you are welcome to follow along and look at the graphs and indicators yourself by downloading the PDF of the presentation.

Download the PDF: https://www.ftrintel.com/rail-podcast

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