TPM just wrapped up in Long Beach, and our team came back with a stack of business cards, some real intermodal drayage insights, and a clearer picture of where the industry is heading — and where it’s still trying to figure itself out.

For those who were there, this might confirm what you were feeling on the floor. For those who weren’t, consider this your debrief from people who were.

The Best Conversations Weren’t on the Main Floor

TPM has always been equal parts conference and reunion — a place where the industry gathers to take stock of where things stand and figure out where they’re going. But this year, something felt different about how that played out.

More and more, the conversations that actually moved the needle weren’t happening at booths or in ballrooms. They were happening off-site, over dinner, in smaller gatherings where people could speak candidly without a script. Steamship lines, NVOCCs, and BCOs alike were carving out space away from the main floor to have the kinds of real conversations that are harder to have in a formal setting.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It reflects what a lot of people in this industry already know: the relationships that matter get built in the margins, not on the main stage. If you were at TPM this year and felt like the energy was more dispersed than in previous years, you weren’t imagining it — and you probably had some of your best conversations in exactly those kinds of settings.

Cautiously Optimistic — But Nobody’s Predicting Anything

If there was a common thread running through the conversations our team had at TPM, it was this: nobody really knows what 2026 is going to look like, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something.

Tariff uncertainty has been a cloud hanging over the industry for a while now, and while there’s some sense that things may be stabilizing — or at least becoming more predictable — new disruptions keep emerging. Persian Gulf volatility. Capacity shifts. Market consolidation. It’s a lot to track.

Business Development Manager Kelsey Muruato framed it well after returning from the conference:

“Most attendees were focused on connecting with partners who can help advance their business. This year, it was clear that supply chain leaders are recognizing the real value of meeting partners who have the expertise and resources to drive tangible results — and they want to work with them directly rather than through intermediaries.”

Matt Belanus, our Director of Business Development, put it plainly:

“The 2026 environment could be anything from a year of maintaining to an amazing year of new growth.”

That uncertainty isn’t necessarily bad news for everyone. Companies that are financially stable, operationally nimble, and regionally embedded are in a better position to absorb disruption than those running on thin margins or overextended capacity.

Stability Is a Selling Point — And that Shouldn’t Be the Case

Here’s something uncomfortable that came up more than once at TPM: in today’s drayage market, one of the things companies are actually vetting is whether their carrier will still be in business next year.

That’s not a knock on any specific competitor. It’s an honest reflection of how volatile the market has been. Drayage volume was down nearly 4% nationally last year. Margins are tight. Some operators are struggling.

Matt raised this point directly in conversations with customers and prospects at the conference:

“It’s an indictment on our industry when ‘I’ll be in business in six months’ is a selling point. But here we are — and we can say it with confidence.”

For Mark-It Express, stability isn’t something we need to manufacture for a conference. It’s built into how we operate: privately held, asset-based, and not beholden to private equity timelines or roll-up pressure. That’s not a marketing line — it’s just how the business is structured.

BCOs Are Looking for the Right Partners — And that Takes Work

One of the clearer signals at TPM was that BCOs are increasingly interested in asset-based carriers and more direct relationships across their supply chain. The appetite for multi-layered arrangements is cooling — partly because of liability concerns, partly because of cargo security issues, and partly because people simply want more control and accountability over their freight.

What was equally clear is that finding the right drayage partner isn’t as simple as a quick search. Doing the proper due diligence — vetting a carrier’s safety record, financial stability, technology capabilities, and operational depth — takes real effort. The BCOs who approach that process seriously tend to end up with stronger, more reliable partnerships. The ones who don’t often find out the hard way that the lowest barrier to entry isn’t always the best starting point.

The companies generating the most genuine interest at TPM weren’t just offering capacity. They were offering accountability — and the track record to back it up.

A Regulatory Conversation Worth Watching

A topic that came up repeatedly — in sessions and on the floor — was broker liability, and specifically the question of whether freight brokers bear responsibility for the carriers they hire.

There are cases currently working through the courts that could have significant implications for how the industry operates. If brokers are ultimately held accountable for the safety record and conduct of the carriers they engage, it changes the calculus on how shippers source transportation — and who they trust to do it.

This is a space worth watching closely. It also reinforces why knowing who you’re actually working with — not just who’s on the paperwork — matters more than ever.

The Infrastructure Gap Isn’t Going Away

Ted Prince, CEO and Founder of Tri-Cities Intermodal, outlined the economic and operational realities of intermodal shipping at TPM. He compared rail’s fixed cost structure with trucking’s more variable costs, highlighting how fuel prices and length of haul ultimately determine competitiveness. Prince also discussed the industry’s shift from intact inland intermodal to transloading and distribution closer to consumers. However, he cautioned that infrastructure limitations, land constraints, and drayage challenges in Southern California could threaten the ability to scale future growth.

This isn’t a new problem, but it’s one that continues to constrain capacity in the Southern California gateway — and that has downstream effects for anyone moving international intermodal freight through the West Coast.

So, What Does This Mean for You?

A few things stood out from this year’s TPM that we think are worth acting on, regardless of whether you were in the room:

Know who’s actually handling your freight. Whether it’s a question of cargo security, liability exposure, or just operational reliability — the “who” behind your drayage matters as much as the rate.

Due diligence pays off. Finding the right drayage partner takes work. Vetting carriers on stability, service record, and operational capability up front saves a lot of headaches down the road.

Plan for uncertainty, not around it. 2026 is genuinely unpredictable. Build partnerships that can flex with you — not vendors who need everything to go smoothly to deliver.

We came back from TPM energized by the conversations we had and clear-eyed about the road ahead. If any of this resonates with what you’re navigating, we’d be glad to talk through it.

Mark-It Express Logistics, LLC provides asset-based international and domestic intermodal drayage services in Chicago, Kansas City, and Detroit. We work with BCOs, NVOCCs, and freight forwarders who need a drayage partner they can actually count on.