--- title: How FTR’s Joseph Towers Helps the Rail Industry Decode Supply, Demand, and What’s Next description: Discover how FTR's Joseph Towers decodes rail industry data into actionable insights, shaping the future of freight transportation. image: https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/Meet%20Joseph.png --- ![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/Meet%20Joseph.png?width=1600&height=500&name=Meet%20Joseph.png) forecasting freightcast Collect # How FTR’s Joseph Towers Helps the Rail Industry Decode Supply, Demand, and What’s Next ![Eric Starks, Chairman of the Board](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/FTR%20Headshots%20and%20Bios/Headshots/EricStarks_20210719_017-USE%20THIS.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=EricStarks_20210719_017-USE%20THIS.jpg) Eric Starks, Chairman of the Board May 16, 2025   ![Joseph Towers_cropped](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/FTR%20Headshots%20and%20Bios/Headshots/Cropped/Joseph%20Towers_cropped.png?width=272&height=272&name=Joseph%20Towers_cropped.png)In this episode, Eric Starks sits down with Joseph Towers, FTR’s Senior Analyst for Rail, to uncover how he transforms complex transportation data into actionable market intelligence. With a background in financial econometrics and experience at Trinity Industries and Oliver Wyman, Joseph brings a sharp, data-first mindset to everything from commodity flow analysis to rail equipment demand. Tune in to hear how his passion for connecting economic theory to real-world freight dynamics shapes his role at FTR—and why he’s excited about the future of rail. ### Watch the complete interview here: ### Session Highlights: (click on any session to view that video highlight) - [What led you to FTR?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20What%20led%20you%20to%20FTR.mp4)  - [What excites you about your role at FTR?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20What%20excites%20you%20about%20your%20role.mp4) - [What's your answer when someone asks, "What do you do?"](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Answer%20when%20asked%20what%20you%20do.mp4) - [How are your interactions with clients?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Interactions%20with%20Clients.mp4) - [How difficult do you find it to be the person to supply the unbiased information to the industry?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Unbiased%20Information.mp4) - [What does your typical day, week, month, etc. look like at FTR?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Typical%20Day%20to%20day%20(1).mp4) - [What projects have you worked on lately that stand out to you?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20What%20projects%20stand%20out%20to%20you.mp4) - [Do you see your role as helping people set strategy or make tactical day to day decisions?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Is%20your%20role%20more%20setting%20strategy%20or%20helping%20make%20tactical%20decisions.mp4) - [How do you integrate all of these tools to help people make better decisions?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-How%20do%20you%20integrate%20tools%20to%20help%20people%20make%20better%20decisions.mp4) - [What are some of the things you like to keep an eye on to help you stay ahead of the curve?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20What%20are%20some%20things%20%20you%20watch%20to%20stay%20ahead%20of%20the%20curve.mp4) - [Do you find it helpful to sit down and talk with other subject matter experts at FTR?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Helpful%20to%20sit%20down%20with%20SMEs.mp4) - [What have you found helpful with FTR's forecasting tools that other systems might lack?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20What%20FTR%20has%20that%20other%20tools%20lack.mp4) - [What other thoughts do you have to share?](https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/1-21%20Joseph-%20Parting%20Thoughts.mp4) ### Thank You for Watching We appreciate you watching this conversation to learn more about Joseph and his role at the FTR. To see Joseph's full bio, please visit [Meet The Team - Joseph Towers](https://www.ftrintel.com/joseph-towers/business-card). Did you miss any of our [Industry Connections Blogs](https://www.ftrintel.com/industry-collections-all)?  You can find them [here](https://www.ftrintel.com/industry-collections-all). [![2025 FTR Conference_1-1 promo graphics_EB ends 5-31](https://5867190.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5867190/hubfs/2025%20Conference/Social/2025%20FTR%20Conference_1-1%20promo%20graphics_EB%20ends%205-31.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=2025%20FTR%20Conference_1-1%20promo%20graphics_EB%20ends%205-31.jpg) ](https://www.ftrconference.com/home) Join us at the 2025 FTR Transportation Conference, where the freight industry’s top minds converge for four days of data-driven insights, expert forecasts, and unmatched networking. From trucking to rail, supply chain to equipment, this is where transportation leaders come to make smarter, strategic decisions. [![RU graphic for web pages](https://5867190.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5867190/hubfs/State%20of%20Freight/Podcast%20Downloads/Podcast%20Archives/2024/RU%20graphic%20for%20web%20pages.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=RU%20graphic%20for%20web%20pages.png) ](https://www.ftrintel.com/rail-podcast) Join Joseph for his biweekly Rail Market Update podcasts! [![FTR_Ready-to-elevate-your-strategy_1-1_Joseph-1](https://5867190.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5867190/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Speaking%20Events%20-External/Social%20Media%20Graphics/FTR_Ready-to-elevate-your-strategy_1-1_Joseph-1.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=FTR_Ready-to-elevate-your-strategy_1-1_Joseph-1.png) ](https://www.ftrintel.com/joseph-towers/business-card) Want to learn even more about Joseph and how to hire him to present at your next event?   ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.ftrintel.com%2Findustry-connections-joseph-towers](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.ftrintel.com%2Findustry-connections-joseph-towers) ## Keep reading [![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Blogs/Blog%20images/2026/July/_Class%208%20July%202026%20blog.png?width=1600&height=500&name=_Class%208%20July%202026%20blog.png) class 8 trucks forecasting ### Class 8 Orders Surge Again as Industry Nears 2026 Production Capacity ](https://today.ftrintel.com/class-8-july-2026) [![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing%20Collateral/Blogs/Blog%20images/2026/June/_RMU%20June%2026%202026%20blog.png?width=1600&height=500&name=_RMU%20June%2026%202026%20blog.png) intermodal carload Rail ### Rail Traffic Holds Steady While Intermodal Extends Its Winning Streak ](https://today.ftrintel.com/rmu-june-26-2026) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Eric Starks, Chairman of the Board", "url" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/author/eric-starks" }, "dateModified" : "2025-07-07T18:23:59.445Z", "datePublished" : "2025-05-16T13:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "How FTR’s Joseph Towers Helps the Rail Industry Decode Supply, Demand, and What’s Next", "image" : [ "https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/Videos/Joseph/Meet%20Joseph.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/industry-connections-joseph-towers", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/FTR%20Logos%20and%20Icons/FTR_Logo_Primary_FullColor.png" }, "name" : "FTR | Transportation Intelligence" } } ```