Intermodal Summit: Adapting to customer needs in a pandemic

‘Capacity is king,’ Union Pacific’s Elise Gosch says

(Photo: FreightWaves)

This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ Intermodal Summit Wednesday.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Delivering on customer experience during the pandemic

DETAILS: Elise Gosch discusses how customer needs have changed over the past year and a half and how Union Pacific is investing in its network and technologies to deliver a superior customer experience to its intermodal shippers.

SPEAKER: Gosch is the assistant VP of intermodal sales at Union Pacific.

BIO: Gosch has been with UP for more than 18 years and has held a variety of leadership roles in the marketing and sales, intermodal, bulk, industrial, and strategy divisions. In her current role, she is responsible for leading the international and domestic intermodal sales teams, with a focus on long-term growth and on UP’s intermodal customers.

KEY QUOTES FROM GOSCH: 

“Capacity is king. Right now, velocity is how we’re going to get more capacity.”

“Planning horizons now look like a day, a week, a month, and so it’s imperative that our sales team and our team at Union Pacific arm our customers with the most up-to-date information we can, so our customers can plan the decision they need to make that day, this week, this month. That’s one thing that we’ve shifted.”

“In the inland terminals, the elongated street time is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and the processing power and speed wasn’t there for all of that freight. It still isn’t. We’re working through that. … We’re being creative and nimble and agile and opening facilities and using our geographic footprint for the benefit of all our customers.”

“If we can help the driver be efficient, it helps them, and it helps us. It’s a no-brainer for us to spend time and effort here. The driver experience — what does that mean? At its biggest, it’s investing in some gate technology that allows a rolling gate [that enables] a driver to drive right through, and you cut out time there.”

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Alyssa Sporrer.

Rail Roundup: BNSF reopens intermodal facility; KCS, Savage plan railport

Moving volumes smoothly: TRAC Intermodal CEO’s 3 keys

Hub Group sees long-term growth potential for intermodal

Survey: Even environmentally indifferent consumers want sustainable shipping option

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
AI

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • The Old Post • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Alyssa Sporrer

Alyssa is a staff writer at FreightWaves, covering sustainability news in the freight and supply chain industry, from low-carbon fuels to social sustainability, emissions & more. She graduated from Iowa State University with a double major in Marketing and Environmental Studies. She is passionate about all things environmental and enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, ultimate frisbee, hiking, and soccer.