EASE Logistics Joins Fight in Chicago as Truckload Rates Continue to Increase
– Strategic Account Director Brian Kuramoto Takes On the Rate Surge Squeezing Shippers Nationwide –
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DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Truckload rates have jumped 35% or more year over year, and carriers are starting to walk away from loads rather than honor them. Brian Kuramoto, strategic account director at EASE Logistics (EASE), will take that conversation to the stage at the Journal of Commerce’s Inland Distribution Conference in Chicago.
Kuramoto joins Chris Caplice of DAT Freight & Analytics, James Roe of AlixPartners, Steve Wells of Schneider and Dan Ronan of S&P Global for “Trucking I: Pricing the Inflection” on Sept. 29, from 2:20 to 3:05 p.m. CDT. The panel will explore how much further truckload rates can climb and whether contract pricing keeps chasing spot rates upward. Also included in the discussion will be the topic of whether a new equilibrium can be established across capacity and demand as 2027 quickly approaches, or on the contrary the pressure continues to build.
“’Rates are going’ up isn’t much of a strategy. The harder question is what can shippers actually do about it. Market swings like this one reward the shippers who plan ahead, make decisions based on data and invest in carrier relationships that last longer than a single cycle. I’m looking forward to a candid conversation with the panel about where the market is headed and how shippers can stay ahead of it,” said Kuramoto.
Fewer carriers are willing to honor contracted rates when spot pricing runs hotter, forcing shippers to renegotiate mid-cycle or risk losing capacity altogether. EASE has built its brokerage and warehousing operations around that volatility, matching freight to a dense, pre-vetted carrier network rather than relying on the spot market to fill gaps when conditions shift.
Kuramoto spends his days helping shippers balance service, cost, capacity and market swings without losing sight of the long game. His work centers on data-informed decisions and carrier relationships built to hold up through extended market cycles, not just the current one. This is an approach that puts him squarely in the middle of the conversation the industry expert panel is set up to have.
“Shippers who built their networks for a market that no longer exists are the ones struggling right now. The ones getting ahead are treating capacity like a strategy instead of a line item, and they started doing that well before rates spiked. That’s the difference between reacting to a market and actually running one. It’s not complicated, but it takes discipline,” said Peter Coratola Jr., President, CEO and Founder, EASE Logistics.
EASE’s brokerage and warehousing footprint spans industrial, automotive and food and beverage freight, with a national network built to absorb rate shocks rather than pass them straight through to shippers.
For shippers in the audience, the panel is a chance to hear directly from carriers, economists and providers about where pricing actually goes next, instead of piecing it together from headlines after the fact.
The Inland Distribution Conference runs Sept. 28 through 30 at the Westin Chicago River North. The much anticipated show unites shippers, third-party logistics providers and carriers into three days of conversations focused on trucking, intermodal rail, drayage and cross-border freight.
To learn more about EASE Logistics and its transportation and warehousing solutions, visit www.easelogistics.com.
About EASE Logistics
EASE Logistics is one of the largest privately held logistics companies in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2014 by Peter Coratola Jr., EASE has grown into a nationally recognized logistics provider known for its innovation, service and proprietary technology. The company is an eight-time Inc. 5000 honoree and was named the No. 1 transportation company on Fortune’s 2023 list of America’s Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit www.easelogistics.com.
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