1 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, this is Lee Clasgow when We're Talking Transports. 2 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Bloomberg Intelligence Talking Transports podcast. I'm your host, 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: Lee Clasgow, Senior Free Transportation logistic Chandles at Bloomberg Intelligence, 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: Bloomberg's in house research arm of almost five hundred analysts 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: and strategists around the globe. A quick public service announcement 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: before we dive in. Your support is instrumental to keep 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: bringing great guests and conversations to you, our listeners, and 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: we need your support, so please, if you enjoy the podcast, 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: share it, like it and leave a comment. Also, if 10 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: you have ideas, feedback, or just want to talk transports, 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: I'm always happy to connect. You can find me on 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: the Bloomberg terminal, LinkedIn, or on x at Logistics. Lee, 13 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: I'm very excited to have Sal Macagliano as our guest today. 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: Sal is a maritime historian, educator, and former merchant mariner 15 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: who serves as chair of the Department of History, Criminal Justice, 16 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: and Political Science at Ampbell University in North Carolina, where 17 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: he's a professor special in maritime history and Security. A 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty nine graduate of Sunni Maritime College with a 19 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: BS in Marine Transportation and a Merchant Marine deck Officer license. 20 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: He sailed with the US Navy's Military Sealift Command, including 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: as third mate on USNS Comfort during the Persian Gulf War. 22 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: He earned a masters in maritime history and notical Archaeology 23 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: from East Carolina University and a PhD in Military and 24 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: Naval history from the University of Alabama. He's also an 25 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: adjunct professor at the US Merchant Marine Academy. He's widely 26 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: recognized for his expertise. He hosts the popular YouTube channel 27 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: What's going On with Shipping and that has over five 28 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy thousand subscribers. Sal welcome to Talking Transports. 29 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining. 30 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: Us, Lee, I appreciate you having me on. It's always 31 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: a pleasure to be with Bloomberg. 32 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 3: You know. 33 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: I stumbled upon your channel a couple of months ago, 34 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: and I think it's great resource to learn more about 35 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: the shipping industry and not just you know, commercial shipping. 36 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: You cover all things that's on the water, and I 37 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: really wanted to have you as a guest, So thank 38 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: you so much for. 39 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:13,119 Speaker 3: Taking the time. 40 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 2: Oh, I appreciate that. It's nice to say. 41 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: So, you know, you're an educator pontificator. So could you 42 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: just talk about, you know, from your vantage point, what 43 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: is the state of the maritime industry. 44 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, maritime industry is in obviously a lot 45 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 2: of flux. I mean when you look at it, and 46 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: this is one of the things I love about talking 47 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 2: about it is it's a little bit of everything. So 48 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: if we look at global trade, for example, we've never 49 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,399 Speaker 2: seen global trade at a higher level. I mean, we're 50 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: seeing more goods moved around the world at a faster 51 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: and greater rate than ever before. I always talk about 52 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: this issue of volume and velocity, so we're moving stuff 53 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: a lot. At the same time, we have a lot 54 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: of issues associating with the maritime industry. We've got geopolitical threats, 55 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 2: environmental threats, we were seeing issues dealing with specifics in 56 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: national issues, for example, the United States trying to get 57 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: shipbuilding back up and running. We're seeing, you know, confrontations 58 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: on the high seas. We had the Houthis in the 59 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: in the Red Sea. We've got the United States now 60 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,839 Speaker 2: down the Caribbean. We've got issues in the Black Sea, 61 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: and then the Baltic you know what was for a 62 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: long time a very kind of calm, nice, steady pace 63 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: across the Blue Ocean now is definitely becoming a much 64 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: more controversial and kind of kind of an issue that's 65 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 2: more ever present in the news than ever before. We're 66 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 2: also seeing some very high visibility accidents happen. Even though 67 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: shipping is much safer than it has been in the past, 68 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: losing a lot less ships, the accidents that are happening 69 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: tend to be much larger and bigger than ever before. 70 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 3: And so, you know, you listened a lot of things 71 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: that are going on. 72 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: What is the most consequential consequential for the industry? 73 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 3: Is it the geopolitical risk? 74 00:03:54,960 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: Is it you know, the US more protectionists policies against trade. 75 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 3: In your view, what is it that's really a focus? 76 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: I think the big one right now is I'm kind 77 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: of split on this one, but I think geopolitical is 78 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: the biggest one right now because that is one you 79 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 2: can't really plan for. And in lots of times, what 80 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 2: we've seen is these unexpected issues happen geopolitically. You know 81 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 2: the appearance of the hu Thi for example, and all 82 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: the hoothy have been around for a long time and 83 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 2: they had attack ships in the past. No one expected 84 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 2: the scope and scale of what we saw happen in 85 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: the diversion that that has caused, and I think too, 86 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: you know, the other one is really the reappearance or 87 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 2: the reawakening in the United States of the importance of 88 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 2: commercial shipping and what that means with a renewed shipbuilding 89 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 2: emphasis in the United States and an emphasis on trying 90 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 2: to once again maybe provide some regulation oversight of US 91 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 2: trade into it. President Trump was just named, you know, 92 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: one of the most important influencers in shipping today, and 93 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 2: I don't think that was a positive issue. I think 94 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 2: it's because of the impact he has with their everything's 95 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 2: from tariffs to you know, directing programs against China's and 96 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 2: China and their massive expanse of shipbuilding and ship control. 97 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: Right, and so let's talk a little bit about the 98 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: Red Sea and the Sewis Canal kind of from your 99 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: you know, your opinion, that's really that's what we're asking here. 100 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: When do you think the Sewis Canal is going to 101 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: be freely open for all ships to traverse? 102 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, you know, we've seen it kind of 103 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 2: stop and start here. You know, obviously we had the 104 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: hoothy start back in October of twenty twenty three. Then 105 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 2: you know, in kind of spring of twenty twenty four, 106 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: it looked like things were going to reopen back up, 107 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: but then in the summertime we saw two very kind 108 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: of nasty attacks by the Houthie against ships the Eternity 109 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: Sea and another vessel excapes me all of a sudden, 110 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 2: but very very kind of big attacks which result in 111 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 2: the death of some merchant mariners. I think shipping is 112 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: poised to come back into the Red Sea as soon 113 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 2: as those war risk insurance levels go down and it 114 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 2: becomes cost effective. We'll see it happen. But understand, return 115 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 2: to the Red Sea is going to be a very 116 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 2: disruptive element because it's going to involve several months of 117 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 2: resetting global shipping. If all of a sudden we stop 118 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 2: the diversions around Africa and we start funneling ships through 119 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 2: the Suez, we're going to see congestion hit the ports 120 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 2: in Europe and Asia. At the same time, I think 121 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 2: shipping is very much concerned about this. Again, what we're 122 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: talking about is the higher end ships, the bigger value vessels, 123 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: the container ships, car carriers, those who are the most 124 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 2: expensive to ensure going through But I think what we'll 125 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 2: see is very much what we saw on the flip side. 126 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 2: When we see one carrier pulled out, we saw them 127 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 2: all pull out. I think when we see one carrier 128 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 2: make the decision to go back in and resume normal, 129 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 2: the others will follow suit. Right now, CMACGM is doing 130 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 2: it on a small basis. They've been doing it a 131 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 2: small basis throughout this period of time. But I think 132 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 2: when you see the likes of Mariskan Hophog, all of 133 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 2: a sudden trigger, we're back, everyone's going to come running 134 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 2: back in. And so we can get ready for a 135 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 2: while three months while everything kind of settles back in again, 136 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: assuming there's not another disruption. 137 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: And do you think that the global response to Huthis 138 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: has been appropriate or do you think that, you know, 139 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: countries should have done more to dissuade them to attack 140 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: commercial ships. 141 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 2: I think the global response to the Huthis was exactly 142 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 2: what I thought it was going to be because most 143 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 2: countries don't, especially the United States, don't understand commercial shipping. 144 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 2: They really don't. Their opinion was we're going to go 145 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 2: in with a large military force, We're going to provide coverage, 146 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 2: and therefore commercial shipping will sail, you know, behind our 147 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: shield of naval vessels. They don't understand that risk associated 148 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 2: with commercial ships isn't isn't the same as risk associated 149 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: with navy ships. And commercial ships had an alternative route. 150 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 2: They had an alternative route that in ways was cheaper 151 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 2: for them to go because of the war risk insurance, 152 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 2: and they took it. And I don't think the US 153 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 2: ever understood quite correctly that just providing that you know, 154 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 2: shield of navy vessels would bring the shipping back in. 155 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 2: They had to do more. And I think this is 156 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: a big failure because one of the things that I 157 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: think failed with the Hoothi's was the ability to bring 158 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 2: not just military force against them and leverage, but also 159 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 2: political and economic which would have been using other mechanisms 160 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 2: against them, you know, leverage against Iran, leverage against the Houthi's, 161 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 2: ability to get weapons into that area. I think it 162 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 2: was a It was a tactical success for the US Navy. 163 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 2: They'll talk the idea that their missile defense was great. However, 164 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 2: it was a strategic and operational failure for them, and 165 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 2: I don't think they've quite appreciated that level. 166 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 3: Yet. 167 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 2: Again, they don't quite understand the commercial dimension as much 168 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 2: as they understand the military dimension, and they came at 169 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 2: it like very many military problems. Here's a nail, we'll 170 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 2: use a hammer to it, when in truth they needed 171 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 2: to use other mechanisms and tools. 172 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 3: And you know, let's put you on the spot. 173 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: But if you could like give your thoughts on when 174 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: do you think these higher value ships, you know, the 175 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: large container vessels and the rod rows. You know, when 176 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: do you think they go back to use this Suez 177 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: or you talk, do you think it's first quarter, second quarter, 178 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: third quarter, fourth quarter, twenty twenty seven, Like when do 179 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: you think that they're because I know, you know you 180 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: mentioned that insurance rates have to go down for them 181 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: to use it, But when do you think that's going 182 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: to happen? 183 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 2: Everything is really predicated on the situation in Gaza, I mean, 184 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 2: because that is the Houthis argument is the Hooties are 185 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 2: in line with that. So if ceasefire holds a place, 186 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 2: if we see a successful resolution of that, then what 187 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 2: I envision what we start seeing is ships coming from 188 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 2: Europe to Asia through the canal. We still may see 189 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 2: the Asia to Europe route using the southern route, because 190 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 2: that's the higher value vessels. Those are the ones that 191 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 2: will have the largest cargo on them, there'll be the 192 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 2: higher insurance value. I think what we can expect to 193 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 2: see is start seeing some of the smaller vessels start 194 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 2: coming through more frequent, starting in the beginning of twenty 195 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 2: twenty six. And as those vessels start coming through, and 196 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 2: if you look at the trend line right now, we're 197 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: seeing an uptick. We're seeing the number of ships coming 198 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 2: through increasing and as a gradual steady I don't think 199 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 2: what you will see lee is the big kind of 200 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 2: you know, spike up that we saw on the flip 201 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 2: side with the spike down. I think it's going to 202 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 2: be a gradual kind of improvement and as that situation stabilize, 203 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 2: we'll start seeing the ships go through. Obviously, what nobody 204 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 2: wants and the shipping companies don't want to see as 205 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,439 Speaker 2: a twenty four thousand TU ship go through there and 206 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 2: get hit because that is a billion dollar investment right there, 207 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: and the insurance payout for that is massive. This is 208 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 2: that risk that the shipping company see. It's not just 209 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 2: the loss of a potential ship, but it's the future 210 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: voyages of that ship that they would be out and 211 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 2: that's the big issue. Plus we're starting ready to see 212 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 2: a scrapping start to take place with vessels. Again, one 213 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 2: of the things that going through the Suez will do 214 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 2: is free up a lot of tonnage that's now excess, 215 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 2: and so as that becomes available, we'll start seeing that go. 216 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 2: But what I envision is a phase and probably around 217 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 2: first quarter, second quarter, we start seeing the smaller sized 218 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 2: vessels anywhere from six thousand to twelve thousand tu probably 219 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 2: start coming through on a regular basis, and once they 220 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 2: get a track record of that, we'll start seeing the 221 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 2: larger vessels, the ultra larger container ships and bigger ships 222 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 2: start coming through that way. 223 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: Another geopolitical issue. I guess we're not issue as topic 224 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: within shipping. It's the shadow fleet as it really it's 225 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: to tankers. Yeah, you know there's a bunch of countries 226 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: that the US and other countries have sanctions on, whether 227 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,559 Speaker 1: it's Trussian oil or Venezuelan and oil or Anian oil. 228 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: Kind of what are you seeing there with the shadow fleet? 229 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: When do you think do you think what happens to 230 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: the shadow fleet when these shank saying if these sanctions 231 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: can get lifted, especially on Russia because that's like the 232 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: first place. 233 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the shadow fleet, for me, is one 234 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 2: of the biggest dangers out there right now for ship 235 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 2: because I tend to use a phrase called the parallel fleet, 236 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 2: because these ships are operating outside the bounds of normal shipping. 237 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 2: They're not going to the typical registries, they're not using 238 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: the twelve big P and I Protection Indemnity Club insurances, 239 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 2: and they're not being classified or the regular classification agency. 240 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: So they're operating in this really kind of parallel to 241 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 2: the commercial fleet that's out there, and that raises danger. 242 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 2: If you look at the ship that the US just sees, 243 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 2: the motor tanker Skipper, you know, here's a ship with 244 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 2: no registry, no insurance that we know of, not classified, 245 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 2: and you know, you're running around with a one point 246 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 2: eight million barrels of fuel on a ship that has 247 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 2: no protection whatsoever. We know last time the ship was 248 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 2: inspected was twenty nineteen, and so the shadow fleet really 249 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 2: raises a lot of threats on the world oceans. I mean, 250 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 2: if something happens to a ship like this, who pays 251 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 2: for the cleanup? Who protects the crew? We saw this 252 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 2: in the collision just earlier this year when Frontline had 253 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 2: a collision with a vessel coming out of the Straits 254 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 2: of Horror Moves. You know, it was a shadow fleet vessel. 255 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 2: There was no one there to provide the insurance protection. 256 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 2: We're seeing it right now in the Black Sea with 257 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 2: the attacks on the former Gambian flag vessels. So the 258 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 2: shadow fleet is a dangerous thing. Now they're using it, 259 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 2: you know, Russia and Venezuela Iran use it to circumvent 260 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 2: sanctions against them. What I get concerned about is even 261 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,239 Speaker 2: if sanctions are lifted, we still may see the resurrection 262 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 2: of this shadow fleet exist operating outside the bounds because 263 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 2: they're not coming into ports. They're doing ship to ship 264 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 2: transfers at sea, so that keeps them out of port 265 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 2: state control. They don't have to be inspected, and you know, 266 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 2: it provides a really cheap operation for vessels. This is 267 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,959 Speaker 2: the danger. We create this second fleet out there that 268 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 2: really does not have any oversight by international authorities or 269 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 2: national authorities. And I think that's a big concern. 270 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 1: And they tend to be really like kind of you 271 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: alluded to. They tend to be really old chips, right, Yeah. 272 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 2: I average what we see is ships over fifteen years 273 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 2: of age. If they are registered, they're in you know, 274 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 2: what I would call true flags of convenience. Basically, you're 275 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 2: paying money for a flag and there's no oversight by 276 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 2: the company. They may not have insurance at all on them, 277 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 2: and you know, there's no classification society that's doing that, 278 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 2: you know, third party check to ensure the vessels are 279 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 2: meeting their standards. And this is a danger to the 280 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 2: crews that are working on these ships, and more importantly, 281 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 2: they're dangerous to the world's oceans and everyone who adjoins them. 282 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 2: And I think this is a major concern. It's something 283 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 2: I think the International Maritime Organization has got to get 284 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 2: stronger about. You know, back in the day when we 285 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 2: had flags of conveniences, you know, we fix those. We 286 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 2: set up international regulations, We set up port state control 287 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 2: so that when ships come in no matter regardless of 288 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 2: what country you are, you can be inspected. These ships 289 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 2: now are operating outside those bounds, and this creates a 290 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 2: very dangerous proposition for the movement of goods around the 291 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 2: planet and the danger to the environment. 292 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: Who polices that is that just the individual sovereign militaries 293 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: that they're responsible for policing the shadow fleet if they 294 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: come across well. 295 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 2: I mean the way you police vessels in general is 296 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 2: when they come into your ports, you do that port 297 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 2: state control. So I mean that the concept was you 298 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 2: were bringing the ships into port and they were being inspected. 299 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: Didn't matter what flag you were, you were being you know, 300 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 2: if you come to the United States, you're getting port 301 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 2: state control. So about one out of very eight nine 302 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 2: ships come in you know, gets bordered by the coast 303 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 2: Guard and they get an inspection. The problem with with 304 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 2: what we're seeing right now is these shadow fleets don't 305 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 2: come in the countries where they get inspected, or they 306 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: don't even come into countries at all, and you know 307 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: they're operating out international war. Is the argument with grabbing Skipper. 308 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 2: One of the reasons that there's a lot of discussion 309 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: about is what is the authority to grab that ship. 310 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 2: A stateless ship operating on the ocean, you know, should 311 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 2: not be allowed to operate. And we've seen this. We've 312 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 2: seen this highlighted the in the Baltic with the ships 313 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: that are sailing to and from Russia with the Baltic States, Finland, Sweden, Germany, 314 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 2: Norway or all Denmark are all talking about. This is 315 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 2: these ships don't have registry. There's a big push on Turkey, 316 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 2: for example, to ensure that ship sailing up into the 317 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 2: Black Sea have registry and insurance. Like these three vessels 318 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 2: that got attacked by Ukraine, they were flying Gambian flags, 319 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 2: but Gambia had purged them from their registry, so the 320 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 2: ships were not and now we see the issue with 321 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 2: one of them stranded off the coast of Bulgaria right now. 322 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 3: You mentioned the IMO earlier. 323 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: The IMO has some free I would call ambitious emission 324 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: goals by I think twenty fifty. 325 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 3: They want to get to the zero. 326 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on that, Like, is that something 327 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: that is achievable and if it is achievable, how is 328 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: the industry going to reach those goals? 329 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, the IMO, you know, the net zero framework is really, 330 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 2: I would argue, laudable. I mean, it's really something they're 331 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,359 Speaker 2: trying to do. They're trying to reduce the carbon footprint 332 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 2: of shipping around the world. Now, on the flip side 333 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 2: of that, I will say that, you know, per Ton, 334 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 2: the shipping industry is the cleanest method to move cargo 335 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 2: around the world. And what's interesting about how the IMO 336 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 2: is doing is they're putting this onus, on the shipowners 337 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 2: and the shipyards to create these new methods. And what 338 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,439 Speaker 2: you have right now is a very kind of innovative 339 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 2: period where they're trying a little bit of everything to 340 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 2: achieve these goals. And so what we're seeing is hydrogen, 341 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 2: we're seeing ammonia, we're seeing looquified natural gas, you name it. 342 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 2: Everything that's possible is being tried. The problem is, I 343 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 2: don't think many people will understand a couple of key issues. 344 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 2: Regardless number one, costs. I mean, all that cost to 345 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 2: build ships is being transferred over to the freight rates, 346 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 2: and this is one of the reasons why we're seeing 347 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 2: escalations in that second, the goals being set by IMO 348 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 2: our need to be I would argue that they're very fast. 349 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 2: And while it doesn't sound very fast, do you talk 350 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 2: talking about twenty thirty, twenty forty, twenty fifty and that 351 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 2: sounds like a long time service life of a ship 352 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 2: is ten to twenty years, it's twenty twenty five. If 353 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 2: I want to invest in a new ship today, I'm 354 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 2: going to get that ship in one to two years, 355 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 2: and I'm going to get fifteen to twenty years out 356 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 2: of that ship. If the rules are by twenty forty, 357 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,880 Speaker 2: I have to reach a certain level of carbon emission. 358 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 2: Do I want to pay for that ship right now? 359 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 2: Because I'm not sure that ship is going to be 360 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 2: viable after twenty forty, and so it shifts a huge 361 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 2: amount of onus onto the ship ship owners. I think 362 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 2: we need to have a more rationalistic look at this 363 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 2: where we're phasing in the technologies and we're ramping down 364 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 2: our carbon emissions. Because right now the net winners of 365 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 2: this are going to be the ship repair and shipbuilding nations, 366 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 2: which is Japan, China and Korea. They see this as 367 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,399 Speaker 2: a great boon because this is going to ensure vessel 368 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 2: replacement over the years. I think IMO has got a 369 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 2: lot of things on their plate. The US opposition to 370 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 2: net zero framework was you know, I was one who 371 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 2: sat there and said that Monday of that event that 372 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 2: happened when the vote, I said, on Monday, this is 373 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 2: going to pass. And yet by Thursday it got tabled 374 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 2: for a year because the US was able to leverage 375 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 2: a lot of political clout to get that change. So 376 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 2: I think IMO has got to look at how they're 377 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 2: initiating this and maybe ramp it down or phase down 378 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 2: the transition. I think we still need to keep going 379 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 2: that way, but I'm not sure if they can get 380 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 2: the full amount in the timeframe they're talking about now. 381 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, And also on emissions, there's like it seems like 382 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: there's a patchwork of regulations and by country and by regions, 383 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: it seems also you need some sort of you know, 384 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:34,919 Speaker 1: a global regulations like the IMO is doing for emissions 385 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: because you know, like I think Europe has one, you know, 386 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: the United States has a different one. So that patchwork 387 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: makes it for pretty confusing for people that are involved 388 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: in chipping. 389 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 2: It is, I mean. And one of the reasons like, 390 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 2: for example, you may want to see ships still sailing 391 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: around Africa for example, is because the Mediterranean is an 392 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 2: environmental control area. Now, so when you go into the 393 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 2: Mediterranean you have to burn a certain you know fuel, 394 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 2: going around Africa you don't, So you know, what is 395 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 2: the cost benefit analysis of that. The other factor that 396 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 2: doesn't get talked about anywhere near enough, in my opinion, 397 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 2: is the education and the training for the ship's crews 398 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 2: for these new fuels. Ammonia is the fuel that I 399 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 2: have the most concern about because ammonia is the greatest 400 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 2: carbon you know, reducer because it doesn't use carbon at all. 401 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 2: You burn ammonia and there's no carbon emission whatsoever. However, 402 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 2: ammonia on a ship is one of the most dangerous 403 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 2: substance I could think about having sailed ships and having 404 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 2: dealt with with with these issues. An ammonia leak on 405 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 2: the ship is almost impossible to deal with. We see 406 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 2: those on ships carrying containers with refrigeration things like that, 407 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 2: but a engine plant using ammonia is extremely dangerous. How 408 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 2: are we training these crews? What are we doing for 409 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 2: safety features on board these ships? Because again, you know, 410 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 2: it's great to have the net zero I'm all for that, 411 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 2: but we need to ensure that we have the trained 412 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 2: personnel and the safety in place to help them. We're 413 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 2: seeing a lot of ship fire in you know, with 414 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 2: lithium ion batteries on board ships right now. What happens 415 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 2: when we start getting these variable new technologies of fuel 416 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 2: on board They can create a lot of problems and 417 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 2: you know, do we have the infrastructure in place to 418 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 2: deal with them? In ports for example? 419 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: And dumb question, why is the ammonia more dangerous than 420 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: the other fuels. 421 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 2: Well, ammonia is corrosive. It it actually starts corrupting the pipes. 422 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 2: And so when you have a leak from ammonia, I 423 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 2: mean even you know, if you don you know, protective gear, 424 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 2: it starts to break it down and it creates an 425 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 2: explosive atmosphere. And you know, all fuels have this problem. 426 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 2: Diesel fuel has a problem. Everyone has it. But again 427 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 2: it's a new challenge. Not only that you have to 428 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 2: set up the bunkering facilities. One of the big one 429 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 2: of the big problems we saw on the net zero 430 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 2: framework extension out for a year is that a lot 431 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 2: of the proponents of these alternative fuels needed to show 432 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 2: the demand for those fuels so that fueling companies and 433 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 2: production facilities would ramp up those was bunkering capacity so 434 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 2: that you know, hey, we can refuel these vessels. You 435 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:05,679 Speaker 2: can you know, run on ammonia all you want if 436 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 2: you don't have ammonia fuel to do it. That's the problem. 437 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 2: We saw that with electric cars in the United States 438 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 2: when there wasn't enough charging stations. It's gonna be the 439 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 2: same thing with ships, especially when you send ships on diversions, 440 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 2: for example around South Africa. And now all of a sudden, 441 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 2: you need liquefied natural gas or ammonia or whatever fuel. 442 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 2: It is set up in you know, in Durban or 443 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 2: Cape Town, South Africa, where it doesn't exist right now. 444 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 1: So you mentioned shipbuilding nations earlier, China, Japan, and South Korea. Obviously, 445 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: the Trump administration has been pretty vocal about, I guess, 446 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: reviving the shipbuilding industry here in the United States. Do 447 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: you think that is something that's feasible? 448 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 3: You know, what has to happen for that to come 449 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 3: to fruition. 450 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 2: I think it's feasible. I mean, I think it's a 451 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 2: tough task. You know, I would have loved this start 452 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,719 Speaker 2: of a forty years ago. You know, it's it's always 453 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 2: that issue, you know, I think you know, so, first off, 454 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 2: you know, we kind of outsourced our commercial ship building 455 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 2: in the eighties. We made this conscious decision to kind of, well, 456 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 2: we'll outsource commercial shipbuilding. We'll end the subsidy program that 457 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 2: had existed since the nineteen thirties, because hey, commercial shipbuilding 458 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 2: was being done in Europe, in Korea and Japan and 459 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 2: their allies, and we were good with that. We had 460 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 2: no problem with that whatsoever. And in truth, most people 461 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 2: don't care, you know, how their T shirts are delivered 462 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:27,679 Speaker 2: to target. It doesn't matter if it's on an American 463 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 2: ship or a Korean, Japanese, or Chinese built ship. However, 464 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 2: what we've seen recently is that that number is changing. 465 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 2: You know, you look at the past two years, from 466 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 2: twenty twenty two to twenty twenty four, China has grown 467 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 2: in terms of its number. You know, they were building 468 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,440 Speaker 2: five percent of the world ships in nineteen ninety nine. 469 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 2: Last year they built fifty one percent. And you know, 470 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 2: in those two years up to twenty twenty four, they 471 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 2: increased sixteen percent. That's the same number that Japan and 472 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 2: Korea dropped. And so what we're seeing is Japan actually 473 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 2: mean China becoming really the shipbuilder. We forecast for twenty 474 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: twenty five they'll be somewhere in the range of sixty 475 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 2: percent of the world ships they're building. And what makes 476 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 2: China perceived as a threat by the United States is 477 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 2: that they're not just a shipbuilder. They do kind of 478 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 2: all aspects of shipping. They build the containers, they lease 479 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 2: the containers, they do the chassis, they do ship repair. 480 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 2: They're one of the largest groups that are out there 481 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 2: as merchant mariners, controlling ports, the ship cranes, repair, you 482 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 2: name it. They just they seem to be doing everything 483 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,199 Speaker 2: to really kind of control all aspects of shipping. And 484 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 2: so the US wants to get it started. It's a 485 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 2: very tough thing for the US to get started because 486 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 2: what we did is we turned our shipbuilding industry in 487 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 2: the United States into a one customer service, and that's 488 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 2: the US Navy. And so all the private yards are 489 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 2: building for the US Navy largely, and you know, to 490 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 2: try to change the mentality because building Navy ships, not 491 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 2: just technically, but also I would argue Philoso is different 492 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 2: than building commercial ships. You don't build a Navy ship 493 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 2: and sit there and say, okay, here's the plans, start 494 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 2: building it, because the Navy will tinker and toy with 495 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 2: it the entire time. Commercial companies like build me twenty tankers, 496 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 2: and the shipyards like, I'm going to build them, and 497 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 2: this is the way they're going to come out and 498 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 2: here you go. So they've got to change that. So 499 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 2: what we see right now going on in the United 500 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 2: States is these partnerships that are being developed with foreign 501 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 2: shipping companies. So the most obvious one is Hanua in Philadelphia, 502 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 2: where we're seeing Hanwah bringing in the technology that they 503 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 2: use in the Korean shipyards and also some of that 504 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 2: philosophy over to it. And it's going to be an 505 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,119 Speaker 2: uphill challenge. It's a really tough one. I've you know, 506 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 2: I'm very optimistic that this is the biggest reform I've 507 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 2: seen in ocean shipping and shipbuilding in my entire life. 508 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 2: At the same time, we're not seeing anything really measurable yet. 509 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 2: I think the US has got to get ships reflagged 510 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 2: into the US fleet. There's got to be cargo provided 511 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,919 Speaker 2: for those ships, and they've got to start getting contracts 512 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 2: signed to start cutting steel. And unfortunately, you know, we're 513 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 2: coming up into a year of the Trump administration, we 514 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 2: quite have not quite seen that yet. You know, the 515 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 2: Maritime Administrator hasn't been you know, confirmed. There's two gaps 516 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 2: at the Federal Maritime Commission. The leadership at the US 517 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 2: Merchant Marine was gutted, Merchant Marine Academy was gutted. We 518 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 2: don't have the Maritime Action Plan as required by the 519 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 2: Executive Order on shipbuilding. So a lot of very big 520 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 2: pronouncements and goals, but we haven't seen a lot of 521 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 2: developments yet, and so, like me, I think everybody's waiting 522 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 2: to see what happens. 523 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: And so, you know, obviously for the Jones Act chips, 524 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 1: the ships have to be made here in the US. 525 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,640 Speaker 1: A lot of people debate about whether the Jones Act 526 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 1: is fine as it is, if it needs to be changed, 527 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 1: or it needs to be scrapped altogether. What are your 528 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: thoughts in the Jones Act? 529 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,479 Speaker 2: Well, Lee, I talk about the Jones Act quite a bit, 530 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,640 Speaker 2: and for everybody, the Jones Act is specifically in this case, 531 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 2: section twenty seven of the Mercharinact in nineteen twenty it 532 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 2: says that if you want to move cargo between two 533 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 2: US ports, you've got to be on a US owned, 534 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 2: US flagged, US built, US crewed ships. And what's funny 535 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 2: to me about the Jones Act is there's two views 536 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 2: in the Jones Act. There are those who are one 537 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 2: hundred percent for it and those who are hundred percent 538 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 2: against it. And never will the two take a step 539 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 2: off their mountaintop for fear that the other one will 540 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 2: pounce on them. I'm not an advocate. I number one, 541 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 2: I don't think the Jones Act should be repealed because 542 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 2: I think there's other provisions of the jones AC that 543 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 2: are really important that we don't ever talk about. But 544 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 2: more importantly, we need to reform it. There needs to 545 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 2: be a discussion about maritime reform. And I think the 546 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 2: way we build ships today in twenty twenty five is 547 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 2: different than the way we built ships forty years ago, 548 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 2: let alone, you know one hundred and five years ago. 549 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 2: Shipyards are assembly points. We bring parts and components in 550 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 2: from not just nationally but internationally. Why why would we 551 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 2: not want the best you know, propellers in the world, 552 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 2: which come from Germany, you know, to be on our ships. 553 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 2: You know, starting up a facility to start building propellers 554 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:06,879 Speaker 2: in the United States would be a massive uptick. It 555 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 2: would be a huge cost to do that. Why not 556 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 2: use some of those facilities? Excuse me, but still have 557 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 2: you know, the assembly and a large number of the 558 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 2: work being done here in the United States. I think 559 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 2: we need to have that issue. You know, Hanwa has 560 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 2: been talking about this. Let's start a production of ten tankers. 561 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 2: We build three of them in the Korean yard, and 562 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 2: then we take that same design, same capability, and start 563 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,200 Speaker 2: it in the US yard and we build the other 564 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 2: seven here. But all ten of them would fit under 565 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 2: a kind of a Jones Act requirement, so that we 566 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 2: can start that process. You know, prime the pump is 567 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 2: the phrase I keep hearing all the time, and we're 568 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: seeing this. Crowley was able to bring in a LNG carrier, 569 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 2: liquefied natural gas carrier that was built overseas through a 570 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: loophole in the nineteen ninety six Coast Guard authorization. So 571 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 2: we can do this, we can, we can make some changes. 572 00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 2: I mean, there's no reason we shouldn't do it, especially 573 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 2: in key are areas. I would argue where it's going 574 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 2: to take time for the US to build up a 575 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 2: domestic industry liquefied natural gas tankers, perfect example, It's going 576 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 2: to take years to build that industry up in the 577 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 2: United States. In the meantime, US is the largest LNG 578 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 2: export in the world. Why can't we be bringing Alaska 579 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 2: l G down to California for example? Should be done. 580 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 2: We should be firing up shipbuilding on the Great Lakes. 581 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 2: We have Two years ago we built the first Great 582 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 2: Lakes freighter up on the Great Lakes, American Great Lakes 583 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 2: Freighter in forty years. Just had the fiftieth anniversary of 584 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,959 Speaker 2: the loss of Edmund Fitzgerald. We should were replacing all 585 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 2: those ships up there. You know one mode of I 586 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:37,960 Speaker 2: forget what it is of iron ore and a Great 587 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 2: Lakes Carrier builds thousands of cars. It's like, why are 588 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 2: we not updating that fleet up there? We should be 589 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 2: working on that. So we should have a discussion about 590 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 2: Jones act. I am not one who says you can't 591 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 2: talk about anything, But then again, I'm a tenured professor, 592 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 2: and I can say these things. 593 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: Speaking of tenured professor, you know, as an adjunct professor 594 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,959 Speaker 1: at the US Merchant Marine Academy, A can just give 595 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: a little background about what is that institution? And B 596 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: can you just talk about what you focus on with 597 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: your students there? And then you know, where do these 598 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: students once they graduate, what do they do for her profession? 599 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 2: Sure, so I'm an adjunct at the merch Marine Academy. 600 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 2: I teach a graduate level course in their Masters of 601 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 2: Marine Engineering on Maritime industry policy. And I've been doing 602 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 2: that since two thousand and eight. So there is the 603 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 2: US Federal Merchant Marine Academy at Kingspoint in New York. 604 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 2: I've been around since nineteen forty three. And then there 605 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 2: are six state maritime academies kind of scattered around the 606 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:39,479 Speaker 2: United States California, Texas, Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, and the finest 607 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 2: of them all the New York Maritime I'm a graduate off. 608 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 2: And those institutions produce graduates that have licenses to operate 609 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 2: in the US merch Marine, either a third mate which 610 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 2: is a deck officer license, or a third assistant engineer, 611 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 2: which is an engineering license. And the Merchant Marine Academy, 612 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 2: I think is unique. It's a federal academy, the same 613 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 2: as King's excuse me, the same as West Point, the 614 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 2: same as Annapolis, the Army and Navy, which we just 615 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 2: had the game the other day. But what it does 616 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 2: is it creates officers for an industry. Makes it very unique. 617 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 2: Was created during the midst of World War Two. It's 618 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 2: the only academy, by the way, that has a battle 619 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 2: standard because it's it's cadets actually died during World War two, 620 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 2: so one hundred and forty three I think it is 621 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 2: died in World War two. So it's a unique institution. 622 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 2: I think the maritime schools provide really the bedrock for 623 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 2: our maritime industry. These are people who don't just sail ships. 624 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 2: They go into different aspects of the industry. They go 625 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 2: into shipbuilding, they go into the ship operations, they go 626 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 2: into the business side of this. And one of the 627 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 2: things that I think that has the potential for the 628 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 2: United States to come back as a big shipbuilder is technology. 629 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 2: If you look at the history of the United States, 630 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 2: what is allowed the United States in the past to 631 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 2: become major in the maritime field has been technology innovations, 632 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 2: whether it's the Baltimore schooner, the clipper ship, the use 633 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 2: of oil as a fuel in World War One, prefabrication 634 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 2: during World War Two, containerization, super tankers, all American innovations, 635 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 2: and right now we're on the precipice of that. Use 636 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 2: of AI in ship design and technology, use of adaptive 637 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,959 Speaker 2: technology in ship construction, and the potential of new power sources, 638 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 2: if we want to talk about it. One of the 639 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,959 Speaker 2: most innovative power sources we can potentially put on ships 640 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 2: small modular reactors, nuclear reactors. And so I think schools 641 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 2: like King's Point, along with the state maritime academies, should 642 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 2: be the kind of the breeding grounds. These should be 643 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 2: the places we are dumping money into because one of 644 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 2: the things we can get out of them. Are these 645 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 2: technological innovations that come out. It's always funny all those schools, 646 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 2: if you ever look at their return the studies on them, 647 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 2: they have the best return on investment of any of 648 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 2: the schools. Whatever you pay to go to college there, 649 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 2: although the King's point is free, you'll see that the 650 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 2: end result out of those academies is some of the 651 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 2: highest starting salaries and maintaining salaries for any college graduates. 652 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 2: I pull it down from my UNEs institution because I 653 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 2: teach it a very small private college. But besides that, 654 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 2: everybody else does pretty well economically great. 655 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: And then you know, could you also, you know, when 656 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: we did the intro earlier, you know I mentioned that 657 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: you're part of at one time, the Military Sealift Command. 658 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: Most people have no idea what the heck that is, 659 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 1: So could you educate us and tell us what that 660 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: is and has it fit into the Navy? 661 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 2: Sure? So, US Navy's Military Sealift Command has been around 662 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 2: since nineteen forty nine under a different name. But what 663 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 2: most people don't understand is that one out of five 664 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 2: ships in the US Navy, so about about sixty ships 665 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 2: out of three hundred are crewed and operated by civilian 666 00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 2: merchant mariners. The Military Sealift Command is the largest employer 667 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 2: layer of merchant mariners in the United States. About five 668 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 2: thousand of them are directly hired by the merchant by 669 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,279 Speaker 2: the Military Sealift Command and about a thousand are contracted. 670 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 2: And what they do is they fill key roles. In 671 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 2: case of Military Sealift Command, all the auxiliary vessels, the 672 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:20,959 Speaker 2: underway replenishment ships, the tankers that refuel ships at sea, 673 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,319 Speaker 2: the ones that bring ammunition and stores to them are 674 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 2: all crewed by these civilian merchant mariners. And at the 675 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 2: same time they also operate ships for the Afloat Prepositioning 676 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:35,479 Speaker 2: Program that have ammunition and equipment forward deployed. In time 677 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 2: of war, we activate this reserve fleet that's stationed along 678 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,720 Speaker 2: the coast of the United States, about fifty to sixty vessels. 679 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 2: Those are crewed by merchant mariners. And I think one 680 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 2: of the things that the US kind of forgot was 681 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 2: there's kind of this very symbiotic relationship between the commercial 682 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 2: industry and the military side of shipping. And unfortunately, what 683 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 2: the US tried to do after World War Two has 684 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 2: created its own kind of little military merchant which is 685 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 2: military seal of command, but they failed to realize they 686 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 2: need that commercial side too that kind of back it up, 687 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 2: and what we've seen recently is a lot of problems 688 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 2: with this sector. So for example, in twenty nineteen, there 689 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:16,000 Speaker 2: was a huge test of the reserve fleet and this fleet, 690 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 2: which should have had an eighty five percent readiness, only 691 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 2: clocked in at forty percent, which meant that the combatant 692 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 2: commanders overseas could not count on seal of ships bringing 693 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 2: them the equipment and supplies they needed in time of war. 694 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 2: So we addressed the readiness of the ships, and what 695 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,440 Speaker 2: we're seeing is this program underway right now to replace 696 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,480 Speaker 2: some of the older ships in the fleet. The average 697 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 2: age of ships and the reserve fleet are like forty 698 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 2: four years old, and so they're trying to replace them. 699 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 2: The other issue they have is the number of merchant mariners. 700 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,720 Speaker 2: While MSc pays very well, the problem is their government 701 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 2: employees many of them, and their leave policy is terrible, 702 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 2: and so this has created a big problem. During COVID, 703 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 2: there was issues with how they were treated, and what 704 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,799 Speaker 2: we've seen recently just last year was seventeen ships laid 705 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 2: up because of the lack of cruise This is a 706 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 2: substantial problem. There is a concern that there's not going 707 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 2: to be enough merchant mariners to man the ships to 708 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 2: sustaining the US Navy and the Department of Defense in 709 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,839 Speaker 2: time of war. And that's being addressed now. It hasn't 710 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 2: been resolved yet, but it's being looked at. 711 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 1: And you know, the Trump administration, you know, we can 712 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 1: argue a lot of things, but not to be political 713 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 1: here at all. What do you think they're doing that 714 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:36,719 Speaker 1: is that's great for the shipping industry? And what do 715 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: you think they're doing that is really hurting the shipping 716 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: industry in your opinion? 717 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:45,720 Speaker 2: I think on anything, no, no, no, I think on okay, 718 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 2: what are they doing? The help is they bring attention 719 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:49,919 Speaker 2: to it. I mean there's a lot of visibility, more 720 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 2: on shipping than ever before. I think Secretary Duffy has 721 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 2: put focus on shipping. You see him for example, the 722 00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,680 Speaker 2: US merch Marine Academy. I love the US Merchant Marine 723 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 2: academ even though I'm a graduate of one of its rivals, 724 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 2: but it has been neglected. I mean it has been 725 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 2: just criminally neglected. I'm talking about the fact that we 726 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,359 Speaker 2: had midshipmen living there in dorms without heat and hot 727 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 2: water for a while. It's just decayed. And in many 728 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 2: ways it was a microcosm of the US merchant marine. 729 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:20,319 Speaker 2: So I mean there's a tension now being drawn to that. 730 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,959 Speaker 2: I think, you know, the fact that we've had more 731 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:27,960 Speaker 2: legislation and proposals come out than in any previous administration 732 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 2: is significant. I think again the executive Order, the Ships Act, 733 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 2: which is being co sponsored by Senators Kelly and Young, 734 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 2: you know, bipartisan support across the ways. I think that's 735 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,520 Speaker 2: really important. I think it's great to see that. On 736 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 2: the negative side, here you have the Trump administration arguing 737 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,320 Speaker 2: that we want to see the expansion of US shipping. 738 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,840 Speaker 2: Yet one of the very first things they did was 739 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:52,799 Speaker 2: killed the wind industry, which is going to be a 740 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:57,320 Speaker 2: major factor for US shipbuilding because the wind industry needed 741 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:00,280 Speaker 2: support vessels off the coast, and the US was timed 742 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,840 Speaker 2: to build many of these ships, which are very large ships. Actually, 743 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 2: you know, people tend to think these are small ships. 744 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 2: They're not. They're very large ships. And that industry was 745 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 2: going to be a big kind of boom to kind 746 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 2: of really jumpstart the shipbuilding and the maritime industry. And 747 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 2: now you literally have ships lied up along the coast 748 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 2: and all of a sudden, what is going to be 749 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,719 Speaker 2: that is not happening. Same time, we had people like 750 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:27,880 Speaker 2: Rudel Saude, the head of CMA CGM, come to the 751 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 2: United States offered a reflag twenty ships into the US registry. 752 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,080 Speaker 2: He did, he reflagged the CMA CGM Phoenix, but that's 753 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 2: been it. We haven't seen the other ships come in 754 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,480 Speaker 2: and so, you know, the big issue is follow up. 755 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 2: My biggest criticism right now is leadership. Who is in 756 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 2: charge of directing this we don't have Ahead of the 757 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 2: Maritime administration, we don't have We're missing two of the 758 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:56,400 Speaker 2: five commissioners on the Federal Maritime Commission. There's no Deputy 759 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 2: Secretary in the Navy for shipbuilding right now who is 760 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 2: eating this. You know, under the Maritime Action Plan and 761 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,279 Speaker 2: the ships Actor's supposed to be a maritime you know, 762 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 2: shipping advisor created that has not been done. So I 763 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 2: think one of the biggest problems right now is leadership. 764 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 2: A lot of talk, but but again action is what 765 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,279 Speaker 2: you need to see. And we're already coming into the 766 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:22,759 Speaker 2: you know, second year of a Trump administration that by 767 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,600 Speaker 2: all accounts will be a lame duck within another year. 768 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:30,279 Speaker 1: So when you just to you know, we're kind of 769 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:32,399 Speaker 1: coming up at the end of our time here. 770 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 3: You know. 771 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: I'm always curious to hear how people, you know, first 772 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:40,240 Speaker 1: get into an industry. What made you decide to focus 773 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: on the maritime industry when you were thinking about college. 774 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:45,440 Speaker 2: I initially wanted to go in the navy. That was 775 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,320 Speaker 2: my big goal was it was to go into the Navy. 776 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 2: But uh, I got into the US Naval Academy, but 777 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 2: then they told me my eyesight at the time I 778 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 2: had glasses, I couldn't sail ships like I would be restricted, 779 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 2: and so I wanted to go to see I grew 780 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:01,879 Speaker 2: up in the South a Long Island. My dad had 781 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:03,880 Speaker 2: a fishing boat. We used to go off shore and 782 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 2: I used to see the ships coming in out of 783 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 2: New York and I was like, man, I just want 784 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:08,279 Speaker 2: to go on those and I don't know where they're going, 785 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:12,400 Speaker 2: but that's what I want to do, and that's that's fortunite. 786 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:14,960 Speaker 2: Had a friend who was going to State University of 787 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:18,920 Speaker 2: New York Maritime College, and I got in there and 788 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,560 Speaker 2: it's been really great. I mean, I got to sail 789 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,759 Speaker 2: for years. I got to work ashore. I met my 790 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 2: wife while on a ship, so and then when I 791 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 2: came ashore. You know, I was always interested in history, 792 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 2: and what was really interested about was the history of 793 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,480 Speaker 2: my industry, and there really wasn't a lot written about it, 794 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 2: and I was like, man, this is you know, And 795 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 2: so that has been kind of my research project. I 796 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:41,759 Speaker 2: did my doctoral dissertation on the kind of the intersection 797 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 2: between commercial shipping and national defense. And then in twenty 798 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:49,120 Speaker 2: twenty one I started the YouTube channel Whenever Given decided 799 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:50,880 Speaker 2: to take a right turn in the in the Suez 800 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:55,320 Speaker 2: Canal and for six days pinched fifteen percent of global trade. 801 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, you mentioned there aren't a lot of 802 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,279 Speaker 1: books out there, but you know, since you've got into 803 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 1: the industry, I guess some have been written. Do you 804 00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:08,880 Speaker 1: have a favorite book about either the shipping industry military? 805 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: Just giving your background or leadership. 806 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:14,240 Speaker 2: I'll give you two books right with the bad the history. 807 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 2: One I love is a book written by a good 808 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 2: friend of mine, Lincoln Pain, called Sea and Civilization, which 809 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 2: is a maritime history of the world. He jokes that 810 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 2: the history of the world is maritime, so it's kind 811 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 2: of redundant to put maritime in front of it. But 812 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,719 Speaker 2: it is a great it's a world history through the 813 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 2: maritime prism. I just used that book in my world 814 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,399 Speaker 2: maritime history course. And the other book I always love 815 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,279 Speaker 2: is Mark Levinson's The Box. I think, to me that's 816 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 2: one of the best books out there because I live 817 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 2: in North Carolina, about fifty miles from where Malcolm McClain 818 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 2: was born in Maxton, North Carolina. And you know, the 819 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:51,759 Speaker 2: greatest innovator in global shipping was a truck driver. And 820 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 2: I think that, to me is probably the best image 821 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:56,799 Speaker 2: of that because sometimes we get so focused on the 822 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 2: ships and you know what they're involved, but in truth, 823 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 2: all the ships do is connect us from shore to shore. 824 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,480 Speaker 2: That's all we use ships for, is to connect us 825 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 2: from one point to another. And it took a truck 826 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 2: driver to sit there and say there's got to be 827 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:10,959 Speaker 2: a better way to move cargo than the way we're 828 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,040 Speaker 2: doing it piece by piece, and then some of it 829 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 2: kind of he didn't come up with an idea where 830 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 2: in nineteen fifty six the Ideal X. I always argue, 831 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:21,360 Speaker 2: he's the Elon Musk of his day. You know, Elon's 832 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,840 Speaker 2: got SpaceX. He had Ideal X and Ideal X sales 833 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 2: out of Newark with fifty eight containers on board, and 834 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,360 Speaker 2: today we're running ships with twenty four twenty five thousand 835 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,839 Speaker 2: containers on board. I don't think McClain. Maybe he did, 836 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 2: but I don't think he quite realized what he was 837 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:39,879 Speaker 2: unleashing when he did that. You know, over was now 838 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:42,719 Speaker 2: sixty years ago, seven years ago, almost right. 839 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 1: And then I'm just curious if you, you know, because 840 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 1: you spent a lot of your career on the on 841 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,239 Speaker 1: the water, on the seas, what is your favorite thing 842 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:52,640 Speaker 1: about being on a ship for a long time and 843 00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:53,960 Speaker 1: what is your least favorite thing? 844 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 2: So my every thing on a ship was always the 845 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 2: idea that man, you could just sit there and read. 846 00:42:58,000 --> 00:42:59,400 Speaker 2: It was always great for me because it was one 847 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:00,640 Speaker 2: of the things I every time I go on a 848 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 2: ship back in the time when I was saying, we 849 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,440 Speaker 2: didn't quite have the kindles and everything, so bring some 850 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 2: books and it was always great and for me, it 851 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:09,759 Speaker 2: gave me the time to do it. And I love 852 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:13,000 Speaker 2: going to places. I love visiting and seeing places. And 853 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:14,879 Speaker 2: I was fortunate at the time that when we would 854 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:16,319 Speaker 2: pull in, you could stay there for a little bit 855 00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:18,080 Speaker 2: of time and actually see things. A lot of mariners 856 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:20,120 Speaker 2: don't get that opportunity anymore. A lot of a lot 857 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,920 Speaker 2: of stea fares these days are you pull in the 858 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 2: port and you know, ships make money salling, they don't 859 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:27,279 Speaker 2: make money in port, and so they're always kind of 860 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,560 Speaker 2: really on on on the dogs coming in. 861 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 3: You know. 862 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 2: The downward side was really the life on board because 863 00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:36,400 Speaker 2: you're really you're really secluded, You're really cut off. I 864 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:38,479 Speaker 2: mean you leave shore and you are really cut off. 865 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,680 Speaker 2: Today it's getting better with things like Starlink. You know, 866 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:45,439 Speaker 2: mariners are more connected than ever before, which is good. 867 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:47,840 Speaker 2: I mean we have tracking of ships, we can see things. 868 00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 2: But at the same time too, I would argue that 869 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 2: that one of the big drawbacks of shipping is trying 870 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 2: to get people educated in what happens. We have basically 871 00:43:57,680 --> 00:43:59,959 Speaker 2: walled off shipping and one of the reasons I started 872 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 2: to my channel was to really expose people to global shipping. 873 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:06,000 Speaker 2: Most people don't see it. You know, when you create 874 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:08,400 Speaker 2: a you know, we move the ships from the piers 875 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 2: along Manhattan over to Newark, and nobody wants to go 876 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:13,520 Speaker 2: to Newark, so I mean nobody sees the ship, so 877 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:15,680 Speaker 2: it's just you know, all the way over there, and 878 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,279 Speaker 2: so it becomes very isolated. And you know, it takes 879 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:21,799 Speaker 2: events like ever Given Dolly, you know, the Hoho thy 880 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:24,120 Speaker 2: to remind people. It's like, hey, you know when when 881 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:27,319 Speaker 2: when commerce gets cut off it impacts you. There there 882 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:30,319 Speaker 2: are direct impacts. I remember when I transitioned the channel 883 00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:32,600 Speaker 2: from talking about ever Given to the supply chain crisis. 884 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 2: That for me was the moment, because all of a sudden, 885 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:39,480 Speaker 2: this was impacting everybody, and I think making that awareness 886 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:41,960 Speaker 2: and plus, as you well know, probably you know, when 887 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:44,279 Speaker 2: you talk to people within an industry, they don't have 888 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:48,200 Speaker 2: the ability many times to talk to people outside the industry. 889 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 2: They're very much have a dialogue, they have a lingo, 890 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:53,959 Speaker 2: They have a language that doesn't promote them from really 891 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:57,040 Speaker 2: explaining things they love, acronyms they love, They assume you 892 00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 2: know everything. And and myself, as an educat, I'm used 893 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 2: to providing very complex targets and topics and breaking them down. 894 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:06,239 Speaker 2: So that's what I kind of try to do. 895 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:09,360 Speaker 1: All right, Great, well, sal thank you so much for 896 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,160 Speaker 1: your time and insight to really really enjoy the conversation. 897 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:13,840 Speaker 3: So thanks so much. 898 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:18,000 Speaker 1: I appreciate having me, and you know, for anyone that's listening. 899 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:20,320 Speaker 1: If you want to learn more about the shipping industry, 900 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:24,840 Speaker 1: I would heavily suggest Sal's YouTube channel What's going On 901 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,400 Speaker 1: with Shipping So it's a wealth of knowledge and insights, 902 00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:31,360 Speaker 1: so definitely check it out. And I also want to 903 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:33,960 Speaker 1: thank you for tuning in to Talking Transports. This will 904 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:35,880 Speaker 1: be our final episode. 905 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:35,799 Speaker 3: Of the year. 906 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:39,680 Speaker 1: I want to thank all of you, our listeners, our guests, 907 00:45:39,719 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 1: and supporters for making this another great season of conversations 908 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 1: across the great logistics and transportation world. Wishing all of 909 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:50,640 Speaker 1: you a safe and RESTful holiday season and a happy, 910 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:53,320 Speaker 1: healthy start to the new year. I look forward to 911 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:57,320 Speaker 1: reconnecting with you in twenty twenty six with more insights, conversations, 912 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:01,840 Speaker 1: and industry perspective. Until then, happy holidays and thanks for 913 00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:02,839 Speaker 1: Talking TRANSPORTSM