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2021 Schedule

2021 Schedule

As sessions and details are updated, this page will have the most recent content. View the agenda overview below and check back for more details.

Download the 2021 FTR Transportation Conference Agenda in PDF

2021 Conference Agenda

Monday, September 13th – Friday, September 17th

Monday, Sept. 13th

Truck Equipment

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

Indy Canal Walk (Optional)

Start your day off right with a 2-mile walk down the Indy canal. A great time to enjoy the beauty of Indianapolis and engage with your colleagues. Participants also receive a complimentary t-shirt.

7:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Registration Open

Eric Starks
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcome Session

Avery Vise
Eric Starks
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

Economic Expansion: Understanding Fundamentals Supporting Equipment Demand

Session details coming soon!

Don Ake
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM

The FTR Perspective: North American Class 8 Equipment Outlook

Session details coming soon!

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Networking Break

Session details coming soon!

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Climate’s Control: Commercial Vehicles and Environmental Regulation

Session details coming soon!

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Technology: Completing the Circuit on Electric Trucks

Session details coming soon!

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Case Study: Taking Alternative Power to Market

Session details coming soon!

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch Buffet

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Truck OEM Keynote: Surviving the Challenges of 2020 and Seizing Future Opportunities

Session details coming soon!

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM

Truck & Trailer Dealer Forum: A View From the Sales Front

Session details coming soon!

Don Ake
Eric Starks
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

The FTR Perspective: Commercial Trailer Equipment Outlook

Session details coming soon!

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Networking Break

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Trailer OEM Perspective: Challenges of a Booming Trailer Market

Session details coming soon!

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Used Trucks: Heating Up or Cooling Down?

Session details coming soon!

Don Ake
Eric Starks
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

The FTR Perspective: Medium-Duty Truck Equipment Outlook

5:30 PM - 6:15 PM

Women in Truck Transportation Reception

FTR is excited to announce its Women in Truck Transportation Networking Reception. FTR’s VP of Customer Relations, Helen Lile, will host an informal reception for women on Monday, September 13th, allowing attendees the chance to connect and engage with other female leaders in the transportation industry. This reception will take place before the Monday evening reception for attendees.

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Evening Reception - Details Coming Soon!
Tuesday, Sept. 14th

Truck Freight

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

Indy Canal Walk (Optional)

Start your day off right with a 2-mile walk down the Indy canal. A great time to enjoy the beauty of Indianapolis and engage with your colleagues. Participants also receive a complimentary t-shirt.

7:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Registration Open

Eric Starks
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcome Session

8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

Economic Demand Drivers: How Goods and Services Will Influence Underlying Freight Demand

Session details coming soon!

Avery Vise
Eric Starks
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM

The Road Ahead: FTR’s Perspective on the Truck Freight Outlook

Session details coming soon!

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM

Regulatory and Legislative: What to Expect from Washington

Session details coming soon!

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

An Industry in Flux: How Employment and Labor Law are Changing Trucking

Session details coming soon!

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch Buffet

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Trucking Keynote: Industry Executive Debrief

Session details coming soon!

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Carrier Perspectives on the Trucking Market: Will Things Stay Great?

Session details coming soon!

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Shipper/Logistics Perspectives on the Trucking Market: Will Things Ever Settle Down?

Session details coming soon!

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Networking Break

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

E-Commerce Trends: How the Pandemic Shook Up Final Mile Distribution

Session details coming soon!

3:45 PM - 4:15 PM

Smart Technology: Using Artificial Intelligence in Freight Management

Session details coming soon!

4:15 PM - 5:00 PM

A Wall Street Perspective: Trucking Industry Dynamics

Sessions details coming soon!

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Evening Reception - Details Coming Soon!
Wednesday, Sept. 15th

Rail Freight

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

Indy Canal Walk (Optional)

Start your day off right with a 2-mile walk down the Indy canal. A great time to enjoy the beauty of Indianapolis and engage with your colleagues. Participants also receive a complimentary t-shirt.

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Registration Open

Eric Starks
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcome Session

8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

Economic Recovery and Demand Creation: What the Data Say About Where We Are Headed

Session details coming soon!

Eric Starks
Todd Tranausky
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM

The Track Ahead: How FTR Views Rail Freight Demand in the Year Ahead

Session details coming soon!

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Report from Life on the Ground: A Rail Shipper’s View of the Freight Landscape

Session details coming soon!

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Networking Break

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Rail Regulatory Debates Enter the Ring: Both Sides of the Regulatory Coin

Session details coming soon!

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Real-time Shipment Visibility: How to Have a Clearer Picture of the Track Ahead

Session details coming soon!

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch Buffet

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Mixed Signals: A Carrier’s View of the Track Ahead

Session details coming soon!

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

The Many Faces of Carload: Heading into the Harvest, What to Expect from the Agricultural Space

Session details coming soon!

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Going Great Guns: What Intermodal’s Surge Means for the Network

Session details coming soon!

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Networking Break

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Ports In Focus: A look at the Port Situation as We Head into the End of the Year

Session details coming soon!

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Metal Markets: Understanding Demand for a Key Input to Manufactured Goods and the Impact on the Carload Sector

Session details coming soon!

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Petroleum Markets: What Comes Next for Crude by Rail? - Pipelines, Prices, and Railcars

Session details coming soon!

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

The Next Rail Capacity Crunch: Will Intermodal Cause a Squeeze for All Sectors?

Session details coming soon!

5:30 PM - 6:15 PM

Women in Rail Transportation Reception

FTR is excited to announce its Women in Truck Transportation Networking Reception. FTR’s VP of Customer Relations, Helen Lile, will host an informal reception for women on Monday, September 13th, allowing attendees the chance to connect and engage with other female leaders in the transportation industry. This reception will take place before the Monday evening reception for attendees.

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Evening Reception - Details Coming Soon!
Thursday, Sept. 16th

Rail Equipment

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

Indy Canal Walk (Optional)

Start your day off right with a 2-mile walk down the Indy canal. A great time to enjoy the beauty of Indianapolis and engage with your colleagues. Participants also receive a complimentary t-shirt.

7:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Registration Open

Union Station Lobby

Eric Starks
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcome Session

8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

Economy on the Mend: What This Means for Rail Equipment

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

Eric Starks
Todd Tranausky
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM

Emerging from the Bleak Midwinter: FTR’s Perspective as Rail Equipment Markets Turn the Corner

Session details coming soon!

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Finding the Freight: An Industry Thought Leaders’ Perspective on Rail Freight Demand Driver’s Impact on 2022

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Networking Break

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Regulatory Demands: How Regulations Will Shape Tank Car Demand in the Coming Years

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Calmer Seas Ahead: How High Can the Grain Markets Fly with Normalized Exports

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch Buffet

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Railcar Manufacturer Keynote: Exploring the Promise and Challenge Ahead for the Rail Equipment industry

Session details coming soon!

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Tank Car Equipment Turbulence: Explaining the Noise in the Tank Car Markets and What to Expect for Future Demand

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Covered Hopper Equipment: A Tale of Three Markets

Session details coming soon!

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Networking Break

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Flat Car Equipment: Automotive, Lumber, and Containers - The Trifecta to Growth

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Beverage Boxes: What Does the Growth in Beverage Volume Mean for the Fleet?

Session Title and Description - Coming Soon!

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Beyond Coal: Steel’s Appetite and What’s Next for Gondolas & Open-Top Hoppers

Session details coming soon!

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Hazmat Shipping: Understanding the Issues Facing Shippers

Session details coming soon!

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Evening Reception - Details Coming Soon!
Friday, Sept. 17th

REF Conference - Fall Update

7:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Registration Open

Session 1 - TBD

Session 2 - TBD

Session 3 - TBD

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch

Details TBD

Session 4 - TBD

Session 5 - TBD

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

Indy Canal Walk (Optional)

Start your day off right with a 2-mile walk down the Indy canal. A great time to enjoy the beauty of Indianapolis and engage with your colleagues. Participants also receive a complimentary t-shirt.