Truck Freight

Join us for the Women in Transportation Meet and Greet. FTR’s VP of Client Services, Helen Lile, will host an informal gathering for women, allowing attendees the chance to connect and engage with other female leaders in the transportation industry.

More than three years after pandemic lockdowns, the U.S. economy continues to operate in ways that do not quite match up with the business cycles we typically saw before 2020. This session will review trends in the consumer, labor, industrial, and construction sectors and try to answer a key question: Is the economy simply taking longer to return to normal or is there a "new normal?"

Presenter: 
TBA

Hear FTR's outlook for freight, utilization, and rates for the coming year and its assessment of upside and downside risks.

Presenter: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Dry van has seen the biggest market swings of all trucking segments over the past three years due to volatility in stimulus-driven consumer demand, supply chain disruptions in automotive, and stresses in the competitive intermodal sector. Has the segment finally entered a period of incremental movements or will the roller coaster ride continue? Hear perspectives from leading dry van carriers and shippers.

Panelists: 
TBA

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

While overall consumer demand in refrigerated goods did not experience the wild swings dry van did during the pandemic, refrigerated saw its own challenges due to supply disruptions and swings in where consumption occurred. Has the refrigerated market settled or will it run hot and cold? Hear perspectives from leading refrigerated carriers and shippers.

Panelists: 
Jackie Bailey, Cargill
TBA

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

The flatbed spot volumes have softened due to weakness in the key construction and manufacturing sectors while spot rates have consistently run notably above average. One issue is that flatbed lacks the fluidity of capacity seen in the van segments, but is there more to the story? Hear perspectives from leading flatbed carriers and shippers.

Panelists: 
Rob Roberson, Nucor
TBA

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Where is the truck freight market going and how are relationships between carriers and their customers and employees changing? Hear insights into the current market landscape and into what the future might hold from a recognized leader in the trucking industry. 

Presenters:
TBA
Eric Starks, FTR

The extreme market stress that fueled brokers' shipment volumes in 2020 and 2021 has normalized. Can intermediaries find a path to more consistent business conditions and, if so, how? Hear perspectives from leading broker/logistics firms.

Panelists: 
Robert Hopper, Atlantic Logistics
TBA

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Publicly traded carriers and logistics companies represent only a fraction of the overall market, but their transparency offers valuable insights into trends in the transportation industry. Hear insights on truck transportation from a leading equities analyst.

Presenter:
Bruce Chan, Stifel

Autonomous trucks are rivaled only by electric trucks as the sexiest trend in trucking, but progress toward driverless trucking is not easy to assess. Hear from consulting firm Roland Berger regarding what approaches appear to be most promising, what challenges remain, and what timelines for routine operations appear reasonable.

Presenter: 
Wilfried Aulbur, Roland Berger

The closing session of the conference's Truck Freight day builds on the autonomous trucking session to look at other ways the industry might change, including not only on-highway and back-office technology but also business models and relationships between carriers and their customers, suppliers, and workers. Hear from a panel of thought leaders on where trucking is heading.

Panelists: 
James Reed, Kodiak 
TBA

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Location:  Indiana Rail Road Headquarters, Indianapolis, IN

Details Coming Soon!