Truck Freight

The American consumer has been the bedrock of the U.S. economy and the freight market's strength since the middle of 2020. With soaring inflation and Fed monetary policy aimed at fighting it by slowing the economy, all eyes now focus on where things likely are heading with consumer spending and the retail sector.

Presenter: 
Mark Mathews, National Retail Federation

Fueled by consumer stimulus and a disrupted labor market, trucking has enjoyed an unprecedented period of market profitability and growth. Ongoing disruptions likely will maintain a solid floor on market conditions, but the risks to the outlook are higher.

Presenter: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Tight capacity and robust freight generally have kept carriers’ utilization and rates high, but high costs for fuel and labor represent a risk to carrier profits and stability. Trucking executives will share their perspectives on today’s market and the road ahead.

Panelists: 
Bill Kretsinger, American Central Transport
Brad Pinchuk, Hirschbach Motor Lines

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Shippers have never struggled with high rates and tight capacity for such an extended period or seen such an abrupt shift in distribution requirements. Transportation executives for shippers discuss how they have tried to cope with the pandemic market.

Panelists: 
Rob Haddock, Coca-Cola North America
Meredith Neizer, ARMADA

Moderator: 
Eric Starks, FTR

Supply chain disruptions coupled with tight and shifting truck capacity have kept brokers and third-party logistics firms very busy for about two years. Executives of intermediaries will address their market experiences and expectations for the future.

Panelists: 
Jeffrey Tucker, Tucker Company Worldwide, Inc. 
Shaun Beardall, England Logistics

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

In 65 years, Werner Enterprises has grown from a single truck to one of the largest and most diverse transportation providers in the nation. Along the way, it has been a pioneer in various respects, such as its adoption of electronic logs nearly 20 years before they became the norm in truckload. Craig Callahan, Werner's chief commercial officer and a 26-year Werner veteran, shares thoughts on the freight industry, including insights from the company's environmental strategy that he oversees.

Presenters:
Craig Callahan, Werner Enterprises
Eric Starks, FTR

Following insights from those involved day to day with trucking, we will hear from analysts who help the investment community understand trucking and logistics. We will discuss what trends and strategies are attractive to Wall Street and which are not.

Panelists: 
Ken Hoexter, Bank of America
Lee Klaskow, Bloomberg

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Most of the attention given to artificial intelligence in trucking relates to autonomous driving, but A.I. has broader applications in freight transportation that are already being implemented. Hear how some are employing machine learning to improve efficiency today.

Panelists: 
Tom Curee, Kingsgate Logistics
David Dunst, Paper Transport

Moderator:
Jonathan Starks, FTR

Although Congress weighed in on trucking issues in 2021 as part of the infrastructure package, further legislation is always possible. However, the Biden administration is only beginning to weigh in on safety and labor regulations, and the Supreme Court has some important transportation-related issues on its docket.

Panelists: 
Anne Reinke, TIA
Prasad Sharma, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson, & Feary, P.C.

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Autonomous vehicles and electric trucks grab lots of attention, but the true benefits of those technologies are years away. In the final session of the Truck Freight track of the FTR Transportation Conference, we examine how market stresses in recent years are changing business models and the structure of the trucking industry.

Panelists: 
Thom Albrecht, Reliance Partners
Craig Harper, J.B. Hunt
Leah Shaver, The National Transportation Institute

Moderator: 
Avery Vise, FTR

Location: Illinois Street Ballroom, Union Station