Truck Freight at the FTR Conference

From sessions to networking, we impact your decision-making

This freight-focused assessment of the trucking industry will dive deep into the current state of the economic, regulatory, and industrial factors that impact the demand for freight and rate pressure. With an excellent agenda featuring renowned industry speakers as well as exclusive forecasts powered by the FTR Freight•cast forecasting methodology, you'll leave the 2023 FTR Transportation Conference with a crystal clear understanding of where the trucking market is headed in the near and long terms.

ATTENDEES CAN EXPECT:

Exclusive economic and freight forecasts from FTR
Examinations of regulatory and legal developments and a dive into the nagging driver supply issues
Keynote session providing insights from a major industry executive
Carrier, shipper, and broker perspectives on the state of the market and expectations for the coming year
Discussion of specific developments that could transform how the market operates

What should you expect for the Truck Freight session?

2023 ATTENDEES SHOULD EXPECT:

Exclusive economic and freight forecasts from FTR
Examinations of regulatory and legal developments and a dive into the nagging driver supply issues
Keynote session providing insights from a major industry executive
Carrier, shipper, and broker perspectives on the state of the market and expectations for the coming year
Discussion of specific developments that could transform how the market operates

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Truck Freight Agenda

Click on the agenda titles below to view 2022's session descriptions.

6:30 AM - Indy Canal Run/Walk

Meet in the Crowne Plaza lobby. Start your day off right with a 3 or 5-mile run, or 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 running shirt.

7:30 AM Women in Transportation Meet & Greet

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.

8:45 AM - Welcome

9:00 AM - Economic Outlook: Do We Finally Have Clarity?

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

9:45 AM - The Road Ahead: FTR’s Perspective on Truck Freight

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

10:15 AM - Networking Break

10:30 AM - Dry Van Market: Finally a Smooth Ride?

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

11:00 AM - Refrigerated Market: Chill or Too Hot to Handle?

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

11:30 AM - Flatbed Market: Outperforming Expectations?

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

12:00 PM - Lunch Sponsored by Atlantic Logistics

1:00 PM - Truck Freight Keynote

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

1:30 PM - Broker Perspectives: A View from the Middle

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

2:00 PM - How Trucking Looks from Wall Street

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

2:30 PM - Networking Break

2:45 PM - Driverless Trucks: The Road Less Travelled By

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

3:15 PM - 2033: A Trucking Odyssey

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

5:30 PM - Evening Reception - Sponsored by The Greenbrier Companies

Location: Indiana Rail Road Headquarters, Indianapolis, IN

Details Coming Soon!

Truck Freight Speakers

Melissa Younger

Melissa is the Events Manager with FTR. She joined our team at the end of 2015, after spending almost 10 years at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, managing events, finances, and day-to-day operations for the Office of Development and Communications. At FTR, she is responsible for managing FTR's annual Transportation Conference, FTR webinars, and other events.

Jonathan Starks

Jon is the Chief Intelligence Officer at FTR. He has spent his entire career in the freight transportation sector having joined FTR in 2001. Jon's expertise includes freight modeling, modal analysis, fleet characteristics, and equipment demand. He is directly responsible for producing FTR's Freight-cast transportation model, producing more than 13 million datapoints and 85,000 forecasted items each and every month.

Jami Sargent

Jami is the Chief of Staff at FTR. She joined the FTR team in 2016 after having spent over 13 years working for a non-profit organization focused on mental health issues. As Practice Manager for the non-profit, Jami was responsible for the operations, billing, and regulatory compliance. At FTR she is responsible for managing FTR's company financial accounts, contracting and administrative team.