ATA Annual Conference to Explore 'Investing in Our Future'
Zero-emissions vehicles, the future of owner-operators, emissions regulations, women in trucking, and more will be explored as the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition explores “Investing in Our Future.”
ATA President Chris Spear will give his annual State of the Industry & Association address. Here he's pictured at the 2021 MC&E.
Photo: Deborah Lockridge
5 min to read
The American Trucking Associations’ 2022 Management Conference & Exhibition, Oct. 22-25 in San Diego, California, will revolve around the theme “Investing in Our Future.”
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“Every year, trucking’s brightest minds and most passionate supporters gather at MCE, and at this critical time for our industry, this meeting could not be better timed,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear in a news release. “With a slowing economy, inflation, record fuel prices, workforce shortages and political uncertainty, trucking has rarely faced the volume of challenges it faces today — and at MCE, our members and our association will chart a course to overcoming these challenges.”
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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will address the association’s board of directors on Oct. 25. In addition, Robin Hutcheson, the newly confirmed administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, will be a featured speaker on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 22.
“Being able to hear from key leaders is an important part of the MCE experience," Spear said. "We look forward to hearing from Secretary Buttigieg and Administrator Hutcheson about issues critical to trucking and the supply chain, including the implementation of the infrastructure bill, truck parking and workforce development.”
Educational Sessions
Among the educational session highlights of this year’s event, to be held at the San Diego Convention Center and the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina:
General Session: The Economy in a New World Order
Nearly every major economy across the globe has transitioned into a new period of decelerating growth and rising inflation. How will interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and commodity prices affect the US economy and the trucking industry? A look at the state of the economy featuring Tom Joyce, managing director and global head of investment banking capital markets strategy at MUFG Bank, and ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.
How the Future Regulatory Environment Will Impact your Equipment Decisions and Technology Pathways
The regulatory landscape is shifting rapidly and unevenly as the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board continue to propose and finalize new mandates. This session will explore what roadmaps EPA and CARB are heading down and what it means for your business planning ahead, with insights from:
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ATA Energy & Environmental Counsel Glenn Kedzie.
Cummins Global Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs Matthew Spears.
C.R. England Senior VP of Equipment and Fuel Ron Hall.
Volvo Trucks North America Director of Product Marketing Johan Agebrand.
California AB 5: What Does It Mean, What’s Next, And What Should We Do About It?
As a result of the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear the challenge to California's AB 5, which seeks to reclassify many independent contractors as employees, the injunction preventing enforcement against the trucking industry was recently lifted. The risk of liability for noncompliance is now a reality for many trucking companies operating in California.
A panel of Scopelitis attorney experts — Greg Feary, Shannon Cohen, and Prasad Sharma — as well as Glenn Fehribach CFO, World Group, will discuss the law’s history, the “business-to-business” exemption, the trucking industry’s options for compliance, application of the law beyond motor carriage, and changes owner-operators are making to comply.
What Does the Full Electric and Hydrogen Roadmap Look Like?
This session will discuss future zero-emissions equipment, including public and private infrastructure requirements. The panel will look at matching vehicle specifications, including range and payload, to application, and will discuss matching funding to vehicles and infrastructure. Speakers include:
Jack Legler, technical director, Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Associations.
Rakesh Aneja, Daimler Truck North America eMobility.
Michael Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.
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Luncheon Session: Hear from Women Leaders in Trucking
Diversity is necessary for a productive work environment, and this panel will offer suggestions on recruiting, retaining and empowering women. A panel of women will describe their journeys, struggles, and successes navigating the trucking industry.
Shannon Newton, president, Arkansas Trucking Association and vice chairman of the Trucking Association Executives Council
Cari Baylor, President, Baylor Trucking
Tamara Jalving, vice president of safety, Yellow
Tina Peterson, professional truck driver and owner of Red Pine Transport
Angela Tillery, managing director of learning and development, FedEx Freight
Casting a Wide Net to Prepare for Trucking Decarbonization, Emissions Reductions, and Sustainability Planning
More than ever, trucking is in the bullseye of federal and state legislators and regulators on the environmental and energy fronts. Whether it is EPA or CARB advancing regulations to reduce fleet greenhouse gas and NOx emissions, state zero-emission vehicle sales and purchase mandates, internal combustion engine bans, or greenhouse gas reporting mandates, tomorrow’s fleet operations will look far different than they do today. A panel of industry executives will share their views and plans on the multitude of changes that are just around the corner:
Bill Sullivan, executive vice president for advocacy, American Trucking Associations.
Paul Enos, president and CEO, Nevada Trucking Association.
Srikanth Padmanabhan, president, Engine Business, Cummins Inc.
Dave Williams, senior VP of equipment and government relations, Knight-Swift Transportation
The 350,000-square foot exhibit hall will feature new equipment, technologies and services for the trucking industry, including battery-electric trucks and autonomous technology. For instance, the Volvo Trucks booth will showcase the Volvo VNR Electric as well as an autonomy-enabled Volvo VNL 760 with an integrated Aurora Driver for future hub-to-hub operations.
Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.
More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.
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