The Intermodal Association of North America has announced the program schedule and education topics for its 2013 Intermodal Operations and Maintenance Seminar that will take place May 1-2 in Oak Brook, Ill.

New and expanded activities in conjunction with this year’s seminar include: a welcome reception on April 30; a golf outing and tours of local intermodal facilities on May 1; and a networking cookout along with the annual Supplier Showcase the evening of May 1.  

Seminar education sessions on May 2 include:

State of the Industry – The opening general session will reprise a popular discussion covering general intermodal industry trends, predictions for future business activities, and the impacts of both private and public sector actions on intermodal growth – all from multimodal perspectives.

Changes in Intermodal Terminal Footprints – Facility developers and operators will share their success stories in overcoming the geographic, environmental, and business challenges faced in building the next generation of intermodal terminals, in this first of two concurrent sessions.

Chassis Interchange – How to Best Control the Equipment – In a second concurrent session, equipment providers and facility operators will discuss the inherent complexities of interchanging chassis with motor carriers at intermodal facilities, in the face of varying IEP requirements and the evolving chassis provisioning models.

Are We Facing a Chassis Cliff? – An Aging Fleet Needing Investment – A panel of asset owners, chassis manufacturers, and financing experts will address the questions of who will be investing in equipment for the long haul; where will the money come from to purchase and/or remanufacture chassis; and whether industry suppliers can keep up with demand.

Roadability Regulations Revisited – The seminar will close with a look at how effective the Roadability regulations are three years after passage.Executives from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association, and the American Trucking Associations, will take a look back at the path to regulatory compliance, evaluate the current day challenges and share their visions for the future of intermodal equipment safety initiatives.

Visit www.intermodal.org/seminar for updated information including registration discounts, additional education program details and industry networking functions.