ATA to Host Dec. 4-6 Summit in Dallas That Will Focus on Technology, Data Analysis

This story appears in the July 8 print edition of Transport Topics.

American Trucking Associations said it will host a summit later this year to focus on how fleets can improve their performance using technology and data analysis.

ATA’s “Technology-Driven Performance, Analytics and Answers” conference, set for Dec. 4-6, will feature sessions on improving fleet efficiency, using analytics and communications

to bolster the supply chain and the latest advancements in truck technology.

The event, planned for the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, is scheduled a year after the federation’s first executive summit in Arlington, Va., on the use of natural gas in the trucking industry.

“Last year’s summit focused on the future of natural gas in our industry was so well-received, we believe the time is right to broaden that focus and explore other issues critical to trucking,” ATA President Bill Graves said July 1 in a statement announcing the summit.

“This event promises to provide senior-level industry leaders with the insight and information they need to position their companies for success in our rapidly evolving economy.”

ATA chose technology and data because of their rapid development in recent years, and they probably will continue to advance, said Jeff Mason, senior vice president of communications for ATA.

“We’re seeing an explosion of new technologies and new data sources, but up until now, it’s just a lot of information,” Mason told Transport Topics. “Companies now are finding ways to integrate that and to use it to become more efficient.”

Summit speakers and events will explore how carriers use technology in their operations to improve safety, employee experience and other benefits, Mason said. The agenda could include telematics, location tracking, communication and analytics technology, he added.

The conference also will explore fledgling technologies, he said, such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and autonomous vehicles.

Transport Topics and the American Transportation Re-search Institute are co-hosting the event with ATA.

Mason said ATA plans to host a conference on a popular topic in the trucking industry — which it will call an “executive summit” — every year.

ATA will open registration for the “Technology-Driven Performance, Analytics and Answers” summit to its member companies in mid-July and allow nonmembers to register about a month later.

Registration for the conference will be available on ATA’s website, www.trucking.org.