Industry to Hear From Key Govt. Officials at ATA’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia

Several key lawmakers and regulators are scheduled to address trucking industry leaders gathering at American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia this week.

“We are excited that we’ll be welcoming important government officials such as acting FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling and House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster, as well as many other educational speakers, to this year’s MCE,” ATA President Bill Graves said of the Oct. 17-20 event.

“As always, MCE will provide our industry’s leaders the opportunity to connect and learn about where trucking is now and where it is headed in the future,” he added.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Darling speaks Oct. 18 during the conference’s luncheon, which also will feature Graves’ annual State of the Industry address.

Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican, addresses MCE attendees at a luncheon Oct. 19 — just days before convening a scheduled congressional hearing on a new highway bill.

Earlier Oct. 19, Christopher Grundler, director of transportation and air quality for the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is due to speak about the Phase 2 greenhouse-gas proposal for trucks. That session also features retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan.

Also planned is an economic discussion, led by ATA Senior Economist Bob Costello, as well as a pair of panel discussions focusing on the future of freight transportation and safety technologies that will be moderated, respectively, by ATA Vice President Carl Kirk and Transport Topics’ Technology Editor Seth Clevenger.

The conference culminates with Pat Thomas of UPS becoming chairman of the federation, succeeding Duane Long, also chairman of Raleigh, North

Carolina-based Longistics, a full-service provider of global logistics services.

A total of 179 companies will display products in the conference exhibit hall, up from 170 last year.

Rock band Chicago will perform at the annual banquet Oct. 20.