Industry Leaders Gather in Las Vegas as Economic Outlook Brightens
This story appears in the Oct. 5 print edition of Transport Topics.
As signs of an evolving U.S. economic rebound in-crease, trucking industry leaders will gather in Las Vegas, Oct. 4-7, at American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition.
ATA President Bill Graves will formally open the conference on Oct. 5 with a “state of the industry” address.
“The past couple years have tested the strength of our industry, but signs of economic recovery and expected long-term growth in freight tonnage certainly give us a reason to be optimistic,” Graves said in an e-mail to Transport Topics.
“The success of our nation’s economy relies largely on the safe, efficient movement of freight,” Graves said. “And I’m confident that motor carriers across the country are prepared to meet the challenges that still lie ahead as they deliver the food, medicine, clothing and fuel we need to live and the consumer goods that make our lives comfortable.”
A featured event at MCE is the “All Eyes on the Economy” panel that Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist, said will focus on both trucking and the broader economy.
“Special attention will be paid to household consumption and whether there will be a ‘new norm’ in the quarters and years ahead,” Costello told TT. “One of the three panelists is not an economist, but a supply chain expert who will provide insight into structural changes in goods movement.”
Costello will be joined on Oct. 5 by Sara Johnson, managing director of global macroeconomics for IHS Global Insight, and Charles Clowdis Jr., IHS’ managing director of North America global commerce and transport. Fox News Business Correspondent Stuart Varney will moderate.
At the conclusion of the conference, Tommy Hodges, chairman of truckload carrier Titan Transfer Inc., is set to become the new ATA chairman, replacing Charles “Shorty” Whittington.
On Oct. 6, Hodges, who recently headed ATA’s sustainability task force, will participate in a discussion of “Green Strategies for Profitability.”
Former ATA Chairman Patrick Quinn, co-chairman and president of U.S. Xpress Enterprises; Douglas Duncan, chief executive officer of FedEx Freight; and Doug Stotlar, CEO of Con-way Inc., also are scheduled to participate.
The following morning, truck and highway safety will be the main theme during a panel scheduled to include John Hill, former Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief, and Dan England, chairman and president of truckload carrier C.R. England Inc.
“Greener” operations and safety improvements also will be discussed at several educational sessions throughout the conference, as will health-and-wellness programs and fuel purchasing strategies.
The latest truck technology and equipment will be on display in the exhibit hall, and Brit Hume, senior political analyst for Fox News, is the featured speaker at the government affairs luncheon on Oct. 5.
The annual golf tournament is scheduled for Oct. 4, and syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson will speak at the spouses’ business meeting.
Grammy award-winning singer Vince Gill will perform at the closing banquet on Oct. 7.
