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2025 AGENDA
SEPTEMBER 3, 2025
9:00AM – 12:00PM
Benefits Workshop: Managing Benefits in Trucking - Strategies That Work
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2025 Trucking Compensation & Benchmark Survey Highlights
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Best Practices for Reducing RX Spend
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Retention & Risk: The Power or Legal and Financial Wellness
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Managing High-Risk Health Plan Members
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Leave of Absence Management in Trucking
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Beating The Trend: What Top Performing Trucking Companies Do Differently
11:30AM – 1:00PM
Registration
1:00PM – 1:15PM
Opening
1:15PM – 2:00PM
Freight Market Realities
Dean Croke, DAT & Anthony Smith, Realtor.com
Get the straight facts on what's really driving today's freight markets. A leading industry expert delivers hard-hitting insights on rate trends, capacity shifts, and the economic forces that will shape your business in the months ahead. No sugar-coating—just the hard data and insights you need to make informed decisions.
2:00PM – 2:45PM
Trucking State of the Union
Dan Horvath, ATA, Jim Ward TCA, and Ryan Streblow, NTTC
Led by Karen Smerchek
What macro forces will reshape trucking in the next year? Industry association leaders from ATA, TCA, and NTTC deliver their take on the biggest forces reshaping transportation—from shifting political winds and economic currents to technology disruption and global trade realignments. These leaders have front-row seats to the forces reshaping our industry, and they're sharing their unfiltered perspective on the macro trends that will define trucking's next chapter.
2:45PM – 3:00PM
Break
3:00PM – 3:45PM
Cargo Theft – Staying One Step Ahead
Scott Cornell, Travelers
Cargo theft has evolved from opportunistic crime to sophisticated operations targeting high-value freight, and the stakes have never been higher. We take you inside the world of cargo crime, revealing how organized theft rings operate and the specific vulnerabilities they exploit. You'll learn the latest trends, tactics, and technologies thieves are using to target your assets, plus proactive strategies for preventing theft, mitigating risk, and protecting your bottom line.
3:45PM – 4:45PM
Keynote: The Science of Leadership Success
Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale University
What do the world's most successful leaders have in common? According to Yale's renowned happiness expert Laurie Santos, the answer lies in the surprising psychology that separates successful leaders from everyone else. In this fascinating session, Santos reveals the counterintuitive link between happiness, emotional intelligence, and leadership success. You'll learn science-backed strategies for cultivating a positive mindset, building resilience, and inspiring your team to reach new heights.
5:00PM – 7:30PM
Cocktails + Dinner
7:30PM – 9:00PM
Entertainment
Day1
Day2
SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
7:30AM – 8:30AM
Breakfast + Registration
8:30AM – 9:30AM
Navigating Legal Minefields
Greg Feary, Scopelitis
From nuclear verdicts to independent contractor battles, trucking companies face legal challenges that can destroy businesses overnight. Greg Feary from Scopelitis covers nuclear verdicts, independent contractor issues, and broker liability—plus the corporate structures and legal strategies that protect your business.
9:30AM – 10:00AM
PowerTalk: Why the Future of Trucking Depends on Smarter Decisions Today
Daniel Powell, Optimal Dynamics
In a world of razor-thin margins, you can't afford to leave money on the table. This session shows you how decision automation is transforming operations for forward-thinking fleets. See real examples of AI-driven freight network optimization delivering measurable ROI, and walk away with a blueprint for unlocking new levels of efficiency and profitability.
10:00AM – 10:15AM
Break
10:15AM - 11:15AM
Washington's Next Moves: How Political Shifts Will Impact Your Trucking Business
Bruce Mehlman, Mehlman Consulting
Trucking sits at the center of trade wars, infrastructure debates, and regulatory overhauls. Washington insider, Bruce Mehlman has spent decades watching political strategies unfold and knows how to read the signals before they become headlines. He'll decode the political chaos for trucking leaders—what's real versus what's posturing, which changes are actually gaining traction, and how to position your business to thrive in an environment where the rules keep changing.
11:15AM – 11:45AM
Cyber Threats in Transportation: Legal Realities and Protection Strategies
Gregory Bautista, Mullen Coughlin
Your business is under attack—and you may not know it. Ransomware and data breaches are hitting trucking companies right now with devastating consequences. This specialized transportation cyber session reveals your specific vulnerabilities and the legal realities you'll face when your systems are compromised.
11:45AM – 1:00PM
Lunch
1:00PM – 2:00PM
From the Frontlines - CEO Panel
Tommy Hodges, Titan Transfer and Goggin Warehousing, Ryan Flynn, TCI Companies, and Mike Cafarelli, Ascend Transportation
Led by Shepard Dunn
What's actually working in trucking right now? Fellow fleet owners pull back the curtain on their day-to-day reality, sharing the tactical decisions that move the needle: how they're solving driver challenges, which technology investments pay off, and the operational strategies creating competitive advantage.
2:00PM – 2:30PM
Solving the Driver Crisis: Demographic Trends and New Recruitment Pathways
Dan Murray, ATRI
The trucking workforce is aging out faster than it's being replaced. ATRI's Dan Murray reveals the demographic data everyone's missing and the specific pathways forward-thinking carriers are using to build sustainable driver pipelines from untapped populations.
2:30PM – 2:45PM
Break
2:45PM – 3:45PM
Keynote: Find a Way
Josh Linkner, Entrepreneur
In an era where 50% of leaders have lost confidence making decisions under uncertainty, prolific entrepreneur and innovation expert Josh Linkner takes the stage with his proven Find A Way™ framework. Through his 5-step system that prioritizes agility over brute force and creativity over perfect planning, Linkner shows you how to turn disruption into advantage and harness the power of creativity to drive innovation. Through a blend of captivating stories, surprising insights, and practical tools, you'll learn how to break free from the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and foster a culture that encourages bold thinking and experimentation. Walk away with the tools to drive explosive growth, solve problems and win consistently—no matter the circumstances.
3:45PM - 4:00PM
Closing
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