Sunday, June 11
11:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
Officer's Meeting
1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.
Attendee Orientation
2:15 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.
Leading People to Safety
Talking about safety is one thing, implementing those practices and leading a business to adopt them is entirely different. Carrier CEOs will discuss what they want and expect from their safety department as they tackle the road to zero accidents – the conversation will cover topics ranging from retention vs. termination to building workplace culture and battling inhibitors, and more.
Dave Williams, Senior Vice President of Equipment and Government Relations, Knight-Swift Transportation
Karen Smerchek, President, Veriha Trucking
Adam Blanchard, Co-Founder and CEO, Double Diamond Transport, Inc.
Jim Ward, President, Truckload Carriers Association
3:45 P.M. - 5:15 P.M.
A View from the Driver's Seat
Featuring several of TCA’s 2023 Professional Drivers of the Year winners, this panel will provide drivers’ perspectives on the best strategies for getting them home safely. Tapping into the wisdom and experience of the winners onstage, the discussion will focus on which methods are helpful and which are counterproductive – and how to thoughtfully support newer drivers.
Rose Rojo, John Christner Trucking
Emily Plummer, Prime, Inc.
Daniel Clark, Classic Carriers
Thomas Sholar, Maverick Transportation
Jim Schoonover, Vice President - Education and Operations, TCA
5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
Exhibit + Reception
Monday, June 12
7:00 A.M. - 7:45 A.M.
Breakfast
8:00 A.M. - 9:45 A.M.
Regulatory Update: Truckload Inside the Beltway
TCA’s head of safety and government affairs, Dave Heller, will provide his annual address on the ever-changing regulatory and legislative landscape as it relates to trucking and transportation. Some key topics will include speed limiters, drug and alcohol testing, electronic logging devices, and more.
Dave Heller, Sr. Vice President - Safety & Government Affairs, TCA
10:00 A.M. - 11:15 A.M.
Safety in the Round Discussion Groups
These sessions, growing in popularity, use group knowledge to solve common safety management, c-suite, maintenance, IT, and operations problems. Come with a question, walk away with answers and the satisfaction that your professional experience has helped a fellow trucking industry professional.
11:30 A.M. - 1:15 P.M.
Exhibit + Lunch in Exhibit Hall
1:30 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
Workshop Series #1
Choose from one of the below concurrent sessions
Drivers, Dispatchers and Fleet Managers face a daunting amount of stress in today’s industry. The dangers of mental health issues and amplifying it with substance abuse can trigger situations ending in catastrophic results. Our presenters will expound on the warning signs and environment that you should be aware of that will aid in your entire fleet.
Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Darrin Grondel, Senior VP, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Rebecca Grondel, Mental Health Specialist
It Takes More than a Band-Aid: Injury Prevention
This session will feature a presentation on how to incorporate physical skills assessments into your road tests and onboarding procedures to avoid hiring your next work comp claim. It will also cover how to emphasize health and wellness throughout your operations to maximize your workforce.
Mike Lasko, Director of EHS and Quality, Boyle Transportation
Michael Escobar, Regional Director, Fit For Work
I Can't Afford What You Got
Utilizing perspectives from both a small and large carrier, this session will explore best practices for investing in safety technology and incorporating it into operations. Hear from speakers on how to prioritize return-on-investment and determine what works, while managing new data to revitalize long-standing systems.
Emory Mills, Director of Safety & Driver Administration, FTC Transportation
Mike Frolick, Director of Safety, Transpro Freight Systems
Cell Phone Forensics: The Ins & Outs of Cyber Evidence
This workshop will feature an in-depth review of what exactly a cell phone can tell us about its user. Equipped with a background in cell phone forensics, the speakers will demonstrate in real-time the importance of equipping your operations with sufficient cell phone policies and teaching them to your drivers.
Brian K. Anders, Founder, DELTA Forensic Engineering & REDLINE Forensic Studios
Carlos Rincon, Chair - American College of Transportation Attorneys, Rincon Law Group
Micah Sturgis, Director of Digital Forensics, Barefoot Professional Investigations
2:45 P.M. - 3:45 P.M.
Workshop Series #2
Choose from one of the below concurrent sessions
Optimizing Workforce Interaction
This session will discuss strategies for training, coaching, and culture-building – and how to utilize results to facilitate improvement. With a focus on different age demographics, speakers will explore how to keep messaging fresh and learning styles in sync with the needs of your team.
Jeff Arnold, Executive Director, NATMI
Benjy Smith, Operations Manager, Barber Trucking
Heather Lischynski, Safety & Compliance Manager, Steve's Lifestock Transport
Jeff Reeves, General Manager and Director of Safety, Fortune Transport
Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Drivers, Dispatchers and Fleet Managers face a daunting amount of stress in today’s industry. The dangers of mental health issues and amplifying it with substance abuse can trigger situations ending in catastrophic results. Our presenters will expound on the warning signs and environment that you should be aware of that will aid in your entire fleet.
Darrin Grondel, Senior VP, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Rebecca Grondel, Mental Health Specialist
Social Media & Safety: The Good, Bad, and Everything in Between
What are drivers posting on social media? Who monitors it and how? What is the impact of social media after an accident? How does your company investigate a claim? In this workshop, speakers will delve into the impact of social media on your employee/driver relationships and company policies.
Misti Olszewski, Vice President of Enterprise Safety, Covenant Transport Services
Rob Moseley, Attorney, Chair Transportation Group, Moseley Marcinak Law Group, LLC
It Takes More than a Band-Aid: Injury Prevention
This session will feature a presentation on how to incorporate physical skills assessments into your road tests and onboarding procedures to avoid hiring your next work comp claim. It will also cover how to emphasize health and wellness throughout your operations to maximize your workforce.
Mike Lasko, Director of EHS and Quality, Boyle Transportation
Michael Escobar, Regional Director, Fit For Work
4:00 P.M. - 5:15 p.m.
Keynote Speaker - Larry Weaver
In this interactive and engaging presentation, comedian and keynote speaker Larry Weaver uses clean humor and show business anecdotes to illustrate the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.
Larry Weaver is an American-based, Internationally-touring comedian, motivational speaker, and emcee. He delivers clean humor with a positive message.
A first-generation college graduate, Larry grew up in the rural village of Saxapahaw, NC. After majoring in accounting at the University of North Carolina, Larry left his CPA dreams behind to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. He has shared the stage with entertainment legends like Faith Hill, Chris Rock, and "Weird Al" Yankovic — just to name a few.
His humor has been featured on countless television, radio, and digital platforms including Comedy Central, Dry Bar Comedy, and SiriusXM. Businesses from over 75 countries - from Mozambique to Malta - have purchased his hilarious collection of 101 Funny Employee Awards.
A true veteran of the stage, Larry has delivered thousands of keynotes at corporate events, conventions, annual meetings, and conferences Worldwide for clients such as 3M, D.R. Horton, Duke Energy, Michelin, Procter & Gamble, and UPS.
Larry Weaver, Comedian and Motivational Speaker
5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
Exhibit + Reception
Tuesday, June 13
7:00 A.M. - 7:45 A.M.
Breakfast
8:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M.
Workshop Series #3
Choose from one of the below concurrent sessions
I Can't Afford What You Got
Utilizing perspectives from both a small and large carrier, this session will explore best practices for investing in safety technology and incorporating it into operations. Hear from speakers on how to prioritize return-on-investment and determine what works, while managing new data to revitalize long-standing systems.
Emory Mills, Director of Safety & Driver Administration, FTC Transportation
Mike Frolick, Director of Safety, Transpro Freight Systems
Cell Phone Forensics: The Ins & Outs of Cyber Evidence
This workshop will feature an in-depth review of what exactly a cell phone can tell us about its user. Equipped with a background in cell phone forensics, the speakers will demonstrate in real-time the importance of equipping your operations with sufficient cell phone policies and teaching them to your drivers.
Brian K. Anders, Founder, DELTA Forensic Engineering & REDLINE Forensic Studios
Carlos Rincon, Chair - American College of Transportation Attorneys, Rincon Law Group
Micah Sturgis, Director of Digital Forensics, Barefoot Professional Investigations
Optimizing Workforce Interaction
This session will discuss strategies for training, coaching, and culture-building – and how to utilize results to facilitate improvement. With a focus on different age demographics, speakers will explore how to keep messaging fresh and learning styles in sync with the needs of your team.
Jeff Arnold, Executive Director, NATMI
Benjy Smith, Operations Manager, Barber Trucking
Heather Lischynski, Safety & Compliance Manager, Steve's Lifestock Transport
Jeff Reeves, General Manager and Director of Safety, Fortune Transport
Social Media & Safety: The Good, Bad, and Everything in Between
What are drivers posting on social media? Who monitors it and how? What is the impact of social media after an accident? How does your company investigate a claim? In this workshop, speakers will delve into the impact of social media on your employee/driver relationships and company policies.
Misti Olszewski, Vice President of Enterprise Safety, Covenant Transport Services
Rob Moseley, Attorney, Chair Transportation Group, Moseley Marcinak Law Group, LLC
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Safety in the Round Discussion Groups
These sessions, growing in popularity, use group knowledge to solve common safety management, c-suite, maintenance, IT, and operations problems. Come with a question, walk away with answers and the satisfaction that your professional experience has helped a fellow trucking industry professional.
10:30 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.
Managing Safety Cultures Through Mergers and Acquisitions
As business acquisitions increase throughout the trucking industry, be prepared to understand how mergers affect safety operations. The panel will provide insight from both the buyer and seller perspective and will dive into issues like implementing new policy, influencing change, supporting employees, and managing alternate appetites for risk.
Garth Pitzel, Associate VP, Safety and Driver Development, Bison Transport
Lisa Gonnerman, President of Trucking, Bay & Bay Transportation
Joey Ballard, Executive Vice President of People and Safety, Covenant Transport Services
moderator: Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor, FleetOwner