ATA Announces Sessions, Speakers For MCE in Philadelphia Oct. 17-20

American Trucking Associations last week announced several featured general sessions for its 2015 Management Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for Oct. 17-20 in Philadelphia.

Headliners include retired U.S. Army Gen. Stan McChrystal, who formerly commanded U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and is a member of Navistar International Corp.’s board of directors.

He will offer perspectives on the advantages of hiring veterans for all types of trucking positions as part of a “Lessons in Leadership” presentation Oct. 19.

“MCE provides trucking executives with the answers they need to run their fleet safely, efficiently and profitably,” the trade group’s July 7 statement said. The 2015 event takes place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

As part of a new format, ATA President Bill Graves’ annual “State of the Industry” address will be the first featured general session Sunday, Oct. 18.

Immediately after Graves’ address, the MCE Exhibit Hall will open for the first of three daily opportunities to view new products and service offerings from industry suppliers.

Later that day, ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello will be joined by Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at consultant IHS Inc., to assess “The Economy and Its Impact on Trucking.”

ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council will unveil a new survey done in conjunction with the American Transportation Research Institute. The groups collaborated to pinpoint “the attributes and performance capabilities fleets want in the next generation of trucks.”

TMC’s Oct. 20 event also will review telematics and manufacturing trends, and assess their contributions to industry safety, efficiency and profitability.

On the same day, Jeff Skiles, first officer on the US Airways flight that was landed safely on the Hudson River in 2009, will speak at a Transport Topics panel. He will analyze how aviation safety accomplishments can foster advances in autonomous vehicles.

After Skiles’ presentation, TT staff will lead a discussion with three fleet executives to review the evolution and advancement of autonomous vehicles.

ATA’s Information and Technology Council and the National Accounting & Finance Council have scheduled a series of the business-related sessions, starting Oct. 19 in conjunction with MCE.

Accounting-related topics include state taxes, mergers and acquisitions, and analysis of data. Technology topics include predictive analytics and cloud computing.

The two groups will have a joint closing session Oct. 20 to gauge “the ROI of driver technology.”

MCE meetings conclude later that day with ATA’s board meeting. Public opinion researcher Neil Newhouse will speak during that meeting to assess Americans’ perception of the trucking industry.

The event wraps up with a social highlight, the annual reception and banquet, which this year features veteran rock group Chicago.

Educational sessions are an additional feature on multiple days.

The Oct. 19 slate includes in-depth looks at supply chain security, workforce retention strategies and more insight on veterans’ hiring. Sessions the next day include reviews of driver performance and safety investments.

Networking and social events begin with the Oct. 17 dinner and reception, a first-time addition to the four-day schedule.

The 2015 event also features multiple meetings of ATA policy committees, as well as a series of award presentations, including one Oct. 18.

In addition, three ATA conferences will hold board meetings slated for Oct. 19. Those groups represent agriculture and food transporters, automobile carriers and intermodal truckers.