FreightWaves’ signature fall event is here, and while attendees won’t be able to mingle in person this year, they will be able to mingle virtually – and still see and hear all the great content that FreightWaves LIVE events are known for.
FreightWaves LIVE @HOME will be held Thursday and Friday. Headline sponsor is J.B. Hunt 360 and title sponsor is TriumphPay. Universal sponsors include Platform Science, SkyBitz and Transflo. J. J. Keller & Associates is the global sponsor and Lean Staffing Solutions and Ryder System are national sponsors. Regional sponsors include AIT Worldwide Logistics, ArcBest, Front, Loadshop, McLeod Software, Redwood Logistics, Stratix and Truckstop.com.
The entire event is free and will be streamed at live.freightwaves.com and through FreightWaves TV. The content lineup is as strong as previous events and will feature industry leaders, compelling discussions and, of course, the announcement of the FreightWaves FreightTech 25 award winners.
“People attending FreightWaves LIVE events in person have told us how special the experience has been for them. While COVID-19 is preventing large, in-person events, that doesn’t mean we can’t deliver a best-in-class experience,” Craig Fuller, founder and CEO of FreightWaves, said. “Like many others did when COIVD-19 hit, we converted our in-person events into virtual events and they have been a huge hit for attendees. With the content that is planned and the lineup of some of the best speakers in the industry that will be participating in LIVE @Home this year, attendees will not miss any of the great insight and knowledge our guests will share.”
Once again, Shelley Simpson, executive vice president, chief commercial officer and president of Highway Services for J.B. Hunt, will deliver a keynote address. Simpson’s previous keynotes at FreightWaves events have been well received and this should be no exception. This time, though, Simpson will be joined by J.B. Hunt President and CEO John Roberts III.
Thomas Healy, CEO of Hyliion, will deliver a keynote address following the lunchtime break on Thursday. Hyliion just went public through a special acquisition corporation — or SPAC — orchestrated by Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II. Vince Cubbage, CEO, president and chairman of the board for Tortoise, will talk about SPACs in a separate session, “The SPAC Craze: Hyliion’s shell company goes back for seconds.”
Fuller will host a special episode of Fuller Speed Ahead on Friday with Mike Isaac, a technology reporter for The New York Times. Isaac’s reporting on Uber won the Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business reporting. He has covered Uber, Facebook, Twitter and other Silicon Valley giants in his career and is a frequent guest on CNBC and MSNBC.
A signature event at both FreightWaves spring and fall events are the demos. These high-energy, 7-minute product demos feature the latest in freight technology from some of the leading companies currently in the space as well as some of the up-and-coming firms that will become the companies of tomorrow. Among the presenters at LIVE @Home are J.B. Hunt, J. J. Keller & Associates, McLeod Software, SkyBitz, Trimble, Axele, Cargo Chief, Trucker Tools, Turvo, TriumphPay and Zuum.
The two-day conference will be jam-packed with exciting speakers and topics. COVID-19 will, of course, be a topic, and two sessions on Thursday morning will look at the impact the pandemic has had on the freight industries. ArcBest Chairman, President and CEO Judy McReynolds will join FreightWaves President George Abernathy for a topical discussion entitled “Customer obsession during times of disruption.”
Willy Shih, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, will also tackle the pandemic and its impact on the supply chain in a Waves Talk entitled “How the supply chain will look post-pandemic.”
Another highlight will come when Fuller unveils the latest project around the company’s SONAR data platform.
“This is the most important development in our company’s history,” Fuller said of the announcement of FreightWaves SONAR SCI. Fuller will detail SONAR SCI and what it means for freight movement during a special product rollout Thursday morning.
Throughout the day on Thursday, additional sessions will address the future of the air cargo supply chain, less-than-truckload shipping, autonomous trucks, how technology is helping make truck drivers’ jobs safer and opportunities in the FreightTech industry.
Disruption will be a common theme throughout the event, with a session featuring Jordan Graft, president of TriumphPay, and Sarah Ruffcorn, president of Trinity Logistics, focused on how businesses can manage growth during economic and industry changes. A WavesTalk entitled “The increased rate of digitization due to the pandemic” will close out the sessions on Thursday.
Icebreaker sessions will be presented by Loadsure. Icebreakers are opportunities for attendees to “mingle” virtually during breaks in the sessions. GlobalTranz will be sponsoring special live yoga sessions on both days.
Friday’s FreightWaves LIVE @Home will kick off with the announcement of the FreightTech 25. The FreightTech 25 and FreightTech 100, announced in October, honor companies with technology leading to disruption in freight.
Ryder’s Dave Belter, vice president and general manager of transportation management, will join Abernathy for a fireside chat later in the morning on Friday. Afternoon sessions on Friday will feature urban logistics and delivery; the latest in AV commercialization with Waymo’s John Verdon; improving visibility; and understanding insurance risk and liability for new trucking companies.
In addition, both days will feature special episodes of popular FreightWaves podcasts and shows, including WHAT THE TRUCK?!? with hosts Dooner and The Dude; Fuller Speed Ahead; and Put That Coffee Down with Trey Griggs from Lean Staffing Solutions and hosted by FreightWaves’ Dooner and Kevin Hill.
Travis Rhyan, FreightWaves’ new managing director of media, will kick off his new show, The Exit, on Day 2. Steve Ferreira, CEO of Ocean Audit, will also debut a new show that will appear on FreightWaves TV, Navigate B2B.
FreightWaves LIVE @Home will be held Thursday and Friday and can be streamed free at live.freightwaves.com and through FreightWaves TV.
