jun. 15, 2022 • VIRTUAL EVENT

small fleet & Owner-operator summit

Drivers unite! You’re the backbone of this industry and the people that keep shelves stocked across the country. In addition to being a driver, you’re also a business owner, managing your own books day-in and day-out. This one-day virtual summit is designed to provide you with the knowledge and insights to improve your operations. Hear from other owner-operators and safety personnel who can help you keep your truck in tip-top shape, ready for the challenges that the road will always present. 

agenda

Click On Each Session For More Information; All times shown in EDT.

Welcome

6/15/22 9:00 am

Kaylee Nix
Reporter
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Sydney Edwards
Cold Chain Communities Writer
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Keynote: Truckers at the front line of defense against human trafficking

6/15/22 9:05 am

Laura Cyrus, senior director of industry training and outreach for Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) discusses the valuable position truckers hold when recognizing and reporting human trafficking cases. Cyrus breaks down red flags for truckers to watch for and what steps to take when those red flags come to fruition. She also details how the organization trains trucking companies today and what future plans TAT is making to continue their work to end human trafficking across the U.S.

Laura Cyrus
Senior Director of Industry Training & Outreach
Truckers Against Trafficking
Speaker Bio
Grace Sharkey
Staff Writer
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

FreightWaves & Trucker Tools Special Announcement

6/15/22 9:30 am

Craig Fuller
Founder and CEO
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Prasad Gollapalli
Chairman of the Board
Qued
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Small fleet, Big dreams

6/15/22 9:45 am

Spot market challenges have plagued carriers in recent months, affecting small fleets the most. Terry Freeze, director of dedicated services at ArcBest, shares the best tips for small fleet owners succeeding in this challenging market.

Terry Freeze
Director, Dedicated Services
ArcBest
Speaker Bio
Mary O'Connell
Freight Broker/3PL Expert
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside: Creating revenue opportunities in a volatile transportation market

6/15/22 10:00 am

Zach Strickland and Ashley Savage discuss strategies for navigating a tumultuous transportation environment.

Ashley Savage
National Sales Manager
COOP by Ryder
Speaker Bio
Zach Strickland
Director of Freight Market Intelligence
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Industry Keynote: Simple ways carriers can drive efficiency in their operations

6/15/22 10:25 am

Staff writer and SiriusXM host Grace Sharkey chats with Trucker Tools CEO Kary Jablonski about strategies for carriers to follow in order to stay profitable and gain revenue in competitive freight markets. Jablonski recommends procedures for load booking practices, rate negotiation and technology utilization and much more.

Kary Jablonski
CEO
Trucker Tools
Speaker Bio
Grace Sharkey
Staff Writer
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: New tech in an Old Truck

6/15/22 10:45 am

Justin Martin sits down with Chace Barber to discuss how he's looking to revolutionize the logging industry with his prototype 1962 Kenworth electric/diesel hybrid.

Justin Martin
Social Media Coordinator
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Chace Barber
Co-Founder and CEO
Edison Motors
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Alternative Options for Drivers Feeling the Rate Squeeze

6/15/22 11:10 am

FreightWaves CTO Daniel Pickett and uShip CEO Kris Lamb discuss how some drivers are dealing with the simultaneous pressures from record prices for Diesel and Class 8 equipment, as well as a recent decline in spot rates. Rather than seek shelter by leasing onto large carriers, many OTR drivers are shifting their business to focus on customer direct freight and getting closer to both shipper and consignee.

Kris Lamb
CEO
uShip
Speaker Bio
Daniel Pickett
Chief Technology Officer
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Put That Coffee Down

6/15/22 11:25 am

Kevin Hill
Host, Put That Coffee Down
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Evan Berna
Senior Quality Manager
DeSpir Logistics
Speaker Bio

WHAT THE TRUCK?!?

6/15/22 12:05 pm

Tim Dooner
Host of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Michael Vincent
Freightcaster
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
David Kessler
Vice President of Expedite Fleet & Operations
ArcBest
Speaker Bio
Jay Gustafson
EVP of Brokerage Operations
Echo Global Logistics
Speaker Bio
Tobenna Ariodiogbu
Co-founder and CEO
CloudTrucks
Speaker Bio
Jett McCandless
Founder and CEO
project44
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Getting in on bids with large shippers

6/15/22 12:45 pm

Landing big shippers to keep your wheels turning 100% of the time is every trucker's dream. Is the juice really worth the squeeze though? Kevin and Paul discuss the pros and cons of working for large Fortune 500 shippers as a small fleet or owner-operator.

Paul Estrada
Consultant
PE Consulting
Speaker Bio
Kevin Hill
Host, Put That Coffee Down
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Earning rewards while working, the value of loyalty programs

6/15/22 1:00 pm

We talk with Prasad Gollapalli, Founder, Strategic Advisor of TruckerTools about the various ways drivers and carriers can utilize rewards programs and how brokers can create greater value in the process. We discuss the importance of establishing good relationships with carriers and brokers and how those benefits can pay off.

Prasad Gollapalli
Chairman of the Board
Qued
Speaker Bio
Thomas Wasson
Enterprise Trucking Carrier Expert
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: The Do's and Don'ts of partnering with brokerages as an owner operator and small carrier

6/15/22 1:25 pm

Running your own truck or small fleet is all about risk versus reward. Kevin and Drew discuss how to evaluate situations and partners to put your business on the path of long-term profitability.

Drew Herpich
Chief Commercial Officer, Transportation Insight
Nolan Transportation
Speaker Bio
Kevin Hill
Host, Put That Coffee Down
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Owner Operator business acumen, cost of operations, and business sustainability

6/15/22 1:45 pm

James Bowen, aka The Rooster from BackTheTruckUp.com sits down with Jamie Hagen, "CEO Extraordinaire" of HellBentExpress to talk about "The proper way to start an owner operator trucking company". From knowing how to even start the process, finding out your cost of operations, to getting fully legalized, they will cover the bases for someone wanting to get into trucking from the ground level and rise up to a fleet operator.

Jamie Hagen
Owner
Hell Bent Xpress LLC
Speaker Bio
James (Rooster) Bowen
Writer
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: How asset-based brokerages leverage experience to meet small carrier needs

6/15/22 2:00 pm

Matt Parry, Senior VP of Logistics at Werner joins us today to talk about how asset based brokerages add value and access to smaller carrier’s freight networks. With decades of experience and thousands of trucks, these brokerages can provide additional benefits compared to digital asset light brokerages in terms of customer mix, technology solutions, equipment assistance, and trained staff with backgrounds in fleet operations. With challenges for equipment and freight, having the help of a large carrier brokerage can provide the right equipment and freight mix to keep trucks moving.

Matt Parry
SVP
Werner Logistics
Speaker Bio
Thomas Wasson
Enterprise Trucking Carrier Expert
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: What steps can owner-operators take to manage downturns?

6/15/22 2:20 pm

Owner-operators are faced with increasing uncertainty in the freight markets but there are steps they can take to handle whatever the freight market throws at them. Understanding your costs and building quality relationships serve carriers better than taking the ‘bear down and hope” approach that small fleets have operated under in the past.

Tony Mulvey
Analyst
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Chris Oliver
Chief Marketing Officer
Trucker Path
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Setting the price: how that number on the diesel pump gets created, from beginning to end

6/15/22 2:40 pm

The price of a barrel of crude accounts for roughly 50% of the cost of producing diesel. What makes up the other 50% and how are current conditions creating a spike in these inputs.

Gary Bevers
President
Bevers & Co.
Speaker Bio
John Kingston
Executive Editor and Oil Market Expert
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Demo: SONAR for Small Fleets

6/15/22 3:05 pm

SONAR experts Eric Larsen and Zach Blanchard will be looking at capacity scores and rejection rates and how they predict which spot market will heat up in the coming days. By using SONAR in this way small carriers can expect to place their truck in the best markets to increase revenue and reduce exposure to layovers and having to deadhead.

Zachariah Blanchard
SONAR Account Executive
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Eric Larsen
SONAR Account Executive
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Doing the right thing helps everyone

6/15/22 3:15 pm

SmartHop cofounder Guillermo Garcia discusses why treating people fairly and supporting each other are the best business practice for smaller fleets.

Guillermo Garcia
CEO and Co-Founder
SmartHop
Speaker Bio
Kaylee Nix
Reporter
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Fireside Chat: Conquering Obstacles in Today’s Trucking

6/15/22 3:40 pm

Ken Kaelin, President of Bottomley Enterprises in Mt Airy, NC joins Ingrid Brown, Host of FreightWaves, “AMERICA On 18 Wheels” in a fireside chat to talk about the economy in trucking today. We’ll be addressing the rising costs of operations, recruiting and retention and back up plans that all small fleets and owner operators face today. Bottomley Enterprises is a 120+ fleet that is growing and you’ll find out how they are conquering the obstacles to succeed while talking freight.  

Ken Kaelin
President
Bottomley Enterprises
Speaker Bio
Ingrid Brown
Host, AMERICA on 18 Wheels
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

Closing Remarks

6/15/22 3:55 pm

Kaylee Nix
Reporter
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio
Sydney Edwards
Cold Chain Communities Writer
FreightWaves
Speaker Bio

SPEAKERS

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