• Inland Distribution
  • September 25- 27, 2023 I The Westin Chicago River North
  • Register Now

William B. Cassidy

S&P Global

Senior Editor, Trucking and Domestic Transportation, JOC

Bill Cassidy is Senior Editor, Trucking at the JOC, and his news and analysis of this area are included in the JOC.com, The Journal of Commerce and JOC Events. He joined the publication in 2009, after 13 years at Traffic World magazine where he served as Executive Editor, Managing Editor and Associate Editor. Based in Washington, D.C., Cassidy has been reporting on trucking since 1984, when he joined Fleet Owner magazine in New York. He has also covered logistics management and supply-chain technology, the rail and maritime industries, Congress and federal agencies. Cassidy regularly speaks to industry groups on his area of expertise.

Sessions With William B. Cassidy

Monday, 26 September

  • 02:30pm - 05:30pm (CST) / 26/sep/2022 07:30 pm - 26/sep/2022 10:30 pm

    Shipper Roundtable--BY INVITATION ONLY FOR SHIPPERS

    This exclusive, shipper-only discussion facilitated by JOC Senior Editors William Cassidy and Ari Ashe will bring together shippers in an off-the-record meeting to exchange ideas and potential solutions to the numerous challenges confronting stakeholders in the North American supply chain, while learning what they expect to learn from the conference sessions and panelists over the coming two days. BY INVITATION ONLY FOR SHIPPERS

Tuesday, 27 September

  • 08:30am - 08:45am (CST) / 27/sep/2022 01:30 pm - 27/sep/2022 01:45 pm

    Welcome Remarks
  • 08:45am - 09:30am (CST) / 27/sep/2022 01:45 pm - 27/sep/2022 02:30 pm

    North American Freight Outlook
    The highest rate of inflation in four decades is driving more uncertainty into the US economy, threatening its recovery from the 2020 recession. The odds of another recession are still low, but they’re higher than they were, and global events continue to pile on more supply chain disruption. This panel of experts, supported by a wealth of data, will look deeply into what’s driving the US economy, freight demand, transportation capacity, and pricing as we look to 2023. 
  • 09:30am - 10:00am (CST) / 27/sep/2022 02:30 pm - 27/sep/2022 03:00 pm

    Bridging the International-Domestic Gap: A Conversation With DB Schenker’s Joe Jaska

    When DB Schenker agreed to acquire USA Truck in June, it became one of a growing group of international transportation and logistics firms to add domestic US operations to its portfolio, alongside companies such as Maersk and Kuehne + Nagel. That’s a sign that shippers are pursuing more of an end-to-end transportation and distribution model and they want partners that can offer a broad range of services and scale them. This interview with Joe Jaska, a veteran US trucking executive who since 2020 has been vice president of land transport at DB Schenker, will explore how the German-based logistics provider plans to integrate an asset-based truckload carrier into its non-asset US and international networks and why bridging the international-domestic gap is increasingly critical. 
  • 11:45am - 12:30pm (CST) / 27/sep/2022 04:45 pm - 27/sep/2022 05:30 pm

    Inland Market Report
    The inland distribution map has changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and is evolving even more rapidly as shippers shift freight among US ports and struggle to manage higher levels of inventory. New distribution points, inland ports, and transportation hubs are emerging under the pressure of e-commerce and the need for integrated first-to-last-mile networks. How do changes in port selection alter inland routes? Where do we need more intermodal yards, chassis, trailers, and trucks? What real estate decisions and trade-offs must shippers make as they try to move ever closer to their customers? This panel will lay out the broad themes and issues. 
  • 02:15pm - 02:45pm (CST) / 27/sep/2022 07:15 pm - 27/sep/2022 07:45 pm

    Trucking I: Securing Truckload Capacity
    Shippers entered 2022 focused on securing capacity commitments, as they anticipated increased volumes from imports and domestic production. By shifting freight to the contract market, they increased available spot truckload capacity and helped push down transactional rates, but can they tap that capacity? What are shippers, 3PLs, and carriers doing to address capacity imbalance in the truckload market as we drive toward 2023? How can shippers get more reliable capacity? 
  • 03:45pm - 04:15pm (CST) / 27/sep/2022 08:45 pm - 27/sep/2022 09:15 pm

    Trucking II: Improving Less-Than-Truckload Service
    The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and recession wreaked havoc on shipper expectations about less-than-truckload service, leading to a surge in complaints about missed pickups and late deliveries, more freight handling and higher damage claims. What are shippers and carriers doing to bring service back to expected high levels, and what obstacles do they face on the road ahead? 
  • 04:20pm - 05:00pm (CST) / 27/sep/2022 09:20 pm - 27/sep/2022 10:00 pm

    Shipper Perspectives: A Roundtable Discussion
    There are plenty of problems on shippers’ plates, from exacting customer delivery demands and penalties to clouded supply chain visibility and unsatisfactory transportation service. Add to that the uncertain economic environment and the propensity for freight markets to turn on a dime. This panel of logistics executives will explore the way forward for US shippers. 

Wednesday, 28 September

  • 08:30am - 08:35am (CST) / 28/sep/2022 01:30 pm - 28/sep/2022 01:35 pm

    Welcome Remarks Day 2
  • 09:10am - 09:45am (CST) / 28/sep/2022 02:10 pm - 28/sep/2022 02:45 pm

    Trucking III: Solving Detention Problems
    Truck driver detention has been a problem for years, but driver delays have become much more disruptive, and costly, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their impact cascades across supply chains, throwing off delivery schedules that likely already were disrupted because of supply shortages, lack of capacity at critical points, and a scarcity of labor. Shippers stung by higher costs and customer penalties are trying to move away from live loading and unloading and increase their use of drop-and-hook trailer pools, but they’re also investing in technology that improves yard management, moving freight and drivers through their facilities faster. That’s helping to improve efficiency, create capacity, and lower costs for all parties. Drivers get back on the road more quickly and make more money. This panel will explore what can be done to unravel the knot that detention ties in supply chains. 
  • 10:45am - 11:30am (CST) / 28/sep/2022 03:45 pm - 28/sep/2022 04:30 pm

    Trucking IV: Developing the Logistics Workforce
    Labor shortages extending well beyond the truck cab and maintenance shop make it more difficult for shippers and their trucking partners to move freight. Many companies have focused on “poaching” critical employees from competitors, be they truck drivers or logistics managers, but as enterprises struggle to find talent, the emphasis is shifting to building a workforce from the ground up. This session will look at how this strategy can be implemented across supply chains to help businesses keep and grow talent.
  • 01:00pm - 01:30pm (CST) / 28/sep/2022 06:00 pm - 28/sep/2022 06:30 pm

    "What’s in It for We:" A Conversation With Kate Vitasek

    Collaboration may be the key to success in the 2020s, but how do we use that key to unlock savings and value? Attempts to collaborate often fail when the shared goals are unclear and the mindset is too transactional. Author, educator, and business consultant Kate Vitasek has spent years trying to change that through her research with the University of Tennessee, leading to the development of the Vested business model for highly collaborative and strategic relationships. In this one-on-one conversation, we'll discuss how efforts to collaborate can achieve a higher level of execution and success and how goal-oriented outcomes can be used to create greater shared value for all parties, with concrete examples. 

  • 02:20pm - 03:00pm (CST) / 28/sep/2022 07:20 pm - 28/sep/2022 08:00 pm

    Trucking VI: New Routes to Lower Costs

    In this new era, the transactional battle between shippers and transportation providers is one of diminishing returns. Collaboration is the key toward long-term efficiencies and savings, but where should shippers start? This panel of experts will discuss actions shippers can take with their transportation and logistics providers, using new processes and technologies, to reduce costs, even when rates are rising. 
  • 03:00pm - 03:10pm (CST) / 28/sep/2022 08:00 pm - 28/sep/2022 08:10 pm

    Closing Remarks
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