December 3, 2014 - SC&RA will host the Specialized Transportation Symposium from March 3 to 6, 2015, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Ga. Attendance is expected to surpass that of the 2014 symposium, which attracted 437 specialized carriers, state and federal government officials, researchers, manufacturers and suppliers.
Opening day will be devoted to meetings of regional and state highway and transportation officials. These groups will continue their meetings on March 4 until they adjourn to attend the symposium’s opening session in the afternoon. Before the opening educational session, SC&RA’s Permit Policy Committee, Transportation Safety Education & Training Committee and Pilot Car Task Force will also meet.
Educational sessions will include:
- Industry Update from D.C. - Dave Osiecki, American Trucking Associations, will provide up-to-the minute insights, analysis and forecasts on the most important legislative and regulatory issues facing the transportation industry.
- Permits from Every Perspective - Louis Juneau, Nova Permits & Pilot Cars; Tina Sanders, Maryland State Highway Administration; and, Mike Webb, ProMiles, will offer their unique perspectives on how specialized transport companies can take advantage of latest trends and best practices for improving efficiencies in permitting while enhancing the productivity of communications with state permit officials.
- Regional Executives’ Update - During the regional transportation official update, Ted Coulianos, Minnesota DOT; Wayne Davis, Virginia DOT; Matthew Hedge, Pennsylvania DOT; Chris Smith, American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials; and, Jim Wright, Washington State DOT, will highlight the challenges they face as they work to keep movement of over-dimensional cargo as safe and efficient as possible.
- Choose to Be Remarkable! - Dr. Randy Ross, Remarkable!, will share the secrets of how to conduct business in such an extraordinary way that people “remark” about it.
- Witness Prep to Win - Experienced litigators Lawrence Bowman, Kane, Russell, Coleman & Logan PC; C. Fredric Marcinak, Transportation Industry Group of Smith Moore Leatherwood, LLP; and Robert Moore, NBIS, will explain and illustrate the do’s and don’ts of witness preparation and the art of testifying.
- Weigh-In and Improve Permitting - Donald Ludlow and Alex Marach of CPCS Management Consulting Firm will discuss a half-million dollar project for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to improve the permitting process and to evaluate potential oversize/overweight freight movements; attendees will have the opportunity to offer their own ideas about how to ensure this project’s success.
- Minimize Your Losses - Dave Wittwer, Hays Companies, and Kent Miller, Safety, Claims and Litigation Services will provide useful insurance, safety and risk management information that specialized transportation companies need to protect themselves from unnecessary losses.
- The Importance of Trailer Inspections - Tare Kennedy, Ervin Equipment, and, Pete Trimble, Keen Transport, will explain how critical areas of inspection on various types of specialized transportation equipment can detect early signs of structural failures, helping companies avoid devastating consequences for personnel, equipment, loads, infrastructure and, ultimately, premiums for property and workers comp insurance.
- Port Upgrades Will Change Your Operations - Cliff Pyron of Georgia Ports Authority will examine how the deepening of the Savannah River and other improvements to accommodate larger vessels will make the Port an even more viable option for specialized carriers.
- Improving OS/OW Corridor Movement - Mark Berndt, Olsson Associates; Ray Morgan, Perkins Specialized Transportation; and Marygrace Parker, I-95 Corridor Coalition, will discuss how powerful new industry partners are working to improve efficient movement of oversize cargo throughout the U.S.—from the Northwest Passage connecting Wisconsin to Washington, to the Spirit of US 54 from Texas to Wichita, to the I-95 connecting the entire Eastern seaboard.
- Latest Report on ATRI Research - Rebecca Brewster, American Transportation Research Institute, will present an overview of the latest research on top industry issues—hours-of-service, driver shortage, CSA, truck parking, congestion and its effect on specialized transportation.
- 2014 Jobs of the Year - Executives from Berard Transport, Northwest Crane Service and Precision Heavy Haul will recap their 2014 winning entries from SC&RA Hauling Jobs of the Year Competition.
The exhibit center will feature 40 companies that supply products and services to specialized carriers.
