2024 Meeting Agenda
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
The Power of Benchmarking and Improving Your Operations
Benchmarking is a valuable process for organizations seeking to improve their performance and achieve strategic goals and, in this session, you’ll hear from TCA member company executives who are fully engaged in the process. They’ll talk about the key benefits from benchmarking which include performance improvements, competitive advantage gains, goal setting and strategy development and how they were able to take their benchmarking participation and implement its benefits back into their operations.
Moderator: Jim Ward, President, TCA
Trevor Kurtz, General Manager, Brian Kurtz Trucking
Kevin Erb, Vice President Truckload, Erb Transport Ltd.
Dave Martin, Vice President Eastern Operations, Bison Transport
9:30 - 9:45 a.m.
Break
9:45 - 10:45 a.m.
Regulatory and Safety Update
​TCA’s Senior VP Dave Heller will share the latest updates on regulatory compliance and safety issues and share his insights from the USA presidential election and what that might mean for trucking. Stay informed and gain insights into frequently asked questions that cross Dave’s desk and come with your questions for this very interactive session.
Dave Heller, Sr. VP Government Affairs and Safety, Truckload Carriers Association
10:45 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Small Carrier Panel:
Embracing the Freight Market and Preparing for Better Times pt. 1
Hear from small to medium sized truckload carrier C-Level Executives as they talk about the current freight market and the strategies and initiatives that they’ve implemented to help weather the current storm and position themselves for better times. Macro and micro economic pressures, capacity and demand dynamics and regulatory changes are all on the table and you’ll hear firsthand the importance of operational efficiency, diversification, and customer relationships.
Moderator: Peter Stefanovich, President, Left Lane Associates
Mark Bylsma, President, Spring Creek Carriers Inc.
Julie Tanguay, President and CEO, EG Gray Transportation
James Steed, President, Steed Standard Transport Ltd.
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Lunch
1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
Economic Update
Nathan Janzen is an Assistant Chief Economist, leading the macroeconomic analysis group. His focus is on analysis and forecasting macroeconomic developments in Canada and the United States.
Nathan Janzen, Assistant Chief Economist, RBC
2:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Break
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Large Carrier Panel:
Embracing the Freight Market and Preparing for Better Times pt. 2
Hear from large truckload carrier C-Level Executives as they too are facing many of the same challenges as their smaller counterparts, but their strategies and responses can be distinct due to their scale and resources. Workforce development, strategic investments, sustainability, technology, and fleet management all remain top of mind with these large carriers and hear how these CEOs are preparing for next year and beyond.
Moderator: John G. Smith, Vice President Editorial, Newcom Media, Inc.
David Tumber, Chief Operating Officer, Kriska Transportation Group
Craig Germain, Chief Operating Officer, XTL Transport Inc
Steve Brookshaw, Senior Executive Vice-President, TFI International
3:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks
About Truckload Carriers Association
Located in Alexandria, Virginia, TCA is the only trade association whose sole focus is the truckload segment of the motor carrier industry. The association represents dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, tanker, and intermodal container carriers operating throughout North America. Founded in 1938, the TCA represents operators of over 220,000 trucks, which collectively produce revenue of more than $40 billion in annual truckload revenue.