Strategic leaders from all segments of the trucking industry gathered on Aug. 24-25, 2011 in Dallas for the second-annual Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference, produced by Randall-Reilly Business Media & Information and the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA).
Attendees enjoyed expert presentations, panel discussions and numerous networking opportunities during two, half-day sessions prior to the opening of the Great American Trucking Show.
“For the second year, response to the program content and format from attendees and sponsors was overwhelmingly positive,” says Alan K. Sims, vice president and general manager, Randall-Reilly Events. “Outlook is quickly becoming the place where professionals from all segments of the trucking industry gather to learn about industry trends and concerns, and network with their peers, suppliers and customers.”
“We were extremely pleased with the strong response to the second annual Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference,” says Tim Kraus, president and COO of HDMA. “The make-up was truly representative of the commercial vehicle industry, and the attendees represented trucking’s real power players: OEMs, dealers, distributors, suppliers, media and analysts. We were also pleased that the post-conference evaluations reflected very high ratings and praise for virtually the entire program. We also appreciated the great suggestions from our attendees for topics and speakers for future Outlook conferences.”
The CVOC drew more than 360 registrants, including fleet executives, truck OEMs, suppliers and dealers. Fleet registrants represented own more than $8 billion in trucks and trailers — a significant increase over the prior year. Dealer participation also increased over 2010.
Highlights of the conference included a keynote address by Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, and an opening presentation from Jim Hebe, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Navistar.
Other speakers included:
- Sandeep Kar with Frost & Sullivan, Max Fuller, co-chairman of U.S. Xpress and Kyle Treadway, president of Kenworth Sales Co. and chairman of the American Truck Dealers, who discussed Kar’s research on the Future Truck.
- Robert Low, president and founder of Prime, Inc., Don Orr, president and CEO of Central Freight, and Russell Stubbs, president and CEO of FFE Transportation Services discussed how their companies are dealing with challenges such as the driver shortage, rising equipment costs, volatile fuel prices and ongoing regulatory controls.
- Noël Perry, managing director with FTR Consulting Group and Peter Nesvold, transportation and logistics analyst with Jefferies & Co., discussed economic trends affecting trucking.
- Rob Abbott, vice president of safety policy, American Trucking Associations and Ann Wilson, senior vice president of government affairs, Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association, presented an update on the regulatory and legislative issues affecting OEMs, suppliers and carriers.
The 2012 Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference will be held at the new Omni Hotel, adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center Aug.22-23, as part of Intersection 2012, an all-encompassing trucking convention which includes the Great American Trucking Show, Successful Dealer Development workshops and other state and national association meetings.
The event was sponsored by Castrol Heavy Duty Lubricants, Chevron, Espar Heater Systems, Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Kenworth Truck Company, PACCAR Engines, PACCAR Parts, Peterbilt Motors and Valvoline. Commercial Carrier Journal and Successful Dealer were media sponsors.
For information on participating in the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference, contact Tim Kraus at [email protected] or Alan Sims at [email protected] or (800) 633-5953, ext. 1339. More detail on this year’s conference can be found at www.cvoconline.com.
