Little Rock, Ark. – Next week, nearly 300 trucking industry leaders will gather in Little Rock for the Arkansas Trucking Association Annual Conference & Vendor Showcase. A lineup of speakers will address economics, leadership, politics, workforce equity, nuclear verdicts and Arkansas’s role in the global supply chain. Two receptions, one honoring members of the Arkansas state legislature and the other welcoming conference-goers, will kick off the three-day event. Educational forums will follow on Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17 at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Featured speaker Shelley Simpson, president, J.B. Hunt Transport, will focus on the role Arkansas plays in the supply chain and what the future of trucking may hold. Simpson’s 28-year career at J.B. Hunt reflects the company’s continued progression as an innovative leader in the transportation and logistics industry. Before becoming president in 2022, Simpson served as executive vice president of people and human resources, leading the company’s efforts to create a more inclusive culture and work environment.
The conference will begin Tuesday morning with a networking hour with law enforcement, including Arkansas Highway Police Chief Jeff Holmes, providing an opportunity to meet and answer enforcement questions.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be the featured speaker during Wednesday’s awards luncheon when ATA recognizes the state’s top driver, maintenance professional and safety professional, as well as fleet safety awards.Gov. Sanders is the first woman to serve as governor of the state and currently the youngest governor in the country. The LEARNS Act, the education bill she championed during the most recent general session, focuses on technical education and provides a strategic shift that will expose more students to careers in transportation and help them be more prepared to begin work immediately following graduation.
“The transportation industry is an economic force in our state, employing one in ten Arkansans, serving as headquarters to some of the largest carriers in the nation and home to nearly 10,000 trucking companies,” said ATA Chairman Jeff Loggins. “The people and businesses we recognize at our awards luncheon embody safety and professionalism, and through their example, they are helping ensure the future success of their companies and our industry.”
President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations Chris Spear will speak about his experiences leading the federation, realistic expectations for electric fleets and emissions standards as well as workforce issues, including the potential impact of California’s Assembly Bill 5 on the owner-operator model.
Despite making progress with national campaigns and targeted recruiting efforts, women are still only a small minority of professional drivers. People tend to want to work in positions and at companies where they see like-minded individuals. Best-selling author Gina Radke knows what it’s like to work in a male-dominated field as the owner and CEO of aerospace manufacturing company Galley Support Innovations. During her Tuesday address, she’ll discuss everyone’s role in bringing women to the table and why women need male allies.
As Arkansas and the trucking industry in particular grapple with how to recruit and retain talent, Ross DeVol, president & CEO, Heartland Forward, will present strategies for promoting regional innovation that enables job creation and economic growth. During the luncheon on Tuesday, Executive Director of the Port of Little Rock Bryan Day will highlight the expansion of business in central Arkansas and how trucking is helping drive that growth.
Among the biggest issues facing trucking companies today are the astronomical judgments being levied against them in the courtroom. These “nuclear verdicts” are skyrocketing in both size and frequency according to a 2020 study by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), which found that from 2010 to 2018, verdict award sizes grew by 51.7% annually, outpacing health care increases and inflation, which grew respectively at 2.9% and 1.7% annually. Attorney Doug Marcello, Saxton & Stump, will define a nuclear verdict, what causes them and advise carriers how to avoid them.
“For nearly a century, the Arkansas Trucking Association has been supporting the transportation industry at both the state and national levels,” said ATA President Shannon Newton. “Each year this conference provides an opportunity for executives, innovators and the next generation of trucking leaders to share valuable information. Together we look back on the milestones we have reached and look forward to being the heart and soul of what drives Arkansas – and America – forward for many more years to come.”
This year’s lineup includes the following presenters and speakers:
TUESDAY, MAY 16
SHELLEY SIMPSON, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.
BRYAN DAY, Port of Little Rock
ROSS DEVOL, Heartland Forward
GINA RADKE, Galley Support Innovations, author of “More Than”
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
GOVERNOR SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS
CHRIS SPEAR, American Trucking Associations
DOUG MARCELLO, Saxton & Stump
About the Arkansas Trucking Association: Since
