PREVIEW: Specialized Transportation Symposium
27 April 2021
The 2021 Specialized Transportation Symposium promises to be an engaging in-person event.
It’s no exaggeration to say that in the last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live our lives and do business. Like many professional trade associations, the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) has had to cancel, delay and hold meetings virtually. This was the right and safe thing to do.
The 2021 Symposium will take place June 22-24 at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.
But at last, as the pandemic subsides and vaccinations provide greater efficacy for the general public, in-person events are back on our calendars. The first in-person event for SC&RA will be the 2021 Specialized Transportation Symposium (STS) June 22-24 at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in Birmingham, AL.
The three-day event features a variety of educational sessions and forums, the Exhibit Center, committee meetings and evening receptions. Newcomers will have the opportunity to mingle at the First-Timer’s Briefing, and the SC&RA Leadership Forum, which is designed to groom future industry leaders, will be held on Wednesday (by invitation only).
“After a year like no other, we are thrilled to be back in action once again at this year’s Specialized Transportation Symposium,” said Chris Smith, SC&RA vice president, transportation. “We’re also grateful to the state permit officials for joining us in Birmingham virtually so that all of the states and SC&RA members can get momentum moving again on permit automation and harmonization.”
Opening session
Kicking off the STS is a riveting opening session that will focus on how to develop a behavior-based environment that promotes accountability. Brian Fielkow, CEO of Jetco Delivery and executive vice president at the GTI Group, will present “Establishing Safety Culture Within Your Specialized Carrier Company.”
The wind power industry is offering new opportunities for crane and transport companies. Jamie France, Logistics Safety & Quality Engineer for General Electric Renewable Energy, Onshore Wind, will divulge best practices for breaking into the wind power industry with the presentation, “Tips for Winning Contracts with the Wind Energy Market.”
Some 46 companies will participate in Symposium’s Exhibit Center, which is designed for networking, learning about new products and services and expanding contacts. The Exhibit Center will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 24th. Boxed lunches will be available for take away.
SC&RA’s continuing STS series provides a platform for successful member company perspectives regarding specialized trucking trends, harmonization, hours of service and safety and compliance. This year’s company is Acme Truck Line. President Mike Coatney and Vice President David Pritchett will discuss transportation trends and issues their company faces.
How is the United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement (formerly known as NAFTA) working for companies that do business in North America? Ernesto Gaytan, president and general manager of Super Transport International, will offer his real world viewpoint on the new agreement in his presentation “Best Practices and Perspectives on Specialized Transportation Movement Between North American Borders.”
Attendees are invited to start their Thursday morning with a “Breakfast of Champions.” The meeting will feature SC&RA’s Hauling/Moving Job of the Year finalists and winners. Transport Watson MTL, Emmert International and Oxbo Mega Transport Solutions took home the trophies, and you won’t want to miss the chance to see why.
Brian Ness, Director of the Idaho Transportation Department, and longtime champion of permit harmonization, will discuss good government using sound business principles, regulatory reductions and harmonization.
Insurance panel
SC&RA’s Insurance Partners Panel is comprised of five member insurance partners who will discuss various insurance topics. Speakers include Bill Hebron, NBIS; Daniel Keenan, National Interstate Insurance; Cameron Boots, Allied Insurance Brokers; Dan Cook, TrueNorth Companies; and James Stovall, USI Insurance Services.
The trucking and transportation industry has been disproportionately affected by nuclear verdicts and settlements. “Best Practices for Specialized Carriers in the Courtroom” will address these issues through a panel discussion by Bill Kanasky Jr., PH.D., senior vice president, Courtroom Sciences (CSI); John Pion, attorney, Pion, Nerone, Girman, Winslow & Smith, P.C.; and Tim Smith, attorney, Pion, Nerone, Girman, Winslow & Smith, P.C.
“Permitting Practices, What’s Working Best” will cover the latest information regarding permitting best practices, speeding up the permitting process and related OS/OW challenges. Panelists include West Chester Permits’ Scott Boehm, Permit America’s Jordan Bradford and Permit America’s Marka Woodruff.
During these unprecedented times, the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association has developed SC&RA Safe to demonstrate a commitment to enhanced health and safety measures to re-assure attendees and increase confidence in attending its events.
These measures are aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; state and local jurisdiction health guidelines; and hotel biosafety measures. Not all events will feature the same biosafety precautions as each city and jurisdiction is approaching COVID-19 measures differently. However, the SC&RA are committed to following a minimum standard regarding social distancing; cleaning and disinfecting; detection; and communication.
