Looking forward to NASSTRAC

After one of the longest-and most exasperating-winters in years, I know spring is here when it is time to attend the annual NASSTRAC conference in Orlando, Florida.

This will be the fifth year I am attending this conference. I am sometimes a glutton for punishment, but trust me when I tell you that this conference is worth attending. Year after year, I return from this event with a full notebook with stories, leads for future stories and more than enough ideas to kick around for a long while.

This year looks to be like more of the same and for that I am again grateful. One need not look further than the keynote address, which will be given by James L. Oberstar, former Minnesota Representative and Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. That alone is likely to be worth the trip down south.

Also on the menu are shipper, 3PL, and motor carrier panels, as well as a “Washington Update,” given by renowned Washington, D.C.-based transportation attorney John Cutler. Confused abut the myriad regulations going on inside the Beltway? This session always clears things up pretty quickly.

But perhaps the best part about what has become an annual sojourn for me is the incredible amount of networking activity which goes on at NASSTRAC. I have had the pleasure of meeting many outstanding people at this event, more so than at other events, due to the way in which it is scheduled and structured. I have met myriad shippers, carriers, academics, and 3PLs at NASSTRAC every year. Many of them have become good friends that I speak with and look forward to seeing whenever possible. What’s more, I am sure I will meet new friends at this year’s event.

When I return from NASSTRAC, be sure to expect to see several items about it on this web site and in the pages of LM. I will do my best to make sure you get a good perspective on what I learned.