NITL to examine trade and transportation trends next month

The National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) will hold its annual conference and freight exhibition from Nov. 16-19 in New Orleans. In addition to the exhibition, the show will feature four educational sessions, led by industry experts:

*The economy is moving again… but which way and how fast? Providing a straightforward macroeconomic perspective on global economic trends, Walter Kemmsies, chief economist at Moffatt & Nichol, will share his expertise in freight transportation and infrastructure project analysis.

*Truck and rail: headwinds or tailwinds? Led by analyst Larry Gross, president of Gross Transportation Consulting and a senior consultant and partner at FTR, this session will explore the interplay of market forces that shape carrier and customer perspectives on rail and truck freight markets.

*Transportation regulations today and tomorrow. The chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, Daniel R. Elliott III, and chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, Mario Cordero, will lead a candid discussion about transportation regulation in the 21st century, sharing their perspectives on law and precedent, the deliberative process, their agencies’ core values, and more.

*It’s a new day in global shipping—we hope! The question on everybody’s mind is whether 2016 will bring a reprieve from the past year’s shipping industry challenges, from port congestion and chassis shortages to long truck turn times and protracted labor contract disputes. IHS Maritime and Trade Senior Director Peter Tirschwell will lead a discussion with Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup, Port of Virginia CEO and Executive Director John Reinhart, and Curtis Whalen, executive director of the American Trucking Associations’ Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference.

The NITL event coincides with the 2015 NITL Executive of the Year Award, also known as the McCullough Award. The award is named after John T. McCullough, a former chief editor of Distribution magazine, a predecessor of LM.

Tomorrow’s column will provide information on this year’s recipient.

For more information and to register, visit www.nitl.org/annual.htm.