In the first of four new SMC3 LTL Hybrid Sessions, industry veterans revealed how they charted a path to career success in the less-than-truckload (LTL) market. Joe Kniple, senior vice president of revenue and pricing at Worldwide Express, and Erica Brigance, vice president of data science at ArcBest Technology, provided best practices for others looking to break into the LTL industry and/or advance through the ranks.

The sheer amount of industry knowledge being passed around at Jump Start 2024 has been astounding to behold. From evergreen tips on leadership to concrete strategies for managing volatility, our attendees are leaving with a fuller picture of where the logistics industry stands. On the third and final day, it’s natural to ask: What’s next?

The LTL industry is on the edge of its seat when it comes to how artificial intelligence (AI) will impact business and operations going forward. Will it replace human workers? Will AI and humans work together to improve many of the tasks that humans exclusively do today?

SMC3’s Jump Start 2024 conference began with Andrew Slusher, SMC3’s CEO, noting record-high attendance. Drawn by the promise of dynamic conversation on the state of the supply chain, participants saw the first day unfold with a series of presentations that varied from the qualities of leadership to what macroeconomic trends to expect in the coming year.

The less than truckload (LTL) industry is no stranger to freight embargoes. They have become more common in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic upended the supply chain world and led to temporary LTL service outages due to surging demand and constrained carrier capacity. Freight embargoes are imposed by carriers in a range of forms — timeframe, geographic region, or specific freight characteristics, just to name a few.

New technology and the introduction of innovative supply chain solutions into established supply chain processes is one way to combat transportation issues. It seems as though the uptick in technology adoption, and a broader adoption of transportation management systems among even the smallest transportation companies, is a sign of how companies are now confronting a challenging supply chain arena.