Connections 2026 Day 2: Evolving tech, detecting fraud, and strategic AI
Authored by SMC³ on July 14, 2026
Day 2 of Connections 2026 kept the momentum going with a new crop of thoughtful conversations and productive Q&As.
Tech perspectives from an industry giant
The day began with an installment of the industry leadership series, featuring insights from FedEx Freight President and CEO John Smith.
Having spun off from FedEx as its own entity a month ago, FedEx Freight is in the midst of extensive change. Smith provided a deep look into the nuts and bolts of this transformation and how the organization has had to grow and adapt.
To keep up with evolving business demands, FedEx Freight hired 500 new salespeople and nearly 900 new IT team members. This second number underscores an important priority: upgrading and modernizing the company’s technology environment to stay ahead of customer needs. About 25% of current capital expenditures are dedicated to this goal.
“There’s a huge opportunity in this company to build a fit-for-LTL tech stack that’s cloud-based and platform-based to help [EVP and COO Clint McCoy] run this big organization,” he said, noting that FedEx Freight’s reach needs to be matched with a technology-enhanced quality of service. “The speed of our priority service is on average about 40% faster when you compare it to our nearest competitor.”
Smith also had an optimistic outlook on autonomous vehicles.
“The technology is there,” he observed, clarifying that the number one goal remains keeping people on the road safe and emphasizing the continued importance of drivers.
“When you think about pickup and delivery, you’re always going to have a driver. You know, airplanes have been able to take off, fly, and land for 30-something years. Have you ever gotten on a plane without a pilot?”
Using AI to drive out fraud
“The Evolution of AI-Driven Freight Fraud” featured speaker, Ryan Joyce, Founder and CEO of GenLogs. This truck intelligence platform provides real-time visibility into freight status and location.
In essence, GenLogs helps shippers and carriers see more. As trucks make their way across interstates and freight lanes, GenLogs pulls “every shred” of data available—the truck’s make, model, license plate, DOT, MC, cab number, equipment type, any visible logos or numbers, etc.—and combines that information with additional data sources pulled from anonymized telematics and connected vehicle data: BOL data, freight factoring data, and fuel card data.
The result is what Joyce calls the “ground truth” of the freight: a real-time digital record of freight that can better detect fraud and prevent financial loss.
Other companies, like Augment, provide AI-powered supply chain assistants that enable more employees to share better insights faster, helping prevent fraud. These tools can also tap into insights platforms such as GenLogs to monitor and alert dispatchers when trucks begin exhibiting suspicious behavior.
“If it’s 2 a.m. on the Fourth of July and GenLogs sends an image of something it just captured on I-80, Augment is awake,” said Justin Hall, one of Augment’s Co-Founders. “Augment is listening, so when that signal comes in, Augment can act.”
Improving service through targeted investments
The day closed out with another industry leadership series session with Luke Martin, Enterprise Logistics Lead at Lockheed Martin.
His conversation with Group News Editor Jeff Berman was wide-ranging, covering everything from Lockheed’s recently completed LTL bid to market volatility and tariffs.
Near the end of their talk, the conversation shifted to the future. What could logistics leaders expect to see within the next two years, and how should they adjust?
Speaking from Lockheed’s perspective, Martin emphasized a point that recurred in his answers: the importance of technology-enabled communication tools that drive greater efficiency, security, and customer service.
“There’s a lot of emerging tech out there for visibility that we’re going to try to take advantage of,” he said. “We know where our freight is, we know who’s got their hands on it, we know what the touch points are. I think I see a lot of companies trying to push that as a service along with their normal track and trace.”
Regarding the changes happening in LTL technology, Martin cited AI as a major impending shift. But he emphasized the importance of deploying it strategically to achieve genuine ROI.
“I think a lot of companies are trying to push machine learning and AI without understanding the true implications of it and how to integrate it into a business’s operating model. There’s a lot of cool tech out there, but it all comes down to taking that and making it work for the business. Don’t just show me the latest and greatest toys; show me how it’s actually going to work inside of our network.”
Innovate smart. Strategize smarter.
All in all, day 2 of Connections left attendees with invaluable insights into an evolving LTL tech landscape––not only in terms of what new technology can accomplish, but also in terms of how LTL leaders can strategically apply tech investments to high-impact portions of their organizations. The quality of that strategy is just as important as the technology behind it.