As the conference concluded, speakers returned to three interlocking concerns: Trust has become harder to earn and easier to lose as risk and fraud remain constant pressures; AI and automation are reshaping how decisions are made, even as accountability stays firmly human; and readiness—across data, systems, and people—now determines whether new tools strengthen operations or expose their weaknesses.

Day 2 of SMC3’s Jump Start 2026 built on the energy of day 1’s opening keynote, turning from mindset to mechanics. AI dominated the agenda, but not as a buzzword. Speakers discussed invoice automation, resolving exceptions at 3 a.m., freight moving without drivers behind the wheel and beyond.

At first, it seemed like a massive winter storm might derail SMC3’s Jump Start 2026. But, undeterred, hundreds of attendees, navigating flight delays and cancellations, arrived January 26 at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly hotel, ready to talk LTL. 

In the second session of SMC³’s LTL 204 Hybrid Series, “Navigating Change in LTL,” industry analyst Adrian Gonzalez (president of Adelante SCM and founder and host of Talking Logistics) joined moderator Joe Tillman and co-moderator Dr. Karl Manrodt to explore how uncertainty, risk and rapid change are reshaping LTL.

In the first session of SMC³’s LTL 204 Online Education Hybrid Series, “Outside the Washington Beltway,” industry veterans Randy Mullett and Mike Kelley dug into how laws and regulations actually land on the dock. Moderated by Joe Tillman, with co-moderator Karl B. Manrodt, Ph.D., CTL, the conversation remained practical- focusing on outcomes, local engagement, and […]

In our recent LTL 203 Session 3 “Reduce Invoice Surprises” discussion with Karl Manrodt, CLTL Instructor, and Scooter Sayers, director business development at Cubiscan, we unpacked the practical reasons these surprises persist—and, more importantly, how to eliminate them. Today’s post distills that conversation into four action‑oriented lessons you can apply before your next shipment leaves the dock.