One of the most noteworthy events of the year for our shippers—Deliver 2022—is just a couple of days away.
Some of the most notable freight and logistics stakeholders and experts are set to gather in San Antonio, Texas, for 3 days of keynotes, fireside chats, workshops, and networking on September 12-14. The event will feature conversations exploring the most significant challenges and opportunities affecting freight transportation today. As the market begins to stabilize after more than two years of volatility, Deliver will offer key insights, strategic action steps, and current market and economic trends for shippers and logistics pros to keep top of mind.
Ahead of the event, here’s a rundown of the major themes that industry leaders will spotlight.
Revamping logistics strategies
When it comes to managing transportation and logistics, companies are gradually shifting from using traditional methods like spreadsheets to more modern, automated approaches. But there are many factors to consider when digitizing logistics strategies—and business operations as a whole.
Lior Ron, Head of Uber Freight, and Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, will open the event with a welcome reception, followed by a kickoff keynote about how industry stakeholders are reimagining logistics for the future. During another panel, Ben Cubitt, SVP of Consulting at Transplace; Mark Giles, Director of Indirect NA Logistics at Ecolab; and Rob Haddock, Group Director of Planning and Logistics at Coca-Cola, will discuss the benefits of shippers and technology partners connecting their logistics networks.
Optimizing supply chain networks
Since the pandemic began, supply chain network plans have revolved around reacting to unpredictable scenarios. Now is the time for shippers to reassess and rebuild their network design to achieve better insight into their operations and proactively address future disruption. Adrian Gonzalez, President of Adelante SCM and Editor at Talking Logistics, will discuss how companies can gain better visibility into their supply chains to make them more robust. And Chris Caplice, Executive Director at MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics and Founder and Director of MIT FreightLab, is set to spotlight tools and tactics for shippers to better prepare their supply chains for the future.
Meanwhile, shippers are also focused on making their supply chains more sustainable to reduce carbon emissions. Illina Frankiv, Head of Sustainability at Uber Freight, will moderate a panel of experts from Anheuser-Busch InBev, Danone and Del Monte Foods on best practices for supply chain sustainability—and what long-term decarbonization programs should emphasize. Matthew Harding, SVP of Data Science and Engineering at Transplace, and Chinmay Jaju, Manager of Strategy, Sustainability, and Business Development at Uber Freight, will highlight how shippers should analyze and report the impact of their sustainability efforts.
Understanding the future of autonomous trucks
The logistics industry is set to rely on a combination of autonomously driven trucks and human-driven trucks to increase capacity and efficiency. A hybrid approach will need to be deployed efficiently and at scale, across a digital network. Charlie Jatt, Head of Commercialization for Trucking at Waymo, and Olivia Hu, Development Manager at Uber Freight, will explore the role autonomous trucks play in powering the future of freight transportation.
Improving the carrier facility experience
When deciding which loads to move, carriers are prioritizing shippers that have high-quality facilities—and the ratings to prove it. For shippers to effectively improve their facilities, they need to have access to those ratings and the right data around what carriers care about to inform new changes, all in a single digital hub. Alyssa Correale, Senior Manager of Strategic Fleet Partnerships at Uber Freight, and Sirisha Machiraju, Lead Product Manager at Uber Freight, will walk through how to account for carrier needs by digitizing strategies to improve shipper facilities. Experts from Coca-Cola, TrueNorth, and Vector will join the discussion.
Creating agile procurement strategies
Heading into 2023 and beyond, shippers will need to establish an agile procurement strategy that is cost-effective, is flexible, and allows shippers to use different resources to navigate current and future freight market challenges. The ability to use any type of procurement—from real-time and spot to contract and dedicated—based on business needs and the market will be crucial. Bill Driegert, Head of Operations and Co-founder at Uber Freight, will moderate a discussion with experts from Transplace and Henkel about how procurement has evolved and best practices for building a more agile procurement strategy.
Additional mainstage speakers will include Marci Rossell, an economic forecaster, former Chief Economist for CNBC and Co-host of Squawk Box, offering an in-depth economic forecast for 2023; supply chain professional and Managing Director at EY John Polowczyk, who will share his experience leading supply chains and logistics on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and supporting the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force; and David Robinson, philanthropist and former player for the San Antonio Spurs, discussing his basketball career and charity work.
We look forward to seeing you at Deliver 2022!
