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AUGUST 26, 2026
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
BENEFITS WORKSHOP: MANAGING BENEFITS FOR YOUR FLEET
1:00 – 1:10 PM
WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
Mark Roling, Cottingham & Butler
1:10 – 2:10PM
TARGETED: STAGED CRASHES, STACKED COURTS, AND WHAT CARRIERS CAN DO ABOUT IT
Joseph Baiocco, Wilson Elser
Organized fraud rings are running staged crashes against carriers like a business, and plaintiff attorneys are turning verdicts into eight- and nine-figure events in the wrong zip codes. Joe shows you exactly how the schemes work, which jurisdictions are bleeding carriers dry, and the operational moves that keep you off the next nuclear verdict headline.
2:10 – 3:10 PM
OUTLOOK: 2026-27 FREIGHT FORECAST
Dean Croke, DAT
Every decision you make over the next 12 months - capacity, hiring, capex, rate strategy - rides on reading the freight cycle correctly. Dean delivers the data and the directional call so you can stop guessing where rates, fuel, and demand are heading and start positioning for it.
3:10 – 3:25 PM
BREAK
3:25 – 4:25 PM
KEYNOTE: ON FIRE: LESSONS ON RESILIENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND WHAT'S POSSIBLE
John O'Leary, Author, Inspirational Speaker, & Survivor
Trucking is a high-pressure business that demands a lot from the people running it. John's story is a powerful reset on resilience, leadership, and the standard you set for yourself and your team when it matters most.
4:45PM – 9:00PM
COCKTAILS & DINNER
Day1
Day2
AUGUST 27, 2026
9:00 – 10:00 AM
ON THE BALLOT: POLITICS, POLICY, AND THE ROAD AHEAD
Bruce Mehlman, Mehlman Consulting
With an administration moving fast on big ideas and midterms on the horizon, the political ground under your business is shifting every day. Bruce pulls back the lens on what's driving Washington, where the power is moving, and how to read the signals that shape the road ahead.
10:00 – 11:00 AM
STOLEN: INSIDE THE CARGO THEFT SURGE
Gary Thomas, Kentucky State Police and Ron Hornback, FBI
Cargo theft hit record numbers last year. The thieves are operating like sophisticated businesses, and the financial exposure on a single shipment has never been higher. This session covers the latest data, the cyber and MC fraud schemes rewriting the threat, and the technology and tactics keeping carriers a step ahead.
11:00 – 11:15 AM
BREAK
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
STRAIGHT TALK: A DIRECT READ FROM FMCSA
Derek Barrs, FMCSA
It's not every day you get the FMCSA Administrator in the room. Derek brings an unfiltered look at the issues shaping the industry - what the agency is doing about the fraudulent actors making headlines, where policy is heading on autonomous vehicles, and the hot-button issues hitting carriers and what the administration is doing about them.
12:00 – 1:00 PM
LUNCH
1:00 – 1:45 PM
ON WATCH: TRUCKING'S ROLE IN FIGHTING TRAFFICKING
Derek Benner, Our Rescue
Drivers cover more ground than almost anyone in the country, which puts the trucking industry in a unique position to spot what others miss. Derek and his team run the full fight against human trafficking and child exploitation and he's bringing his K-9s to show you what's really happening, the role carriers and drivers are playing, and how your company can be part of the solution.
1:45 – 2:45 PM
CASE IN POINT: RULINGS, REGULATIONS, AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR CARRIERS
Greg Feary, Scopelitis Law Firm
Greg cuts straight to the cases and rulings carriers can't afford to miss - Montgomery v. Caribe, AB5 and the broker-carrier model, independent contractor issues across the country, chameleon carriers and English proficiency, and where broker transparency and regulation are heading. Scopelitis is the top transportation law firm in the country, and Greg brings the full read on what's coming for carriers.
2:45 – 3:00 PM
BREAK
3:00 – 4:00 PM
KEYNOTE: All In: Called to Lead & Ready for the Mission
Rorke Denver, Navy SEAL Commander & Officer
Retired Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver - warrior, thinker, writer, gentleman, and savage - led troops through unforgiving missions across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, earning a Bronze Star with "V" for valor in combat. What he learned in Army Ranger school. The trait that won the day on a high-mountain mission in Afghanistan. The principles that translate directly to leading a trucking company when the pressure is on and the stakes are highest.
4:00 – 4:10 PM
CLOSING REMARKS
Day2
2026 BENEFITS WORKSHOP
MANAGING BENEFITS FOR YOUR FLEET
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Kick off the Summit with a half-day deep dive into benefits strategy.
WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA
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2026 Compensation & Benefits benchmarks
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Taking control of Rx costs
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Medical plan cost strategies — best vs. worst performers
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Managing high-risk claimants
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Executive Panel: How fleet leaders are tackling benefits & retention
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