Academic
Looking Into the Future: TCA Truckload 2024 Unpacks the Power of Tech in Transportation
April 15, 2024
April 15, 2024
Truckload carriers are the backbone of the U.S. supply chain, ensuring that the shipments that keep industries and households moving forward arrive at their destinations on time and with care. This important role is what makes TCA Truckload a can’t-miss event each year.
Our team spent March 23–26 in Nashville for the TCA’s Annual Convention. We were thrilled to connect with so many customers, partners, and others from across the industry, networking, engaging in discussion, and showcasing how our technology is benefiting today’s carriers.
See photos from our time in Nashville in the gallery below, and continue reading to learn more about all that went on at TCA Truckload. If you’d like to continue the conversations we started at the event, get in touch with us.
Everyone at TCA Truckload was focused on the business at hand, but we had NCAA basketball games on in our booth so that attendees could keep up with March Madness. As we spent time connecting with customers, partners, and prospects over the weekend, we watched stunning upsets by North Carolina State and others.
Basketball aside, many of the attendees we met wanted to discuss the real applications of artificial intelligence in the transportation industry. To this point, much of the conversation around AI has been theoretical: What can AI make possible or help us accomplish in the future? At the Optimal Dynamics booth, we shared specifics about how AI can be used right now to streamline and enhance trucking operations, including using Artificial Decision Intelligence (ADI) to automate tasks and improve dispatch decision execution. We were happy to present live demos of our platform built around specific use cases and how Optimal Dynamics is helping trucking companies boost revenue per truck without increasing their fleet size.
Our team attended TCA Truckload shortly after spending time at McLeod’s first-ever AI Conference, where our platform was highlighted as one of the few using artificial intelligence to help trucking companies improve their operations. Our time in Nashville was a wonderful opportunity to extend the conversations that started at the McLeod AI Conference and share with attendees how others are currently using AI to save time, increase revenue, and make the best decisions for their businesses.
It was amazing to see the diversity of technology available in the trucking industry throughout the Expo Hall. This show made it clear that everyone from owner-operators to large carriers is searching for technology solutions that help them thrive, grow their businesses, and achieve greater profitability. More specifically, organizations are looking for solutions that integrate with their existing tech stacks to provide a range of benefits and increased value. At Optimal Dynamics, our technology integrates with leading TMS providers as a decision layer that improves decision-making without forcing teams to visit a separate interface.
Away from the Expo Hall, a series of education sessions provided a view into where the transportation industry can go in the coming months and years.
The large carrier panel discussion examined how past decisions are influencing future performance in the current economy. These large carriers have a unique perspective on how the freight recession has impacted the larger industry, and it was fascinating to hear how they are charting a path forward as the recession lifts. Throughout the show, our team was encouraged to interact with truckload carriers who are laser-focused on future-proofing their organizations with the right technologies so they can outpace the current market, maximize their profit potential, and streamline operations.
We were excited to attend a session on “The Untapped Potential of Tech — Achieving Exceptional Growth” with our customer, Muñoz Trucking Inc., and partner, PCS (Muñoz’s TMS provider). Participants in the large carrier panel discussed the essential role of technology in creating a brighter future for the transportation industry, and this session was an opportunity to dive deeper into how tech can drive growth and profitability.
The highlight of the TCA’s Annual Convention is the Fleet Safety Awards. In January, winners were announced across six different divisions, including:
At Tuesday’s closing banquet in Nashville, the TCA announced Bison Transport as the grand prize winner for large carriers and Fortune Transportation as the grand prize winner for small carriers. We’re always excited to celebrate excellence and the contributions these firms have made to the transportation industry.
We’ll be back at TCA Truckload next year to connect and discuss how the industry has evolved since the 2024 Annual Convention. Whether or not we met while in Nashville, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk more about the most prominent themes from this year’s event — including how to boost the profitability of your trucking business.
Get in touch with us to schedule a time to connect and discuss how our Decision Intelligence can help your business grow ahead of next year’s TCA Truckload.
Truckload carriers are the backbone of the U.S. supply chain, ensuring that the shipments that keep industries and households moving forward arrive at their destinations on time and with care.
Connect with us to see the power of AI in action on your network.
