01/31/2018

Disruption a Major Theme at SMC³’s Jump Start 2018

ATLANTA – On the closing day of SMC³’s Jump Start 2018, held January 22-24 at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta, panelist Jericho Petilla of DDC Philippines succinctly summed up the conference theme of technological disruption.

“Nowadays, technological development is so fast; when you wake up, there’s something new,” he said during a panel on freight billing. “Those who do not innovate will get left behind.”

Throughout the three-day event, 500 attendees heard speakers talk about the year ahead, focusing on potential economic fluctuations and the impact of technological disruptors on the supply chain. These speakers impressed upon the audience that change is coming, then armed listeners with the tools to make the most of those technological advancements.

During Jump Start 2018, attendees also heard from Terry Jones, founder of Travelocity.com;
Monica Wooden, CEO of MercuryGate; and more than 40 additional speakers and panelists. Many of these discussions will continue at Connections 2018, which will be held June 25-27 at the Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia.

For more information about Connections 2018, visit http://www.smc3connections.com.

Jump Start also provided plenty of regulatory talk, with discussions of ELDs and other regulations surfacing in numerous panels. During the session devoted to regulations, former Department of Transportation Secretary James Burnley spoke with Blair Anderson, Amazon’s director of transportation public policy, about the year ahead.

At one point, the conversation turned to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, who is not running for re-election. Anderson said the retirement announcement might give the congressman some room to introduce legislation. “He has a little more flexibility to do what he’s interested in doing,” Anderson said.

For his part, Burnley isn’t worried about the reported tumult in Washington, saying it reminded him of his stint as DOT Secretary during the Reagan Administration. “You’d find exactly the same set of themes” in press clippings from 1981, he said.

Jump Start 2018’s combination of wide-ranging discussions and ample time for networking is a hallmark of SMC³ events.

“It’s part of SMC³’s mission to provide supply chain stakeholders with the educational tools they need to compete in today’s fast-changing industry,” said Andrew Slusher, CEO and president of SMC³. “The panelists at Jump Start 2018 provided attendees with a thorough picture of today’s supply chain, enumerating the challenges that lie ahead. At our next event, Connections 2018, industry analysts will update those predictions, taking stock of the current state of the market and giving attendees the knowledge needed to successfully navigate supply chain issues during the second half of the year.”

About SMC³

SMC³ is the one-stop knowledge hub for LTL technology, data and education. The API-powered SMC³ Platform fuels TMS applications with unrivaled LTL analytical capabilities and shipment visibility data. As the single integration point for all carrier rate, transit and service information, SMC³ solutions travel beyond simple connectivity and empower shippers, 3PLs and carriers to collaborate and optimize decision making throughout the entire LTL lifecycle. Thousands of industry trading partners rely on SMC³ solutions to make informed business decisions, achieve higher returns on their transportation investment, and meet ever-changing market demands.

Media Contact

Beth Malik
Director of Marketing

SMC³
Office: (770) 486-5823
bmalik@smc3.com