Transplace’s McGuigan, Schneider’s Rourke, Forward Air’s Campbell highlight the art of adaptation at FreightWaves LIVE Chicago

The sessions with Transplace and Schneider will focus on how these established companies are adapting and thriving in a world dramatically different than what both firms had long been accustomed to. McGuigan, who was named Transplace CEO in January 2018, said he will address the growing role of digital brokers in the marketplace and within the routing guides, how artificial intelligence and machine learning influence decision-making, and the importance of visibility beyond the basic question of “Where’s my stuff?”

Rourke, who took over the dual roles at Schneider in April 2019, will discuss how the 84-year-old company has successfully transitioned to the demands of the digital world. Rourke will highlight the importance of leveraging technology and innovation to change the game for shippers, carriers and drivers, including the growing importance of implementing efficient capacity-driven solutions. Rourke will also share Schneider’s perspective on the ever-changing regulatory landscape.

Campbell, who stepped down earlier this year as executive chairman at Forward Air after serving as president since 1998, CEO since 2003 and chairman since 2007, will discuss how the company “went from $0 to more than $1 billion in annual revenue in less than 30 years. “Starting a company is difficult, but one of our advantages was that we did not have to deal with `legacy’ issues,” he said. “This allowed us to instill our core values from Day 1. They remain the same almost 30 years later.” 

Taking care of the company’s employees was the top priority because that level of attention would feed into the employees’ interaction with customers, Campbell said. Not far behind was total employee buy-in on all service initiatives, he said. “Everyone was part of this and it was measured down to the minute,” he said. “We were committed to exercising strong discipline in everything we took on. If it was important to take on, we had to do it with discipline and integrity.”

To hear more about the sessions and to take in all the discussions and debates about technology’s role in freight transportation and logistics, register to attend FreightWaves LIVE Chicago. Visit the event home page: https://www.freightwaves.com/live-chi/register.