Freight Efficiency with NACFE‘s Mike Roeth & Friends

Ali Javidan, founder and CEO of Range Energy, talks about electrified, powered trailers, how a Venn diagram led him to trucking, the role of empathy in product development and the importance of factoring in drivers when developing a new technology. He also explains how he is applying lessons learned during his career in racing and at Tesla and Google, as well as the need to lead with humility when developing new technology.

Brady Matoian, CEO of OK Produce, talks about being on the cutting edge of reducing emissions, his lifelong concern for the environment and passion around sustainability. He provides insight into OK Produce’s move to electric vehicles, the connection between the products they deliver and the best way to deliver them. He also says that while it hasn’t been easy or cheap to operate sustainably, it has been worth it.

Matt McLelland, vice president of sustainability and innovation at Covenant, talks about why he loves his role at the truckload carrier, brags about the strides the trucking industry has made on reducing carbon, and explains the green premium. He also shares his thoughts on why he is a huge fan of renewable diesel and the fact that there is a lot for the trucking industry to be excited about.

Jason Cannon, editor in chief of CCJ, talks about what brought him to trucking, why he’s stayed for a decade, the history of CCJ and what he sees as his role in covering the industry. He also shares his thoughts on the benefits of Run on Less, the industry’s ability to handle all the new technology it is facing and offers advice on how the industry can navigate through the current market changes.

Cristina Commendatore, editor in chief at Fleet Owner, shares the unique place Fleet Owner occupies in the trucking industry media, the role of a trucking journalist and about her career path. She also comments on how she thinks NACFE is doing, the opportunities in the trucking industry, why it's a great place for young people to work and the progress the industry has made in the areas of diversity and inclusion.

Melvyn Roeth, father of NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth, talks about his commitment to farming, making equipment buying decisions, the importance of data to improve operations and the benefits of being involved in industry groups and associations. He also talks about becoming a conservationist and setting aside part of his farm for wildlife.

Seth Clevenger, managing editor of Transport Topics, talks about the role of the trade press in informing industry leaders, facilitating conversations and sparking discussions. He also talks about his career as a journalist and what’s changed for him in reporting on the industry. He comments on the transformational times trucking is in and encourages everyone in trucking to be open to all the new possibilities.

Eric Starks, chairman and senior consultant at FTR, talks about what the company does, how it works and why forecasting is important to the trucking industry. He also talks about how the pandemic changed tractor-trailer ratios and how that might be a permanent shift. And he shares his insights on what he sees for 2023, 2024 and 2025 for the industry.

Rob Kelly, senior vice president at Forum Mobility, talks about his career including his work with solar and at Tesla, and shares what he finds interesting about freight movement. He also talks about the win-win-win of the move to clean transportation, how EVs are performing in drayage applications, trucking as a service and what needs to happen to move EV deployment along faster.

Ken Marko, fleet sustainability senior manager at US Foods, talks about his sustainability journey, his new position at US Foods and his role in helping the fleet achieve its sustainability vision. He also explains why US Foods is an ideal fit for EVs, offers suggestions to other fleets considering adding EVs, gives his impression of the Tesla Semi and encourages fleets to get involved with TMC’s S11 committee.

Kenny Vieth, president of ACT Research, talks about Class 8 vehicle production over the last decade, what causes the ups and downs in vehicle sales, and why trucking is not for the faint of heart. He also talks about the impact of housing and industrial production on trucking, what we can expect in terms of vehicle sales through 2027 and the impact upcoming emissions standards will have on the industry.

Graham Doorley, CEO and founder of Solo Advanced Vehicle Technologies, talks about the company’s ground-up new design for a driver agnostic electric truck with a 500+ mile range. He also talks about his time at Tesla and Google, his passion for clean energy and the key things that are needed to help scale the acceleration of electric and autonomous technologies.

Andrew Bremer, managing director of DriveOhio, talks about the goals of the program, Ohio’s importance as a transportation center and the infrastructure needs for EVs and AVs. He also comments on the importance of partnerships and dialogues to make improvements and he shares information about the US 33 Smart Mobility Corridor and the I-70 Truck Automation Corridor.

Erik Neandross, CEO of Gladstein, Neandross & Associates, talks about working with OEMs and fleets to navigate into the future, the importance of TCO in clean transportation, and how taking risks is what will identify winners. He also talks about the three main drivers of the move to more sustainable transportation and gives advice on what the industry needs to be doing now to speed up adoption of alternative fueled vehicles.