2020 NAFC Virtual Annual Conference

Nov 16-20, Now a Virtual Event

THE 2020 NAFC VIRTUAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Although moving the 2020 NAFC Annual Conference to a virtual setting was a big change, one thing remains unchanged – our commitment to provide you with actionable content that covers the biggest challenges facing financial leadership in trucking. As part of moving our event online, we revamped the schedule to include a new session, dedicated a whole day to the economic outlook and increased the number of CPEs!

Going virtual also gives us a chance to make our event accessible to more people than ever before. Our hope is that those who weren’t able to attend the in-person event due to the travel costs and time out of the office required may now be able to participate. Experience this meeting and stay up on the latest information in your field from the comfort of your home or office!

We look forward to bringing together our community of dedicated financial professionals in this new virtual format to learn and connect – register today!

Why attend?

- Take advantage of a great line-up of educational and informative sessions
- Hear solutions, and strategies from experienced practitioners
- Get updates on rules and regulations in settings designed to promote learning and sharing with peers
- Earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits

What attendees say

"The conference allows you to benchmark with your peers and utilize that information in your own organization. The topics covered within the sessions bring tremendous value as they are directly tied to the financial side of the transportation industry."

Rocco Marrari, Vice President of Imaging and Workflow Solutions, EBE Technologies

"The opportunity to connect with and learn from peers in the industry at NAFC has been invaluable in my career. Additionally, the collection of financial topics covered, specific to the trucking industry, is unmatched by any other conference out there."

Randy Hooper, CPA, Partner, Katz, Sapper & Miller

“There are so many issues that we face that are unique to the trucking industry business and NAFC provides a great opportunity to share ideas for solving them, as well as hearing from industry experts on very relevant topics.”

Stephen E. Voorhees, CPA, Vice President of Finance and Accounting, Big G Express, Inc.

Schedule of Events

As of August 12, 2020

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Executives Panel

Sponsored by TrueNorth

(CPE Specialized Knowledge – 1.5 Credit)

Panelists:

Moderator: Stephen Voorhees, Big G Express
Thom Albrecht, Reliance Partners
Randy Guillot, Triple G Express
Judy McReynolds, ArcBest

Back by popular demand, our kickoff session will feature a panel of industry leaders. NAFC Chairman Voorhees will host a conversation with three executives to discuss how they have navigated the current freight market and economic conditions. Gain insight from industry leaders on top industry concerns, such as increasing insurance rates, which will help you plan for 2021 and succeed in ever-changing business conditions. The audience will have an opportunity to interact with the panel and ask questions in this interactive session.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Washington Update: Election Impact on Trucking Policy Priorities from ATA President & CEO Chris Spear

Sponsored by Premier Trailer Leasing

(CPE Specialized Knowledge – 1 Credits)

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

The Hard Insurance Market: How to Mitigate Rate Increases and Potential Impacts of Tort Reform

(CPE Business Law – 1 Credit)

Speaker:

Dan Cook, True North

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm

Risk Management Forum with Presentation of Predatory Towing Recommended Practices

(CPE Specialized Knowledge – 1 Credit)

Chair:

Ryan Erickson, McGriff, Seibels and Williams

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm

Accounting, Credit & Collections Forum with Presentation on Collection Practices/Extended Payment Terms

Sponsored by Daycos

(CPE Accounting – 1 Credit)

Chair:

Tim Chitwood, BKD Advisors

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Get Fed Smart: Updates from the Internal Revenue Service and the Small Business Administration

Sponsored by PrePass

(CPE Taxation – 1.5 Credits)

Speakers:

Evette Davis, Internal Revenue Service
Thomas A. Stith III, Small Business Administration

Representatives from both the IRS and the SBA will provide a high-level overview of available COVID-19 stimulus programs and get you up to speed on the latest government regulations. IRS Tax Specialist Evette Davis will also provide attendees with information on the latest cybercrime trends and recommend ways to protect your firm’s financial information.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Resiliency Planning: Cash Forecasting & Maintaining Liquidity Through Recessions, Pandemics & Elections

Sponsored by EBE Technologies

(CPE Business Management & Organization – 1 Credit)

Speakers:

Randolph Smith, Grant Thornton
Russell Norris, Grant Thornton
Mike Hennessey, Grant Thornton

2020 may be remembered as the year of disruptions. While you cannot control every potential business interruption, you can manage your risk so you come out of the year stronger. As the COVID-19 pandemic moves through its stages with rippling effects to every aspect of society it will cause potential longer-term implications that need to be addressed. Resiliency starts with a commitment to identify and mitigate risk factors that can further disrupt your business. Applying lessons learned from COVID-19 will change expectations in the transportation and logistics industry. Learn how to transform your experience from the 2020 into successful liquidity planning for 2021.

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Taxation Forum with Preview of 2021 Federal Tax Policy Changes

(CPE Taxation – 1 Credit)

Chair:

Randolph Smith, Grant Thornton

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Associates Forum

Chair:

Randy Hooper, Katz, Sapper & Miller

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Mergers and Acquisitions Task Force Presentation of Recommended Practices for Sellers

(CPE Finance – 1 Credit)

Eric LeMarbre, The Tenney Group
Heidi Hornung-Scherr, Scudder Law
Dan Cook, True North
Randy Hooper, Katz, Sapper, Miller
Patrick McAuley, Grant Thornton

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Mergers and Acquisitions Task Force Organizational Meeting

(by invitation only)

Chair: Dan Cook, True North
Eric LeMarbre, The Tenney Group
Heidi Hornung-Scherr, Scudder Law

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Security & Agility for a Remote Work Environment

(CPE Information Technology – 1 Credit)

Speakers:

Cindy Boyle, BKD
Zachary King, USA Truck

The need for a remote workforce in 2020 caught many companies off guard and unprepared. The idea of working remotely was not a consideration for many businesses. When creating a business continuity plan, most businesses considered the possibility of a limited need for remote work for key roles, but probably not for many others—let alone their entire workforce. In addition, many who did consider this need probably did not foresee it becoming necessary for an extended time period. Learn what changes you should consider moving forward to keep your company data secure and to increase employee productivity.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Federal COVID-19 Tax Credits, PPP Loans and Other Assistance: Best Practices for Compliance and Recordkeeping

(CPE Regulatory Ethics – 1 Credit)

Speakers:

Randy Hooper, Katz, Sapper & Miller
Ryan Hasler, Katz, Sapper & Miller

The economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus required swift federal action to keep many businesses solvent, however, the whirlwind process by which the Family First Coronavirus Response Act and CARES Act created and administered Paycheck Protection Program loans, new sick and family leave requirements and special tax credits, had borrowers scrambling to navigate the various new programs. Companies were forced to manage this process blindly, with little guidance. Now companies must retain proper documentation to support their loan forgiveness calculations, Employee Retention Tax Credits and COVID-related sick and family leave. Join us as we discuss some best practices related to PPP record retention and preparing for SBA examinations as well as what elements you should incorporate to bolster your case for forgiveness.

1:45 pm - 2:45 pm

Financial Relations Forum Meeting

(CPE Specialized Knowledge – 1 Credit)

Chair:

Brad Delco, JB Hunt

1:45 pm - 2:45 pm

Information Technology Forum Meeting with Automated Driving Technology Presentation

(CPE Information Technology – 1 Credit)

Chair: Robert Ragan, Melton Truck Lines
Anika Friesinger, Daimler Truck, North America

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Getting Lean with New Tech: How to Use Artificial Intelligence to Gain Efficiency

Sponsored by Premier Trailer Leasing

(CPE Information Technology – 1 Credit)

Speakers:

Rocco Marrari, EBE Technologies
Jason Jones, Solar Transport

The transportation and logistics industries have seen massive productivity gains in the past few years, with advancements as AI-powered process management applications replace activities once performed by human labor. Billing and settlements have been reduced to near real-time through automating the indexing of documents at point of delivery, interoperability amongst a transportation provider’s critical systems and the ability to capture data using a mobile device. AI provides the ability to automate many manual tasks within the payables department in order to identify duplicate invoices, indexing of documents, routing to appropriate personnel. As volatility increases and costs rise, transportation providers will have to become more efficient in order to generate additional cash flow.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Presentation of “Finding Affordable Insurance” Guide by Members of ATA/NAFC Joint Working Group on Hard Insurance Market

(CPE Specialized Knowledge – 1 Credit)

Ryan Erickson, McGriff
Jim Millar, Cottingham Butler
Jeff Toole, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary

During this session, we will present our newly updated “Finding Affordable Insurance For a Trucking Business in A Hard Insurance Market” guide. This key resource is designed to assist motor carriers to navigate the current insurance crisis, including best practices when shopping insurance markets and soliciting quotes at renewal.

The guide was published by NAFC in the years following 9/11 – during a historically difficult insurance market. But to address the challenges of high-cost and difficulty of navigating the insurance market of the following two decades, a working group of ATA and NAFC motor carrier executives, attorneys and insurance professionals have updated this publication.

11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Economic Outlook: Road to Recovery Post-COVID

Sponsored by PrePass

(CPE Economics – 1.5 Credits)

Speakers:

Bob Costello, American Trucking Associations
Kenny Vieth, ACT Research
Mark Vitner, Wells Fargo

This panel will take a deep dive into the numbers, providing an updated look at the economy and how COVID-19 and other economic factors are affecting both the short-term and long-term outlook for the industry. The speakers will examine freight volumes, supply trends, fuel prices and explain what the current economic environment means for your business. This session will provide you with the insight you need to plan your capital expenditures for 2021.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Economics Intensive: Housing and Construction Trends

(CPE Economics – 1 Credit)

Newly added!

Ken Simonson, The Associated General Contractors of America Scholastica Coronation, National Association of Realtors
Gay Cororaton, National Association of Realtors

Construction leads to all types of truck freight, such as building materials, paint, furniture, and cement. This panel will be a great gauge of trends in this sector – how has the pandemic and resulting recession affected the construction industry? Get the outlook for general construction, including factories and energy-related fields, as well as home construction.

2:15 pm - 3:30 pm

Economics Intensive: State of American Manufacturing and Factories

Sponsored by BKD, LLP

(CPE Economics – 1.25 Credits)

Speakers:

Chad Moutray, National Association of Manufacturers
Emily Sanchez, American Chemistry Council
Timothy Gill, American Iron & Steel Institute

The manufacturing sector had just begun to recover from a mild recession when the COVID pandemic plunged them back in. As the pandemic drags on, manufacturers are at continued risk for disruption. Hear directly from the economists how factories have been adjusting to the new normal amidst the pandemic and what effect recurring outbreaks and ongoing recession will have on these sectors.

3:45 pm - 5:00 pm

Economics Intensive: Consumer and Retail Trends

Sponsored by Premier Trailer Leasing

(CPE Economics – 1.25 Credits)

Newly added!

Speakers:

Patrick Manzi, National Automobile Dealers Association
Jack Kleinhenz, National Retail Federation

Hear from the experts how consumers are spending their money right now, including how lockdowns have created new winners and losers in consumer spending – for example, consumers are spending less on travel and dining out and more on home improvements. What can we expect in 2021 as the effects of the pandemic linger and consumer habits evolve?

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

2021: Moving Past the Pandemic and Top Industry Issues

Sponsored by TrueNorth

(CPE Specialized Knowledge – 1 Credit)

Speaker:

Rebecca Brewster, ATRI

ATRI’s research has documented a number of impacts from COVID 19 but as states begin to reopen and things return to a new “normal,” what does the future look like for trucking? What have we learned from this that we can use to improve things for drivers and fleets in the future? ATRI President Rebecca Brewster will discuss trucking in the new reality. How will the top industry concerns be changed? Will new issues emerge? Brewster will discuss the results of the ATRI Top Industry Issues survey.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

NAFC Advisory Board Meeting

Invitation Only

Earn up to 20 CPE credits at NAFC’s 2020 Annual Conference and Exhibition. CPE credits offered at this conference are "Group Live Based" offerings and no prerequisites are required. NAFC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Ave North #700, Nashville, TN 32219.

Schedule is subject to change.

Conference Registration

NAFC/ATA Member

$500
Motor Carrier or State Association Employees

$800
Motor Carrier or State Association Employees
Company ALL Access*

$650
Allied

$950
Allied
Company ALL Access*

Non-Member

$650
Motor Carrier

$950
Motor Carrier
Company ALL Access*

$800
Allied

$1100
Allied
Company ALL Access*

*New for #NAFC2020:
This year, we are offering a Company All Access. If you choose to purchase this registration option, you will receive a Promo Code in your Registration Confirmation email to share with your colleagues (must be employed by the same employer). Only one registrant needs to purchase the Company All Access in order for ALL of your colleagues to attend at NO ADDITIONAL COST. The Promo Code must be entered at check out for online registration.