Riverside, Missouri:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) held its second annual WorkForce Builders Conference (WFBCON) in conjunction with its 8th Annual Open Deck Division Meeting and 23rd Annual Independent Contractor Division Meeting.

At WFBCON, more than 125 representatives from truckload carriers, schools, and industry service providers gathered to earn credits toward certificates and certifications within Truckload Academy’s Accreditation Program, and to listen to speakers discuss how to continually support the industry’s workforce.

“Hearing from other carrier members, and industry players with such diverse experiences and fresh thoughts, makes WFBCON quite beneficial,” says Shelley Mundy, director, recruiting and retention at Cargo Transporters, Inc., and the chairman of TCA’s Recruitment & Retention Human Resources Committee.

This year’s WFBCON was the first since Driver iQ became the Accreditation Program sponsor. “Driver iQ salutes TCA and supports its efforts with the WorkForce Builders Conference 110%,” said Billie Lee, co-president of Driver iQ. “More importantly, we urge the industry to take a look at the Accreditation Program, which includes training in human resources, recruitment, retention, and fleet management.”

WFBCON’s opening general session keynote speaker was Scott Steinberg, CEO of TechSavvy Global, a management consulting and market research firm. He discussed innovations in transportation-related technology such as autonomous vehicles, Uber, and Lyft, and how these evolving technologies will redefine jobs.

The closing general session keynote speaker was FBI Supervisory Special Agent Darren Holtz, who shared best practices for dealing with cyber threats. Holtz manages the cyber program for the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office, and his work with critical security issues provided him with an insider’s perspective of the dangers of ransomware attacks in our ever-increasingly digital workplaces.

“Often when we think about the workforce, we rightfully think about the people who make up our teams,” said John Lyboldt, TCA president. “These forward-thinking speakers made it clear that our ability to manage our teams in the digital age isn’t as simple as employing the latest technology, but rather, using it to invest in developing our key personnel, and in turn, advancing our industry as a whole.”

TCA’s leadership is already discussing ideas for next year’s WFBCON. To keep informed of upcoming plans, visit www.GrowYourWorkforce.com and follow @WFBCON on Twitter.