General goals
In a cooperating partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), SWTWC will facilitate a high-level panel discussion among industry organizations that are incorporating transformational technologies into the intermodal freight system and its impact on workforce development for the 2017 TRB Annual Meeting attendees.
Duration
Status: Ongoing
Anticipated Partnership Duration: October 2016 – January 2017
Timeline and Overview
Facilitated by SWTWC, the Intermodal Freight TRB Panel 476, titled “Disruption or Innovation? What Transformational Technologies Mean for the Future of Intermodal Freight?”, will host representatives from United Parcel Service (UPS), Hyperloop One, and Peloton Technology.
This panel will address the workforce challenges that intermodal freight companies will face as advancements in technology replace outdated systems – triggering both disruptions and innovations. The industry representatives will share their perspectives and experiences preparing for and implementing autonomous vehicle technology, 3D printing, drones, and hyperloop technology.
SWTWC Associate Director Tyler Reeb submitted a proposal for the Intermodal Freight Panel at the 2017 TRB Annual Meeting in October 2016, and by the end of the month, Reeb received a confirmation e-mail from Scott Brotemarkle.
SWTWC Associate Director Tyler Reeb will be the acting moderator, and the confirmed speakers from UPS, Hyperloop One, and Pelaton Technology are:
- Steve Boyd, Co-Counder for Peloton Technology;
- Dapeng Zhang, Transportation Economist for Hyperloop One; and
- Thomas Jensen, Senior Vice President of Transportation Policy at UPS.
Reeb will center the panel on the four following questions:
- What will intermodal freight look like in 10 years?
- Is the intermodal freight system in need of retooling or a major overtake?
- What intermodal freight problem is your company seeking to solve?
- How can the public sector facilitate the emergence of a world-class intermodal freight system without picking winners and losers?
On December 6, 2016, SWTWC hosted a planning session for the Intermodal Freight Panel which will be held on Monday, January 9, 2016.
Key Deliverables
- 2017 TRB Panel titled “Disruption or Innovation?”
- Speakers: Steve Boyed, Co-founder for Peloton Technology; Dapeng Zhang Transportation Economist for Hyperloop One; and Thomas Jensen, Senior Vice President of Transportation Policy at UPS.
- Data on how intermodal freight is changing
- Data on workforce development needs in response to transformational technology
Anticipated Outcomes
This partnership will result in greater understanding of how transformational technologies will trigger disruptions and innovations in the intermodal freight sector, and its impact on the transportation workforce; e.g. standard skills and competencies, recruitment, and retaining and training current and future workforce.
Contribution Analysis
- SWTWC Associate Director Tyler Reeb submitted the proposal for the Intermodal Freight Panel in October 2016.
- SWTWC Associate Director Tyler Reeb will lead and moderate the 2017 TRB Intermodal Freight Panel on January 9, 2016.
- SWTWC facilitated cooperating partnerships with Peloton Technology, Hyperloop One, and UPS to act as speakers for the 2017 TRB Intermodal Freight Panel.
- SWTWC hosted a planning session for the 2017 TRB Intermodal Freight Panel, and designed discussion questions which the panel will be centered on.
Documentation
Scott Brotemarkle (personal communication, October 28, 2016) confirmed panel schedule.