4 DC VELOCITY MARCH 2014 www.dcvelocity.com inbound

Saddle Creek Logistics Services says its “Great American Green Ride” is the first cross-country journey by a for-hire, compressed natural gas (CNG) truck. The truck departed from Saddle Creek’s Lakeland, Fla., headquarters on Friday, Feb. 14, for a trip to San Diego and back. On the way, it made deliveries for Procter & Gamble and Lowe’s. While in San Diego, it was displayed at Saddle Creek’s booth at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Retail Supply Chain Conference.

“In the course of this 5,800-mile round trip, the truck will reduce its carbon emissions by 7,656 pounds—more than a pound a mile,” Saddle Creek Transportation President Mike DelBovo said before the truck set out from Florida.

The Freightliner Cascadia Evolution Class 8 rig is part of Saddle Creek’s fleet of more than 140 CNG tractors. The truck can travel up to 600 miles on one fueling, the company said.

Cross-country CNG journey is a first

Spring is always a busy travel season for logistics professionals. This year is no exception. In April, DC VELOCITY editors will be fanning out to attend a number of conferences and expos. Look for us in the audience and on the podium at the following events:

; The Northeast Trade and Transportation Conference sponsored by the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT), April 1–3 in Newport, R.I., will feature presentations by recognized experts on changes in customs policies, updates on port labor and ocean freight contracts, and much more. Senior Editor Toby Gooley will moderate a panel on the impact of e-commerce on logistics. (www. conect.org)

; NASSTRAC’s Shippers Conference & Transportation Expo, April 13–16 in Orlando, Fla., will include updates on legislative and regulatory issues from NASSTRAC General Counsel John Cutler, interactive “learning labs,” and educational sessions on the day’s hot transportation topics. More than 100 exhibitors will be at the concurrent trade show. Group Editorial Director Mitch Mac Donald will moderate one of the educational sessions. ( www.nasstrac.org)

; The National Logistics & Distribution Conference, produced by Peach State, is a thought leadership forum where supply chain executives share best practices. Presenters at the event, scheduled for April 14–16 in Atlanta, will include executives from Wet Seal, Office Depot, BNSF Railway, and Eddie Bauer. Editorial Director Peter Bradley will participate in a session on supply chain megatrends. (nldcinfo. com)

; The Warehousing Education and Research Council’s WERC 2014 Conference and WIRE Trade Show is slated for April 27–30 in Chicago. Sessions will address high-level concerns like the new U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling and Logistics as well as practical matters like warehouse safety and distribution center design, among others. Peter Bradley will be speaking with Dr. Karl Manrodt of Georgia Southern University on the results of the 2014 DC VELOCITY/WERC Metrics Study. (www. werc.org)

DCV editors to take the
stage at spring conferences

It’s not every day that you land an interview with Lee Scott, former president and CEO of Walmart Stores. But we did, and we’re proud to be able to share this influential executive’s thoughts with DC VELOCITY’S readers. Scott— who began his Walmart career as assistant director of the private truck fleet and worked his way up through the retailer’s logistics organization—is the subject of this month’s “Thought Leader” Q&A. He’ll also take the stage with DCV Group Editorial Director Mitch Mac Donald in Atlanta later this month at the Modex trade show.

What Scott had to say was both thought-provoking and timely. But space limitations prevent us from running the full interview in print. Never fear, though—you can read an extended version online. The Web-exclusive version includes everything in the print version, plus his comments on such topics as the challenges of managing a global operation for the world’s biggest retailer, his rise from transportation manager to CEO, and his take on how technology will change logistics. Read it at www. dcvelocity.com/LeeScott.