The Green Truck Summit, a longtime fixture of the Work Truck Show, promises “long-range forecasts around the latest productivity options and alternative fuel and technology implementation,” says a news release from the show organizers.
The 2020 summit takes place March 3 at JW Marriott Indianapolis, on the opening day of the Work Truck Show, which is a production of the NTEA — the Association for the Work Truck Industry.
“In recent years, the intense focus on developing more efficient and sustainable vocational truck fleets has yielded some of the most innovative green technologies and industry practices ever,” Doyle Sumrall, NTEA managing director, said in the news release. “This conference, which was introduced to the industry in 2007, has become an important forum where industry experts and fleet managers can engage in conversation about best practices, share new ideas and collaborate on potential advanced technologies that can drive fleets even further down the road toward a zero-emission transportation industry.”
The summit coincides with the show’s second annual Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference also taking place March 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Work Truck Show itself runs until March 6 at the nearby Indiana Convention Center as part of Work Truck Week.
The Green Truck Summit attracts upfitters, truck dealers, equipment distributors and fleet managers “from around the world,” the news release said.
John Davis —creator, host and executive producer of the MotorWeek TV series — will emcee the summit.
Among the summit sessions are the following …
• How Truck Technology Advances Will Impact Industry Practices — 9:30-10:45 — presented by Bill Combs, connected fleet director with Penske Truck Leasing; Nick Rini, director of engineering with Freightliner Custom Chassis; Rick Sapienza, director of the Clean Transportation Program at the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center; and a representative from an original equipment manufacturer.
• Meeting Program Sustainability Targets: Successes and Challenges of New Equipment Offerings — 11 a.m.- noon — featuring Todd Carlson, principal manager of fleet asset management with Southern California Edison; and Bill Van Amburg, executive vice-president of CalStart.
• Achieving Legacy Fleet Sustainability — 1:30-2:30 p.m. — featuring Erin Gilchrist, fleet director with Safelite AutoGlass; and Joseph Moser II, fleet manager with Commonwealth Edison.
• Alt Fuels and Technology: Evolution Toward Zero Emissions — 2:30-3:45 p.m. — presented by Michael Berube, acting deputy assistant secretary for transportation in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy with the U.S. Department of Transportation; Michael McDonald, director of sustainability and government affairs with UPS; and Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council.
• Powering Electric Drive: Batteries or Fuel Cells? — 4-5 p.m. — featuring Elizabeth Fretheim, head of business development with Nikola Motor Company; and Abas Goodarzi, president and CEO of US Hybrid.
The Green Truck Summit conference and trade show registration package is required. The summit also includes lunch. The event wraps up with a summit reception from 5 to 6 p.m.
For more information, visit www.worktruckshow.com/greentrucksummit.