FSA recaps 70th Annual Food Shippers Conference, addressing supply chain, AI, and fraud
Key takeaways
- A key theme of the FSA conference was the value of networking and collaboration among shippers, carriers, and logistics partners.
- Sessions at FSA emphasized how generative AI can boost fleet efficiency in routing, documentation, and freight planning.
- FSA experts emphasized the use of digital tools for compliance and partner verification to reduce fraud and cargo theft risks.
With the current state of the economy, the food industry is currently navigating a complex landscape of supply chain challenges that are impacting production, sourcing, logistics, and distribution of food materials, ingredients, and products.
The 70th Annual Food Shippers of America Conference took place March 1-3, at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida. More than 1,300 supply chain professionals and providers in the food industry attended with the goal to learn, collaborate, and network.
“This year's conference brings together the food supply chain industry where meaningful collaboration, sharing of best practices, and peer-to-peer networking happen,” Darica Schneider, FSA president and senior director of transportation operations for Univar Solutions, said.
The conference featured sessions on the economy, freight market trends, artificial intelligence, collaboration between shippers and providers, fraud, cargo theft, and key challenges facing trucking. Attendees also participated in networking events, from golf tournaments to receptions and panel discussions, strengthening relationships and exchanging operational insights.
Educational highlights included keynote presentations from Bill Cowher on culture, accountability, and teamwork, and Eric Starks on economic and transportation risks. Discussions also explored “premium” vs. average service considerations, carrier onboarding, and best practices for building strong, collaborative supply chain partnerships.
