Following the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2026 Safety & Security meeting, held in Oklahoma City June 7-9, participants in TCA’s ELEVATE Young Leadership Program reflected on the event and what it means for the industry. The following article was co-written by Liam Conroy (TrueNorth), Marc Leggio (Greater Omaha Express), Lee Meier (CAT Scale Company), Michael Reed (Scopelitis) and Ben Rima (Cottingham & Butler).
Leaders from the transportation and logistics industry gathered in Oklahoma City in mid-June for the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2026 Safety & Security Meeting. The annual meeting offered attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas, benchmark best practices and explore the risks and opportunities shaping the future of trucking safety.
The meeting kicked off with a regulatory and legislative update from TCA’s Dave Heller before centering around a few key topics, including FMCSA priorities, evolving cargo theft schemes, litigation strategy trends and overall organizational safety culture.
While each session focused on a different aspect of fleet safety and security, core themes emerged throughout the conference.
Technology is transforming fleet safety, but people remain the differentiator.
While artificial intelligence (AI) and other new technologies are being used to enhance operations, they are only as valuable as the humans that support it. Fleets that best position themselves for improved safety performance are the fleets able to interpret their data to develop their people, build stronger relationships and achieve measurable safety improvements.
The best organizations are proactive, not reactive.
Whether discussing cargo theft, FMCSA enforcement, DOT audits, OSHA preparedness or nuclear verdicts, presenters consistently emphasized the importance of proactive risk management. Opposed to waiting for risk to expose vulnerabilities, the organizations that are best positioned to navigate the evolving challenges ahead will be the ones continuously strengthening their people, processes and systems to create a culture capable of adapting to an increasingly complex operating environment.
The trucking industry’s voice is strongest when it’s engaged.
The trucking industry’s voice is strongest when it’s engaged, and the Call on Washington gives members the unique opportunity to meet directly with policymakers, share the challenges facing fleets and drivers today, and help shape the future of the industry.
This article appeared in the September/October 2026 print edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
The Truckload Authority News Staff, comprised of award winning journalists and graphic artists, produces content for Truckload Authority, working in cooperation with the Truckload Carriers Association staff. Truckload Authority aims to keep TCA members abreast on the latest trends in the trucking industry as well as articles that feature TCA member executives and drivers. The Truckload Authority staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
