Federal Maritime Commission and Surface Transportation Board members will speak March 14

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Commissioner Max Vekich and Michelle Schultz, with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), are confirmed to speak at Transportation Go! on March 14  in Toledo, Ohio. Hosted by the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA), Transportation Go! is the premier conference for soybean and grain transportation and trade issues in the Upper Midwest.

Serving on FMC since 2022, Commissioner Vekich has been invited to discuss FMC’s implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and other initiatives. Schultz, who was sworn into STB in Jan. 2021 and served as vice chair from 2022-2023, will address STB priorities and initiatives to increase competition and options for railroad service for agriculture shippers, including connectivity improvements among Class I railroads, regional and short line railroads and intermodal service.

“We can’t build the future of transportation and agriculture without these federal organizations helping us,” said SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg. “We look forward to welcoming Commissioner Vekich and Member Schultz to Toledo.”

Transportation Go! will take place March 13-14 at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel in Toledo, Ohio. Early bird pricing is available through Jan. 31 and special hotel rates are available through Feb. 26. Transportation from the Detroit Metro Airport to the event venue is being offered for $95 per attendee. Learn more and register today at transportationgo.com.

Transportation Go! will provide the opportunity for in-depth discussions about the global supply chain and how it affects the vital movement of agricultural products both domestically and around the world.  Attendees will be able to weigh in on solution-seeking ideas and identify priorities. Besides presentations from Vekich and Schultz, Transportation Go! will feature a robust agenda with discussion topics including heavyweight corridors in trucking, logistics for small-medium sized businesses and hiring the next generation of transportation employees.

“I am going to Toledo so I can attend the SSGA Annual Meeting and Transportation Go! all in the same visit,” says Chuck Kunisch, SSGA board member from Michigan Agricultural Commodities (MAC). “I also need to meet with federal officials to help our business in the uncertain transportation environment MAC works within. In Michigan, we’re on a peninsula so we rely on our transportation options to move our products around the country and the world. Discussions at these events help relay our concerns and opportunities.”

SSGA’s annual meeting will be held March 12 at the same venue. The annual meeting will reflect on the successes from the past year and look ahead to the future. Board of Directors elections will be held, and the annual SSGA Alliance Honors will be presented at the meeting. The annual meeting is free for members, but pre-registration is requested. Non-members can register for $55.