SC&RA Event Highlights Innovation, Insights and Trends

The Specialized Transportation Symposium (STS) opened its doors to 598 of its members (152 of those first-time attendees), in Charlotte, North Carolina, in February, kicking off multiple meetings of state transportation officials and concurrent conference tracks on safety operations.

By all accounts, the event was a success, not only because of the attendance (and new exhibitors to the event), but more importantly, because of the conversations it created.

Industry Leaders Address Key Challenges 

For more than 75 years, the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) has provided education for heavy haulers across the oversize/overweight (OS/OW) spectrum, with the symposium as the first stop of the year to learn from experts, have one-on-one conversations with state regulators and get the latest ideas, products and solutions from industry peers.

“The Symposium truly offers something for everyone in the transportation industry,” said Chris Smith, SC&RA vice president, transportation.

“From owner-operators and safety leaders to permitting specialists and beyond, this year’s event was packed with opportunities to engage, learn and find inspiration. Every year, attendees walk away from STS with fresh insights that turn immediate challenges into lasting success for their businesses.”

Jerry Rothwell, director of sales North America Transport Technology for Goldhofer, Inc., agreed.

“The 2025 SC&RA Transportation Symposium has provided industry leading education for all aspects of specialized transport. We gain valuable insight from the people that do the work every day,” he said.

Unique to the event this year was an opportunity for attendees to meet individually with any of the 27 state department of transportation permitting officials that were onsite.

In addition, members networked with top operations managers, safety directors, pilot car professionals, permitting officials, law enforcement and state and federal officials, as well as browsed the 49 vendor booths that had the best and the brightest of their products on display.

“The Exhibit Hall always provides the best opportunity to share with attendees what is new and ask how we can help provide solutions customers are asking for. The voice of our industry speaks here. Everyone is welcoming and ready to share their knowledge. If you are not a member I recommend you join. If you are a member and haven’t attended a meeting: You are missing out!” enthused Rothwell.

“And that’s a wrap on the 2025 Transportation Symposium in chilly, but beautiful Charlotte NC!” touted a social media post on its timeline by WCS Permits. “What an amazing show connecting with industry leaders and sharing innovative ideas. A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth. Until next time!”

Next-Gen Workforce: Attracting Young Talent

From an educational perspective, Smith said one of the hottest topics of the event was the seminar on how to attract and retain next gen workers, drawing in 120 members that wanted to hear what speaker Lindsey Trent, co-founder and president of Next Generation in Trucking Association, had to say. For those that were able to get a seat, they got an earful on best practices for recruitment, retention and managing a diverse workforce.

“For trucking to thrive in the years ahead, attracting young people will be critical,” Trent said. “Young people need to see a career path and where it can lead in trucking.”

Market Forecast Highlights 2025 Trends

Another session of interest was the “2025 Specialized Transportation Market Forecast,” with panelists providing in-depth analysis and opinion on the state of the economy as well as 2025 trends for the OS/OW industry, customer markets and equipment.

“As soon as you start worrying about tariffs, for example, policy changes. As soon as you worry about the economy, a shift happens,” said Smith. “So, it’s not that there’s one thing good, bad or otherwise, it’s just that the Washington aspect is unpredictable enough that it’s keeping everyone on their toes.”

At the heart of it, Smith said any industry thrives on predictability and “unpredictability is the environment we’re in right now.”

Looking Ahead to Next Year and Beyond

According to Smith, one dynamic that SC&RA will continue to advocate for is dialog between its members and law enforcement.

“Throughout the rest of this year, moving forward is really [about] ramping up our advocacy and communications with the law enforcement of the industry,” said Smith.

While trucking and law enforcement share a (begrudging) understanding – if not mutual respect – for each other’s roles, Smith believes there is room to strengthen these essential relationships.

“It’s not always about fighting a ticket. It’s not always complaining about law enforcement,” he said.

“There’s some genuine opportunities for dialogue and mutual learning. So thematically speaking, enforcement and enforcement education is going to remain a big thing, and I would say next year in Birmingham is going to be a good time to benchmark that.”