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Anthony Levandowski, the co-founder of Otto, has been confirmed as a panelist at American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition  next week in Las Vegas.

In putting this issue together, we didn’t know whether to oooh and ahhh like children watching a Harry Potter movie or reach for antacids like baby boomers with heartburn. Engineers are weaving computer capability into vehicles in a way that seems like wizardry coming soon, while this year’s freight market continues to offer disappointment with no signs of yielding.

Operators of corporate-owned truck fleets are facing pressure to keep up with a growing number of regulations while also dealing with legal and business issues that go well beyond the traditional realm of equipment maintenance and driver management.

To readers of Transport Topics, the plight of the industry’s truck drivers is well-known. It requires a unique commitment to be away from home and travel over congested highways while complying with more and more regulatory demands.

A few weeks ago, I was on a conference call organized by a transportation industry association. Invited on the call were woman- owned trucking companies gathered to address a Small Business Administration proposed rule change. After the call, a few people contacted me to ask why some on the call were not certified women- owned businesses nor certified Women-Owned Small Business.