Looking Back at Transparency 18 — The Future of Freight
Following an eventful #BlockchainWeekNYC, the Fr8 Network team flew to Atlanta, Georgia to attend and present at Transparency 18. We were pleased to have CEO Sloane Brakeville and Director of Engineering Barry Glasco showcase our end-to-end shipping solution — a working MVP that is live on the Ethereum blockchain, with transactions verifiable through Etherscan (something few blockchain companies are able to prove). See our live demo:
Event Breakdown
Transparency 18 reeled in some of the most prominent players in the freight logistics space and was bustling with innovative product demos and profound discussions on the future of the industry. Sponsored by BiTA (Blockchain in Transportation Alliance) and organized by trucking markets media publication FreightWaves, this two-day conference established itself as the first official blockchain in freight conference.
BiTA is a consortium of experienced tech and transportation executives, of which Fr8 Network is proud to be a part, created with the intention of bringing together leading companies in the freight technology industries that have a vested interest in the development of blockchain technology to collaborate and grow together.
From conversations our team had with the other attendees and presenters, the general consensus was that the event was not only well-organized (shout-out to FreightWaves CMO Lisa McGinty and her team for a job well-done) but the format allowed for an easily digestible Demo Day (exactly 7-minutes for each company to showcase a live, working demo of its products — no PowerPoint or finesse allowed).
The Fr8 team received tremendous feedback regarding the lack of standards and standards adoption in the freight and general logistics industries, as well as the incredible and urgent need for them moving forward.
As technological advancements continue to overhaul the logistics industry at large, we were happy to see guests — both beginners and experts alike, gain a deeper understanding of how blockchain solutions propel different industries, including supply chains into unprecedented heights of efficiency, safety and value.
Exponential Efficiency and Safety
A total of 862 attendees witnessed live demos from 35 organizations working to disrupt the global logistics space with proprietary technology. In attendance were a wide variety of industry members — ranging from carriers to freight factoring companies, freight brokerage firms, to 3PLs.
While the conference was not explicitly focused on the relationship between blockchain technology and supply chain, there were several demos, including our own, that presented the infinite potential of blockchain implementation to diminish waste, eliminate fraud, and increase efficiency and safety.
“As far as logistics use cases go, I think it’s a perfect application of this technology.” -Sloane Brakeville, Fr8 Network CEO.
The Need for Industry-wide Cooperation
From what we gathered in speaking with blockchain upstarts and freight leaders, it’s clear that different players within the logistics ecosystem are seriously considering the benefits of blockchain technology and are eager to on ramp data to a working product, even if just for testing purposes. However, the lack of standards and consensus within the industry are hindering mass adoption.
We, as a team, know that the value of running a logistics system on technology that prioritizes transparency and widespread accessibility means that everyone involved in supply chain logistics (from brokers to drivers to shop operations managers) have the opportunity establish increased agency. Knowledge is power, and the implementation of blockchain technology democratizes knowledge and brings new opportunity for every individual component to find ways to better work together.
We left Transparency 18 feeling invigorated by both the direction of the industry and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received on Fr8 Network. We’re looking forward to hitting the road again and participating in more blockchain and logistics events. See our highlight video:
