On September 22-23, 2008, the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute (SCL) partnered with Schneider National Inc. to organize their fourth co-hosted Transportation Productivity Summit. The purpose of the summit was to respond to the volatility in fuel prices and the need to conserve.

The two-day summit brought together shippers, carriers, suppliers, and regulators in an open dialog to discuss ways to conserve fuel, improve efficiencies and build more sustainable supply chains.

"This Symposium brought together some of the best thought leaders to discuss a strategically important issue for our country and for the supply chain business community - fuel conservation and management,* said SCL Managing Director Harvey Donaldson. "I was impressed with the amount of innovation and resources that both carriers and shippers are devoting to reducing the size and weight of shipments, eliminating miles from their transportation networks and reducing fuel consumption through more efficient engines and more aerodynamic vehicles.*

Industry partnerships such as this one are an important element to SCL's and the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering's missions * to serve as a center for new knowledge and innovation in supply chain engineering and management.

"The Symposium helps our faculty and students keep up-to-date with real world issues and the challenges in the industry,* said Chelsea C. White III, Stewart School Chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Schneider National Chair of Transportation and Logistics at Georgia Tech. "As a result, we are better informed about the needs, forces, and trends in the freight transportation and logistics industry and are better able to identify high impact research and development topics. We are very proud of our association with Schneider and are delighted to co-host this important thought provoking event with them.*

Since 2003, the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute has partnered with Schneider National Inc. to organize four annual Summits. Previous topics have included hours of service, port congestion, fuel conservation, and sustainability. Schneider National held two additional summits in China to focus on the important role that China plays in global supply chains. The summits are led by Christopher "Chris* B. Lofgren, President and CEO of Schneider National and Chelsea C. White II, H. Milton Stewart and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Schneider National Chair of Transportation and Logistics.