Overview
Inaugural SMC³ Loss Prevention Conference a Big Hit with Claims Professionals
The three-day inaugural SMC³ Loss Prevention Conference held last week at the Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel provided over 100 claims professionals from the U.S. transportation industry with educational sessions to help them develop strategies, techniques and best practices for preventing and resolving key freight loss and damage claims issues.
“SMC³ developed this latest addition to our conferences and seminars to provide attendees, including former members of the Loss Prevention Conference (LPC) industry association, with high-quality educational content,” said John Rader, SMC³ director of industry and educational services. “SMC³ is building on the former association’s strong foundation of education and networking,” he added. “Anyone involved in loss prevention, whether they represent a carrier, shipper or 3PL, benefited from this new SMC³ event, which we developed in collaboration with former association board members to ensure a premier loss prevention education event.”
Janet Prince, vice president of Krauter & Company LLC said of her conference experience, “I have attended many seminars and conferences where the topics do not really apply to the everyday problems and questions the industry faces. This conference was very on-target to the industry issues. The participation and interaction of the audience was exceptional.” Added Ed Caldwell, claims mitigator for Translogistics Inc., “I came to this conference with specific questions concerning concealed freight, consequential damage and partial damage shipments. I had all my questions answered.”
Event topics included concealed damages, drop trailer liability, processing cargo claims, a released rate update, understanding recoverable damages, and OS&D. Special sessions included a claims liability workshop and a claims legal update. Interactive small-group discussions and Q&A sessions addressed specific techniques for identifying workable prevention solutions and implementing an effective prevention program. To add value for attendees, SMC³ partnered with the Certified Claims Professional Accreditation Council (CCPAC) to offer the CCP Primer Course prior to the conference and the CCP Exam immediately following the conference. Finally, all conference attendees were eligible to receive 13.25 CCPAC credits.
Michael Corriher, regional manager of terminal quality improvement for Estes Express Lines shared his impressions of the event: “This conference opened my eyes to the differences between carriers and shippers regarding how we look at liability toward freight claims,” he said.
“Everything you learn in this conference can be used to run your claims department more efficiently and will benefit your company as a whole,” concluded Michele Johnson, of Allstates World Cargo’s claims department.