Ohio’s Freight and Mobility Sector Is Moving from Pilot to Practice
Three recent conferences show EASE and others turning years of planning into active deployment across the state
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DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ohio’s freight and mobility sector has spent years building the infrastructure, partnerships and pilot programs for automated and connected transportation. Three conferences this year showed that work is moving into practice. Abbi Failla, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief of Staff to the CEO at EASE Logistics (EASE), a full-service third-party and fourth-party logistics provider, participated in all three and says the shift is now visible across the state.
“A few years ago, most of this was still theoretical,” said Abbi Failla, CAO & CoS, EASE Logistics. “Now you can watch it happen. The technology is running, the partnerships are in place, and the state’s freight network is going to grow because of it.”
The first, the Logistics & Freight Innovation Convening at the Automotive & Mobility Innovation Center (AMIC) in Marysville, brought together the range of active deployments driving that growth. DriveOhio, the mobility initiative housed within the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), gave a statewide view that included Joby Aviation’s air mobility work, Avride’s autonomous campus delivery with Ohio State and EASE’s own Level 4 autonomous freight operation with Einride. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) discussed a new regional freight plan through its Central Ohio Freight Advisory Committee, and Craig Kavicky of Lextant spoke to AMIC’s role as a hub for commercializing new transportation technology including the work Lextant is doing innovating the human experience .
“What struck me at the convening was the range,” Failla said. “Air mobility, campus delivery, freight, and none of it five years out, it’s happening now. That’s a lot of ground covered in a short time.”
Not long after, The Beta District’s Ohio’s Future of Mobility Conference turned that planning into working demonstrations. EASE and Einride showed their autonomous electric freight shuttle alongside the Transportation Research Center’s connected vehicle technology, Dexa’s autonomous delivery drone and ODOT’s own robotic infrastructure inspector, nicknamed Brutus. The event made a case that Ohio isn’t just planning for autonomous transportation, it’s actively testing and running it.
The Ohio Conference on Freight, hosted by MORPC and the Ohio Association of Regional Councils (OARC), connected that momentum to the state’s broader economy. More than 300 freight, supply chain and public sector leaders discussed how Ohio’s advantage increasingly comes from its multimodal network, rail, air, maritime and road working together, rather than any single mode. Failla joined DriveOhio’s Andrew Bremer and George McCue of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) on a panel about freight automation across the Midwest.
“Every one of these events pointed to the same thing: this industry is scaling faster than people outside it realize, big things are happening in Ohio” Failla said. “The one piece that has to scale with it is the workforce. Ohio’s built the infrastructure, now it needs the people to run it.”
The Ohio Supply Chain Academic Network (O-SCAN) reinforced workforce development as a key priority at both events. As chair of O-SCAN’s Workforce & Education Committee, Failla is helping bridge education and industry to strengthen Ohio’s supply chain talent pipeline. For EASE, these conversations create opportunities to connect with emerging talent and build the skilled workforce needed to support continued growth and innovation. For more on EASE Logistics, visit easelogistics.com.
About EASE Logistics
EASE Logistics is one of the largest privately held logistics companies in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2014 by Peter Coratola Jr., EASE has grown into a nationally recognized logistics provider known for its innovation, service and proprietary technology. The company is an eight-time Inc. 5000 honoree and was named the No. 1 transportation company on Fortune’s 2023 list of America’s Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit www.easelogistics.com.
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