In traditional capacity models, carriers handle the heavy lifting; procuring freight from customers, obtaining licenses, filings, operating authority, liability insurance, etc. This environment is commoditized and fosters little opportunity to invest in or display value / differentiation. In all honestly, how many of your competitors have access to the same training modules, "proprietary" technologies, safety materials, etc.?... Read More

This post was written by Bill Kistner for Duff Swain and Trincon Group.

Extensive research by Michigan State University has shown that traditional hiring methods only provide a 14% likelihood of a successful hire. This means that more than eight out of ten times you will not get the right person for the job. That gives you, if you are lucky, two good drivers out of the ten you hired.... Read More

"While I take inspiration from the past,
like most Americans, I live for the future."
Ronald Reagan

As I write this column, we are between Christmas and New Year's holidays. This is a good time of year to reflect back on 2010 and to plan for 2011. Trucking in 2010 emerged from the worst and longest recession (2006 to 2009) that most anyone can remember. 2010 was a year of recovery. 2011 will be even better.... Read More

Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven…
They're all WASTED!
-The Who

Paperless logs are quickly moving into the sphere of the new normal. Most mid-size to large carriers have either implemented EOBRs (Electronic On Board Recorders) or are in the process of doing so. FMCSA auditors can now spread their resources farther through CSA 2010 to target carriers who violate Hours of Service regulations. These auditors are now armed with information that allows them to target for audit those drivers who routinely have log book problems at roadside inspections. They now audit logs to satellite positioning reports. Result… they're busted. FMCSA now routinely forces carriers with log problems to use EOBRs. Rules mandating broader use of EOBRs are moving though the FMCSA and will be published soon. Additionally, Congress has legislation pending which would require universal use of EOBRs.... Read More

This blog entry was originally posted by , VP of Government Relations and Public Affairs, Con-way Inc., on their Public Policy & Sustainability blog site.... Read More

Part Two - Lessons 7 through 12

Lesson 7

“Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink from doing so (just) because you might not like what you find.”

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it,” is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms. It's a mind-set that assumes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue tomorrow in a tidy, linear and predictable fashion. Pure fantasy. In this sort of culture, you won't find people who pro-actively take steps to solve problems as they emerge. Here's a little tip: don't invest in these companies.... Read More

Part IV: Moving from Administering Human Resources to Measuring the Workforce Investment

What Employee Optimization Can Tell Managers

Managers in the trucking industry have invested in workforce management tools, but until recently most money was spent to manage human resources from an administrative point of view. The true power of employee optimization is its ability to show cause and effect. It identifies problems that cut into profitability and shows how investments in human resources pay off.... Read More

This blog entry was originally posted by Herb Schmidt, president of Con-way Truckload, on their Public Policy & Sustainability blog site.

The driver shortage affecting the truckload industry is certainly no surprise to anyone who's paying attention. Freight volumes are starting to come back, slow but sure, which is a good thing … but it's getting tougher and tougher to find the drivers to move it. How did we get here?... Read More

“You're just like cross-town traffic
So hard to get through to you
Cross-town traffic
I don't need to run over you
Cross-town traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I'm tryin' to get on the other side of town”

Jimi Hendrix... Read More

Identifying Alternative Savings Levers

As we noted earlier, the analysis of a shipper's transportation management practices and service requirements, combined with evaluation of the carrier market, results in the detailed sourcing strategy and identification of alternative savings levers. In practice, these two tasks are performed simultaneously.... Read More