Bob Voltmann and Jeff Tucker, president and chairman of TIA respectively, recently addressed an industry group in logistics to address the key issues affecting our industry over the next one to three years. They rightly cited risks for those players who don't invest, and opportunities for those that do. At Executive Freight, we see many of the issues they highlighted on the ground every day:
- Regulation: Tucker and Voltmann cite a few key risks of possible regulation, not the least of which is the Obama administration's lean toward doubling the overtime threshold. They rightly point out that these unknowns will continue to keep the industry in limbo in terms of how to prepare for changes in the landscape that will require us all to remain adaptive. As a member of TIA, we fully support their lobbying efforts and those of other organizations like the Chamber of Commerce to stem the effects of unintended consequences of harmful legislation and mandates.
- Driver talent: Talent in any industry is always pivotal, and trucking in no exception. Experienced, qualified, and conscientious drivers make all the difference. Over the years, we have seen ups and downs in availability of professional talent. In recent years, we see the best talent moving to opportunities to either work with smaller carriers with more perks and flexibility, or on their own to capitalize on opportunities for more independence. We strongly believe that to be successful, shippers have to stay connected to this evolving talent pool. This will be especially true in coming years as the logistics pattern shifts with increasing volumes of same-day delivery, which will require new and different approaches to both distribution strategies/density, as well as local delivery.
- Technology: Tucker makes a strong point that those in our industry who don't embrace technology shifts to drive more quality and efficiency should be weeded out from the pack He also notes that technological change has to come to the carrier qualification process, or else the industry will face bigger risks. We believe that technology shifts to 100% paperless qualification and processing are essential to ensuring the highest levels of quality. Straight-through processing of carrier qualification and downstream load processing is a must for the future. Those who haven't started down that adoption path are already behind the curve.
We believe in the fundamental professionalism and adaptability of our industry as a whole...we've seen change shape positive improvements over the past 15 years. If you're in this business for the long haul, you have to adopt a philosophy that welcomes change, embraces technology, and participates actively in shaping regulations and mandates. If you'd like to learn more about how we do that at Executive Freight, or if you'd just like to chat more about these topics, send us a note or give us a call.
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Keep on trucking!