Here is a quiz for sustainability executives. How can you save money while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 20%? The answer: run your transportation fleet on CNG or LNG fuel. Companies with private fleets and contracted fleets can enjoy the savings of CNG and LNG while doing their part for sustainability and environmental stewardship.... Read More

There always seems to be some "expert" or "guru" proclaiming they know the best and newest way to profitability, employee retention, or how to get another 15 miles out of a tank of fuel.

I will be the first to point out that industry issues need to be addressed and information disseminated for the benefit of everyone. This is part of what I do, and the lack of current and up to date information about industry issues can be scary.... Read More

Part V: A Call to Action

Using Labor Efficiency to Master the Next Trucking Frontier

You get what you measure. Surprisingly, although fleets track time and delivery, they seldom have a method of measuring, or understanding, how the actions of the labor force directly influence profitability. Now that customers have squeezed productivity from their supply chains, fleets are looking for ways to further increase competitiveness. Identifying ways to help the workforce become more productive affords that next big opportunity.... Read More

About a month ago I attended a safety conference for the NPTC. It was a great conference, great speakers, and a great opportunity to see a lot of familiar faces. While attending, I had the opportunity to listen to a DOT representative state categorically that CSA 2010 will not, nor was it ever designed to, put drivers out of a job. WHEW!!! Everybody in the room was visibly relieved that all the scary stuff they'd been hearing was false and that the scoring and violations would NOT create the next big driver shortage.... 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

Part I

A sound measurement framework is something every successful fleet operation would like to have. Yet today, most measurement systems focus on asset utilization or production as measurement of revenue per mile. Most fleets measure time and mileage carefully, but beyond that, few have a method for understanding the effective use of their workforce.... Read More

Many companies encourage their employees to report any “near misses” they experience while driving. I hate the phrase “near miss”. Doesn't “near miss” mean they almost missed and therefore did hit? For that reason, I'm going to use “near collision” instead of “near miss”. By getting employees to report close calls, the belief is that identification and discussion of these incidents can help to improve driving performance and reduce future collision potential.... Read More

Education

There's a hole in our collective boat and we're doing little more than bailing. The trucking industry continues to fight record turnover rates, leaving companies scrambling to cover lost productivity while they recruit and re-train new drivers as fast as they leave. For larger carriers, it has become a revolving door effect. ... Read More

You've probably heard from your fellow truckers that not everyone has the same experience when running biodiesel. Many truckers and fleets across the country use biodiesel every day with excellent results. However, what blend you buy and where you buy it could affect your results. Buying from reputable truck stops and using a 20% blend of biodiesel (B20) or below should provide a good outcome. The national quality standards program, BQ-9000, provides biodiesel producers and distributors with quality standards, procedures, and tests that when followed ensure the purchasers are getting ASTM specification fuel.... Read More