Finding solutions through collaboration
A lot has changed since I joined the industry in the 1970s – the heyday decade of trucking culture. In 1980, deregulation changed the game, bringing with it more trucks, lower costs and greater competition. More than 30 years later, our vehicles have become more sophisticated, driver shortages are skyrocketing, and the cost of doing business is rising across the board – from salaries to fuel, equipment to maintenance, and highway tolls to insurance and beyond.
As the owner of one of the more than 1,000,000 small fleets in North America, I know firsthand how hard these challenges are hitting our industry. Just as new technologies are emerging to enhance fleet performance, we too, as small fleet owners, must innovate to keep our fleets sustainable. While we have made strides to improve conditions for drivers, reduce truck emissions, and increase productivity, we need to do more.
We can start by renewing our efforts to create safe work conditions for women drivers and finding new ways to allow drivers to sleep at home with their families while keeping trucks filled with freight and en route for delivery. To do so, we would be wise to take a look back at what worked in the past, when trucking was as ingrained in North American culture as football and hockey. By applying the technologies and knowledge we have at our fingertips today, we can improve systems and processes.
One thing is for sure – what we’ve been doing for the past 30 years does not work today. This is why I invite you to join me at the NACV Show in Atlanta, Oct. 28-31, for a cross-industry dialogue on the future of fleets, best practice sharing for business owners and managers, and brainstorming solutions to challenges such as these.
I believe that by working together, we can and will discover solutions that benefit us all.
Chuck Snow
President & CEO of Traffix
Chuck Snow is the Founder, President & CEO of TRAFFIX, a third-party logistics solutions company serving North America. The company is recognized as one of TRANSPORT TOPICS Top 50 Freight Brokers for 2019. Come meet Chuck at the NACV Show Oct. 28 – 31 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta; be sure to visit him at Traffix’s Booth #5966.
This article was sponsored by the North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV Show). For more information, please visit our website at www.nacvshow.com
