Rick Geller had an instantly recognizable baritone that announced his presence. And it was a familiar presence at the many trucking industry events where we crossed paths.

It’s where he would hold court on a variety of topics, usually in the realms of risk services, insurance, and fleet safety, which became his forte during more than three decades in the transportation and insurance game.

We remained connected for many years thanks to such meetings, as the names and titles shifted on our respective name tags. (Did he even need one? He always seemed to know everybody.) And we always found time to huddle together to discuss topics of the day whenever we crossed paths. Sometimes we even focused on trucking.

Now he’s gone.

News of his passing came in a brief text message. His illness was short. The news was sudden. So, we are left to remember him.

“Rick will be remembered for his propensity for cooking bacon. Although time consuming, resulted in a perfect crisp and flat slice,” his obituary notes. “His culinary skills were keen, knowing the proper ratio of chocolate milk to white milk was crucial. Rick could taste test ketchups and always knew which one was Heinz. He put that stuff on everything.

“With his 6’2” frame and sharp wit he could sometimes be heard declaring it’s a ‘moot point’, and most times it was. Rick’s sense of humor and crossword expertise will be missed by those who knew and loved him.”

I never talked to Rick about crossword puzzles, but we both reached for bacon at many of the same conference center breakfast buffets.

A continuous conversation

We had the kind of relationship that is a staple of industry networking events where, when you’re lucky enough, the lines between business and personal connections begin to blur. It’s the point where separate discussions morph into a continuous conversation rather than a series of disparate chats.

I like to think we both took something from our ongoing conversation, as we formed and debated topics like driver training, telematics, insurance, and the different ways to identify and reform high-risk drivers. He was particularly passionate about the latter issue.

In days of busy schedules and tight budgets, it is all too easy to dismiss such networking events as discretionary entries in a calendar; something to skip if the week looks too busy. To compound matters, the aging members of such groups bemoan the fact that their younger peers show little interest in joining such events in the first place. That’s a particularly concerning reality for any membership-driven group that fails to expand beyond the same, familiar name tags.

But face-to-face connections with peers beyond the walls marked by our individual businesses will always make a difference. They give us the chance to draw from the broader views and experiences of those who generously share their time.

Benefits of membership

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), itself supported by the American Trucking Associations, has even unveiled research suggesting that the motor carriers active in state and national trucking associations are safer than former association members and carriers who have never belonged to such groups.

There are plenty of underlying factors that could play a role in such findings, of course. Are businesses that join such groups simply better financed than those who don’t? Are they drawing direct benefits from educational opportunities? Are they more likely to be led by the most experienced industry veterans?

Maybe it’s because members of their teams have the chance to draw upon lasting relationships and ongoing conversations with their peers.

It’s the type of thing Rick and I would discuss and debate. I’ll miss that.