Business Tips
Allison names global marketing director
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Otto Szalavari is being promoted to a senior role in the marketing of Allison Transmissions, serving as the new managing director - global marketing. He joined the company in February as director - global marketing information and product strategy.
IN PRINT — Bulk Buyer: Don Daseke
STEINBACH, MB -- Big Freight Systems wasn't for sale. The Coleman family had been running the business since 1948, when they bought South East Transfer in Steinbach, Manitoba. Chief Executive Officer Gary Coleman was focused entirely on finding ways to grow. When a courier package arrived from Don Daseke, proposing a potential sale, he simply filed it away. But Daseke persisted. The pair met in person. And this spring Big Freight Systems became the first Canadian operation in Daseke Inc.'s expanding family of specialized, flatbed carriers. "His philosophy on business, his philosophy on people, his philosophy in terms of driving success forward through collaboration, all ran very close to me," Coleman recalls. "I got comfortable with his long-term plan." That plan is to consolidate fleets in an industry sector dominated by family-owned businesses. The Texas entrepreneur has secured more than 3,800 trucks and 8,200 trailers so far, accounting for about 1% of what Daseke estimates is a US $133 billion market. The business reported $30 million in revenue in 2009, growing to a pro forma of $869 million last year. And more acquisitions are in the works. Daseke refers to himself as an accidental trucker. He began his career as an auditor, held roles at IBM, and later built a residential real estate business that sold for US $1.7 billion. He first invested in trucking nine years ago only after a friend introduced him to Smokey Point Distributing, which specialized in aviation cargo. That became the first of today's 13 operating companies.
IN PRINT — Trucks Unplugged: Diagnostic data is on the air
One of Central Oregon Truck's T680s had already crossed into Canada this March when the news arrived: Something seemed wrong with the fuel pressure. Sensor-generated warnings are never exactly welcome news, but Pape Kenworth was able to confirm the fuel system was already due for some scheduled maintenance. It looked like the driver could complete the southern leg of the trip to Denver.
Driver shortage and the demographic cliff
Discussions about a driver shortage tend to fade away when the economy struggles, but there is no escaping the fact that Canada needs to attract a new generation of drivers. A 2016 study - Understanding the Truck Driver Demand and Supply Gap - determined that for-hire fleets will need 34,000 more drivers by 2024, many of whom will be needed to fill seats once held by drivers who retire or quit. Solutions will involve reaching out to underrepresented groups like millennials and women. In the meantime, limits on Temporary Foreign Workers have effectively eliminated another option.
Execs learn Olympian lessons at convention
TORONTO, ON - Leadership skills are universal. There are plenty of lessons to be learned outside the trucking industry itself. And in the midst of the Ontario Trucking Association's annual convention, executives had the chance to hear guidance from experts ranging from a "Dragon" to a six-time Olympic medalist.
