TORONTO, Ont. — Markel Insurance Company of Canada today launched ProfitDriver, a financial management software.

The new load pricing tool aims to help Canadian truckers improve their profitability and bottom line, say company officials, and is now available free of charge to all Markel customers.

ProfitDriver follows the company’s first software offering, Markel Advantage, a to help carriers manage their drivers, vehicles and other operational concerns. Used on its own or in addition to Markel Advantage, ProfitDriver gives truckers control over the financial side of their business, including revenue generation, cash flow, load pricing and collections, say officials.

“Staying profitable in business is a number one concern for trucking companies today, particularly given the tough market conditions,” said Mark Ram, Markel’s President and CEO. “To address this concern, we’ve developed a software product that gives our customers ultimate control over their bottom line.”

The software package is designed for trucking companies of all sizes, say officials. It includes four calculator modules designed to streamline the financial management functions of any trucking operation. They are:

* HaulRater Pro
A load-pricing tool that ensures accuracy and profitability in the generation of any haul quote.

* Cash Collect
A tool that allows truckers to more accurately and efficiently track their accounts receivables.

* Cash Minder
A cash flow tool that provides an accurate picture of how money is being spent and where savings can be achieved.

* Lease or Loan
A tool that calculates and compares loan versus lease payments to make appropriate financing decisions when acquiring vehicles.

Markel also released HaulRater, a load-pricing calculator free for all truckers. A Web version of ProfitDriver’s HaulRater Pro module, HaulRater allows any trucker to go online and generate a quote on a load. HaulRater is available to all truckers free of charge at www.markel.ca.

For further information on Markel ProfitDriver, HaulRater or any of Markel’s products and services, contact Laura Ranieri at 416-364-7800 X 2309 or call 1-888-MARKEL-1.