The proxy battle at CP Rail is unprecedented in Canadian business since it resulted in the resignation of the company’s CEO and 4 directors. It is hard to recall another proxy battle in recent history that produced such a profound and dramatic result. It is easy to discount what happened at CP Rail as the […]
Some Lessons for Senior Transportation Executives from the CP Rail Proxy Battle
Carriers and the transportation media have laid out a compelling case as to why transport companies should be receiving rate increases in 2012. As the Great Recession of the late 2000’s unfolded, shippers put significant pressure on their carriers to roll back their rates. For many carriers, rates have not returned to pre-recession levels. The […]
How should Shippers Manage Carrier Fuel Surcharges?
13 years ago
In the most recent Transportation Buying Trends Survey undertaken by Canadian Transportation & Logistics magazine, there is an interesting set of questions that pertain to fuel surcharges. Over 68% of shippers support the view that “fuel surcharges are necessary as long as fuel costs continue to be highly volatile.” Slightly less than half of the […]
A Look at the New Paradigm of Freight Transportation
13 years ago
The world of freight transportation is changing rapidly. The signs are there and they are unmistakable. Recognizing and responding effectively to these signals may help determine which shippers and carriers will survive in the years ahead. Let’s examine the components of the new paradigm of freight transportation. The Era is Cheap Oil is Over The […]
Some thoughts on the Driver Shortage Issue
13 years ago
This past week I had the opportunity to speak with some of North America’s leading truckers. Other than the “head shots” in this year’s National Hockey League playoffs, the other number one topic of discussion on everyone’s mind is the issue of driver shortages. I also had an opportunity to read what the Canadian Trucking […]
How to Successfully Buy and Sell Trucking Companies
13 years ago
At a recent Driving for Profit Seminar in Toronto, Lou Smyrlis, Editorial Director of Canadian Transportation & Logistics Magazine, led two trucking company investment advisors, Doug Nix, Vice Chairman of Corporate Finance Associates and Doug Davis, Independent Director, Pro-Trans Ventures Inc. through a discussion of how to buy and sell trucking companies in 2012. Here […]
Two experts in trucking company acquisitions predicted this week that we are in store for an upswing in industry consolidation in 2012. This was one of the highlights of the Driving for Profit event that was held in Mississauga this past week. Lou Smyrlis, Editorial Director of Canadian Transportation & Logistics interviewed two gentlemen who […]
As the cost of diesel fuel hovers around $4.00 a gallon in the United States and $1.30 a liter in Canada, trucking companies (and politicians) are again focusing on strategies to control energy costs that have risen forty percent since 2010. President Barack Obama firmly defended his record on oil drilling last week and ordered the […]
How to Improve the Hiring Process
13 years ago
Last weekend I was struck by an interview on leadership lessons in The New York Times. It appeared in the “Corner Office” column of the Sunday Business section. The interview was conducted with Tracy Matura, general manager of the Smart car division of Mercedes-Benz USA. During the interview, Tracy was asked a question about what […]
For the past several years I have been a participant in and fan of LinkedIn. It is an amazing social media tool for business. Recently I have joined and studied the discussions in a variety of LinkedIn freight transportation groups. There are many of them available to transportation professionals. Some deal with LTL freight, procurement, […]
