2011 Carrier Workshop Will Focus on Understanding Shipper Needs and Best Practices

On May 25, Dan Goodwill & Associates and the Business Information Group will co-host its third annual Transportation Company Workshop at the Capital Banquet Centre in Toronto.   The theme of this year’s conference is “Revitalizing your Transportation Business in an era of Economic Uncertainty and Social Change”.

As we begin the second quarter of 2011, there are a range of forces at play that are having an impact on the Canadian transportation industry. The economic recovery is being influenced by the turmoil in the Middle East that is pushing diesel fuel prices to $110 U.S. a barrel, a surging Canadian dollar that is now in the $1.04 U.S. range and by the growing importance of social media and new technology. The conference has been structured to help gain a better understanding of the impacts of these and other forces.

For the third consecutive year, the lead-off speaker will be Carlos Gomes, Senior Economist at Scotiabank, who will share his insights on the where the economy is going and what are the implications for the transportation industry. Carlos will be followed by Lee Palmer, President and Creative Director of Palmer Marketing. Lee will provide a “need to know” overview of B2B web marketing illustrated through real world examples from specialists serving the transportation industry. He will draw upon his many years of marketing experience in the transportation industry and address the question of “what gear is your web marketing in”?  Lee will be followed by Mark Murrell, President, Carriers Edge, who will focus on what it takes to be a “Best in Class” employer in the trucking industry.

A key part of any business is the effective management of information. Identifying the right Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and managing against those KPI’s can help differentiate between the top performers and the rest of the pack. The next two speakers will tackle the subject of data management head-on. Ray Haight, former Chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association and current CEO of ATBS Canada will address the subject of Benchmarking and talk about the opportunity to be a Best in Class trucker by participating in a Benchmarking Group. Ray will be followed by Brooke Martin, Senior Solutions Consultant, Process Fusion Inc. who will speak to the tools that are available to better manage trucking company data. You can only manage what you can measure.

Last year’s shipper panel was one of the most popular features of the Workshop. In an effort to provide all attendees with a better understanding of shippers’ requirements as we move through the balance of 2011, two panels have been assembled, one with some of Canada’s leading retailers and another with a panel of leading manufacturers. The retail panel will include Robert Wiebe, Senior Vice President, Transportation & Logistics, Loblaw Companies Inc., Heather Felbel, Vice President, Supply Chain, Indigo Books & Music Inc. and Ginnie Vensolvaitis, Director, Transportation Operations, Hudson’s Bay Company. The manufacturer panel will consist of Mike Owens, Vice President of Physical Logistics, Nestle Canada Inc., Chris West, Director, US Transportation Operations, McCormick & Company Inc., and Todd Kostal, Director, Purchasing/Logistics, Atlantic Packaging Products Inc. The two panels will be moderated by Lou Smyrlis, Editorial Director of MotorTruck Fleet Executive magazine.

The afternoon session will be kicked off by a panel of leading transportation companies. Lou will again lead a discussion with Chris Raynor, Branch Manager of CH Robinson, Mike McCarron, Managing Partner of MSM Transportation and Michelle Arsenau, President, GX Transportation. These individuals will share with the audience their strategies for adapting their organizations to the changing environment and shipper needs.

Since part of being a Best in Class Company involves assembling a great team of employees, Pamela Ruebusch, President, TSI Group, one of Canada’s leading recruiters in the transportation industry will be the next speaker. Pamela will share her expertise in how to recruit the top talent.

I will follow Pamela and address the issue of how best to respond to freight RFP’s and e tenders. The pervasiveness of electronic technology has made freight bids increasingly popular in recent years. I will share my experience as a freight transportation consultant over the past seven years by outlining how to achieve success with freight bids. Since Customs Clearance processes and procedures continue to evolve from year to year, our final speaker, to be announced shortly, will address some of the latest developments in this area.

Those individuals who register before May 1 will receive a $100 savings on their registration fee. All attendees will receive a CD with a copy of the presentations. Since there is limited seating at the Capital Banquet Centre on Dixie Road in Mississauga, book early to avoid disappointment. To learn more about the conference, click on this link http://www.trucknews.com/workshop/agenda.aspx.