Over 75% of Freight Market Reprioritizes Budgets Due to Pandemic

COVID-19 has sent shockwaves through the global supply chain and freight ecosystem, resulting in a highly volatile and uncertain landscape.

While freight activity and product demand plummeted, e-commerce sales skyrocketed, putting new pressure on impacted suppliers, and experts called into question the agility of our supply chain. With new challenges at every turn, organizations have had to completely reevaluate their plans and strategies. 

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Real-Life Strategies for Safety

Safety is a priority at National Carriers Inc. (NCI), a diversified motor carrier based in Irving, Texas. Redefining The Road recently caught up with Jill Maschmeier, Director of Safety and Compliance at NCI and member of the Women in Trucking Image Team, to discuss the company’s best practices.

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Manage Your Business or It Will Manage You

Written by Attorney Kelsea Eckert, E&A Staff

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Driver Ambassador: June Post-Trip Inspection

As those in the trucking industry know, the Post-Trip Inspection is a time to check and see if anything has changed with your equipment since you began your trip and if there are any items that need to be addressed before continuing on down the road. It’s a time to assess, reflect and plan what’s next.

REFLECT

I’ve been reflecting again!

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Engaging Men in Gender Diversity

How can women engage men in improving gender diversity in the workplace? “Awareness building is an important first step in winning men’s support,” says Kelly Wolf Gonzalez, Director of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at KeepTruckin Inc., who addressed the topic in her presentation at the 2019 Accelerate! Conference & Expo. “Studies show that the higher men’s awareness of gender bias, the more likely they are to recognize the importance of achieving gender equality.” Gonzalez recommends that women seek out potential allies – men who understand their own advantages, recognize the need for greater diversity and want to share their support.

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3 Traits to Help Women Succeed in a Male-Dominated Workplace

Valerie Alexander, CEO of Goalkeeper, author and keynote at Women In Trucking’s 2017 Accelerate! Conference, suggests that women adopt these three traits to help level the playing field:

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Mental Health Awareness Month

May is national Mental Health Awareness Month. It's an opportunity for Americans to become more aware of how important good mental health is to us as individuals and to our society overall. Let’s think of this in a slightly different way. What if May is Happiness Awareness Month? Now do I have your attention? Good, because mental health and personal happiness and wellbeing are connected. Personal investments in our mental health pay personal happiness dividends, while investments in mental health by employers, colleges and public policy makers pay societal dividends.  

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Driver Ambassador: May Post-Trip Inspection

As those in the trucking industry know, the Post-Trip Inspection is a time to check and see if anything has changed with your equipment since you began your trip and if there are any items that need to be addressed before continuing on down the road. It’s a time to assess, reflect and plan what’s next.

REFLECT

This week I can’t help but reflect on courage. Women In Trucking Association lost one of our own to domestic violence this week. She has worked in the transportation industry for decades and is a long time member of Women In Trucking Association. 

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All in the Family: The Inside Scoop on Running a Family Business

Transportation is a family affair for Joyce Brenny, pictured here (right) with son-in-law Scott Simon, daughter Holly Simon, grandson Sutton and husband Todd.

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Not All Superheroes Wear Capes!

By Kelly Radi, raditowrite.com

I was up in New Brunswick, Canada, working with a group of women in the trucking industry (shout out to WIT members Day & Ross!) when I heard the news of COVID-19 causing borders to close and airlines to cancel flights. In my hotel lobby, hotel guests were uneasy and unsure about what it meant and how to proceed. Would they be able to get home? What did all of this mean? How would it affect their businesses? Their families? What would happen next?

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Driver Ambassador: March Post-Trip Inspection

As those in the trucking industry know, the Post-Trip Inspection is a time to check and see if anything has changed with your equipment since you began your trip and if there are any items that need to be addressed before continuing on down the road. It’s a time to assess, reflect and plan what’s next.

ASSESS

Recently at the end of an Over-The-Road training week with a new hire for Schneider, I was doing my mental Post Trip Report on what went well and what needed improvement. So much has changed in our daily lives since my past DA Report and I was feeling a bit pensive. I asked my student…”If you could have three truck driving wishes to share with the country what would they be?”. He told me his wishes: 1) customers would provide free snacks, water and restrooms to divers, 2) bonuses for drivers that continue to drive during pandemic, and 3) the public would be patient, not rush grocery stores and and leave some food on the shelves for others. He then asked what my wishes would be. I’ve reflected on that question this week and decided these would be my truck driver wishes to be granted for all professional drivers.

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COVID-19 Information for Drivers

Written by Truckers For A Cause

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FMCSA Issues HOS Relief for Coronavirus Assistance

By Eleanor Lamb, Staff Reporter, Transport Topics

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Top Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Qualified Drivers

More than 60,000 new drivers are needed, according to the American Trucking Associations. And with the driver turnover rate at approximately 87 percent, fleets are struggling to hold onto the drivers they do have. Finding and keeping drivers has never been more critical.

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Why Every Manager Should Be a Coach, Not a Boss

The difference between a leader who achieves commitment from employees versus one who achieves compliance, is effective coaching. The most effective leaders are those who see themselves as coaches and leaders rather than managers or supervisors. But what makes a leader an effective coach? It’s their mindset.

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Buyer beware with CBD oils, DOT says

By WIT member J.J. Keller & Associates

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ALL THINGS HR: Telehealth and TeleDocs

Talking to a medical doctor, either by phone, tablet or computer, with or without a visual component such as Facetime, can remove the need for many non-emergency ER visits. Telemedicine providers can advise individuals on home care, make recommendations for where and when to seek in-person care and even prescribe some medications. The textbook example is something like an ear infection, which can be diagnosed based on a description of symptoms, and treated with a prescription called into the nearest pharmacy. Saving not only the cost of an emergency room visit but the time and irritation factor of driving, parking and waiting, makes telemedicine a win-win for both employer and employee. 

Show Me The Money: The “tele” cost savings are significant. Every emergency room visit that is replaced with a telemedicine visit saves your health plan anywhere from $309 to more than $1,500. The average telemedicine visit costs $38 versus $114 for a face-to-face consultation. Multiply these numbers over all your employees and you can see why telemedicine is gaining traction across many industries. In 2017, close to 60% of American employers offered telemedicine as an option on their health plan. 

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Introducing Our New Blog Series: The Post-Trip Inspection

As those in the trucking industry know, the Post-Trip Inspection is a time to check and see if anything has changed with your equipment since you began your trip and if there are any items that need to be addressed before continuing on down the road. It’s a time to assess, reflect and plan what’s next.

ASSESS

A very special trip began in March of 2019 for me after I became the first-ever Driver Ambassador for the Women In Trucking Association while remaining an OTR Driver and Training Engineer at Schneider. Nine months have since passed by and quite a bit has changed for the better in my life, in the industry and in the organizations. As the Driver Ambassador, I’m responsible for traveling the country in my state-of-the art Schneider 2020 Freightliner Cascadia and doing what I love most … talking truck! Connected to the truck will be a Women In Trucking Association Educational Trailer that people interested in learning more about opportunities for and the history of women in trucking can explore and interact with. I was beyond honored to be chosen for the amazing opportunity to be a member of the Women In Trucking movement and have the chance to shine a brighter, positive light on the trucking industry.

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Pohl Transportation Hosts Trucks Are For Girls Event

Pohl Transportation, Inc. hosted Girl Scout Troops 21202 and 20454 to participate in a Women in Trucking Girl Scout Event at their office.

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What You Should Know Before Buying a Truck

By Fran Bernard

If you have always dreamed of owning your own truck, there are a few questions you have to ask. Trucks are not cheap. Even used, you can expect to pay well over $40,000. Since most people don’t have that kind of cash lying around, you may ask yourself, how should I buy my truck?

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