Quarter 3 ■ 2016
The Official Publication of the Florida Trucking Association, Inc.
TOP OF THE LADDER: Jeff Day, FTA’s New Chair, Takes the Lead ALSO INSIDE »» Technology on Trial »» SOLD!: Tips for Buying and Selling by Auction »» Legislative and Public Policy for 2017
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FEATURES Top of The Ladder
As Jeff Day takes the lead as FTA Chair, he reflects on his decades-long career at Publix Super Markets and the lifetime of hard work that’s gotten him to where he is today
Technology on Trial
The importance of persuasive explanations for safety and operational advancements
Articles
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MAINTENANCE
SOLD!
Volume 69, Issue 3 Q3 2016
3 5 7 32 34 35 40
Regular Sections Message from the President and CEO Board of Directors and Committees Good News Carrier Highlight—TJ Stidham Inc. New FTA Members Events Supplier Spotlight—Q&A
Tips for buying and selling by auction
SAFETY
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Plan Now for New Overtime Rule
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Focus on Safety
Coming into effect in December, updated salary and compensation levels may impact your business
ADVOCACY
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Legislative and Public Policy for 2017
Staying in high gear on the state and national stage
MANAGEMENT
30
The Future of Health Insurance Alternate funding, data analytics and population health all set to play a role
ON THE COVER
COVER PHOTO: RYAN KETTERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY TOP PHOTO: ASHLEY DANIELL PHOTOGRAPHY
New SMC chair sets the course for the upcoming year
“Everything I’ve ever done with this organization has been a tremendous honor, even judging the truck competitions in 102-degree, 90-percenthumidity weather,” says Jeff Day with a laugh. “I never expected to ascend to the position of chair. But I’m happy to serve.” See the cover story, which starts on page 12. FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
KENNETH S. ARMSTRONG, PH.D. PRESIDENT AND CEO, FLORIDA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 69, NUMBER 3 • Q3 2016 Published for:
350 East College Ave. Tallahassee, FL 32301-1565 www.FLTrucking.org President and CEO, Kenneth S. Armstrong ken@FLTrucking.org Vice-President, Tisha Keller tisha@FLTrucking.org Director of Operations, Angela Cundiff angela@FLTrucking.org Executive Assistant, Dot Butler dot@FLTrucking.org Coordinator of Special Projects, Ben Schultz ben@FLTrucking.org Social Media Manager, Marcela Romero marcela@FLTrucking.org Graduate Assistant, Kevin Tan kevin@FLTrucking.org Published by:
2016 Election Priorities for FTA
P
olitics are inescapable as 2016 turns from summer to fall. Once again, FTA isn’t going to be making candidate endorsements, but I will encourage you to: • Support candidates who believe in a market economy • Support ones who use a commonsense approach to regulation, backed by rational research • Support ones who are honestly concerned about highway safety, not just making life harder for U.S. businesses
140 Broadway, 46th Floor New York, NY 10005 Toll-free: 866-953-2189 Toll-free Fax: 877-565-8557 www.lesterpublications.com
• Support ones who embrace the value of infrastructure (particularly Florida’s)
By “support,” I mean volunteer, contribute, vote and even tell others who you believe the best candidates are. On two things I can be more specific. First, we need to defeat the John Morganfunded medical marijuana constitutional amendment—again. Florida should not go down that road. Second, if you have the ear of any candidate for Florida office, tell her or him that you require a satisfactory legislative fix to the workers compensation quagmire created by our Supreme Court. This certainly is going to be an entertaining election season. So, as Forrest Gump said, “That’s all I have to say about that.”
President & Publisher, Jeff Lester EDITORIAL Editorial Director, Jill Harris Managing Editor, Kristy Rydz Editorial Assistant, Andrew Harris Social Media Coordinator, Jenina Bondoc ADVERTISING Sales Manager, Sharon Komoski Walter Lytwyn Louise Peterson Brian Saunders
© 2016 Florida Trucking Association. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the FTA. For subscription information, please contact the FTA at 850-222-9900. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the authors of the articles contained in Florida Truck News magazine are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Florida Trucking Association or its member companies. Printed in Canada. Please recycle where facilities exist.
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DESIGN & LAYOUT Art Director, Myles O’Reilly John Lyttle, Gayl Punzalan
FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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DIRECTORS & COMMITTEES
FTA Welcomes New Board Chair, Committee Chairs The 2016 FTA Annual Convention on July 28-29, 2016, at Ponte Vedra included the induction of a new Board Chair, Jeffrey Day of Publix Super Markets, and several updates to standing committees and officers. Here’s the listing of our current committee leaders:
2016-17 FTA Board of Directors Jeffrey Day, Publix Super Markets—Chair Rob Sandlin, Florida Rock & Tank Lines—First Vice-Chair Jeff Marple, Southeast Independent Delivery Service —Second Vice-Chair Denis Ross, Kenworth of Jacksonville—Immediate Past Chair Terry Borglund, Fleetwing—Treasurer Carlos Currlin, Rechtien International—Secretary Rob Carryl, Reliance Supply—Past Chair Doc Hyder, Rowland Transportation—Past Chair John McTyre, Sr., Unified Logistics—Past Chair
Scott Perry, Ryder System Kurt Vest, HELP/PrePass Keith Walpole, Walpole Kirk Williams, Proficient Auto Transport—ATA Vice-President Jared Dusharm, Armellini Express Lines—2.0 Chair Chris Emrich, Southeastern Freight Lines—TMC Chair Tracy Linhart, Breakthru Beverage Company Florida—SMC Chair Mark Shallar, MPS Transportation—Road Team Chair Brad Pruitt, Vertical Alliance Group—Member Recruitment Chair Terry Dicks, CDT—PAC Chair
2016-17 Safety Management Council
2016-17 2.0 Steering Committee
Tracy Linhart, Breakthru Beverage Company Florida—Chair Bill Roy, Walmart Transportation—First Vice-Chair Larry Hicks, Publix Super Markets—Second Vice-Chair Cary Watkins, Nextran Truck Centers—Treasurer Ray Lloyd, McTyre Trucking—Secretary Jared Fritts, Landstar Transportation System—Immediate Past Chair Jim Anderson, Florida Rock & Tank Lines—Awards Vice-Chair Scott Reagan, Centurion Auto Logistics—TDC (Vice) Chair Jeff Stamm, Rowland Transportation—Education Vice-Chair
Jared Dusharm, Armellini Express Lines—Chair Stephanie Paysse, Signature Financial—Service Vice-Chair Andy Rechtien, Rechtien International Rachel Walpole, Walpole, Inc. Jake Severit, Publix Super Markets Brett Catto, Tom Nehl Truck Company Matt Penland, Cypress Truck Lines/Sunbelt Ryan Walpole, Walpole Leasing Cary Watkins, Nextran Truck Centers Todd Brown, Nextran Truck Centers Kayla Thomas, Davis Express Brad Pruitt, Vertical Alliance Group Kelli Horton, Sun State International
2015-17 Technology & Maintenance Council Chris Emrich, Southeastern Freight Lines—Chair Jeff Hile, Saddle Creek Transportation—Vice-Chair Bob Thomas, Nextran Truck Center—Immediate Past Chair Tom Jones, Publix Super Markets—Training Vice-Chair Jeff Day, Publix Super Markets—SuperTech Co-Vice-Chair Shelley Conklin, Landstar—SuperTech Co-Vice-Chair
2016-17 Membership Recruitment Committee Brad Pruitt, Vertical Alliance Group—Chair Phares Acuff, Florida Utility Trailers Shannon Bolan, TransForce Rob Carryl, Reliance Supply John DeMarco, Palm Peterbilt Truck Centers Jared Dusharm, Armellini Express Lines Edward Heil, J.J. Keller & Associates Richard Kurtz, PeopleNet Johnny McTyre, McTyre Trucking Jake Severit, Publix Super Markets J.W. Taylor, Taylor & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.L. Bob Thomas, Nextran Truck Centers Cary Watkins, Nextran Truck Centers FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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GOOD NEWS
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TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD! Achievements, milestones and other reasons to celebrate those in Florida’s trucking industry
PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST COAST TRANSPORT, LLC (ECT)
» FedEx Freight has announced the launch of the FedEx Freight® box in the U.S. The new, flat rate freight box option was developed to help small- and medium-sized businesses simplify the shipping of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. Customers who use the FedEx Freight box see increased security and shipment protection, as well as improved shipping flexibility. The FedEx Freight box packaging is included in the flat-rate cost and comes in two sizes—a standard size freight box that requires a pallet to ship, and a smaller freight box with an integrated
pallet. For more information about the FedEx Freight® box, visit fedex.com/freightbox. » Butterball, LLC named East Coast Transport, LLC (ECT) as the Butterball Carrier of the Year for 2015. East Coast Transport LLC, Paulsboro, N.J./Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. has been serving Butterball as a valued partner since 2008 and received this award in 2010 as well. In 2015, ECT hauled more than 3,200 truckloads over the course of the year, mostly out of the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. ECT also announced its certification by the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC) as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). The goal of the WBE certification program is to increase the ability of women business owners to compete for contracts at a national level. According to ECT, this program will enable them
(L to R): Dan Bohlman, Sr. Manager Logistics Procurement, Butterball; Mannie Bueno, VP of Operations, ECT; Paul Berman, Vice-President of Logistics, ECT; Dan DiGrazio, Sr. Director of Logistics, Butterball
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRANS-PHOS INC.
» The US 1 Network has opened new offices in Savannah. Ga., southern California, and Little Rock, Ark. Combining the growth of the new offices with existing ones, the trucking contingent has grown from 500 to 575 drivers since the start of the year.
Trans-Phos Inc. receives the GreenRoad Insurance Platinum Safety Award: (R-L): Neal Whitney EVP & COO, Peter McLean Dir. of Safety & HR, Chris Whitney President & CEO to develop relationships with larger companies and create opportunities for future partnerships.
tremendous resource for Sun State International customers.
» GreenRoad Insurance (Great West Casualty Agency) » A new Sun State announced that Trans-Phos International Trailer Sales & Inc. has received the Great Rental location is now open West Casualty National at 1699 N. US Hwy. 1 in Ft. Platinum Safety Award for Pierce, Fla. The company also the third year in a row (2013, announced the release of 2014 and 2015). This award two new Navistar products: is in recognition of TransCummins ISL Cummins Phos Inc.’s safety performance engine in medium and sever in the area of accident service trucks and the TC prevention, measured in fleets 10-speed Allison transmission, with over five million miles engineered with the Cummins traveled and is in recognition ISX 15-liter engine. of being in the top 10 percent of fleets nationally. Sun State International is proud to announce the » CTL Transportation, addition of Mr. Chuck LLC (a division of Comcar Reams to the Trailer Sales Industries, Inc.), has acquired team. Chuck is a veteran of an entirely new fleet of the trucking industry and Mack Vision Series company brings vast knowledge and trucks (2015 and 2016) and experience with him. He has is able to boast the youngest spent many years selling both tractor fleet in the liquid bulk trailers and parts and will be a chemical industry. After a FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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GOOD NEWS » Turbo Images won in four categories at the 2016 Private Motor Truck Council (PMTC) Vehicle Graphics Design Awards. The PMTC is part of the USA National Private Truck Council. Winning designs were: Tractor Trailer (Coulombe Quebec & Turbo Images), Straight Truck (Bondi Produce & Turbo Images), Human Interest (Loblaws/ Mississauga Food Bank & Turbo Images), and Night Time Safety (Burnbrae Farms & Turbo Images).
Category: Tractor Trailer, Fleet: Coulombe Quebec Ltee, Film Type: 3M, Graphics: Turbo Images
» Bestpass, Inc., a company that provides single-source payment and streamlined toll management services to commercial fleets, announced that it is actively processing toll in Oklahoma. With the addition of Oklahoma, Bestpass now offers the first, and currently only, fully functional and operational national tolling solution for commercial fleets. In addition, Bestpass launched a new web portal, at my.bestpass.com, to help its customers more efficiently manage their fleets, as well as to access advanced tolling and trucking analytics and reporting. The new portal provides ondemand reporting; self-serve transponder ordering; and vehicle, license plate and transponder management.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TURBO IMAGES
Category: Straight Truck Fleet: Bondi Produce, Film Type: 3M, Graphics: Turbo Images
full year of preparation, the company received American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Partner status. There are just over 100 companies in the U.S. with that status. In addition, Olin awarded CTL Transportation as one of its 2015 Carrier 8
of the Year winners. Dow Chemical also awarded CTL with their 2015 Gold Safety Award, which is its highest level of recognition. CTL Transportation has installed the latest generation OmniTracs in its entire truck fleet. Among other things,
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
they track drivers HOS as well as Critical Event Reporting. CTL Transportation has industry-leading performance ratings in safety. CTL says they are “obsessed with providing our customers world class safety, service and reliable capacity assurance.”
» U.S. Xpress Inc., with more than 8,000 trucks, recently became a new Bestpass client. U.S. Xpress is the nation’s second-largest privately owned truckload carrier, providing a wide variety of transportation solutions throughout North America. » Chuck Ayers was recently promoted to director of finance for Bestpass. As head of the company’s
GOOD NEWS finance team, he oversees all functional activities and policies related to finance and accounting. Prior to his promotion, Ayers was the company’s corporate controller. » Construction recently started on a new Performance Peterbilt facility in Midway, Fla. The new building will be stateof-the-art and offer more capacity to service all makes of truck customers, including showers, washers and dryers for drivers. The location will become corporate headquarters for Performance Peterbilt. » Allison Transmission recently launched its completely redesigned mobile app for North American users. The Allison app is now available for Apple iOS (7.0 and up), Android (4.3 and up), Windows Mobile (8.1 and up) and desktop. New features include a vocational model guide in the ‘Favorites’ section to allow specific ratings pages to be bookmarked. Additionally, the ‘Features’ section includes information about Allison’s patented torque converter, as well as its FuelSense® and xFE products. The ‘Contact’ section includes a ‘Sales and Service Locator’ to connect
users with Allison Authorized distributors and dealers. The company was also recognized by Frost & Sullivan for the innovation and performance demonstrated by its fully automatic TC10®. Based on an analysis of the Class 8 tractor market, Allison received the 2016 Best Practices Award for North American Customer Value Leadership. The TC10 was also previously selected by Heavy Duty Trucking as one of its Top 20 products. The annual Top 20 selections are judged on innovation, ability to address top industry issues and potential to improve a fleet’s bottom line in areas such as maintenance savings or improvements in safety or efficiency. » ABF Freight announced one of its Jacksonville drivers, Richard Rewis, recently earned his 30-year safety award ring. » Comcar Industries has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best 500 Employers. Comcar ranked 241 in the listing, published in the April 2016 edition of the magazine. The business resources and publication company says the companies on its lists “were chosen based on an independent survey
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ABF Freight driver Richard Rewis FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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GOOD NEWS conducted by statistics portal Statista from a sample of 30,000 American employees.” Forbes says the two lists honor “those workplaces that make their employees feel secure, understood, needed and inspired.” » Daniel Mullins Trucking, Inc. announces Jeremy Ketchum as its new operations manager. » Interchange Commerce Park, a master-planned industrial park in East Tampa, Fla., located at the crossroads of I-75 and I-4 at the Orient Road exit, is going to be the new home of Idealease Truck Leasing & Rental, a national, full-service truck leasing and rental company.
This location represents the first permanent location in the Tampa Bay Area. Idealease will move into their new facility later this year and will feature multiple service bays, offices plus paved, fenced and lighted outside storage for its growing inventory. » Wallace International Trucks and Wallace Idealease with 54 employees in Ft. Myers, Fla., are proud supporters of Habitat for Humanity. This year, with the help of 32 employees and their family members, they provided over 200 hours of volunteer labor hours on two Saturdays towards the construction of their second Habitat home. Through the Florida Community
Contribution Tax Credit Program, businesses that collect sales tax and provide a cash donation to support an entire Habitat home can receive a rebate on their paid sales taxes. Wallace was able to donate $55,000 for the construction of the home and will receive as a rebate from the state $55,000. Habitat for Humanity is all about a hand up, not a hand out. » Fleet Advantage, a leading innovator in truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and lifecycle cost management, announced it has expanded the role of Jim Griffin, who will now serve in the capacity of both chief technology officer and chief operating
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLEET ADVANTAGE
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Jim Griffin, CTO & COO, Fleet Advantage officer. In this extended role, Griffin will focus his efforts on streamlining current processes and implementing data-centric measures that will bring even more value to its customers.
FTA FALL ROUND-UP WITH 2016 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE AND ROAST ’N’ TOAST OCT. 18–20, 2016 | DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
Four Tracks Designed for Maximum Educational Impact Choose your perfect blend based on your individuals needs and interests:
Join us for the Third Annual FTA Roast ’n’ Toast and help us (nicely) skewer Jimmy Davis of Davis Express! 5:30 p.m. reception with 6:30 p.m. Roast kickoff. Table and individual ticket pricing available—get yours and more information now at www.FLTrucking.org.
• Safety Track: These four sessions will highlight best practices, new technologies, and re-energizing your team around the FTA theme: “Trucking…Safer Every Day.”
• Regulatory Track: Straight from the regulators’ mouths, you will hear during these four sessions what their agencies are doing, how they interact with you, and any new regulations that are coming down the road.
• Management/OperationsTrack: Every minute and every dollar counts; these four sessions will give tips on how to maximize investments in people, equipment and technology for your fleet.
• Technology/Maintenance Track: The TMC steering committee has selected four sessions that give the perfect blend of hands-on training (yes, suitable for your techs to attend) and your fleet maintenance management team.
For more information, visit www.FLTrucking.org. 10
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
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“ I’m excited to learn more about what FTA needs from us, our membership; being the conduit between leadership and membership, keeping the two groups working united, towards our goals.” —Jeff Day, Director of Maintenance and Transportation, Publix Super Markets
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Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
C O V E R S T O RY
TOP OF THE LADDER
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As Jeff Day takes the lead as FTA Chair, he reflects on his decades-long career at Publix Super Markets and the lifetime of hard work that’s gotten him to where he is today By Jess Campbell
Right place, right time Playing chauffeur to a newly graduated friend, Day first encountered his future employer while said friend was submitting a job application at the north Miami Publix warehouse. “I had a convertible Pontiac Firebird and the A/C didn’t work very well in that thing. As we would stop, I would go in with my friend to get into the air conditioning. After he’d filled out his application and we went to leave, the hiring manager said to me, ‘Hey, what about you?’ I told him I was still in high school but he said it was no problem,” Day explained. “So I left my name, address and phone number on a three-by-five card. After a few months, they called me about an after-school job. I told them what my routine was and they said that was fine, that I could come in for a few hours after school and work at odd jobs that needed doing. So I did. And that’s how I got started with Publix.” That was in 1973. Day continued working part time as he finished high school but left Publix to attend the University of Florida. Unfortunately, his paper routes and pumping gas hadn’t earned him enough to pay his way through school and in the summer of 1975, he moved home again. “Then, a wonderful thing happened. I started talking to my friends who had been working full time at Publix. These fellas were driving new trucks, buying homes, they had boats. So I spoke with my old boss at Publix and was rehired.”
At first, Day tried to balance school and working part time so he could finish his degree. But asking for more and more hours doesn’t leave much time for studying. He had a tough decision to make. “Between the two, the sure thing was staying at Publix and going full time,” he said.
Trusting your gut Day’s story of progression through the ranks at Publix is one from the movies. Starting out as a warehouse selector (a typical entrylevel position), Day worked his way up the company ladder, being promoted every few years until arriving at his current position— one he’s now held for 12 years. During his rise in the ranks, he found himself questioning things: whether he should return to school, stay with Publix or find something else to do. Deep down, he knew that staying with the company would benefit him the most in the long run—which turned out to be a safe bet. “We spend a long time thinking about what we want to be when we grow up. In my case, I was able to discover myself, learn what I was really good at and what truly satisfied me—not what I thought might but what actually does,” Day said. “Publix has a great set of values and has a wonderful opportunity for promotion from within. The environment, the philosophy and the values of our founder, George Jenkins, are still upheld today.” As director of maintenance and transportation, Day has many responsibilities, including coordinating Publix-managed freight, all outbound shipment planning and execution, plus fleet maintenance, safety and compliance, among other things. “Publix operates a hybrid fleet,” he noted. “The reason for that is so that our own drivers can start and end their day at their own dispatch location, every day. Anything that involves overnight stays or continuous travel, we will use a carrier.” Transport is an integral business component at Publix, and Day is proud to be in the thick of it. “Publix Super Markets is a retail grocer, and that’s our predominant business. But at the same time, being a trucking company, we’re concerned about legislative issues, economic conditions that influence transportation, how the state takes care of its infrastructure for the safety and efficiency of all transportation,” he said. “Even though we are a private fleet—a distinction from most trucking companies—many of those interests are the same, particularly when it comes to safety and efficiency and the legislative issues that affect all of us.” FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS
T
here is no substitute for hard work, so says Thomas Edison. Jeff Day, director of maintenance and transportation for Publix Super Markets and new chair of FTA, has lived that saying, learning what it means to work hard and achieve success from a young age. Born and raised in Miami, Fla., Day had a strong example set for him thanks to his father, who managed an auto repair garage. “On Saturdays during high school, I would go into work with him and work the fuel pumps to make a bit of money,” said Day. His family didn’t have much, so if he wanted to go to college, Day would have to pay for it himself. When he wasn’t pumping gas, he delivered newspapers to keep adding to his college nest egg. “In junior year, when I got a car, I got two newspaper routes. Before school, seven days a week, 365 days a year, I would fold and deliver papers. Then I’d get back to the house, get cleaned up and go to school. That was the routine for me to fund my way through college,” he said. Little did he know that broken air conditioning in his car would lead him to what is now a 40-plus year career with Publix.
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C O V E R S T O RY
“ Publix has a great set of values and has a wonderful opportunity for promotion from within. The environment, the philosophy and the values of our founder, George Jenkins, are still upheld today." —Jeff Day, Director of Maintenance and Transportation, Publix Super Markets The first Publix Food Store, which opened in 1930
Humble and kind Day has been an active participant in FTA since the 1990s, volunteering at truck driving competitions as a judge. In 2004, he was asked to serve on the board of directors as the private fleet representative. “That gave me an opportunity to work more closely with not only the safety compliance specialists and professionals but also with the terminal managers and some of the company owners. That exposure was wonderful for me, for my professional development in the trucking industry,” Day said. Another learning opportunity came in 2010 when, alongside Rob Carryl, Day worked to resurrect the Technology and
A recent store opening in Arcadia, Fla. 14
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
Maintenance Council and rebuild the Supertech Technician Skills Competition. “That was a tremendous opportunity to get to know many of our maintenance managers and work closely with some of our suppliers, giving me even more exposure to the Florida network of professionals in transportation,” he said. When asked how he feels about becoming FTA Chair, Day is humble in his response. “Everything I’ve ever done with this organization has been a tremendous honor, even judging the truck competitions in 102-degree, 90-percent-humidity weather,” he said with a laugh. “I never expected to ascend to the position of chair. But I’m happy to serve.” Day hopes to continue the great work of his predecessors—namely, expanding service offerings, bringing greater valueadded services to the membership and engaging the membership. He recognizes the vast improvements that have been made in these areas and that his position as chair isn’t necessarily about change or starting something new. “It’s about continuing something that has blossomed with Denny Ross, keeping the momentum that’s been created and making sure we don’t stray from the successes we’ve been enjoying,” he said. “I’m excited to learn more about what FTA needs from us, our membership; being the conduit between leadership and membership, keeping the two groups working united, towards our goals.” It’s sure to be exciting—and a lot of hard work. But if anyone knows there’s no substitute for that, it’s Jeff Day.
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Technology
on Trial
The importance of persuasive explanations for safety and operational advancements By Douglas B. Marcello, Marcello & Kivisto, LLC
O
ur industry’s technological developments provide new resources for safety and operations. Those same developments create a new challenge for our defense of lawsuits. Misconceptions of jurors as to the nature and capabilities of these technologies need to be addressed. Expectations of a CSI, NCIS and Law & Order audience must be tempered by reality. Hold that thought for a moment. Our industry’s technologies can be categorized in two classifications. One group has the specific purpose of accident avoidance. The other provides data in the operation of the vehicle or company that can relate to litigation. Both groups, as with all technologies, require an understandable explanation to the lay jurors. They must be made to understand how it works, what it does, and most importantly, what it does not and cannot do. This is consistent with what should be our overall litigation strategy. A purpose rather than a rote process must drive our litigation. We must be focused on a goal rather than a checklist. That purpose must be persuasion. Maximizing persuasion puts us in the strongest position for a successful outcome, be it a favorable settlement or ultimately a win at trial. If we are in the best position to persuade the jurors, we reduce the need to compromise our position. Explanation of our technologies is a vital component of the purpose of persuasion. We must reduce the explanation to the most logical and understandable level possible. Attorneys who use videotapes and computer animation and simulation not only enhance what might be a “dry as the dust presentation,” but can influence as well as explain to a juror how a concept can work to explain how an accident occurred. 16
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
“ Explanation of our technologies is a vital component of the purpose of persuasion. We must reduce the explanation to the most logical and understandable level possible.”
FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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ADAM VILIMEK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
F E AT U R E
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F E AT U R E
CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO COPYRIGHT TAMIKO THIEL 1984
Dr. Richard Feynman
“ Attorneys and experts must lose the jargon and avoid seeking to impress with complexity for the sake of juror comprehension.”
Several years ago, the American Bar Association carried a piece about the “CSI Effect,” and how it promotes unrealistic expectations among jurors that forensic evidence can determine guilt or innocence in a criminal trial or causation or liability. Close to 70 million viewers a week watched the show after its October 2000 debut. And some of those millions came away with mistaken impressions. Call it the “CSI Effect.” A former vice-president of the National District Attorney Association said that jurors expect a DNA test for almost every case, believe the most advanced technology will be used and anticipate that it will resemble what they have seen on the show and feel that the existence of any technology in a television show confirms that it exists in real life. The use of technology grows and the ability to explain its functionality is nothing short of amazing. Thirty years ago NASA, and our nation, were traumatized by the Challenger tragedy. In one horrible moment, the agency’s infallible aura was shattered. NASA’s response was to form a blue-ribbon committee of scientists and engineers to analyze the event, determine the cause and make sure it never happened again. The committee’s charge was to delve into the most technologically complex of human endeavors. One of the commission members was Richard Feynman. To say he was a physicist is like saying Gretzky was a hockey player. Dr. Feynman taught at Cornell and Caltech after working on the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb in the days before computers when computations were done on mechanical adding machines. His biography is appropriately entitled, “Genius.” Dr. Feynman could have demonstrated the Challenger’s deficiencies by filling a blackboard with the hieroglyphics of theoretical physics equations. He didn’t. He employed a more logical and understandable method. En route to the hearing, he had his driver stop at a Georgetown hardware store while he ran in and bought a small “c-clamp”. At the hearing, while others pontificated he quietly closed the clamp on a piece of the “O ring” material used to seal the rocket stages. People observed this with curiosity. This peaked when he dropped the clamp and material into his glass of ice water. People looked at him quizzically as the speakers droned on. It was then Dr. Feynman’s turn. He avoided a complex explanation for one that was logical and understandable. Dr. Feynman reached into the ice water, pulled out the clamp/ O-ring combination and unscrewed the clamp. The chilled O-ring remained deformed by the imprint of the clamp. It demonstrated how the O-ring material deformed when cold, failed to create an effective seal, allowed thrust to escape 18
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
and resulted in the tragedy. It was a simple but powerful explanation of what happened when the Challenger was launched on the coldest day ever encountered by U.S. manned spaceflight. Our challenge is to deliver an explanation of our industry’s technology with such logical clarity and persuasive power. Attorneys and experts must lose the jargon and avoid seeking to impress with complexity for the sake of juror comprehension. Many paragraphs ago I spoke of the two classifications—accident avoidance and operational information. Let’s examine each and their presentation at trial. Accident avoidance technology is designed to reduce the chance of a commercial vehicle collision. The key is incident “reduction,” not infallible protection. The latter would be the force shield on a death star. Accident avoidance technology involves sensory devices to provide mechanical reaction of the vehicle or an alerting of the driver or both. Thus, they are a function of the sensitivity and reactivity of the device. Mechanical reaction devices include forward-looking sensors that activate vehicle braking when there is a vehicle ahead in close proximity. Some are active only when the truck is on cruise control. Others work with or without cruise. The distance of activation can usually be adjusted. For example, it can often be set with a low-end limit, so there is not constant activation in stop-and-go traffic. Additionally, there is often an audible alarm to alert the driver about the vehicle ahead. Other devices provide audible or visual alerts to the driver for lane changes. The occurrence of an accident despite the presence of these devices can be misconstrued/misrepresented as a technological failure. Worse, it can be spun as company indifference to an inoperative device. These misimpressions must be dispelled. The jury must be educated as to the capability of the device and its parameters. It must be disavowed of the notion of its technological infallibility. Jurors must appreciate that your company has invested in technology to reduce the chance of accidents. There must be an explanation of the circumstance and conditions under which the accident will be avoided by the technology. Ultimately, we want to present the positives of the effort we made with an explanation of its limitations. We must then show that the dynamics of this accident were not within the protective parameters of this device. It was not a malfunction. It was not neglected maintenance. The device will not prevent all accidents. Regrettably, this accident was one of those instances. Similarly, we must explain the purpose and information provided by the operational technology. This ranges from ECM to
F E AT U R E
satellite data. The latter can include positional history and hard brake incidents. Perspective is the greatest challenge for this technology. Plaintiff attorneys frequently characterize the ECM as the “black box.” They do so to create the perception of the aircraft device that we are conditioned to expect will provide exacting details of the accident. This perception must be dispelled. The ECM is what the acronym says it is—an engine control module. Its purpose is to control the operation of the engine. The generation of data produced by that operation is an incidental byproduct, not its sole purpose. Of the volume of data produced, plaintiffs and their experts focus upon the download’s record of speed in proximity to a hard brake. They present this as the grail of data. We must provide an understandable explanation to the jury of what this data represents and how it is generated. From that explanation, we can, through our experts, explain how the data can be impacted by the size of tires or gears. We can also explain the difference in the intervals of data and how the reporting interval of just a second can be a significant gap in the timing of an accident. Similarly, satellite tracking positional history requires the jury have an understanding of when the position is documented (hourly, event, etc.), the miles travelled and the meaning in terms of the hours-of-service regulations. This last explanation is particularly important during the next few years before ELD’s render paper logs to the realm of mimeographs, pagers and cassette tapes.
Plaintiffs often have their experts “massage” the satellite tracking to create a question of compliance with the hours-of-service. The jury needs to understand the time intervals between the positioning “pings” and what the data tells us about what happened during that interval. For example, do the number of miles traveled indicate continuous operation for the time between “pings”? Another form of explanation must be presented for what I call management data technology. This information includes satellite-transmitted hard brake and overspeed alerts. This data, designed to increase the safety of our operations, is another fertile area for a plaintiffs’ attorney to misconstrue and misrepresent. Numerous reported incidents or minimal discipline for the incidents can be painted as being proof of your company’s indifference. More technology means more data, which means more challenges. The answer is not to sacrifice safety or management to avoid the creation of evidence. To the contrary, we need to present the purpose of your technology and why its use demonstrates the responsible conduct of your company. It is our challenge to reduce this technology to an understandable explanation for the jury. This article does not constitute legal advice. It originally appeared in the Q1, 2016 issue of DRIVEN magazine and is reprinted with permission. For more information, contact Douglas B. Marcello with Marcello & Kivisto, LLC at 120 Walnut Bottom Rd., 331, Carlisle. Pa.; 17015; 717-240-4686; Cell: 717-579-8711; Fax: 717-258-4686; dmarcello@cdl-law.com.
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FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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Tips for buying and selling by auction By Steve Kriebel, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
B
uying and selling by auction is a centuries-old tradition. For sellers, the auction is an efficient way to way to turn unused assets into cash. For buyers, it’s a chance to get a deal on something they need. Today there are thousands of truck auctions each year in the United States. Unfortunately, not all auctions are created equal. Here are a few things to think about before choosing who to buy or sell with.
Reserved vs. unreserved The basic concept of an auction is simple: the seller wants to get as much money in return for his asset as possible; while the buyer wants to purchase it for as cheap as he can. To ensure the seller gets the return he wants, some auctions will allow the seller to set a reserve price—a minimum price he is willing to sell his asset for. The auctioneer will call for bids from the crowd and get the price as high as he can before saying sold. Unfortunately, if the crowd doesn’t push the price high enough to meet the reserve, the item will not sell, leaving bidders feeling cheated and the seller with an unsold item. Other auctions will be held entirely unreserved—no minimum bids or reserve prices. The crowd decides what it sells for on auction day. Generally, this results in more interested bidders, as they know there is a chance for a deal. It can feel risky for sellers, and that’s why it’s important to deal with a well-known, 20
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
global company that can attract the largest crowd on auction day. The larger the crowd, the more competition and the better the returns—as a result you often see stronger overall prices at unreserved auctions than reserved ones. For buyers, the unreserved auction is obviously more attractive. For sellers, there is value in both reserved and unreserved. The unreserved auction provides certainty of sale and global market value. Reserved auctions provide more control over the selling price and process, but there’s no guaranteed cash in hand at the end of the day.
Online vs. onsite Just as there are auction companies that sell reserved or unreserved, there are companies that sell with physical auction sites or online. Even better are companies that offer both online and onsite bidding—the best of both worlds. There are obviously huge benefits by selling your trucks online—it allows sellers to quickly and easily reach potential buyers from every corner of the world. However, no matter how digital the world is becoming, there is still great value in physical auction sites. If the trucks are on site, buyers can inspect, test and compare items in person to decide which one(s) they like best. No matter how good an online inspection report is, it’s always best to touch, kick the tires, and make your own decision before bidding on a used truck or trailer.
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An onsite auction in Orlando, Fla. in February 2016
Five tips for sellers 1. Reserved vs. unreserved: What matters more to you—do you want more control over price and process? Or are you looking for certainty of sale (guaranteed cash in hand at the end of the auction) and global market value? 2. Online, onsite or both: For best results you need the largest crowd of potential bidders looking at your asset. Your best bet is to go with a company that offers both onsite and online bidding.
“ The larger the crowd, the more competition and the better the returns—as a result you often see stronger overall prices at unreserved auctions than reserved ones.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS ILLUSTRATION: ARTGRAPHICS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
3. Prepare your assets for sale: It’s no secret—buyers like trucks and trailers that look good. When given the choice between two similar trucks, buyers will typically choose (and pay more for) a well-maintained, freshly-painted one. A dirty exterior and worn interior can knock thousands off the value of a piece of equipment. Make sure your trucks and trailers are regularly cleaned inside and out, not only to keep them looking good, but to make it easy to see any damage in need of attention. 4. Be transparent: Provide detailed photos and information about your trucks and trailers. Include photos documenting the condition of the engine, cab interior, tires, etc. Remember: buyers appreciate convenient online access to information. Still, some buyers are wary of purchasing trucks and trailers they are unable to view and test first hand. If you are using a selling agent or auction company, choose one that publishes detailed equipment information online and also accommodates onsite inspections. FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers—The Largest Used Truck Channel You’ve Never Heard Of By the numbers:
• 15,700-plus truck tractors sold in 2015 • 9,300-plus truck tractors sold in first half of 2016
Most popular truck tractor manufacturers sold by Ritchie Bros. in 2016: 1. International 2. Kenworth 3. Freightliner
Most popular truck tractor models sold by Ritchie Bros. in 2016: 1. Kenworth T800s 2. International Prostars 3. Volvo VNL42T
5. The right time to sell: There are a number of factors to think about when deciding if it’s the right time to sell. How much is your truck being used? When will you use it again? What are the current market conditions? How old is the truck? etc. The right auction company will help as your trusted advisor; they shouldn’t always be pushing you to sell right away.
Most expensive truck tractors sold by Ritchie Bros. in 2016: 1. 2015 Peterbilt 567 tri-axle truck tractor (4,491 miles) sold for US$150,000 in Manchester, NH in April 2. 2014 Peterbilt 388 tri-axle heavy haul truck (6,698 miles) sold for US$145,000 in Bozeman, MT in May 3. 2012 Kenworth T800 triaxle heavy haul truck sold (100,217 miles) for US$135,000 in Chehalis, WA in May
Most truck tractors sold by auction in 2016:
1. Fort Worth, Texas (March 2016)—500 truck tractors sold 2. Orlando, Fla. (February 2016—494 truck tractors sold 3. Fort Worth, Texas (May 2016—453) truck tractors sold
Five tips for buyers 1. Inspect before you buy: Go online and research the truck or trailer you’re interested in, look at the pictures, etc. If possible, visit the auction site to test and inspect the items in person so you can compare the items side by side to value their strengths and weaknesses. If you can’t go, send a qualified person in your place. 2. Research historical pricing: Find out what similar items have sold for in the past so you know what price range the piece you’re interested in might go for. Determine how much you are willing to pay before you bid. 3. Pre-arrange financing: Once you know a price range, make sure you have enough funds to cover your purchase, shipping, etc. Rather than using your company’s working capital, consider financing your auction purchase: save your cash to run your business and pay for your truck in monthly installments. In many cases you can submit a pre-approval application before you bid. 4. Research/pre-arrange logistics: Where is the truck or trailer going once you’ve purchased it? Out-of-state? Out-ofcountry? Who is transporting it? If you’re exporting the truck or trailer, talk to a customs broker before you bid. If you need transportation, get estimates before you buy. Many auction companies provide logistics assistance onsite. 5. If you’ve never purchased at an auction, take your time! Do your homework before the auction, decide how you are going to bid (in person or online), and then give yourself plenty of time on auction day. Make sure you know how to bid; ask the staff for assistance. Follow the auction to get comfortable with the process before you bid. And remember, you can never be too early for an auction, only too late! Check the schedule and make sure you arrive in time. Steve Kriebel is the regional sales manager for FTA supplier member company Ritchie Bros Auctions in Davenport, Fla. Reach him at 863-512-4772 or skriebel@rbauction.com
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Trucking...Safer Every Day
SAFETY
Plan Now for New Overtime Rule
Coming into effect in December, updated salary and compensation levels may impact your business Via Business Management Daily
O
n May 18, 2016, President Obama and U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s final rule updating the overtime regulations.
Key provisions of the final rule
JOHNKWAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
The final rule focuses primarily on updating the salary and compensation levels needed for executive, administrative and professional workers to be exempt. Specifically, the final rule:
• Sets the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region, currently the South ($913 per week; $47,476 annually for a full-year worker) • Sets the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (HCE) subject to a minimal duties test to the annual equivalent of the 90th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally ($134,004) • Establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels every three years to maintain the levels at the above percentiles and to ensure that they continue to provide useful and effective tests for exemption • Amends the salary basis test to allow employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) to satisfy up to 10 percent of the new standard salary level
FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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SAFETY
Trucking...Safer Every Day
The effective date of the final rule is December 1, 2016. The initial increases to the standard salary level ( from $455 to $913 per week) and HCE total annual compensation requirement ( from $100,000 to $134,004 per year) will be effective on that date. Future automatic updates to those thresholds will occur every three years, beginning on January 1, 2020. Companies need to formulate a strategy to minimize the impact the final regulation will have on the bottom line, according to the HR Specialist Employment Law newsletter.
Who gets a raise and who doesn’t?
G-STOCKSTUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
The new regulation doubles the weekly salary that exempt employees must earn to $913, from the current $455. Annualized, that would be $47,476. The rule also inflation-adjusts this amount, so the line moves every year.
Identify how many employees could be affected It will cost very little to give raises to employees who are already close to the $48,000 mark. Pitfall: up to 10 percent of standard salary level can come from non-discretionary bonuses, incentive payments and commissions, paid at least quarterly. Salaries must be automatically updated every three years, maintaining the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census region and the HCE total annual compensation level at the 90th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally.
A one-on-one meeting with each reclassified employee is recommended
Who pulls the hours and who doesn’t? Employees whose salary doesn’t come close to the $48,000 mark are in a tougher spot. You can raise the salaries of some and reclassify others as nonexempt. But whom? Not every exempt employee works lots of overtime hours a week, so it’s crucial to identify how many hours a week they do work.
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5/28/2015 9:47:52 AM
Trucking...Safer Every Day
SAFETY
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THE NEW OT:
Beware of Assumptions about Hours If you plan to convert some currently exempt employees into hourly employees once the new overtime regulations go into effect in December, you’re probably worried that your overtime tab will balloon. After all, some of those formerly exempt employees may be putting in 60 or more hours per week. Or are they? A new study suggests that some of your best performers may not actually be working such long hours after all. Erin Reid, a professor of organizational behavior at Boston University, studied an unnamed, elite global consulting firm whose culture rewards rapid response to client demands and the long hours doing that requires— often more than 80 per week.
With access to their performance reviews and other HR documents, Reid interviewed 95 U.S. employees. She found they could be divided equally into roughly three groups. One group completely embraced working superhuman hours. They were consistently rated top performers. Another pushed for better work/life balance and were allowed to work saner hours. However, they earned less and received less glowing performance reviews. A final group essentially fibbed about hours, saying they were meeting with clients when they were really doing things, like spending time with their families. Guess what? They earned excellent performance reviews. Their supervisors said they did great
work and paid them accordingly. This isn’t to shame slackers, but simply to point out that bosses often have no idea how many hours white-collar employees work. That’s going to be a big problem when overtime is due. It may be time for an honest discussion about work culture as part of the conversion from salaried to hourly. Otherwise, you risk either grossly underpaying or overpaying based on faulty assumptions about how long work takes. Some advice: remind employees to only work overtime with approval in advance—and that violating the rule may result in discipline. – Reprinted with permission from Business Management Daily at www.businessmanagementdaily.com.
It may pay to reclassify those who work a lot of overtime Reason: if they’re working a lot of overtime, they may not, in fact, be exempt. Take the extra step of evaluating whether these employees meet the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)’s duties test for their positions. It’s key to set hourly pay rates for those who will be reclassified. If you lower their base rate of pay, you may be able to make up the difference by guaranteeing them overtime and bonuses.
How do we communicate the change? This is a sensitive area, as not everyone will be getting raises. Employees who are reclassified as nonexempt may feel like they’ve been demoted. And they may be even unhappier about the bump to their egos, depending on how many managerial perks they’ll lose, such as paid time-off leave.
More buyers from more places
means better results when you sell
Be tactful in discussions with employees It’s recommended to have one-on-one meetings with each employee who will be reclassified. Tell them that under the old rules they were exempt, based on their salary, but their reclassification is a result of another change in the regulations. Visual aids may help. Prepare a side-by-side chart for each employee that shows their old pay and their new pay, with projected overtime and bonuses factored in.
Sell your trucks and trailers with Ritchie Bros.
Every Ritchie Bros. auction attracts huge numbers of competing buyers from across the country and beyond. More competition, in person and online, means you get the best results when you sell. Ask about selling at our next Orlando auction: Oct 27.
Call 863-420-9919 or visit
rbauction.com/Orlando
Reprinted, in part, with permission from Business Management Daily at www.businessmanagementdaily.com. Branding Ad Florida Trucking Ass 3.5x4.75 02156 v2.indd 1 | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck 2016-08-04 10:07 AM FLTrucking.org News 25
SMC
Trucking...Safer Every Day
Focus on Safety New SMC chair sets the course for the upcoming year
I
would like to thank outgoing Chair Jared Fritts from Landstar Transportation System for his dedication and commitment to the Safety Management Council (SMC) and its mission. The incoming SMC officers Bill Roy, first vice-chair from Walmart Transportation, Larry Hicks, second vice-chair from Publix Super Markets, Cary Watkins, treasurer from Nextran Truck Centers, and Ray Lloyd, secretary from McTyre Trucking, are committed to continuous improvement along with the committee chairs and membership. I am looking forward to serving the SMC this year as your incoming chair. The SMC has a long history of talented and qualified individuals leading it. This council adds value to our FTA membership by giving companies the opportunity to join the SMC at no additional cost to their annual fee. SMC membership focuses on issues affecting our companies’ safety records, how we comply/react to local, state and federal government regulations as well as also looking at what technology can do to help with compliance. FTA is committed to providing up-to-date education and training on all of these topics and more. Educational and training sessions are offered at most meetings, the Annual Conference, Spring and Fall Round-Up and scale house voluntary vehicle inspections to name a few. I have
“ How important is networking? I have found that being able to call someone who has had similar issues is a big help in finding a solution and can cut down on time wasted on projects that have a low return on investment.”
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TRACY LINHART BREAKTHRU BEVERAGE COMPANY FLORIDA CHAIR, SAFETY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
found it beneficial to attend as many of these sessions as possible. I am looking forward to the upcoming North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) courses offered this fall. With the Fall Round-Up just around the corner, FTA will have four educational tracks offered, including: safety, regulatory, technology/maintenance, and management operations sessions. Choose a perfect blend of sessions that fit your needs and interest. I encourage you to sign up and take advantage of your membership. I have looked to the members of the SMC for help on a variety of trucking issues, driver incentives, driver pay, driver training and I want to continue that openness and the sharing of best practices. How important is networking? I have found that being able to call someone who has had similar issues is a big help in finding a solution and can cut down on time wasted on projects that have a low return on investment. It’s hard to put a value on time and energy saved when trying to find a solution. A significant safety issue that our members face is cargo theft. To help our members who have been victims of this crime, FTA has a quick way to report it. Go to FLTrucking.org and follow the prompts on the homepage to effectively move through the necessary reporting steps.
ANDY DEAN PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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Legislative and Public Policy for 2017 Staying in high gear on the state and national stage
By Kenneth S. Armstrong, Ph.D., Florida Trucking Association
“ Truck parking and towing rates/ processes recently ranked extremely high on a survey of issues our members face. Conversations are well underway on both of those issues and we will keep them on the front burner.”
FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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STEPHEN FINN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
S
aying it’s the time of year for FTA to begin thinking about our public policy positions is more than a little misleading—because we are ALWAYS working on those positions. Still, with the ramp-up of the legislative session in only a few months, now is a good time to review what FTA is working on. Most of the initiatives have a legislative component. The 2017 session will be another wild one in Tallahassee with the largest number of new members in memory. Step one, which will begin even before the session starts in the first week of March, is to get acquainted with as many of the new legislators as possible, including new party and committee leaders. Our friend and ally, Chris Dudley with Southern Strategy Group, will be our guide on that process. With some good fortune, we will have made campaign contributions from the FTA PAC to many of them but more on that later. Under the leadership of Governor Scott and our recent FDOT secretaries, there have been sizeable FDOT budgets—$10 billion plus or minus—for the last several years, and we have reason to believe another will be proposed. FTA will strongly support the work program and adoption of a fully funded FDOT budget. Last year, we were literally within hours of getting some provisions passed in our cargo theft package, including a ban on GPS jammers. We are extremely optimistic on moving forward on these initiatives in 2017. A couple of other items we expect to be in the FDOT package, which we have been working on for more than a year, are state approvals for the increased weight allowance for natural-gas powered trucks and improvement of the permit process for ISO containers. On the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles side is a major push from us to change the statute that requires new physical license plates every year. We have support from the executive director and a key committee chair, and this will be one of our primary issues. One topic that has been getting a fair amount of attention is enabling legislation on autonomous/connected vehicles. Primarily, our role here is monitoring and staying informed: as of yet, no official FTA position has been necessary. The last legislative push is probably the most important. Within a week from the writing of this article, the Office of Insurance Regulation will be setting new workers’ compensation rates. They will, without a doubt, be substantially higher due to two recent Florida Supreme Court decisions. Both rulings have opened the door to many more workers’ compensation claims and higher claim awards. FTA is joining a number of other business interests in advocating for the legislature to make an immediate “fix” and resolve the problems that the Supreme Court identified. This will virtually be a litmus test for FTA PAC contributions—will the candidate support legislation consistent with
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ADVOCACY
MEDICAL MARIJUANA:
Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot! Amendment 2 is back on the Florida ballot this year. If this constitutional amendment passes, it will legalize a commercial marijuana industry. The Department of Health estimates that it would result in almost 2,000 pot shops across the state, and the spokesperson for the amendment admits that there could be as many as 5,000. There would be more pot shops in Florida than McDonald’s, Starbucks and 7-Elevens combined! The amendment also allows unlimited levels of THC in the pot, and production and sale of marijuana-infused products such as gummy bears, lollipops, cookies and drinks. Marijuana could be advertised, and even delivered, to users at their homes or workplaces.
TERI VIRBICKIS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Disturbing reports are coming in from employers in states that have legalized weed under the guise of medicine. Use of marijuana in these states is up, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find job applicants and retain employees who can pass a drug test. Employees are bringing marijuana products to work and using on the job—it is becoming harder to detect such actions since it is frequently in food and drink products or used in e-cigarette devices, causing no obvious smell. Amendment 2 would be a disaster for Florida employers! —Calvina Fay, Executive Director, Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.
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a return to rational workers’ compensation rates? At the state agency level, we will continue several efforts. Truck parking and towing rates/processes recently ranked extremely high on a survey of issues our members face. Conversations are well underway on both of those issues, and we will keep them on the front burner. The truck parking problem, in particular, is being recognized as very serious and FDOT knows it. Similarly, FDOT is considering a pilot project to study the value of reducing rates for trucks on the turnpike or other toll roads. We are encouraging them to implement the pilot. We should acknowledge that the recently expanded Commercial Motor Vehicle Review Board now counts three FTA member representatives among its seven members. We appreciate Governor Scott having appointed John McTyre, Sr. (Unified Logistics), Jared Fritts (Landstar) and Wayne Veitch (Ring Power) as members of the board. Also thank you to the members for the substantial amount of work that goes into the monthly meetings. All who attended the Annual Conference learned of FTA’s new effort to orient elementary, middle and high school teachers into the reality of trucking—toward the purpose of them creating curricula they can take back to their classrooms. The Department of Education has pledged to help us move those educational units into schools across the state. FTA also has an ongoing effort to communicate to the Departments of Economic Opportunity, Veterans Affairs and Education about the importance of the employment shortage in the trucking industry. For example, we are collaborating with Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and Veterans Florida to introduce the Troops to Truckers program, which will make it easier for veterans to receive their CDLs. The 2016 election brings two concerns to the forefront that aren’t specific to the legislature or Florida state agencies. The first of those is simply who gets elected. The FTA PAC is making a series of contributions to Florida candidates during the primary season and then for the general election. The amount will total in excess of $35,000. We unashamedly support
ADVOCACY
candidates who we believe understand the essential nature of trucking and are less disposed to a heavy regulatory hand. The other issue is the Florida Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative, Amendment 2. This constitutional amendment was narrowly defeated in 2014 and is back, once again funded in large part by plaintiffs’ attorney, John Morgan. FTA strongly opposes Amendment 2. For more on the dangers associated with medical marijuana, please see the sidebar authored by Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation. While most of FTA’s direct action is specific to Florida, we have an active partnership with the American Trucking Associations (ATA) as they work on national policy issues. We correspond with our congressional delegation, conduct our “Call on Washington,” of which the next trip will be in 2017, and share with ATA the positions of our members. Jamie Hammons, our regional representative, is a strong partner in this communication. Outgoing CEO Bill Graves spoke at our Annual Conference, and incoming CEO Chris Spear has already assured the state association executives as a group (and in a personal conversation with me) that we can count on ATA to support our interests, not just in Washington, but also when needed in our states. We will likely call on you for your assistance in advancing all of the items and initiatives mentioned in this public policy update, including talking to your senators
MICHAELJUNG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
“ …we are collaborating with Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and Veterans Florida to introduce the Troops to Truckers program, which will make it easier for veterans to receive their CDLs.”
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and representatives, contributing to the FTA PAC, and letting us know what subjects you feel we need to focus on. All of this work depends, in large part, on Chris Dudley, our lobbyist and advocate from Southern Strategy Group. Should you
have any comments or questions at any time, please reach out to Chris, Tisha Keller, or me. Kenneth S. Armstrong is the president and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association.
WE BUILD THEM TO LAST. Call us for your rental and leasing needs FLORIDA UTILITY TRAILERS, INC. www.FLutility.com
Apopka • 800.767.3730 • S. Orange Blossom Trail, Apopka, FL 32703 Lakeland • 800.975.0746 • 8139 N. Hwy. 33, Lakeland, FL 33809 Miami • 800.223.8382 • 6425 E. 8th Ave., Hialeah, FL 33013 Tampa • 800.404.6021 • 7808 North U.S. Hwy. 301, Tampa, FL 33637 FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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The Future of Health Insurance Alternate funding, data analytics and population health all set to play a role By David Sneed, Owen & Associates
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he cost of health insurance for a family is now the cost of a mortgage payment. Yet, health insurance is at its lowest cost because it is only going to increase. As you pay increases each year, what is your plan to lower costs without eroding quality benefits that attract and retain quality employees? A combination of alternate funding, data analytics and population health could be your answer.
What is alternate funding? Alternate funding, also known as administrative services only (ASO), is a self-insurance arrangement whereby an employer provides health or disability benefits to employees with its own funds. This is different from fully insured plans where the employer contracts with an insurance company to cover the employees and dependents. In self-funded health care, the employer assumes the direct risk for payment of the claims. However, unlike before, there are new safe harbors for financial liability and risk. The idea of funding your own company’s health insurance plan may seem riskier, but this alternative funding method is actually no more of a risk than participating in a fully funded plan. With alternative funding, your company—not the insurance company— benefits when the plan shows a profit. In other words, the employer maintains the claim surplus, therefore lowering your cost.
Alternate Funding
Employer keeps surplus 100% non-refundable premium
alternate funding actual claims
Insurance Company keeps surplus
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alternate funding
Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
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customized plans no premium tax profit potential must use wellness control claims pay some ACA fees potential savings
How do I prevent exposure to massive claims? Many employers seek to mitigate the financial risk of self-funding claims under the plan by purchasing stop-loss insurance from an insurance carrier. These new types of policies are hybrids of the old ones. They typically provide for risk retention limitations both on a specific (individual) claim and aggregate (group) claims basis. The stop-loss policy runs solely between the employer and the stop-loss carrier and creates no direct liability to those individuals covered under the plan. This feature provides the critical distinction between fully insured plans (subject to state law insurance regulations and premium taxes) and self-funded health plans, which, under the provisions of Section 514 of ERISA, are exempt from state insurance regulations, which give employers far more creative and customization opportunity.
What are the benefits of alternate funding? The benefits are actually twofold. If you implement any type of claims savings strategies (population health), you, as the employer, get to participate in those savings. And second, you get the underlying claims data that you don’t typically get under a fully insured plan, which can allow you to better manage the plan to meet your employees’ needs. You can’t manage what you can’t see. These types of plans allow you see all claim expenditures. So as a business owner, if you manage your claims, you are directly managing the amount of money you spend on health care each year. Historically, self-funding has been most effective for large corporations and Fortune 500 companies with over 1,000 employees but with the rising cost of health care over the past ten years at a rate of close to 20 percent, self-funding has become an option for smaller employers. It is now estimated that the average self-funded plan covers 300 to 400 employees and that 59 percent of companies within the U.S. self-fund part of their health care plan. Now, employers with only 25 to 500 are moving over to alternate funding.
Success stories At SpearUSA, a manufacturer of labels for beverages, food and other packaged goods, health care expenses under its new alternate funded plan came to $10.42 million over a four-year period ending in 2013. That was a savings of nearly $4.5 million.
MANAGEMENT
“ The benefits of alternative funding models are not without risks and involve several moving parts. However, self-funded arrangements partnered with population health programs and quality claim redirection tools are the future of healthcare.” Sheffield $3,115,281 compared with the $2,658,908 it estimates it paid under the self-insured program. The benefits of alternative funding models are not without risks and involve several moving parts. However, self-funded arrangements, partnered with population health programs and quality claim redirection tools, are the future of healthcare. Successful self-insured programs are dependent on skilled advisors and brokers to help companies parse claims data and health care utilization rates. Proponents of alternate funding acknowledge the strategy isn’t for everybody because of current large claims. However, when the group embraces population health strategies, coupled with analyzing data, employers and employees come out ahead. David Sneed, Owen & Associates is a health insurance expert with FTA supplier member company Owen & Associates in Jacksonville, Fla. Reach him at 904-287-0848 ext. 707 or david@owenservices.com. FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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HUHU/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Since converting to an alternate funding arrangement, SpearUSA has not increased employee contributions or reduced benefits, and they attribute it all to population health, data analytics and alternate funding. Columbia Power and Water Systems (CPWS), a municipal utility supplying electricity, water and broadband services to more than 25,000 homes in and around Columbia, Tenn., converted to a self-insured structure following a 1993 decision by the local board of public utilities. The benefit plan covers 170 employees and retirees, as well as 204 dependents. Enough money was saved in the first year of alternate funding to establish a solid financial reserve that has continued to build to this day. Claims, which were $1.7 million in 2006, plunged to $1.2 million last year for a nearly identical number of covered lives. The utility has accumulated more than $1 million in reserve due to the lower claims payouts. Sheffield Pharmaceuticals is a family-owned manufacturer of over-the-counter creams, ointments and toothpaste based in New London, Conn., with 162 workers and $30 million in revenue. The company provides health insurance to 75 employees and their dependents. In 2008, Sheffield’s health insurer raised rates 25 percent, after Sheffield suffered a spike in health care usage among some of its employees. In 2009, premiums increased 39 percent, and that was the lowest offer Sheffield received that year from insurance carriers bidding on their business. Since Sheffield’s employees were in relatively good health, another year of high health care utilization was unlikely. That would likely mean flat or lower premiums at the next renewal—or so the company thought. When the answer came back as a no, the decision to move to alternate funding became an easy one for the company, according to Sheffield executives. In a four-year period ending in May 2014, it is estimated that Sheffield saved $400,000, or 19 percent, over the expected costs of insuring employees through a traditional, fully insured plan. The traditional plan over the four-year period would have cost
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People First TJ Stidham Inc. embraces philanthropy and dedication for more than 60 years of success By Colleen Wood
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“His number one asset has always been people,” explained Lamar Quinn, the general manager at Alabama-headquartered R.E. Garrison Trucking, Inc., which now owns the company. “Any organization today, trucking or otherwise, that does not put people first is probably not first in its class.” When Hurricane Andrew, one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of the U.S., destroyed much of southern Florida, Stidham jumped in to help. “Ted immediately deployed his trucks to meet people’s needs, hauling water and dry goods to that devastated area,” said Quinn. The philanthropic act spurred on further diversification. In 1993, the carrier began hauling dry cargo. Because of the expansion in services, the transportation company continued to flourish, even when Winn-Dixie filed for bankruptcy in 2003.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TJ STIDHAM INC.
J Stidham Inc.’s recipe for success has always been to put its people first. Based in Plant City, Fla., the assetbased carrier and third-party transportation provider has a history that spans all the way back to 1955. Founded by Ted (T.J.) Stidham, the company started off as a one-man operation. Stidham saw an opportunity in the marketplace to haul produce for Winn-Dixie grocery stores, and he seized it. When the supermarket chain opened an ice cream plant in Plant City, he stepped up again and began hauling ice cream. Undaunted by the challenge of moving sensitive cargo, TJ Stidham became a trusted carrier. In 1975, Stidham built a terminal on Airport Road for his expanding business, but he stayed focused on putting people first.
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CARRIER HIGHLIGHT
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Although the carrier continued to grow, Stidham lost his battle with cancer on October10, 2007. Shortly after, Stidham’s wife, Melissa, took the reins and led the 23-truck company through the economic crisis in 2008. When the transportation industry plummeted, TJ Stidham lost 30 percent in market share and pricing, but the company survived. “To still be standing after 2008 says a whole lot about that organization,” said Quinn. In 2013, at the age of 72, Melissa was ready to execute a succession plan, but she was adamant that she would only hand over the family business to the right buyer. The values had to align. R.E. Garrison proved to be the right fit with a solid reputation and work ethic. “Melissa happened to be from Alabama, so there was a natural bond,” Quinn explained. Three years ago, the carrier’s capacity went from 23 to 79 trucks and a 48-state footprint as a result of the acquisition. TJ Stidham is now the southeast division of R.E. Garrison, with 18 employees working out of the Plant City office. Because TJ Stidham earned a strong reputation in the southeast, the name remained the same. “This is a common practice in acquisitions where the brand has equity,” Quinn said. Today the primary cargo hauled is a variety of perishable, foodgrade products and includes just about anything you would find at Publix, Winn-Dixie and Walmart. The secondary cargo market includes dry goods such as Solo Cups, Badcock furniture and various cardboard packaging products. Although the founder’s love of people and work ethic helped build the business, Quinn attributes the company’s connection to the Florida Trucking Association (FTA) for its ongoing evolution. FTA’s focus on safety—and the continuing education it provides—has helped to transform perceptions and safety practices. Truckers initially resisted e-logs and satellite technology, but
Quinn said that many now regard these tools and safety as “their buddy.” He credits FTA for raising awareness that the insurance industry has more influence on the trucking industry than some of the regulatory bodies in Washington. “I tip my hat to FTA for driving home the safety point and the insurability,” Quinn said. TJ Stidham has developed a team of expert people on the frontline who stay on top of the latest technologies. For instance, Omnitracs gives the operations team cab connectivity in real time and interfaces with TJ Stidham’s operating system. “Our safety personnel interact with our operators daily through these technologies, maximizing the optimal use of logging options in concert with their particular load sequence,” Quinn said. The team has already implemented 100 percent of the electronic logging device requirements, years before they come into effect. He added that ibright® trailer tracking technology provides the team with the ability to monitor all trailer functionality from their desktops, ultimately giving clients absolute quality control of the trailer environment of a particular cargo while in TJ Stidham’s care. Aiming to increase their visibility in neighborhoods that they operate, TJ Stidham brings large trucks to the Kindergarten to sixth-grade classes to educate children about the transportation industry. “We want to get the message out about what the big 18-wheeler does on the highway and tell kids how many Mickey D’s hamburgers and french fries they haul for them,” said Quinn. Giving back to the community has always been a part of TJ Stidham’s culture, but since joining forces with R.E. Garrison, the initiatives extend well beyond Plant City. R.E. Garrison gives 10 percent of its profits annually to organizations that help youth. FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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MARIANNA KALASHNYK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
FTA’s focus on safety—and the continuing education it provides—has helped to transform perceptions and safety practices.
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CARRIER HIGHLIGHT
“ To still be standing after 2008 says a whole lot about that organization.” —Lamar Quinn, General Manager, R.E. Garrison Trucking, Inc.
The Pinwheels for Prevention Truck Tour is one of FTA’s initiatives. Layla’s House, a YMCA-facility and early childhood community learning center that helps children and parents of Sulphur Springs in downtown Tampa achieve a strong family foundation, is one of the beneficiaries. FTA members, including TJ Stidham, donated equipment, resources and their time to help clean up the facility as well as provided books about trucks for toddlers and pre-school children. Today the transportation industry is light years away from what it was in 1955, but the family atmosphere at TJ Stidham remains the same—focusing on specialized service needs for their customers and giving back to the community.
New Members
Introducing the newest members of FTA. Help us welcome everyone on the list! Carrier Companies • Aviles-Robbins Truck Leasing, LLC—Jacksonville, Fla. • Carbonite Logistics, Inc.—Hialeah Gardens, Fla. • Postal Fleet Services—St. Augustine, Fla. • Exxact Transport—Lakeland, Fla. • Fidelis Freight, LLC—Jacksonville, Fla.
Supplier Companies • Carrier Transicold—Tampa, Fla. • East Coast Transport, LLC—Paulsboro, N.J. • Turbo Images Inc.—Oldsmar, Fla. • Snap Diagnostics—Wheeling, Ill. • Best Interstate Moving and Storage, LLC—Jupiter, Fla.
Driver Staffing Solutions
• Cushman and Wakefield—Orlando, Fla.
Established in 1991, TransForce is the nation’s leading specialty staffing firm devoted exclusively to commercial truck drivers. We believe that safety is a shared commitment among our customers, our drivers and ourselves. Our drivers’ safety is demonstrated by our low DOT accident rate. If you share our passion for safety and the bottom-line benefits it brings you, contact us today.
• Hendrickson—Acworth, Ga.
Staff Your Fleet or Drive for Us www.transforce.com 1-800-308-6989
• ERS Cooling—Lakeland, Fla. • Trinity Risk, LLC—Jacksonville, Fla. • Blue Tree Systems, Inc.—Greensboro, N.C. • Road Chill, LLC—Sarasota, Fla.
New Council Members Technology & Maintenance Council • Larry Wisdom, Exxact Transport—Lakeland, Fla.
2.0 • Paul Berman, East Coast Transport, LLC—Palm Beach, Fla. • Manuel Bueno, East Coast Transport, LLC—Paulsboro, N.J. • Jerry Opela, Exxact Transport—Lakeland, Fla. *List updated as of Aug. 11, 2016
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We are especially proud of this program, since a main component of eligibility is that the recipient be the child or grandchild of a commercial truck driver.
AG
The 2016 Herman Fauss Scholarship recipients rose to the cream of the crop in the pool of highly qualified applicants. This annual scholarship is funded solely through the Herman Fauss Scholarship Fundraiser Golf Tournament, held the day before the Truck Driving Championships begin each year. These two deserving students received $2,500 each for the college or technical school of their choice.
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They Have Tickets to Ride
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This year’s recipients are: Daulton Mabry
Taylor Moats
New Smyrna Beach High School, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Son of Brian Peter Heath, UPS Attending Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.
Lake Gibson High School, Lakeland, Fla. Daughter of Russell Moats, Publix Super Markets Attending Florida Southern in Lakeland, Fla.
FLTrucking.org | Q3 2016 | Florida Truck News
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EVENTS
2016 Florida TDC Class Champions
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Congratulations to all the winners of the 2016 Florida Truck Driving Championships, which took place June 9-11 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach:
CHECKERED FLAG
Grand Champion, Larry Warr, Walmart Transportation, 3rd Consecutive Winner
3-Axle, Robert Kent, Walmart Transportation
2016 Florida TDC Hall of Fame Inductees: Scott Reagan, Centurion Auto Logistics Greg Sams, FedEx Freight Melinda Davis, Tommel Transport/FedEx Ground
4-Axle, Salvador Gonzalez, UPS/UPS Freight
FINISH LINE 5-Axle, Larry Warr, Walmart Transportation COURSE OBSTACLE
Centurion Auto Logistics, Inc.
Flatbed, Edward Pennington, FedEx Freight
Sleeper, Larry Breen, Walmart Transportation
Straight Truck, Wilbur “Denny” Johnson, FedEx Freight
Tanker, Gary Omerkov, Florida Rock & Tank Lines
Twins, Paul Cleary, FedEx Freight
Step Van, Brian Cobb, FedEx Ground
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Florida Truck News | Q3 2016 | FLTrucking.org
EVENTS
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2016 Sponsors START YOUR ENGINE
CHECKERED FLAG
FINISH LINE
COURSE OBSTACLE SPONSORS
Centurion Auto Logistics, Inc.
AAA COOPER TRANSPORTATION
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EVENTS
LOOKING FORWARD in Florida’s Trucking Industry
The 2016 FTA Annual Conference was a success because of YOU! The 2016 FTA Annual Conference was a huge success with record attendance again this year—over 370 individuals—at the Sawgrass Marriott Ponte Vedra Beach. Our agenda focused on veterans, hiring and legislative priorities for 2017, with speakers including Gov. Bill Graves (ATA), U.S. Rep. David Jolly, Karin Childress-Wiley (Military.com), and more.
We also recognized the 2016 Driver of the Year, William White (Florida Rock & Tank Lines), the 2016 Safety Professional of the Year, Jared Fritts (Landstar), as well as the 2016 Fleet Safety Award Winners:
TL Division
LTL Division
New York Times best-selling author Don Yaeger gave an inspiring look at leadership and greatness in the sports world in his keynote address, and the Board Chair’s gavel passed from Denny Ross (Kenworth of Jacksonville) to Jeff Day (Publix Super Markets) for the 2016-17 year.
Over 15 million miles: Southeastern Freight Lines
Thanks to everyone who attended and sponsored this year’s event. It was a great success and a key time to not only celebrate our association but also to renew contacts and friendships in this amazing industry we call Florida trucking.
15 million miles or less: Breakthru Beverage Florida
20 million miles or less: Davis Express Over 20 million miles: Walmart Private Fleet
Bulk/Other Division 9 million miles or less: Grammer Industries
Over 9 million miles: Trans-Phos
Save the date for next year at The Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla.: Aug. 3-4, 2017!
Gov. Bill Graves
FTA Annual Conference live music
Conference registration
Kenneth S. Armstrong
U.S. Rep. David Jolly
Karin Childress-Wiley (Military.com)
Jared Fritts (right)
Jeff Day and Denny Ross
Dancing at the conference
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DIAMoND SPoNSorS
Freightliner Dealers of Florida International Dealers of Florida
PLATINUM PLUS SPoNSorS Kenworth Dealers of Florida
PLATINUM SPoNSorS
GoLD SPoNSorS
dba Monro Muffler Brake
SILVEr SPoNSorS
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Q&A
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
John DeMarco, Palm Truck Centers, Inc. At Home Hometown: Bayside, N.Y. College: CUNY (York College) First car: 1964 Chevelle Favorite color: Blue Favorite movie: My Cousin Vinny/Moonstruck (Must have something to do with my heritage and hometown) Favorite vacation spot: Snowy mountains Do you have children? Two wonderful daughters Apple or Android? Apple What is the last thing you Googled? Texting abbreviations Which reality show would you choose to be on? None Who—living or deceased—would you most like to meet? Cornelius Vanderbilt
When and how was your company started? Palm Motors was started in Fort Lauderdale over 50 years ago by Vic Weiger as a heavy-duty body shop. Now it’s a second and third-generation owned Peterbilt/Isuzu dealership. What are the challenges facing your company today? Staying in tune with the latest technology being used on both the engine and the chassis side of new equipment. As for our workforce, especially as our service department staff begins to age, we need to find more technicians to fill these slots. Finding young, talented people who are willing to do this type of work has been very challenging. It takes time to develop into a wellrounded technician. What is the biggest challenge currently facing the trucking industry as a whole?
What super power would you want to have? Time travel might be fun
Bringing aboard the youth of today into service and driving positions. Fleets have to face the challenges of both technology and reliability while staying within time regulations. Meeting DOT requirements is also another industry challenge.
What is the last movie you saw in theaters? Spectre
What improvements have you seen in the industry?
Where is the farthest you’ve been away from home? Northern California/Washington state
The good news to the technology of engines is the length of base engine life and fuel economy. I remember when you had to do engine overhauls at 500,000 miles and a tune-up at 100,000 miles—I’m dating myself now. But of course, we did not have DPFs or NOx sensors. We have seen great strides made in driving safety which saves lives on the road.
If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pizza
Where do you see future growth in the industry?
At Work Current title: Director of Fleet Services Why did you get into trucking? I was introduced into the Cummins diesel engine business early on by a good friend and I’ve stayed in the industry ever since. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Put yourself in the other’s shoes. What is your personal business philosophy? Do your best, honestly.
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As our economy grows, so does the freight volume. Some had predicted that railroad would take a lot of the freight business, but I don’t think this will be the case. Trucking does a much more efficient job of making on-time inventory, which is what is seems most industries are trying to attain. What are the greatest benefits to FTA membership? Staying in touch with the local Florida fleets and other suppliers, like myself. Being on the Technology and Maintenance Council and being involved with SuperTech and the Truck Driving Championships give me good opportunities to give back to the industry that has given me a lifetime career.
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Let’s say you experience a breakdown or a collision in an unfamiliar area. How do you pick a local repair shop you can trust to do the job quickly, and do it right? That’s where we can help. We have approved lists of quality repair shops and have local adjusters wherever you need assistance. We’ll help you choose the right shop so you can be back on the road in no time. Plus, any time, day or night, you can talk to a real, live person who’ll give you the answers you need. GREAT WEST CASUALTY COMPANY – Because no matter where you are, we’re with you every step of the way.
MOVING FLORIDA FORWARD TAKES AN ALL OUT EFFORT. JUST HOW WE LIKE IT.
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