Truck Focus - Industry Leaders Creating an Impact - April 2022

Good day! Josh here with Truck Focus. I want to write a quick note to first off say thank you for your ongoing support of Truck Focus!

Our mission at Truck Focus is simple - to connect transportation industry leaders, to the industry, to help create a pivotal change.

I believe it is important to uplift our industry leaders that are creating a pivotal impact in the lives of those operating within the transportation industry so that they can ultimately be of service to you and your organizations if and when you are in need.?

I encourage you to sign up to the Truck Focus Newsletter if you have not already done so, to learn more about our industry leaders and receive the full newsletter directly into your email!

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Over the last month, I have been encouraged by the growing impact our industry leaders are having, as they help professionals in the transportation & logistics industries push forward and successfully navigate through various challenges that arise.

Now, when we think about challenges in the transportation & logistics industries, I am sure each of us can compile a list a kilometer long that we overcome each day. After all, our industry has some of the toughest and most diligent professionals, and a quote I often share when highlighting our industry professionals' strengths is this: "tough times don't last, tough people, do."

But there are a number of challenges that require guidance and mentorship from those that have a level of knowledge or understanding that we do not quite yet possess ourselves. Guidance on situations such as "what type of organization are you, really?", "what are your legal obligations as a "Federal Carrier?", or even "are you legally obligated to operate with an electronic logging device to cross the Canadian/USA border?"

Understanding your requirements to legally operate on our roadway as a carrier is crucial. But you know what else is crucial? So is understanding the requirements of a carrier hauling your product on the roadway. This is one of the many reasons why I am proud to work closely with our April 2022 Truck Focus Newsletter sponsor, Pioneer Safety Solutions.

As the team at Pioneer Safety Solutions says "we do not just sell products. We sell safety solutions." Safety solutions for multiple sectors of industry, as they focus first on what do you, the client, need, and from there, work to offer or source the products or services. I encourage you to learn more about Pioneer Safety Solutions!

Have you heard of the expression "be proactive and less reactive"? What this expression means, is when you are mindful of your preparation for what could happen as you navigate throughout your day-to-day, you need to be less reactive if and when an incident occurs. An incident, for example, could be a collision.

Possibly you have experienced this yourself, or know someone that has, but a scenario that unfortunately continues to be common when a collision occurs is "what do I do next?"

Well, for starters, there are specific action steps that need to be taken at the scene of the collision to help mitigate the situation. Making sure everyone is okay, making sure there are no fluids leaking and if so, mitigating the environmental impact. From there, depending on the severity, of course, steps could include arranging to tow the vehicles involved, finding a secondary power unit to finish the delivery of freight, and so on.

Throughout this entire process, specific documents and photographs are required to be taken, and gathered, to help ensure you are prepared for a claim.

Nicole Talbot, Claims Advocate with Leibel Insurance Group recently wrote an excellent article that walks you through "what do you do in the event of a claim?"

I highly encourage you to take a moment and read Nicole's article, as the article clearly articulates key action steps that you or your professional drivers need to take in the event of a collision and if a claim occurs.

Furthermore, I highly recommend connecting with the team at Leibel Insurance Group if you have a question on insurance or would like a second opinion on a current policy.

As I mentioned prior, there are a number of challenges carriers and various professionals in the transportation & logistics industries are experiencing in today's climate. One of these challenges continues to be cash flow.

When I owned my trucking outfit back "in the day", the number one thing I would brag about was the dedication our team had to customer service. You probably could not have a conversation with me for longer than one minute, without me complimenting our professional drivers and their dedication to making sure our customer's needs were far exceeded. Dan, Jake, and Andre were absolute beasts when it came to customer service, going above and beyond, to the point where we established "their customers" because they built such an incredible relationship with them.

While we prided ourselves on customer service, we were suffering in regard to cash flow. Now, this was not the fault of our customers. They always paid their invoices on time, and ensured that the cheques were sent out by the invoice date, but the thing was - our invoice dates, like many still to do this day, were 30, 60, and sometimes 90 days after the service was provided.

30, 60, and sometimes 90 days waiting for cheques to come in so they could be deposited into our bank account, yet our daily, weekly, and monthly bills still had to be paid on time. This was a major cause of concern for our business, and I regularly say I wish I had met my friend and go-to business advisor Gord with J D Factors back then.

You see, J D Factors offers an exceptional factoring service, that helps you get paid fast for the invoices that you provide.

So instead of having to wait for the 30, 60, and sometimes 90 days to put your hard-earned money into your bank account, you can receive your funds as quickly as a couple of days (or faster).

This is a solution that a lot of businesses operating in the transportation and logistics industries could benefit from, as cash flow is one of the highest causes of concern for small businesses.

If you are looking for a trusted advisor to help you navigate your cash flow concerns, and are looking to get paid quickly, I encourage you to speak with Gord today! Gord recently joined us on the Truck Focus Podcast, which I encourage you to check out, and his contact details are included in the show notes of the episode.

When you think about the organization you currently own or work for, how often are you considering the importance of the culture within your organization? Have you completed a check-up on the culture within your organization lately, and does it align with your own personal and professional values?

It is extremely important to understand that the culture within an organization includes shared beliefs and values, which are established by the leaders and then communicated and reinforced which ultimately shapes the employee's perceptions, behaviours, and understandings.

So, when I asked the question, have you completed a check-up on the culture within your

organization, I wonder what the results are? Are you comfortable with the current state of the culture within your organization, or do you believe that you could use some guidance on improving a culture that encourages longevity in the workplace?

I highly recommend connecting with Tim Dyck, owner of Best Culture Solutions Inc. if you are looking for guidance on what a culture could look like, what components should be considered, and what is the best way to get there.

If you have ever been involved in an incident where damages or injuries occur, the last thing that you want is to be yelled at by a supervisor, while trying to navigate all of the situations going on in your head at that time.

One of the key components to consider, when interviewing a worker involved in an incident, or a witness to the incident, is how we communicate with them. My friend and industry leader, Anthony Butkovic, owner of WCBConsulting.ca walks us through the real costs of communicating when navigating the claims management process in a recent Truck Focus Podcast episode, which I encourage you to check out.

Have you recently hired a position within your company? Or possibly, you are currently hiring for a role? As I am sure you are aware, there are a number of components to consider when hiring - and I do not just mean "yes, I needed to fill a position with the best possible candidate" but there are a number of components that need to be in place to ensure you have hired successfully.

Components, such as interview strategies, reference checks, employee or driver files, payroll setup, orientation, and onboarding, just to list a couple. Human Resources is a major part of all businesses, and similar to carrier compliance, there are rules that must be followed with your employees to ensure you are operating within the boundaries of compliance.

Teresa, owner of Kiy HR Services recently joined the Truck Focus Podcast for an excellent conversation, as Teresa explains "what is human resources" and why managing your human resource requirements effectively is so important to the success of an organization. Furthermore, Teresa highlights how her business is helping small and mid size employers with all of their human resource requirements.

If you have questions on your human resource requirements or are in need of assistance with a specific task in this field, I highly recommend speaking with Teresa today! Learn more by visiting Kiy HR Services website.

Recently, Dana Smith, owner of The Mindful Trucker joined the Truck Focus Podcast to discuss an extremely important topic in our industry, customer service.

During our conversation, Dana highlights some key advice he shares with his clients when improving a customer's experience, with the ultimate goal of having your customer say "why would I even consider working with anyone other than your organization".

Furthermore, if you have questions on opportunities to improve your organizations' health, safety, and wellness, then I encourage you to connect with Dana and The Mindful Trucker today!

Inspector Alan W. Wintermute R.S.E. (Retired)

Inspector Alan Wintermute earned his license as a motor vehicle mechanic after having completed an apprenticeship in Ontario.

The license was later divided into a few designations as the trade became more complex and servicing motor vehicles increasingly required specialized training and experience.

Inspector Wintermute was grandfathered into two of those categories: truck/coach technician and automotive service technician.

The laws governing commercial motor vehicles are not easy to understand and it can take hours wading through them to find anything.?Purchase Your Copy Now

My encouragement to you as we finish out the month of April is to have a clear vision of what it is you would like to accomplish in the next couple of weeks; create a detailed plan and execute the plan each and every day. May is approaching quickly, and I look forward to the guidance our industry will share in the upcoming Truck Focus Newsletter edition!

As always, let’s create a pivotal impact!