ROADWAY REVUE
How many of you dispatchers - on the way home at night or on the way to work in the morning - go through a mental checklist? "A hot load to North Carolina has to be there by 7a.m. or the line shuts down. Did I fax everything to the carrier? Oh good, he's got satellite tracking; I can monitor this from home tonight. The driver sounded very capable, he understood what was at stake, etc." I know I do it all the time, and I'll bet each one of you do, too. It's part of the job that can't be escaped.

SENSITIVITY TO CUSTOMERS
Covering loads and making commitments, coupled with the responsibility to follow through, can be stressful for any dispatcher but in logistics, it creates a unique challenge. Their job is to match the right carriers to fit the customer's needs. These evaluations must sometimes endure over a long period of time. They often have to decide who to choose and when to do it in a matter of minutes. The choice has to be the right one. Customers won't tolerate many mistakes by a logistics company, so the operations people must strive to be accurate in their analyses every time. (No stress here!)

Operations people have to be attuned to changes in the customer's attitudes and patterns. Has their business with us decreased or increased? Either scenario is a signal that something has changed and the dispatcher is responsible to be sensitive to those changes.

SENSITIVITY TO CARRIERS
The carriers look to the operations people for good "balancing freight" and to get them into accounts that perhaps only used orange or yellow trailers. In many cases they are an extension of the carrier's sales staff.

With a few exceptions, small and medium size carriers are our best partners and have the most longevity with us. They, like ourselves, learned a long time ago that we need to have a symbiotic relationship and the biggest isn't always the best.

Operations people must solicit and maintain carriers in much the same way that sales people solicit customers. The keys are: 1) having a good product, 2) building relationships, and 3) following through on business agreements. It is amazing what can be accomplished between a carrier and a broker when the relationship is genuine and the effort is sincere.

Just like customer sensitivity, dispatchers need to be sensitive to changes in carrier performance. Are they making a sincere effort or is it half-hearted? A logistics operations person cannot afford to have a "convenient" relationship with the carrier. Sometimes there may be a change in the carrier's philosophy with regard to broker freight. I call this a "carrier's manifest destiny", that he should someday stand on his own without brokerage. This is an unfortunate myth in our business.

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE
The bottom line is that operations people make a significant difference in keeping or loosing a customer, moving a carrier's equipment, rate analysis and on-call responsibilities. The dispatch function is the pulse of the business and sometimes the job only looks easy.

I have never gotten away from dispatching loads and being involved in the problems that may arise. This is a hands-on business and despite what the dotcoms are professing, there's no replacement for person-to-person communications in the transportation of freight. And there's no more important group of communicators than those overlooked dispatchers and operations people. We salute you!

---
I look forward to reading submissions from other logistics operations people, and hope this magazine can provide a forum for an exchange of philosophies, as well as the sharing of ideas. This may prove to be cathartic to those of us involved in the day-to-day challenges of freight management.

    Davis has also been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Small Trucking Companies. This award is in recognition of Cathy's outstanding service to NASTC and the entire transportation industry by providing exceptional service and promoting education and communications in the industry.

Tom Petrick - Director of Customer Solutions
Tom Petrick, director of customer solutions, comes to TransCore Commercial Services Group from Corillian Corp., a Portland-based company that delivers Internet eFinance solutions to banks. While at Corillian, he held senior management positions in sales support and business development. Before joining Corillian, Tom held similar customer facing positions at Integrion, a joint venture between VISA and IBM, and VeriFone, a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard. In the recently created director of customer solutions role, Tom will be responsible for the implementation and management of a newly integrated Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) system and the organizational resources that support TransCore's customers on a daily basis.

Rebecca Armstrong - Director of Sales
Rebecca Armstrong is TransCore's Commercial Services Group's new director of sales. Armstrong will use her extensive experience in creating and leading complex sales organizations to increase sales at TransCore. Prior to joining TransCore, Armstrong spent two years as vice president of global sales and marketing at RapidEdit.com. She also served 10 years with ESCO Corp. building market share in a highly competitive environment.

    According to Voltman, TIA and the Truckload Carriers Association are each attempting to gauge the magnitude of their members' involvement with the Enron bankruptcy. He has voiced concern that, just like during the Undercharge Crisis of the 1980's, the bankruptcy court could create new law that might have far-reaching effects on the industry.

    A member of the Council of Logistics Management, Cooke is a candidate for a Master of Science degree in Transportation and Logistics at Wilmington College. Jamie has transportation experience with UPS, Brinks and D.M. Bowman. Affiliated with Trinity Transport for three years, he has been building the logistics operation for the last year.

    Customers now have the option of outsourcing their entire transportation department to Trinity, as well as using the firm for individual load movement.

    "The difference is a matter of the relationship," explained Cooke. "The logistics operation cuts across the traditional lines of service among shippers, carriers and third party. We become involved in choosing the type of service, creating transportation savings and becoming more involved with supply chain issues.

    "A company can outsource their entire transportation operation to Trinity, knowing that our core competency is the management and timely delivery of freight," stated Cooke. "This allows our customers to concentrate on their core competency instead of spending their time solving transportation problems."

    The move to a logistics management division is a natural progression as Trinity provides integrated, effective transportation service.

Website Design - Aaron Collegeman
Editing - Kathryn Rosypal

Published by
Petrick Outsourcing Unlimited, Inc.
Management and Marketing Consultants
to North America's Transportation Companies
679 Hottel Road
Woodstock, VA 22664
www.transportmarketing.com

Subscriptions/billing
Sandi Thomasson
540-459-9632
Fax - 540-459-8775
sthomass@shentel.net

Advertising
Lea Frazier
540-459-8390
Fax 540-465-9487
lafraz@shentel.net

    He was life student, writer, philosopher, humorist, playmate and, of course, cowboy, all rolled into one. Although his daily companionship is sorely missed, the lessons he taught and the love he emanated live on.

    So do his words - in the book that features his work. If you would like a copy of the book of poems and short stories we published, just send an e mail with your address to anetrick@shentel.net. I would be glad to send it to you.

Letters to the Editor

    Don't be a pawn of terror. Get the facts, be aware, be prepared.

    NASTC represents over 1500 trucking companies in the U.S. and Canada that employ over 40,000 drivers.

Cindy and Adam Deluca

Karen Pelle, Ring Master

    All Kirk could see was that the Klingons (competitors) were getting away.

    Again Scotty said, "Captain, I'm giving you all she's got!"

    Kirk said, "Spock (operations manager), what do you think? Can we go any faster? We've gotta catch those bloody Klingons."

    Spock said, "I'm inclined to agree with Scotty. We are at warp nine and there are stress fractures everywhere. The Enterprise might break apart at any time!"

    Kirk said, "Bones (sales manager), what's your opinion? We need more fuel (sales). How are we gonna get some?"

    Bones said, "We are tapped out, Captain. I suggest melting down a chair or sink for fuel (cut benefits). And, Captain, chill a little. You're gonna have a stroke!"

    Kirk: "O-Hurra (human resources-personal manager), what's your take on this? How we gonna catch the Klingons?"

    O-Hurra said, "Well, Captain, we could jettison some people and lighten the load!"

    Kirk said, "I'm not losing anyone. We'll move into the main section and jettison the saucer section (unprofitable nitches). Then, we'll try combining the thrusters (dispatch teams) for added power and direction and less moving parts. Then we'll make the jump to light-speed by burning salt crystals (lowering freight rates) instead of dilithium and I believe we'll catch those Klingons that stole our freight!"

    There are other ways to make the jump to light-speed and catch Klingons. Dumping deadwood accounts, even if they've been part of the business for eons, is vital. While we're chasing the penny-ante freight, the stellar-stuff is getting away. When asked, "Why don't you do that anymore?" we can simply reply, "That was then and this is now," and don't look back.

    When jettisoning to lighten the load, don't cast off the people. You'll need them to develop the good stuff. You'll need their experience in the "Star Fleet" to catch and beat the Klingons.

A few more tips that might take your ship into a new dimension of speed and scope are:

• Spend your day serving the volume players.

• Book ahead. If a load picks up in 24-48 hours, book it!

• Snatch the easy ones first. Always!

• Adopt, adopt, adopt. Find carrier and customer partners that are compatible and adopt them. Make them part of your professional life.

• Become like a drug to your customers, so that they need you like black coffee or nicotine!

• Be first. By the time you fix your first cup of coffee, warm up the computer, spread the bagel and read the headlines, the bloody Klingons have taken the best prize. If there's anything left (loads or trucks), they're leftovers.

Focus on finding ways to speed up all transactions. Software can help. With a good program, you can:

• Shorten the carrier setup time

• Speed up the credit process

• Duplicate repeat business with a keystroke

• Speed dial telephones

• Manage several calls at once, using the hold button

• Develop "Blast Fax" capabilities

• Access high speed internet phone books to reach hundreds of players in just a few minutes

• Electronically tender freight and have freight tendered

    Yes, burning every scrap of paper in your "starship" will allow you to out run and out class those Klingon competitors.

    Like Star Trek, moving at the speed of business is how you beat the Klingons. Being able to jettison whatever holds you back is important, such as paper, keystrokes, procedures, unprofitable business or stagnant relationships.

    Getting rid of whatever acts like an anchor will give you an edge. Being able to run full speed on salt, instead of dilithium, will make your ship recession-proof. Any business can survive in a booming economy but what if there is no demand for your services? What if you insert Klingons (competition) into the equation? What if the Klingons are willing to do anything to capture business? How can you fight that kind of resolve?

    Learn to power the ship on anything! Then realize how much profit can be made if you can find a whole planet of dilithium!

    The Klingons are out there; they've got our freight. We've got to catch them! Let's lighten the load and make the jump to light speed.

Rick Jones, CTB is President of Meadow Lark Companies, a freight brokerage in Billings, Montana.

(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over

(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life

(N)ever Judges
(O)ffer support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits

(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need tohear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you

(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains thing you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality