Page 28 - ATR 6 2013 digital

ProfitaBility factors for ways for the driver to simply get to EOBRs is helping the industry combat
“Think about profitability in your drive,” Harper said. “There are so many inefficiency because of the tremendous
own companies,” said Kidd, opening inefficiencies in the system that hurt amount of useful data they provide.
the conversation. “You’re all success- the driver’s ability to actually work, and Williams said electronic logging
ful executives. And as you’re looking at we deal with those on a daily basis,” he will accurately show how much time
2014 and beyond, what are the keys to continued. “So we’re trying to find what the driver spends behind the wheel.
profitability in your companies, other those are and address them as fast as “Everyone keeps talking about the effi-
than getting higher prices?” we can.” ciency that’s gained with EOBRs, with
“Recruiting, training and retention Kevin Knight agreed with Harper, some saying its two percent and others
of drivers,” said Williams. “You better adding, “It’s going to take a lot of coop- saying it can go as high as 25 percent.”
be good at all of those or you’re going to eration from the customer to help us Whatever the gain, Williams said
be a lot smaller in about a year.” with that, because we can only do so a big contributor is that EOBRs force
And one way of getting driv- much. And I would say we’re all prob- companies and drivers to run legally.
ers, Williams said, is to acquire other ably doing about 85 to 90 percent of Lofgren said the ELDs show you
companies of similar operation, citing what we can do—especially with elec- have to be extremely efficient in this
Heartland Express’s recent purchase of tronic logging device—to have better industry. “Getting customers to realize
Gordon Trucking. “Finding drivers can information.” their role in efficiency will be a big key
certainly contribute to consolidation as Which means it comes down to going forward,” Lofgren said.
well,” he added. “when we can load and when we can “We’re preaching the message to
Consolidation is less a concern at unload,” Knight said, and that requires customers that, ‘Look, drivers and peo-
J.B. Hunt Transport, observed Harper working closely with customers. ple using our equipment as productively
although the company continues to as they can are going to be our custom-
look at ways to maximize a driver’s rEcordErs arE thE kEy ers of choice,” said Lofgren. “And we’re
efficiency. “We’re continuing to look To Williams, the widespread use of already lining them up.”

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28 arkaNsas TruckiNg reporT | issue 6 2013