Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/715755
EXPEDITE EXPO RECAP 28 // OWNER OPERATOR // SEPTEMBER 2016 of getting started in expediting, to buying a truck, to purchasing fuel more intelligently (and cost-effectively), to navigating the impact of the new electronic logging device (ELD) mandate on expediters, to starting a new trucking company. The second day of the Expo featured a roundtable discussion lead by Ellen Voie, president and chief executive office of Women in Trucking, a national organization that encourages the employment of women in the trucking industry. Voie brought together a panel of five successful female expediters to share their personal stories and insights on the unique challenges and opportunities for women in expedited trucking today. One quote by Tom Evans, a long-time owner- operator and fleet owner with his wife Tina, captures the essence as to why education is so important to the expedite industry. As one of the speakers for the "What You Need to Know Before Getting into Expedite Trucking" workshop, Evans was asked by an attendee, "Why are you here? Are you getting paid to speak? What do you get out of this?" Evans' answer drew loud applause from the nearly 100 people in the room. He said that no, he and Tina were not being paid to speak at the Expo. Their purpose: "We're here because we'd like to see more quality, more prepared people get into this business," says Evans. "Because the more we saturate the market with people who just want to make a quick buck, they'll take any load at any rate, and that drives the market down for everybody. It's to everybody's benefit to educate you as much as we can to prepare you to come into the business, where you understand your expenses and realize what it costs you to run down the road, so when you're signed on to your carrier, it helps boost the rates and the market back up for everybody." It's that type of candid interaction that you would find in many of the workshops at the Expo, where you were able to learn from, meet, and speak with other drivers, owner- operators, and fleet owners who are in the trenches, actually doing the work and finding innovative ways to succeed. As Joey Slaughter, owner of Blue Ridge Transport LLC, put it succinctly in his recap of Expedite Expo 2016 in Team Run Smart: "I know of no other truck show that allows and promotes access to the actual drivers doing the job. Traditional truck shows emphasize equipment and products, but the Expedite Expo focused on people." Exhibits Imagine you could have just about every resource you would need to help you succeed in expediting — all under one roof. That's the Expo exhibit hall in a nutshell. Attendees got to see — and touch — the latest trucks and custom sleepers, with opportunities to get their questions answered by experts from Expediter Services, Stoops Specialty Trucks, Middle Georgia Freightliner, Fyda Freightliner, Premier Truck Group of Knoxville, Kentucky Freightliner- Western Star, and Bolt Custom Trucks and Manufacturing. And for expediters interested in running cargo vans, there were several van providers to meet with, including Tafel Motors, James Motor Company, and Sprinter of Fort Mitchell. The exhibit hall also offered the opportunity and convenience for prospective owner- operators to meet with recruiters from a wide range of carriers — including Load One, Fed-Ex Custom Critical, Panther, Landstar, Premium Transportation Logistics, among several others — to help them find the best fit for their business and lifestyle goals. 0916 expediteexpo recap oo.indd 2 8/10/16 2:09 PM