In 2008, a group was formed of owner operators to better each other’s businesses. As time moved forward this group became known as “The Trucking Solutions Group” that meet each week with a conference call that usually lasts an hour or has lasted as long as three hours plus.
Our guest speakers have ranged from trucking advocate groups like CRASH to engineers that design our trucks, our tires, our seats and our daily operations. We have served as a focus group for businesses wanting feedback on their marketing as well as before a product is launched. The group has also spoke with CEO’s of large corporations to improve their facilities and get ideas for future improvements.
We also share ideas among ourselves of how to get better fuel mileage, aerodynamic ideas, or contacts when another of our group needs an idea. The group is varied with some members having their own authority or leased to companies. Members pull vans, flat beds, live bottom trailers, and also expediters. Some of the members are home daily and some only get home after months on the road. The group is varied and that is what helps each of us to understand the industry better as we are constantly looking through each other’s eyes.
The Group has written letters against FMCSA proposed regulations and have spent hours discussing the best way to write the letter and also how to make a new regulation benefit our individual operations. The one thing the group does not do is wallow in misery as we are always looking forward with anticipation.
Slowly over the years we have added members and others have left the group as they have moved out of trucking or on to pursue other interests, the core group has mustered on each week. Very seldom is it possible to end one of our calls having not learned something or figured out a better way to perform a
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| Henry Albert TSG Chairman |
task.
Our current chairman is Henry Albert, one of the groups founders. He is responsible for keeping the group on track and focused on the current situation. With this group of drivers this can be a difficult task as each of the members has a slightly different perception of each comment that can lead to the conversations being totally derailed.
While many of the members have not met face to face the weekly calls create a very close knit group that care deeply for each other. As an original member, I am very proud of being a member and after all of this time look forward each week to our calls. You can learn more about the members and our activities by looking at our Facebook page “TruckingSolutionsGroup” or looking at our under-construction web site which has many pictures of the members as well as their bios.