FIRST QUARTER 2020 • VOL. 8, NO. 1 TANY TAKES THE WHEEL ON A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN IN THIS ISSUE Eric Hoxsie Identifies Second-Year Priorities TANY Takes its Message to the Capitol Celebrating a Half Century with TANY
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FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 5 Published by 5950 NW 1st Place Gainesville, FL 32607 Phone: (800) 369-6220 or (352) 332-1252 Fax: (352) 331-3525 www.naylor.com Publisher Jay Hula Editor Leslee Masters Project Manager Mallori Gallimore Advertising Sales Director Chris Vermeulen Advertising Sales Adam Firestone Mark Musial Jason Zawada Project Coordinator Paige Durban Marketing Summer Lin Design & Layout Mahender Veer ©2020 Naylor, LLC. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. PUBLISHED MARCH 2020/ NYT-Q0120/5509 Published for Trucking Association of New York 7 Corporate Drive Clifton Park, NY 12065 Phone: (518) 458-9696 Fax: (518) 458-2525 www.nytrucks.org FIRST QUARTER 2020 • VOL. 8, NO. 1 For inquiries regarding editorial content, please contact Carla Schlist, Marketing and Communications Manager, [email protected] or (518) 458-9696 ext. 105. President’s Message.............................................6 TANY’s New Strategic Plan Goals and strategies will focus on four identified priority areas. .....................................7 Ready for Round Two Hoxsie focuses on resource allocation in second year as TANY chairman. ...................10 Call on Albany......................................................12 NYS Truck Safety and Education Symposium............................................................14 Member Profile: Ken Staub .............................15 ISP Feature: Insuring All You Value..............17 Index of Advertisers...........................................18 COVER IMAGE: ISTOCK.COM/DKART 10 15 12
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chairman Eric Hoxsie HazMat Environmental Group, Inc. Vice-Chairman Barry Panicola Sprague Operating Resources LLC Secretary Terry Borwegen Borwegen Trucking, Inc. Treasurer Mark Giuffre UPS Immediate Past Chair Chris Mix, Mr. Bults, Inc. REGIONAL VICE CHAIRS Western Region Joe Berti Speed Global Services Genesee Region Vice-Chairman Sean Dubman Wegmans Food Market Central Region Vice-Chairman Stephen Erwin Clinton’s Ditch Co-Op, Inc. Eastern Region Vice-Chairman Joe Fitzpatrick Lightning Express Delivery Service, Inc. Metro Region Vice-Chairman Zach Miller NYTruckStop.com REGIONAL SECRETARY/ TREASURERS Western Region John Stewart HazMat Environmental Group, Inc. Genesee Region Robert Peckham Vnomics Corp. Central Region Steve Sperbeck ERL Intermodal Eastern Region Becky Derway GilDer Transport Solutions, Inc. Metro Region Kenneth Tirone Hub Truck Rental Corporation COUNCIL CHAIRS Maintenance Council Swede Oun O&K Truck Repairs, Ltd. Safety Council Joseph Peplinski Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. Safety Group John Simon Grand Island Sales & Service, Inc. AT LARGE MEMBERS Helen Brooks FedEx Corporation JoAnn Hayes George Hildebrandt, Inc. Penny Husted Charles J. Husted, Inc. Ken Staub Riverside Service Corp. ATA STATE VICE PRESIDENT Stephen Wadhams Wadhams Enterprises, Inc. STAFF President Kendra Hems Director of Regulatory Compliance Kate Kennett Member Relations Manager Francis Johnson Marketing and Communications Manager Carla Schlist Program and Events Manager Mary Ellen Shea Office Manager Rebecca Ross Executive Assistant Jennifer Andrelos PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE DEAR VALUED MEMBER: Over the course of the last nine months, we have been hard at working developing a new strategic plan for the association. By we, I mean the board of directors, members of the strategic planning committee and our dedicated staff. With the sale of Bestpass, Inc. back in October 2019, TANY’s wholly-owned subsidiary, the association is now in a unique position to really think outside the box to develop new programs and benefits that will enhance member value. The challenge, however, is defining “value.” In an industry as diverse and complex as ours, what’s valuable to one member may not be valuable to another. Additionally, the industry is changing, and quickly. TANY needs to position itself to be able to evolve and not revert to old ways of doing things. As the strategic plan begins to take shape, the strategic planning committee has done an excellent job of identifying the four priority areas of focus for the association: 1. Membership growth 2. Advocacy and legislation 3. Workforce development 4. Training and education for safety and compliance We feel confident that the goals in each priority area and the strategies that will be undertaken to achieve those goals will provide value in multiple ways to the membership. More detail on these priority areas is provided in the feature article of this issue of Milepost (see page 7) TANY staff and the strategic planning committee are in the final stage of development of the plan, which involves defining a timeline for each priority goal and identifying the staff and other resources to implement the strategies necessary to achieve them. The committee will continue to meet on a regular basis to provide oversight of the plan, ensure goals are being met and to revise the plan as needed as the industry continues to evolve. The plan is not meant to simply sit on a shelf; rather, it will be dynamic and serve as a living document that transforms as the needs of the membership shift. We are very excited about what the future holds for TANY and for our membership. As always, member feedback is welcome and appreciated. If you have any thoughts or questions about the strategic plan, or you would like to get involved with the strategic planning committee please feel free to reach out. Be safe, Kendra Hems, TANY President 6 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020
FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 7 s the trucking industry continues to evolve, so must the Trucking Association of New York. Beginning in March of 2019, the board of directors launched the process of developing a new strategic plan for the organization. The first step was to do a full analysis of the association, its programs and the membership base. In order to accomplish this goal, the board contracted with The Moery Company (TMC), a consulting firm located in Washington, D.C. The president of the company, J.P. Moery, has a long history with trade associations, including spending several years with the American Trucking Associations. TMC began its analysis in March 2019. During this same period, TANY launched a membership satisfaction survey to gather insight on what the association was doing well and also where improvement was needed. Both TMC’s findings and the results of the membership survey were presented to the board of directors in June of 2019. Interestingly enough, the results were very much aligned. The key takeaways from both were: 1. Overall, the membership was happy with the job TANY has been doing; however, there is always room for improvement. 2. Members feel TANY does a good job representing the trucking industry in front of elected officials and regulators. More work needs to be done in New York City to address the unique challenges there. 3. TANY offers a good variety of quality educational and training programs. Smaller and mid-sized motor carrier members have difficulty attending many of the Goals and strategies will focus on four identified priority areas TANY’S NEW STRATEGIC PLAN events due to smaller staff sizes and lack of time. 4. Workforce development is an issue for a majority of TANY members. Members feel that TANY should be doing more to assist in this area. 5. The Friday Final weekly newsletter continues to be a valuable resource for TANY members. 6. The needs of smaller carriers are different than larger carriers. Smaller carriers tend to be more interested in training and educational resources whereas larger carriers tend to be more interested in advocacy and government affairs. 7. Membership growth has been stagnant. TANY needs to develop a robust recruiting and retention program to grow membership. Subsequently, the board voted to establish a strategic planning committee to move the process forward. In order to ensure a diverse representation of the membership, the committee was comprised of both board and non-board members and had representation from small carriers, large carriers and industry service providers. The strategic planning committee recommended, and the board moved forward with, once again contracting with TMC to assist TANY with development of a new strategic plan. To begin the process, TMC conducted one-on-one interviews with TANY staff and members of the strategic planning committee. Following the interviews, TMC developed an analysis of the feedback and identified nine potential priority areas for the association. A full-day strategic planning retreat was then held in November to discuss the results. During the retreat, attendees participated in a variety of brainstorming exercises and group discussions on the potential priority areas. Attendees then voted on each of the nine priority areas to narrow them down to four on which to focus. Goals and strategies for each of the final four priorities were then established by the committee during a meeting in December. During the board’s meeting, they voted to establish the strategic planning committee as a permanent standing committee of the association. The committee will now be responsible for oversight of the strategic plan to ensure TANY remains focused on implementing the strategies associated with meeting each identified goal. Additionally, the committee will continue to evaluate the plan and make changes as needed to continue to meet the evolving needs of the association’s membership. 1. Image of Industry 2. Workforce Development 3. Advocacy/Legislation 4. Training/Education for Safety/ Compliance 5. Grow Membership 6. Events/Networking 7. Communication 8. Cost of Doing Business 9. Structure of TANY PRIORITY AREAS FEATURE A
8 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020 THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN: GOALS & STRATEGIES PRIORITY 1: GROW MEMBERSHIP Goals: • Increase membership by 50%. • Increase engagement of membership by 50%. negatively impact the trucking industry and advocate for legislation that benefits the trucking industry. TANY has made significant strides over the last decade in the growth of its government affairs program. Major victories have been won, including passing legislation that protects independent contractors, prohibiting absolute indemnification clauses in motor carrier contracts and providing five additional years to comply with infrastructurefriendly vehicle requirements for divisible load permitted vehicles. Additionally, TANY was successful in preventing the implementation of a truck-only 45 percent toll increase on the NYS Thruway and preventing the implementation of a series of truck route restrictions across New York State. TANY has a reputation of being a professional organization that is willing to come to the table to discuss the issues, but will be firm in protecting the interests of the industry. With the change in leadership within the state legislature, TANY is busy developing new relationships and educating new legislative members on the importance of the industry to New York’s economy. Much of this work moving forward will be done at the grassroots level. TANY will work with member companies to improve interaction with elected officials by utilizing regional meetings, events and facility visits. TANY will also develop new ways of communicating with elected officials through the use of email or newsletters to ensure they are informed on TANY’s priority legislative issues. In New York City, TANY is moving forward with hiring a new staff position that will be based in the city. This individual will be responsible for growing TANY’s government affairs program in the metro region as well as serving as a primary point of contact for TANY members and future members that have operations in the New York City region. PRIORITY 3: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Goal: • Address and mitigate the shortage of labor in the trucking industry, including drivers and mechanics. When surveyed, the driver and technician shortage was identified as the number one issue facing TANY members. TANY members indicated they felt the association needed to do more to help in this area. In response, TANY will be hiring a new staff position in early 2020 to focus on workforce development. This staff person will work to develop relationships with high schools, technical schools and community colleges to educate students on the many benefits of a career in transportation. They will serve as the primary staff liaison to the NYS Department of Labor and NYS Department of Education as the association builds a workforce development program. A key component of this initiative will be BLOOMICON/SSHUTTERSTOCK.COM While aggressive, there is significant opportunity to achieve these goals. TANY’s current membership stands at 563 companies. An analysis by the American Transportation Research Institute estimates that there are more than 36,000 trucking companies located in New York. These companies range from one-truck operators to fleets with hundreds of trucks. As TANY begins work on revitalizing marketing materials, the association will be better positioned to demonstrate the values of membership. This process will include an updated brand, new website, better description of TANY benefits and ability to demonstrate TANY’s return on investment. Additionally, TANY will introduce new ways for members to engage that does not require attending meetings in person. TANY will leverage technology and an online presence to provide new ways for members to gain valuable training and education as well as network with other members. PRIORITY 2: ADVOCACY/ LEGISLATION Goals: • Become the go-to resource for decision makers regarding trucking issues and elevate the image of the trucking industry. • At the local, state and federal levels, fight regulations that
Andy Laing – DeCrescente Distributing Co., Inc. Fleet & Facilities Manager Barry Panicola – Sprague Operating Resources LLC Managing Director, Transportation (Vice-Chairman of the Board & Chair, Strategic Planning Committee) Eric Hoxsie – HazMat Environmental Group, Inc. Chief Financial Officer (Chairman of the Board) JoAnn Hayes – George Hildebrandt, Inc. Safety Director Joe Fitzpatrick – Lightning Express Delivery Service, Inc. President Joe Peplinski – Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. Risk Advisor (Co-Chair, Safety Maintenance Management Council) Ken Johnson – Leonard’s Express, Inc. Chief Executive Officer (Chair, Government Affairs Committee) Mark Giuffre – United Parcel Service Vice President, State Government Affairs Robert Peckham – Vnomics Corp. Director of Business Development (Chair, Membership Committee) Stephen Davis – SE Davis & Associates Independent Consultant Sulev “Swede” Oun – O & K Truck Repairs, Ltd. President (Co-Chair Safety Maintenance Management Council) Tim Adair – Timco Transportation, Inc. President Zach Miller – NewYorkTruckStop.com Co-Publisher (Chair, Metro Region Government Affairs Committee) Tom Mulvaney – Wadhams Enterprises, Inc. Corporate Recruiting Manager STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 9 6070 COLLETT ROAD WEST, FARMINGTON, NY 14425 SERVICES WE OFFER • 24 HOUR EMERGENCY ROAD REPAIR • NYS INSPECTIONS • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR • MEDIUM/HEAVY DUTY REPAIR • STORAGE TRAILER RENTALS • FULL SERVICE TRUCK AND TRAILER LEASING • FLEET SERVICE CONTRACTS • FULL COLLISION SERVICES (585) 869-3195 962988_Johnson.indd 1 01/05/19 1:49 PM to encourage schools across the state to implement transportation and logistics courses into their curriculum using TANY’s partnership with the Charter School of Applied Technologies in Buffalo as a model. Long term, TANY plans to investigate the possibility of forming a training center to provide professional development opportunities for drivers, mechanics and other key personnel. PRIORITY 4: TRAINING/ EDUCATION FOR SAFETY/COMPLIANCE Goal: • Provide necessary training and education for members in order to support their safety and compliance needs. TANY’s membership is comprised primarily of small carriers. While they find value in TANY’s various training and education programs, they indicate that it is challenging for them to attend many of these programs due to lack of time and available staff. In response, TANY will construct an educational platform for delivering training and education material online through webinars, instructional videos and a library of resources for members. This will allow members to take advantage of the many valuable programs TANY offers at their leisure during times that are convenient for them. TANY will also continue to focus on enhancing events that are held across the state. Specific to New York City and other large cities, TANY will develop training courses to address the unique challenges associated with driving in urban environments. The next step in the strategic planning process is to identify the timeline and benchmarks for each goal, as well as assign the staff and resources required to achieve each goal. This process will take place during the first quarter of 2020. TANY will keep members updated as the strategic plan progresses. mp
10 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020 Hoxsie focuses on resource allocation in second year as TANY chairman. by Nick Fortuna FEATURE s chief financial officer of HazMat Environmental Group Inc., Eric Hoxsie is a numbers guy through and through, and that expertise is serving him well as board chairman of the Trucking Association of New York (TANY). Unlike many associations, TANY currently has resources to spare, so as Hoxsie serves the second and final year of his term as chairman, the task at hand is simple – making sure the association gets the biggest bang for its buck. Back in 2001, TANY formed Bestpass Inc., which offers streamlined tolling services such as toll discounting, consolidated billing, violation processing and a single device for toll and weigh-station bypass. Bestpass allows smaller carriers to band together and take READY FOR ROUND TWO A advantage of volume-based discounts on toll payments, a cost savings previously enjoyed only by larger carriers. TANY took a portion of the discounts provided to Bestpass members, which, in turn, provided a revenue stream for the association. “Bestpass really took off and built a huge customer base of trucking companies from all around the country,” Hoxsie said. “It was getting to be a lot for the TANY board to handle, so right at the beginning of my term, we sold that company and put a huge chunk of cash into investments that should pay for our operations for the indefinite future. Consequently, we’ve been trying to set new goals and establish a direction for the association because we have financial resources behind us now that we haven’t had in the past.” Since the association is based in Clifton Park, in upstate New York, one priority is hiring an employee to represent TANY in the New York City area. Bringing in new members from the New York metropolitan area is among TANY’s top priorities, Hoxsie said, and that new hire will give the association a greater presence there. “It’s still an undeveloped market for us, really,” he said. “We’re looking to hire a person to be present down there all the time.” Other initiatives include development of a robust training and education program utilizing online resources to better serve smaller members, as well as building a program to promote the trucking industry as a career to high school students. Those ideas are
FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 11 in keeping with TANY’s four priorities: membership growth, legislative advocacy, workforce development and education about safety and compliance. TANY is looking to grow its presence at career fairs to give members more hiring options, and it has established a logistics training program at the Charter School for Applied Technologies in Buffalo that the association hopes to replicate throughout the state. The program educates high school students about supply chain logistics and encourages them to consider careers in the trucking industry. Last year, TANY created a task force to ensure that the industry’s voice is heard as the Traffic Mobility Review Board, part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, implements a traffic congestion fee for motorists entering midtown Manhattan. New York is poised to become the first city in the nation to establish such a fee. The review board is expected to make its recommendations later this year, and congestion pricing could go into effect as soon as Jan. 1, 2021. “Trucks don’t enter midtown Manhattan by choice,” Hoxsie said. “We have to go there, so we’re hoping they’ll be fair to the trucking industry. Delivery trucks might have to go in and out of Manhattan three or four times a day, so we’d want to ensure that our trucks pay that fee only once, if we have to pay it at all. There are a lot of details that need to be worked out, and we want to make sure we have a seat at the table.” These days, there is no shortage of legislative and regulatory issues for TANY to monitor. To address the driver shortage, the association is advocating for legislation that would allow 18- to 20-year-olds who have gone through a robust training program to drive trucks interstate. Currently, truck drivers must be 21 to cross state lines. “Kids come out of high school at age 18, and by the time they’re 21, it will affect our industry since our focus is always on safety. “A lot of states are trying to basically put independent contractors out of business by turning everybody into employees, which would really hurt the owner-operator market,” Hoxsie added. “There are a lot of owner-operators who like what they’re doing and don’t want to give up their independence.” Hoxsie has been the CFO of Buffalo-based HazMat Environmental Group, Inc. for 27 years and was instrumental in the company’s acquisition of Kenworth Northeast Group, Inc., a truck dealership supplying the Northeast with heavy- and medium-duty trucks and parts. He stepped into his current role after 13 years at Deloitte, where he provided audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to small businesses and other clients. Hoxsie has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Buffalo. A lifelong resident of New York, Hoxsie, 65, is a married father of three adult children. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, bicycling, kayaking, skiing and being involved with the Lackawanna Area Chamber of Commerce. mp • Fully Licensed Repair and Inspection Shop - Repair vessels, Test and Certify - VIKs, Pressure and Thickness Tests - Welding and Fabrication - National Board R Certification • Build Frames & Replace Suspensions • NYSIs • All Types of Mechanical Repairs • Over 30 years of Excellence Hazmat Environmental Group, 60 Commerce Drive, Buffalo, NY 14218 716-748-8267 | www.hazmatinc.com/equipment-service-maintenance TANKER MAINTENANCE Buffalo, NY 966882_HazMat.indd 1 2019-07-16 11:22 AM they’ve already started down a different career path,” Hoxsie said. “They may have chosen a career in truck driving right out of high school if they could, so that is one way in which we miss out on a lot of opportunities to hire drivers. “The training program would require a lot more training than is required right now, along with an apprenticeship and drive-alongs with experienced drivers. We expect that by the time an 18-year-old obtains their CDL, they’ll be the best-trained driver on the highway.” TANY is also monitoring legislative movements aimed at legalizing marijuana and essentially eliminating the use of independent contractors in favor of full-time employees. If marijuana is legalized in New York state, but remains illegal at the federal level, that could create a major liability issue for New York’s trucking industry, which is governed by federal rules on interstate commerce, Hoxsie said. “We want to be able to hire and fire at will if we find somebody who has THC in their system,” he said. “There are a lot of questions about how this issue will progress and how
12 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020 The tagline of the Trucking Association of New York (TANY) has long been “the voice of trucking.” Even before this mantra came to be, members of the organization have tirelessly advocated to make sure our industry has a seat at the table when regulations are being considered or bills are being proposed. This year’s Call on Albany took place on Wednesday, February 26 and yielded a turnout of about 25 members representing all corners of New York State as well as a range of operation sizes – from fleets of less than 10 trucks to the package delivery fleets. Members were split into several groups and dispersed within the Legislative Office Building to attend meetings with transportation committee members of the Assembly, Senate and their legislative staff. This provided a focused opportunity to reiterate our positions, express our perspectives and provide in-depth testimonials on why we either support or oppose certain matters. The following four priority areas were identified during the morning brief at the Renaissance Albany as the items each group was to present in their respective meetings: DRIVER SHORTAGE – YOUNGER DRIVER PROGRAM Addressing the driver shortage continues to be at the forefront of the workforce development priority. New York is only one of a few states that restrict CDL Class A drivers until 21 years of age. As many of our members continue to struggle with finding qualified, professional drivers, they have identified the driver shortage as a top issue and have been feeling the effects of it for years. A retiring workforce FEATURE TANY TAKES ITS MESSAGE TO THE CAPITOL without an equitable replenishment of employees is negatively affecting supply shortages and delivery delays, therefore, economic efficiencies – if not immediately, then certainly in the long run. TANY took to Albany to express our support of the implementation of a substantial training program that would allow drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) within New York State. Senator Kennedy (D-63), who is chairman of the committee on transportation, agreed to sponsor a bill (S6019) that would address this issue. During the Call on Albany, TANY members sought to make this bill part of the budget process and obtain more support for the senate bill as well as a sponsor from within the assembly. There was a lot of positive response from both the senate and assembly. TANY will ensure that conversations persist to ensure this bill continues to move forward. TANDEM TRUCK ACCESS ROUTES – THRUWAY CASHLESS TOLLING By the end of 2020, cashless tolling will be fully implemented on the New York State Thruway. This will eliminate the ability for longer combination vehicles (LCVs), which provide significant productivity and efficiency benefits, to cross multiple lanes of traffic to either exit or enter the Thruway since there will be barriers in place. As a result, trucks will be forced onto smaller state and county routes, causing a significant increase in mileage, time, fuel costs and overall environmental impact. Many companies may be forced to abandon their doubles operations altogether. TANY supports passage of the legislation because it allows companies that utilize LCVs to continue to operate them; however, a long-term solution through the use of dedicated lanes, flyover ramps and tandem lot reconfiguration should be studied to provide the maximum efficiency and environmental benefits associated with operating tandem trucks. PENALTIES FOR OVERSIZE AND UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLES TANY supports efforts to eliminate bridge strikes and keep commercial vehicles off parkways by imposing a penalty; however, the increased rate of fines in the executive proposal, increasing from $350 to $5,000 for a first offense, as an example, are punitive. New language was also added to the bill that would suspend the truck’s registration for one year. A driver’s singular error could cause the company to lose a truck’s revenue stream while having to continue to make payments for the loan or lease and insurance while it is out of service. There may also be multiple drivers for the same truck, so it would place undue strain from a number of angles. Both of these circumstances could be devastating for anyone, whether it’s a family renting a box truck or a small-sized fleet. TANY is seeking a more reasonable approach by suggesting a modest increase in the fine for an initial violation of the law, and supports the executive’s proposal of significant fine increases for subsequent violations. We would also like to see the removal of the suspension of the vehicle registration. June 9-10, 2020 Join TANY in Washington, D.C. for our annual Call on Washington. Details at nytrucks.org.
FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 13 HIGHWAY USE TAX REPEAL TANY has been advocating for a full repeal of the Highway Use Tax (HUT) for quite a while. New York is one of four states that currently impose this burdensome expense. We would support an increase in commercial vehicle registration and diesel fuel tax to keep repeal revenue neutral but also administered in a way so those who try to evade HUT or other mileage-based taxes share the costs. Throughout the year, in addition to these four priority areas and large regional matters such as congestion pricing in New York City and I-81 in Central New York, TANY will be monitoring developments on independent contractor issues, marijuana legalization, sideguard requirement, snow and ice removal, and business issues such as single payer health care and the New York Privacy Act. If you have any questions about the organization’s advocacy efforts, contact TANY President Kendra Hems at [email protected] or post a comment to the discussion board on the Trucking Interchange. mp
14 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020 violations, motor carrier responsibilities, management of ELD systems and more. The safety exhibition offers an opportunity for companies to showcase products and services that promote or enhance safety or education in the trucking industry. Attendees will also have an opportunity to meet with law enforcement representatives from the federal, state and local levels to ask questions regarding current enforcement issues. By coming together in one venue, safety advocates from all over will both congregate and collaborate on ways to work together to keep the roadways as safe as can be. For more information about the event visit nytrucks.org/tses. mp primary interest is the safety of their fleet, company, organization or municipality. Attendees are comprised of presidents, vice presidents, general managers, fleet and safety managers, logistics and human resources personnel, law enforcement and municipal administrators. This year’s symposium will feature topics including recruiting and retaining female drivers, surviving an active shooter event, managing IT risks, hazmat basics, recordkeeping requirements when utilizing third-party vendors, preparing for environmental initiatives, addressing issues found during a DOT physical, the decriminalization of marijuana, common errors when using OSCAR, common roadside The NYS Truck Safety and Education Symposium is a two-day event that provides attendees with the latest information on safety issues and compliance initiatives facing the trucking industry. It is a collaborative effort organized by transportation experts from both the public and private sectors including the Trucking Association of New York, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the New York State Department of Transportation, the New York State Police, the Governors Traffic Safety Committee and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The education symposium attracts hundreds of professionals from across the Northeast whose APRIL 7-8, 2020 SARATOGA THE NEW YORK STATE SPRINGS, NY TRUCK SAFETY AND EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 15 Ken Staub, Jr., has packed a lot of accomplishments into his 50-year trucking career. He has successfully run a small business, actively participated in the state and national trucking associations and advocated for the industry before legislative and regulatory bodies. Staub’s grandfather, Fred Staub, founded Riverside Service Corp. in Buffalo in 1919, and his father and uncle ran the company for many years. Staub worked at Riverside during his school breaks, but took a detour before joining the company full time; after graduating from Penn State University, he spent two years as a pilot and flight instructor. But the lure of the trucking industry proved too strong. Staub returned to Riverside in 1969 and quickly became a member of the Trucking Association of New York (TANY), which was the New York Motor Truck Association back then. MEMBER PROFILE by Mary Lou Jay In 1980, when deregulation came along, he started Ken Staub Jr. Trucking. “Things were prospering in the 1980s and the 1990s in western New York, and there was a lot of work. We were a flatbed carrier, and we hauled a lot of automotive tonnage to Michigan and Ohio,” he said. When the automotive factories began closing and the steel plants shut down, Staub Trucking survived by downsizing and by finding customers in industries, like building materials. “It wasn’t easy, but the key to our survival was that we were able to manage our costs and remain profitable,” he explained. Another factor was limiting the company’s territory. “We didn’t range out too far. We did a very good job of loading in both directions and stayed within a 300- to 400-mile radius of Buffalo.” Staub became even more involved in TANY during those years. He joined the board in 1970 and has continued to serve the association for 50 years. He was president in 1976, chairman of the board in 1978 and treasurer from 1992 to 2006. He also chaired the nominating committee and the finance committee. During this time, he was active with ATA as well, serving several years as a vice president-at-large chairing the small carrier committee and what is now the cross-border operations committee. New York can be a challenging state in which to do business, but Staub said the association was able to help the industry achieve some significant wins over the years. “We had excellent relationships with the state assemblymen and senators from upstate, and we were able to get some things done that saved the industry quite a bit of money,” he recalled. One big win for trucking was changing to a tax on profits rather than on gross receipts; another was having the legislature exempt Class 7 and Class 8 tractors and trailers from the state’s sales tax. “These victories were big wins for the industry,” he said. Staub also served on the board of Bestpass, Inc., TANY’s former subsidiary. Bestpass, Inc. enabled trucking companies to enjoy significant discounts on toll roads in New York and nearby states. The sale of this subsidiary a few years ago provided TANY with a financial cushion. “While many associations are struggling to stay alive, I can walk away knowing that the association is in excellent financial condition.” Staub said one of his greatest accomplishments has been keeping CELEBRATING A HALF CENTURY WITH TANY
16 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020 Representing the construction industry in Metropolitan New York. Committed to expanding construction job opportunities for the trucking industry and growing the New York economy. Dedicated staff working with elected officials and policy makers to improve working conditions. The New York Metropolitan Trucking Association works hard for its members to provide good paying jobs while also providing safe working conditions. Proud member of the Trucking Association of New York! Please visit our web-site WWW.NYMETROTRUCK.COM Or call us at 718.720.6737 if you are doing business in the Metropolitan Region and would like more information. P.O. BOX 41262, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10304 898770_NYMetropolitan.indd 1 12/28/17 7:55 PM his company in business so that he could pass on ownership to his sons Randall, Derek and Brendan in 2010. “I still go in and hang around and get in the way.” He continues to serve on the TANY board today, but plans to relinquish his role this year to make room for someone else. At the 2019 meeting, TANY recognized his half century of service with a special award. Staub appreciates what his years of service to the industry have given him. “By belonging to the Trucking Association of New York and to ATA, I was able to stay on top of issues and be involved to the extent that they would affect my business,” he said. “In the end, I probably got a lot more out of belonging than I gave.” mp Your Trusted Truck Insurance Advisor Insuring All You Value Joe Peplinski, TRS, TRIP 315-703-1389 Scott Wichmann, CIC, ARM 315-703-1399 So Many Reasons For Caring..... 1000168_Haylor.indd 1 2/18/20 8:02 PM
FIRST QUARTER 2020 • milepost | 17 Today, technological advancements, although exciting, have created new and complex risk management challenges for businesses. To meet these challenges, Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. (Haylor) continues a history of developing innovative insurance and risk management solutions to guide clients through the ever-changing business landscape. Never settling for the status quo, Haylor uniquely invests in technology, education and industry resources for nearly 200 employee owners, striving to provide industry-specific solutions to their valued clients. From their inception in 1928, Haylor has focused on niche markets and continues that long history with their specialty practice groups, deploying resources where they bring the greatest value proposition. Trucking is the main artery of commerce in the U.S. and the transportation practice group is the largest team at Haylor. It’s clear there is a tremendous passion for the industry and their partnership with transportation clients. Haylor does it all when it comes to transportation insurance: brokerage/logistics, garaging/warehousing, workers’ compensation/occupational accident, traditional insurance programs, alternative risk programs and captive solutions. Regardless of the type of commodity hauled, Haylor has a program to cover virtually every type of freight. Due to their national presence with transportation insurance, Haylor has exclusive programs for some of their specialty hauler groups. The transportation industry is one of the most rapidly evolving segments of business. Autonomous vehicles, cyber threats, FMCSA regulations, safety and compliance challenges along with the continuously growing issues in healthcare, provide unique challenges for the industry. Haylor employs a “total solution” perspective utilizing local, national and international resources. The Haylor approach is not to just serve the trucking industry, but to become part of it. They partner with ISP FEATURE INSURING ALL YOU VALUE transportation industry groups providing educational seminars, fleet safety best practices, distracted driving training and state-of-the-art technology recommendations. Haylor’s Joe Peplinski is honored to serve on TANY’s Board of Directors, as well as their safety chair. Haylor is committed to these partnerships with the association and all of TANY’s members. According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), “A newly hired driver – even an experienced one – is 70 percent or more likely to be involved in a crash within their first year of driving for a new employer.” The team at Haylor recognizes that driver selection is critical and they are committed to being a partner involved in the development and ongoing training of drivers. They know drivers are the front line as well as the lifeline; supporting fleets with driver development and training is a staple in a Haylor partnership. Safety training is a building block to a sound risk management program, which will lay the foundation for a sustained and profitable future. Haylor’s team of loss control consultants have the resources to provide on-site and web-based driver safety training, review and assess current CAB reports and BASIC scores, identify trends, potential areas of improvement and provide recommendations for better long-term outcomes, positively impacting insurance rates and long-term profitability. In the event of a claim, Haylor’s in-house claim advocacy team will assist with reporting, claim tracking, advocating on your behalf and the claim negotiation process. Their team takes a strategic approach to control current and future costs by proactively managing claims via an in-depth analysis and ongoing review of all open claims and providing resolution strategies. A full-service agency, they provide solutions in all aspects of risk management, business, employee benefits and personal insurance. As employee owners, their team takes a thorough, proactive approach to risk management. In fact, Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. has been nationally recognized in the Business Insurance Top 100 Brokers in the U.S. for over 15 years and is a member of Assurex Global. They are also one of only four independent insurance agencies in the U.S. to make the quality commitment to their clients by developing a quality management system certified to the ISO 9000 Standard. mp Haylor, Freyer & Coon is an industry service provider member of TANY. For more Information contact Joe Peplinski 315-703-1389 or Scott Wichmann 315-703-1399 or visit Haylor.com and find details under its Transportation Department. The transportation industry is one of the most rapidly evolving segments of business. Autonomous vehicles, cyber threats, FMCSA regulations, safety and compliance challenges along with the continuously growing issues in healthcare, provide unique challenges for the industry.
18 | milepost • FIRST QUARTER 2020 For more information, contact 866-299-8173 or email [email protected] LOW RATE FINANCING. Easy to qualify alternative. Partner with Opportunity Fund. Visit us online at www.opportunityfund.org LOW RATE FINANCING. Easy to qualify alternative. Partner with Opportunity Fund. WHO ARE WE Opportunity Fund is the nation’s leading nonprofit lender, and has a 25 year record of success lending to small businesses and owner operators. WHAT WE DO Opportunity Fund helps trucking dealers and referral partners build relationships and sell trucks by providing easy-to-get, fast, and affordable term loans. WHY PARTNER WITH US? • Simple-to-understand loan qualifications • Minimum documentation requirements • Responsive and dedicated staff to help your team • Your customers get funding fast – within 5 days on average – upon formal approval • Terms to 5 years • Loans $50,000 to $200,000 for trucking • Only 1 year as a driver or owner operator to qualify Get More Customers. Sell More Trucks. 994394_Opportunity.indd 1 2020-01-23 3:26 PM INDEX OF ADVERTISERS COLLISION & BODY REPAIRS DeCarolis Heavy Duty Parts .................................4, 18 COMPLIANCE SERVICES CJS Violations Services, Inc. ......................................4 www.cjsviolations.com EMERGENCY ROADSIDE REPAIR Johnson Equipment Sales & Service, Inc. ..................9 www.jesales.com HEAVY HAUL SPECIALISTS Rock Tech Inc. ................................. Inside Back Cover www.rtihauling.com INTERMODAL & BROKERAGE SERVICES Leonard’s Express ......................................................4 www.leonardsexpress.com LEGAL SERVICES Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. .......................................16 www.haylor.com TANKER MAINTENANCE HazMat Environmental Group, Inc. ...........................11 www.hazmatinc.com TOLLING & WEIGH STATION BYPASS SERVICES Bestpass ....................................... Outside Back Cover www.bestpass.com TRADE ASSOCIATIONS NY Metropolitan Trucking Association, Inc. .............16 www.nymetrotruck.com TRUCK & TRAILER PARTS SALES DeCarolis Heavy Duty Parts .................................4, 18 TRUCK DEALERS/MANUFACTURERS Kenworth Northeast Group, Inc. ......Inside Front Cover www.kenworthne.com Mohawk Valley Freightliner ......................................18 www.mvfreightliner.com TRUCK LEASING/EQUIPMENT LEASING/RENTALS DeCarolis Heavy Duty Parts .................................4, 18 TRUCK LOANS & FINANCING Opportunity Fund ......................................................18 www.opportunityfund.org TRUCK REFRIGERATION DEALERS Penn Power Group ...........................Inside Front Cover www.pennpowergroup.com TRUCK REPAIR DeCarolis Heavy Duty Parts .................................4, 18 Johnson Equipment Sales & Service, Inc. ..................9 www.jesales.com Penn Power Group ...........................Inside Front Cover www.pennpowergroup.com WASTE & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES Modern Disposal Services, Inc. ..................................3 www.moderncorporation.com HEAVY DUTY PARTS 964385_DeCarolis.indd 1 19/07/19 5:00 PM www.mvfreightliner.com 315-736-3330 • [email protected] 703 Oriskany Blvd, Yorkville, NY 13495 Central NY State’s Full Service Freightliner Dealer 919450_Mohawk.indd 1 6/27/18 4:16 PM
ROCK TECH INC. 68B Allen Blvd. Farmingdale, NY 11735 Whether you need your 160,000 lbs. excavator moved from Canada to South Carolina, or your rock crusher moved from the port to Connecticut, or even a skid steer moved across town, the choice is clear. Rock Tech Inc. is your heavy-haul specialist Super-load bonded in NY, PA and MD. RTI, also specializes in the removal of all types of excavated debris from your job site. State-wide dump trailer permits up to 117,000 lbs., down-state up to 120,000 lbs. We have teamed up with local environmental companies to offer you full service trucking and disposal of your contaminated materials. NYSDEC Permitted. www.rtihauling.com • 631-293-2305 Rock Tech Inc. 949946_Rock.indd 1 16/03/19 4:15 AM
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