"Hug A Carrier"
May 15 2006 - Richmond VA - At the RedPrairie annual RedShift 9th Users Conference held last week in Tucson AZ, one of the most humorous and insightful comments was made was by Bob Ledford, Corp. Director - Motor Carrier Logistics at North American Salt Company (NASC), during a Transportation TMS Panel session on May 11, 2006.
The topic for the panel group was "Transportation ROI Challenges in Today's Environment" and Bob Ledford was among the experts speaking during this interactive session on how to thrive in the increasingly competitive transportation environment, given the TL carrier capacity constraints which the market continues to face. Bob spoke about how use of his TMS and collaborative logistics and new focus on core carrier programs, along with making his freight and loading experience more carrier friendly, all helped his firm to be an efficient low cost shipper as attractive to transportation service providers, particularly in the increasingly capacity-bound transport marketplace.
Bob said that one indication of the change in the market was now he had a couple of carriers ask him to "pay for lunch" as "turnabout", or even "hand him the bill". While said in jest, his commentary on "win/win" shipper/carrier relations - expressed with humor as a strategy to "hug a carrier" - helped emphasize the more serious points in Bob's remarks and those of his fellow panel members.
NASC is the key subsidiary of Compass Minerals Group (NYSE: CMP), as a major, multi-site, high volume North American TL shipper who have sucessfully established an automated, centralized Load Center powered by the Shippers Commonwealth ("ShipComm") TMS program. Bob Ledford's management track record of accomplishments in logistics include previous executive responsibilities for a major industry shipper (CCP), and his prior career as a senior member of the Yellow Freight (Yellow Logistics) team. His firm (NASC, along with CMP) is headquarted in Overland Park KS.
Bob Ledford of NASC was joined on this interactive panel by Bob Shagawat, President & CEO of Shippers Commonwealth LLC (where NASC has been a client of the ShipComm TMS program since 2003); and Beth Enslow, the VP and senior logistics analyst at Aberdeen Group, along with some other industry specialty vendors who are new alliance partners of the RedPrairie group. The panel was moderated by Erv Bluemner, VP at RedPrairie and a well known "thought leader" in logistics, and long time partner of Shippers Commonwealth powered by RedPrairie program. Mr. Shagawat also co-presented on the "Next Generation Load Center" with Tim Myers, Senior Corporate Logistics Manager of Sonoco Products (another major client of ShipComm) during the preceding day's sessions. Mr. Shagawat and his ShipComm team have been featured, invited presenters at every RedShift conference held since 2000.
For further information email us at info@shipperscommonwealth.com
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