Julie Tanguayota Chair, And President and Ceo, l. E. Walker Transport st. Thomas, Ont

摘要

We (trucking companies) started experiencing the recession three to six months before the media even started debating it. So likely we'll be the first to see the upswing. When will this be? I wish I knew the answer, but my guess would be Q3 of 2009. Some quality carriers will fail. It will be especially sad to see those companies who have developed strong cultures of safety and training fall by the wayside. The giants stand a better chance of survival than small to medium fleets. One reason is that the larger entities have a more sophisticated management team that can concentrate on truly managing during volatile times. Consolidating and integration will continue, and this should create opportunities for smaller companies to align with larger players. This can be a difficult decision for privately-held companies though, who would prefer to keep the succession and management within the family. Capacity will be an issue when the upturn occurs. Owner/operators have left the business and will not return. Companies' business infrastructures have been shredded, and the momentum of "fixing" the driver shortage has slowed, if not stalled, for most carriers.