Takeaways from the 2019 Minnesota Trucking Association Conference
Kurt Dingmann and I had an incredible time at the 87th Annual Minnesota Trucking Association Conference on July 30 – August 1 in Alexandria, Minnesota. We caught up with industry friends and listened to great speakers. On Tuesday, BGM sponsored a golf hole on a fun par 5 with a dog leg left. We set-up a corn hole game and gave out prizes if golfers took a shot and made a hole in a cornhole. It was a beautiful day for golf and lots of fun to see so many familiar faces, as well as meet new ones.
Wednesday morning began with a presentation from Anthony Bourke of Mach 2 Consulting. Anthony is a former F-16 fighter pilot, whose presentation centered on the importance of having a debrief after a mission, job, or project. The debrief should occur at the same time, is never skipped, and be a safe place for honest communication. The debrief gives everyone an opportunity to express real-time feedback to leaders and peers about what went well and what didn’t, while pushing individuals to get better each time. What is said in the debrief stays in the debrief. Next, Bill Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Advocacy from the American Trucking Association provided us with an update on economic and legislative activities. It was positive to hear that the ATA and MTA have a positive working relationship with their legislators on both side of the aisle. In Minnesota the hands-free cell phone bill was passed for all Minnesota drivers, which stopped some of the labor laws that would have increased business costs and litigation. The afternoon kicked off with a CEO panel. The panelists were open and honest about how they became leaders in their organizations, what they have been successful at, and what struggles they have endured. The afternoon finished with a couple breakout sessions, including one on maintenance and one on business continuity planning. During the evening banquet we had a great time connecting with industry professionals and peers – always a fun time!
Thursday morning began with the MTA business meeting and closed out with a presentation by Steve Rizzo of Motivate This. Steve is a former comedian turned author and motivational speaker. He told insightful stories and shared strategies to elevate motivational desire.
Finally, I want to congratulate Mel Simon from Styer Transportation who had a wonderful year chairing the MTA and to Brett Bois from Calhoun Truck Lines on being elected the new Chair. See everyone next year!https://bgm-cpa.com/industries/transportation-and-logistics/
To learn more about how BGM serves clients in the transportation and logistics industry visit our Transportation and Logistics page or contact Jason Marvin at 952-844-2531 or jmarvin@bgm-cpa.com.
