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Greetings,
Welcome to the May/June issue of Trucking
with CLI, Carrier Logistics' newsletter. This edition's feature article comes
from the president of LTL powerhouse, A. Duie Pyle, Steve O'Kane. Steve
writes about the importance of good and honest communication. I invite you to
share this very timely article with others in your organization, as I found
Steve's advice extremely valuable and on point.
We are pleased to announce the promotions of
Kevin Linardic and Ben Wiesen. Kevin and Ben have been an integral part of
CLI's team over the past 15 years and it is with pleasure that we share the
good news of their promotions to vice president positions. Kevin and Ben have
become shareholders in CLI, guaranteeing the continuity of leadership and
vision for the organization for many years to come.
We've covered the issue of disaster recovery
before but we are revisiting it again, as we cannot stress enough the
importance of having a system in place. Your data and technology is critical
to running your business - can you even imagine the damage that would be done
if you experienced a disaster and had no back up? CLI is partnering with
Progress Software to offer an affordable disaster recovery solution for our
customers. Read the article for details.
Please join us in welcoming a new CLI
client: Duckering's Transport. This customer-focused carrier has chosen CLI
as its technology partner and we welcome them aboard. The article below gives
more detail on this world-class organization. I also invite you to read the
article detailing CLI's new phone system, which should make it even easier
for customers like Duckering's to get quick answers to their inquiries.
Please read the always-useful Tip of the
Month, which in this issue outlines how to automatically create a scheduled
linehaul. And finally, please review the calendar of events. Especially in
these times, it is critical to support industry meetings - education and
networking are always great investments.
Enjoy the issue.
5 Keys to Successful
Employee Communication
by Steve O'Kane, president
of A. Duie Pyle
Good and open employee communication is
always key to running a successful organization, but
in these challenging economic times it is even more critical to use
communication as a tool to keep employees motivated, engaged and informed.
While  management's initial reaction may be to downplay or even
"sugarcoat" current business issues, an honest and open dialogue
with your employees is always the right (and best) avenue to pursue.
If you really focus on employees, keep them
engaged, listen to their concerns and, when warranted, adjust a little bit,
they stay motivated and interested. It is this type of engaged employee that
you need at this time to be dedicated to your business, which, in turn, will
help your organization survive and ultimately thrive. Keeping the lines of
communication open is critical.
The five keys to successful employee
communication below are effective with any audience.
1: Talk about what matters
most to the employee. Whenever I interact
with an employee, in a formal or informal setting, I invite him or her to ask
questions. I would rather talk about what is on the employee's mind than what
is on my mind. Now, there is likely an agenda or a motivation for the
interaction, so I will deliver the desired message but try never to close
without inviting questions.
2: Honesty. Employees appreciate direct answers. Even if the answer
to a question or request is no, it is better to give them a direct response
than to try to escape with a vague, 'We'll consider that,' or, 'Maybe,' and
have the issue fester.
If employees want something that is simply
not going to happen, better to meet the issue head on and try to end the
discussion. Of course, when the answer is yes, you must make sure you follow
through on what has now become a commitment.
3: 'Why' is often as
important as 'yes' or 'no.' When
an answer has to be no, it is worth taking time to explain why a negative
answer is necessary. Employees really do understand the business more than
some leaders may realize.
4: Small groups work best. If I have a choice - and often there isn't one - I
prefer to talk to employees in small groups. Several informal discussions on
a regular basis are far more meaningful and controllable than one big
meeting. Plus, employees really appreciate the personal attention they get
from such meetings.
5: Results. At the end of the day, employees have a great sense of
whether or not leadership is making good decisions. They may not agree with
every decision, but if they feel that leadership is moving the organization
in a good direction for their future, then communication becomes an exchange
of viewpoints and explanation of direction.
Without good strategy and leadership, the
best communication possible will not be well received by the employee
population. Good communication can reinforce a well-thought-out business
plan, but without the good plan, even great communication will be viewed as
ineffective and insincere.
In closing, while it may seem to be easier
to lessen communication or even filter it, the best thing to do right now is
not only keep the lines of communication open but be honest and willing to
listen. The reward you get from motivated, informed employees will be the
tonic your company needs during these difficult times.
Steve O'Kane is president
of A. Duie Pyle, widely known for its high-performing LTL service. Located in
West Chester, PA, A. Duie Pyle has experienced decades of growth in the
Northeast through a regional model that delivers exceptional service to
customers who turn to them every day for their LTL, TL and Warehousing &
Distribution needs. Visit their website at http://www.aduiepyle.com
This article was excerpted
from an article that appeared in the March 2009 "Smart Business
Philadelphia" periodical. To read the complete original article, click
here.
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CLI Announces Promotion of Kevin
Linardic and Ben Wiesen to VP Positions
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 Veteran Executives to Carry on
Company's Leadership in Trucking and Logistics Technology
CLI is pleased to announce that it has
promoted two senior executives to vice presidents who now have equity
standing in the company. Kevin Linardic (pictured left), who directs CLI's
programming staff and the development of its FACTS™ system, has been
appointed vice president of Technology. Ben Wiesen (pictured right) was
named vice president of Products and a member of the company's board of
directors. Both executives joined CLI in 1995.
"Kevin and Ben have been integral
members of our team for nearly half of CLI's existence," said Ken
Weinberg who, with Don Adams, founded CLI in 1972. "Now we are looking
to them to maintain and further our worldwide leadership as innovators in
trucking and logistics technology."
"I am thrilled at this opportunity to
help lead CLI on to even greater accomplishment," said Linardic.
"CLI has earned its reputation for excellence. Based on our
technology, talented staff members and strong client base, FACTS™
will continue to be the premier solution for the multi-stop transportation
environment."
Linardic has been responsible for creating
the most complete and comprehensive rate engine available, a key component
in CLI's widely used FACTS™ system. The robust rate engine supports
most published tariffs and customer specific rates. The rate engine is also
scalable, supporting both small SaaS customers as well as large enterprises
with over 2,000 concurrent users.
Prior to joining CLI, Linardic spent six
years at a New York-based software development company developing
applications for the transport industry. He holds a Mechanical Engineering
degree with a minor in Computer Science from the College of New Jersey.
"Carrier Logistics has always had a
culture that encourages employees to develop new solutions for our carrier
clients," said Wiesen. "I am proud of this company, its growth,
and its dedication to the transportation industry. Our commitment moving
forward is to continue the legacy of providing world-class transportation
management systems."
Wiesen has been a driving force in the
development of FACTS™ , CLI's premier transportation management
system. Most recently he created the CLI web module, FACTSweb, a powerful
customer service tool that goes beyond shipment tracking and tracing to
include reporting capabilities and analytics.
Wiesen began his career as an industrial
engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense. He went on to become
operations engineer for Roadway Express, an Ohio-based transport company
that merged with Yellow to become YRC Worldwide in 2003. Wiesen holds an
Industrial Engineering degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst.
In the years since Linardic and Wiesen
came aboard, CLI has become a multi-million dollar developer of system
technology and freight management systems, providing computer systems to
LTL, combined LTL and truckload, package delivery and bulk carriers
throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
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CLI Working Closely with Progress
to Offer Disaster Recovery Solutions
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 CLI clients will receive a mailing in the coming weeks
illustrating the necessity for every transportation company to have a
disaster recovery solution in place. Like any type of
"insurance," a disaster recovery solution is something you don't think
you need until you need it - and then it's too late.
If a disaster strikes, what is your
worst-case scenario? Lost revenue? Lost shipments? Inability to post
receivables or bill customers? How about the long-term effect of lost
business in this tight-margin time?
A major disaster could cause all of this
and more. Today's transportation environment is more at risk because it is increasingly
data intensive and reliant on automated systems. CLI wants to ensure its
customers that their systems are protected. A company's information systems
and data are not just part of their business; they are the lifeblood of an
organization. In the event of a major disaster, what would the cost be if
your system went down?
CLI is working closely with Progress
Software to help its clients implement a cost-effective disaster recovery
solution. They are urging their customers to protect their businesses with
OpenEdge™ Replication and Management as the cornerstone of their
disaster recovery solution. OpenEdge Replication and Management from
Progress™ Software prevents a business from losing significant
revenue and damaging their reputation by ensuring that your
mission-critical systems are available 24/7/365.
To entice our customers to further
research why a disaster recovery solution is critical, CLI is offering
clients either a multi-media presentation on disaster recovery or a
complimentary copy of The Worst- Case
Scenario: Survival Handbook: WORK if they follow up for more
information.
For more information on disaster recovery
contact Ken Weinberg at kweinberg@carrierlogistics.com
today.
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CLI Welcomes a New Client
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 CLI is pleased to announce that Duckering's Transport Ltd.
recently joined its list of clients. After doing its due diligence this
organization opted for CLI's FACTS freight management system.
Duckering's is one of Alberta's leading
regional freight carrier and has been setting the industry standard since
1971. With overnight service daily between all points on the major Central
Alberta corridor, Duckering's Transport raises the bar for integrity,
professionalism and reliability within the industry.
CLI thanks Duckering's for choosing our
solutions. We look forward to serving this and all of our customers for
years to come. Welcome Duckering's.
For more information on Duckering's, click here
»
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CLI Installs New Customer-Friendly
Phone System
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 This past spring, CLI installed a new VOIP (voice over
Internet protocol) phone system to better serve its clientele. This new
system allows callers to reach out directly to CLI staff to expedite calls,
whether they are for emergencies or just quick questions. The main number,
of course, is still in use, where customers can reach Kathleen, who will
then direct the caller to the staff member who can best meet his/her needs.
The main number remains 914-332-0300.
Callers also have the option of dialing an
auto-attendant at 914-332-0931 to reach staff directly. A list of
employees' extensions can be accessed by the link below. In addition,
callers can search a company directory through the auto-attendant to reach
the intended staff member. Caller ID will let the staffer know who is
calling, prompting a more reactive response from the moment the phone is
answered.
Consultants at CLI satellite offices can
also be reached via this new system. That means you can call either the
main number or the auto attendant number and be connected directly to any
of our staff members regardless of where their physical office may be
located.
CLI takes pride in serving our customers.
The new phone system is just one more way we hope to continually improve
this service.
Click Here for a CLI Employee
Extension Listing »
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Progress Announces New President
& CEO
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 CLI partner, Progress, has announced that Rick Reidy
has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Progress
Software. Rick succeeds Joe Alsop, who co-founded the company in 1981. The
appointment of Rick as chief executive officer is the result of the
company's focus on leadership and succession planning. Last year, Rick was
appointed chief operating officer. Rick began his career at Progress in
1985 as one of the original developers of Progress' flagship database
product, now called OpenEdge. Since then, Rick has held a number of both
technical and management positions including vice president of Product
Development.
CLI congratulates Rick on this
appointment.
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Tip of the Month
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 Create Scheduled Linehaul
Automatically
Highway Manifests and Trips can be automatically created for scheduled days
of the week.
1) Daily Manifest
Maintenance
a. Enter a name in the code field to signify the manifest to be created.
b. Enter the origin and destination terminal codes for your manifest and a
note as a description.
c. Check the box if a manifest should be created for that day.
d. Enter the scheduled departure time for the load or leave blank to update
on the actual day.
2) Daily Trip
Maintenance
a. Enter a name in the code field to signify the trip to be created.
b. Enter the origin and destination terminal codes and the highway route
for your trip.
c. For each trip that is created, you may assign up to three manifests or
loads. They can be selected from a list of valid manifests that were
created or assigned on the actual day.
d. Check the box for each day that a trip should be created.
e. Enter the scheduled departure times, drivers, tractors and a note as a
description for the trip(s) or leave blank to update on the actual day.
3) Daily Highway
Startup
a. Enter the origin terminal for the manifests and trips being created.
b. Check the boxes to include manifests and/or trips in the startup.
c. Enter the date for which to create the records.
The default will be the current date,
but you may select to generate them up to five days in advance. The day of
the week will be displayed for confirmation purposes.
d. Clicking the search button will display the records scheduled for that
day.
e. Double-click on the field under the 'Selected' column to change the schedule
from 'yes' to 'no' if you wish to cancel the auto-create for the record on
that day.
f. Click 'Done' to complete the generation of the scheduled manifests and
trips.
Any questions? Contact the CLI Help Desk
at helpdesk@carrierlogistics.com
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Calendar of Events
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Quick Links
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