SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— BeyondTrucks new Product Advisory Council aims to drive innovation in the trucking industry.
According to a company press release, at the council’s inaugural meeting, the key group of fleet and company leaders discussed the state of the industry, opportunities for maintaining a competitive advantage and future technology possibilities.
“The new BeyondTrucks Product Advisory Council brings together leading fleets whose insights into the risks and opportunities our industry is facing will be key to guide product development,” said Hans Galland, CEO of BeyondTrucks. “The industry has largely been operating on systems designed in the 1980s and 1990s which is jarringly disconnected from the possibilities that AI-powered trucks, telematics, safety cameras, analytics, and optimization tools offer fleets today. Though the process of adopting or changing a TMS may seem daunting, these organizational leaders understand they must support ripping off the band-aid by moving to better technology.”
Product Advisory Council
The BeyondTrucks Product Advisory Council of fleet executives and industry leaders includes:
- Devon Ades, vice president, Apex Logistics and COB, California Trucking Association.
- Marc Boyle, former co-president, Boyle Transportation.
- Jimmy Coleman, owner, head of special projects, D.G. Coleman.
- Patrick Cozzens, president, Modern Transportation.
- Robbert McCaig, director, owner, Trimac Transportation.
- Arnold Ramonas, director of operations, AGM Transport Inc.
Elevating American Transportation
“We’re excited about this effort that will not only uplift our own fleets but will be critical for maintaining and elevating the success of the American transportation sector, our supply chains, and our economy,” Ades said. “This forum is forward-thinking and BeyondTrucks is genuinely interested in hearing us and making game-changing advances for our businesses.”
Council Goals
During the first meeting of the BeyondTrucks Product Advisory Council, industry leaders were asked to take a visionary approach to identify key elements that would be critical for customer success and competitive superiority, according to the release.
A session focusing on industry risks and opportunities that will affect fleets in the near future was a highlight of the meeting.
The group also discussed technological possibilities and priorities for using software and data as part of transportation management platforms that serve as human-machine interfaces.
Key Conclusions
The following were key conclusions reached during interactive sessions:
- Legacy systems are creating more work for their teams to manage.
- All members understood that the selection and deployment of technology is a daunting process but an absolutely necessary investment.
- Council members agreed that executive support is crucial for any new technology evaluation, procurement and deployment process to be effective.
Increased Use of AI
“In the transportation management space, there is a solid appetite for automation and increased use of AI,” Cozzens said. “With the BeyondTrucks Product Advisory Council we have an opportunity to better understand areas where its application will have better use.”
Galland noted that the roadmap the council is collaboratively creating puts customers at an advantage by driving innovation, delivering enhanced visibility, improving equipment utilization and reducing operating costs.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
