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Connor: Hello and welcome to a very special edition of Big Rig Banter. For our episode lucky number seven, we’re gonna be covering the recent Great American Trucking Show, that’s GATS for all of you insiders, in none other than Dallas, Texas.
Troy: That’s right. AllTruckJobs.com had a blast in the Lone Star State, but now we’re back in Lancaster, PA to recap some of the GATS highlights.
Connor: Indeed, there were hundreds of exhibits and a ton of great events so we did struggle to cover as much of this show as we possibly could. For those of you who may not be familiar with what GATS is, it’s basically the largest national trucking show there is, featuring just about every aspect of the transportation industry from the newest trucking technology to the commercial driving lifestyle and so much more really.
Troy: Yeah. Connor and I were actually at a marketing conference in Philadelphia during GATS. However, we did have our, in-the-field reporter Rachel Falkenroth, getting the lowdown of what people thought of GATS. Let’s take a listen.
Rachel: So, we’re here from Big Rig Banter at GATS 2017 in Dallas and I’m here with…
Vicki: Vicki Burr.
Rachel: Vicki Burr, well it’s very nice to meet you, Vicki.
Vicki: It’s nice to meet you too, Rachel.
Rachel: Yes, thank you. So, how long have you been in the trucking industry? I know you said that you just retired, but how long have you worked?
Vicki: Since 1978.
Rachel: Oh wow, awesome. So what got you started, interested in driving?
Vicki: Honestly, don’t know. I just saw a truck go by and it was pretty and I said: “Okay, that’s what I wanna do.”
Rachel: That’s awesome. It’s nice just to know.
Vicki: It was just a long, long time ago.
Rachel: Absolutely. That’s great. Okay, so is this your first GATS?
Vicki: No, this is like number five.
Rachel: Okay, so have you seen anything interesting – new technologies this year that you’re excited about?
Vicki: Well, I was just overlooking at the ELDs and trying to get some information from my company for their maintenance department.
Rachel: Oh yeah, so you said that you’re in safety and recruiting right now, is that correct?
Vicki: Safety and compliance.
Rachel: Safety and compliance, awesome. So you’re liking that. How’s the transition? How’s that different? Are you enjoying it?
Vicki: Yes, I love it. I can still, the trucker in me still comes out and working with mostly men, it’s fine. You gotta be able to hold your own,
Rachel: Great to get women out there too.
Vicki: Thank you. I drove for 26 years and had a little over 3 million accident-free miles before I came out of it.
Rachel: That’s incredible. Congrats. So, I’m here with James. Is that correct, James?
James: I’m here with my wife from Thailand.
Rachel: Nice to meet ya. From Thailand? Oh my goodness. How long ago did you move here?
James: Not long. Six months.
Rachel: Six months?
James: Not long. We just got married.
Rachel: Aw, congratulations. That’s so exciting!
James: And we came to America from overseas, she did, and I’m showing her the country from behind the windshield of a truck.
Rachel: Wow, that’s so exciting. Do you love it so far? Do you like driving around?
James’ Wife: Yeah
Rachel: Awesome. Well, hey, so here at GATS are you guys actually, are you from Dallas?
James: We are from Dallas, yes.
Rachel: Dallas, very exciting. Okay, so is this your first time here at GATS?
James: It’s my first time here, yeah. I’m not really new at truck driving but I’ve driven trucks on and off all my life and I just got my authority and I’m fixing to get me a truck and a trailer and that’s partly the reason why I’m here today.
Rachel: Okay, so some big plans for the future.
James: Yes ma’am.
Rachel: Very nice. Okay, so how are you liking it so far? Are you finding what you need to find here?
James: Yes, I am. I am. We’ve already had to go to the car to unload all of the bags for all the free stuff.
Rachel: It’s always nice to get all of the free stuff.
James: Yes, it is.
Rachel: That’s my favorite stuff about expos.
James: That, and all of the wonderful interviewers, too.
Rachel: Aw, why thank you. I get to talk to all of the wonderful truckers.
James: Why, thank you.
Rachel: So, uh, I’m here with what’s your name, sir?
André: André. André.
Rachel: André, alright. André here. Have you been to GATS before?
André: Oh yes, every year.
Rachel: Every year, wow. How long have you been a driver?
André: 18 years. Over the road, but I’ve been hauling fracks for like ten years.
Rachel: Okay, awesome. So how did you get started in the trucking industry?
André: Got tired of sitting on my butt and wanted to make some money, so I can do both by driving a truck.
Rachel: Yeah, absolutely. That’s great you found your calling.
André: Exactly.
Rachel: So, I’m here with Rick, that’s correct?
Rick: Yes.
Rachel: Okay, awesome. So, is this your first time at GATS, Rick?
Rick: No.
Rachel: No, alright. How many years have you been coming here?
Rick: 10. At least 10.
Rachel: At least 10, that’s awesome. So, every year?
Rick: Every year. We’ve been together 15 years so.
Rachel: Oh wow. How long have you been in the trucking industry?
Rick: Since ‘99? July of 1999, so it would be 18 years.
Rachel: Wow. What kind of driver are you? Are you an owner operator, company driver?
Rick: Owner operator.
Rachel: Owner operator, okay, very cool. Where are you based out off?
Rick: Out of Dallas.
Rachel: Oh, okay. So this is, you know, an easy go-to come here to GATS and check everything out. Yeah, are you interested in checking out the talent show later today, 3-5?
Rick: Maybe? A talent show?
Rachel: Yeah, I think they’re having like singers this year.
Rick: Oh no, I can’t do that.
Rachel: No? Hahaha. You didn’t apply for it, no?
Rick: No, no absolutely not. They’d kick me out of here.
Rachel: What’s the most exciting new technology that you’ve seen?
Rick: Uh, the E, what was it? ELD? Yeah, ELD. Electronic logging device.
Rachel: Yeah.
Rick: Yeah.
Rachel: Are they updating that? I’ve heard some things in the trucking community that they’re kind of tricky, hard to work with, and so you’ve seen some cool updates that they’re making?
Rick: Uh yeah, well no it’s a lot easier with the one that I saw. It’s really easy, so.
Rachel: Yeah. Okay.
Rick: If it comes about, then it would be good.
Rachel: So, I just wanted to add first, what’s your name?
Robert: Well, my stage name is Rocky Top.
Rachel: Okay.
Robert: And everybody in country music knows me as Rocky Top, but my real name is Robert Webb. I’m related to Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle.
Rachel: Okay awesome. Well, I’m here with Robert and I wanted to ask you, you told me a little bit before we started the interview. But, who do you work for and what do you drive?
Robert: I drive, I own three trucks: tractor-trailer rigs. I’m the only driver. I work with the federal government, hauling USPS mail – United States Postal Service mail. I work with TNT enterprises of Ohio and I own Webb delivery service and contract haulers myself, my own company. I have my own authority. I’ve been in trucking a long time since 19… I learned how to drive tractor-trailer rigs at the age of 12 years old by my uncles who used to own Anderson Webb Transportation out in Mount Airy, North Carolina. And I love writing and singing and playing music. I sure do.
Rachel: So, these expos are great where you can just go out meet new people, you know, face to face and get some information on the new trucking technology.
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Connor: Alright, so a lot of interesting characters there. Some cool feedback on the event overall. It seems like everybody had a little something different to say. I mean, it was a large convention, so it’s really hard to hit everything you know. Hundreds of exhibits around there. People just walking around getting free stuff I know is the highlight of a lot of people’s time at GATS. I mean, there was a free beer stand. We had flashlights people loved, you know, you can get t-shirts, lanyards, pretty much anything you just kind of stroll around and there you have it.
Troy: Yeah, all kinds of stuff but, when Rachel came back to us, from reporting in the field, she was telling us a lot of people were really interested in these ELDs and I know the last episode we talked extensively about ELDs and we actually have a pretty interesting sound clip from a visitor, Greg, who was there and he was actually a manager for a trucking fleet and he was looking for the right ELD for 65 trucks so, here’s that clip.
Rachel: Alright, so I’m here with Greg today and this is his first time at GATS. So, how are you liking GATS so far?
Greg: I’m having a pretty good time. You know, it’s 10 am here, already had a beer, enjoying myself.
Rachel: Nice. That’s the way to start it. I mean, that’s the way to start your morning: breakfast, beer, you know, walking around checking it all out. Who do you work for and how long have you been in the business?
Greg: I work for BT trucking. I’m relatively new. I’ve been in the business for about 3 years now.
Rachel: Okay, awesome. So, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? You have a very young face, so I’m very curious. You’re already a manager.
Greg: Yeah, I’m 27 years old.
Rachel: 27, wow! That’s very cool. So, did you grow up just in the trucking industry, the trucking business? How did you get into it?
Greg: Yeah, I had some family that was in it and I got in early working, just helping out fleet managers initially. Like almost as a receptionist. I was doing that and worked my butt off and now I’m here.
Rachel: Right, awesome. Yeah, hard work always pays off. So, I did want to ask too, did you see anything at the booths, any new technology that you’re excited for as a fleet manager to see kind of introduced in the trucking world?
Greg: Well, you know I’m being forced on electronic logging devices right now and I’m trying to find the best provider and you know this is probably good place, I’ve been looking at different providers, Omnitrix, Big Road, People Net, Keep Trucking, Fleet Maddox, and trying to like dwindle it down to the actual decision and I have a fleet of about 65 vehicles and I need to start making the decision soon, you know, so I have been going around I do like what Keep Trucking showed me. They, it looks like their solutions very easy to use and I looked on their app store they have a 4.8/5 stars so I looked at it I saw how many reviews they actually have. They have 14,000 reviews so. I read through 20 to 25 of them and drivers just like the easy use, so I would say that any other fleet managers, drivers that are looking for the electronic logs because they know this is the mandates around the corner, take a look at Keep Trucking. I think that’s where I’m gonna go, so…
Rachel: Would you say that that’s one of the biggest complaints from your drivers? The EDLs or are there other?
Greg: They don’t want to change and you know some are adapted to technology but most of them aren’t, you know, so. They want something easy to use and that’s not gonna burden them further. So, that’s why I want something easy to use for them.
Rachel: Right, simple and straightforward
Connor: So there that was Greg speaking to us and he gave a lot of good feedback. You know I think this is something that those in the ELD market can really take note of, the fact that he read lots of reviews before he made a decision I don’t know if he had decided yet, it would be cool to follow up and see who he’s gone with at this point. But, you know he looked online, he tried to see what other people were writing about these companies and actually talked to them in person and that’s just something to keep in mind because it is gonna be such a competitive market for makers of ELDs moving forward. He said it was kind of being forced upon him and that’s what a lot of what fleet managers and truckers are feeling in general, but it did sound like a lot of people were starting to change their mind and perspective on the whole ELD debate. They were kind of a little more open to the fact that it’s really more convenient and more efficient and can provide some safety benefits as well, so that’s kind of interesting to know that people are hopefully softening up to the idea because it’s somewhat of an inevitability at this point but, hopefully, that’s a positive take away from all this.
Troy: For sure. And it’s just like any product it’s something you want to do research, it’s a big investment so make sure to look online, get some reviews, even get some recommendations from drivers who have already implemented these ELDS.
Connor: And if you want to learn more about ELDs and sort of the regulations and what’s going on with them right now you can check out our last episode, episode six. There will be a link, I’m sure, in the sidebar or below what this episode wherever you’re listening to, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and YouTube of course. It’s all there for you, so be sure to head back into our older episodes there cause, why not? They’re free. It doesn’t hurt and speaking of podcasts, we actually had the change to interview Todd McCann who runs his own podcast called Trucker Dump. I think it should be called Todd Cast but he was able to tell us some of his favorite things about GATS.
Troy: Yeah and Todd was someone we’ve interacted with on Twitter lately. He’s been a big fan of our podcast and willing to promote it and give us some feedback and we really appreciate it. He’s been podcasting for quite a while now so it was great to interact with someone who’s both in the same industry and kind of using the same medium.
Rachel: Okay, so I’m here with Todd McCann and we are at GATS 2017 in Dallas, so Todd, is this your first time at GATS?
Todd: Yep. First time, yep. First, it’s huge I was not expected it to be this big. For sure.
Rachel: Yeah, awesome, me too. I definitely, yeah, was a little blown away. So, what’s your favorite thing that you’ve seen so far at GATS? Have you been able to walk around a bit?
Todd: Well the AllTruckJobs.com booth of course! Right?
Rachel: Absolutely, yes!
Todd: No, there’s an orange truck up there that’s so tricked-out its so freakin’ sweet. I got a picture as soon as I walked in the door
Rachel: Yeah?
Todd: Yeah.
Rachel: I have to check it out. I actually haven’t been down that way.
Todd: Yeah, its right at the main entrance when you come in, you can’t miss it. It’s big bright and orange like a freaking pumpkin.
Rachel: I love it. Okay, I’ll have to check it out. Alright, so I want to ask, so you’re a trucker and how long have you been driving? What company do you work for and what type of driver are you?
Todd: Well, I have been driving for 20 years and I never reveal my company because I have a podcast and I like to be able to vent about them if I want to.
Rachel: Sure, no problem.
Todd: So you know, no retaliation there.
Rachel: Pleading the 5th, all good
Todd: But, I’ve been a company driver for 20 years and I did 9 of that years with my wife, who I call the evil overlord cause, well cause she likes it, and it’s true so, she’s been out for, I don’t know, probably 11 of those years so, you know the last 11 years I’ve been solo.
Rachel: Wow, okay so you drive all across the 50 states or are you just regional?
Todd: I have driven in every state, but right now I basically run east to the Rockies which is fine with me because mountains are great when you’re new in your career but now they’re just in my way. They just slow me down and cause me issues in the winter so yeah. Stay away from the mountains.
Rachel: Well hey, have you seen any new technologies here at GATS or anything that you’re excited that’s coming out in the future in the trucking world?
Todd: Well, I’m overwhelmed by all the ELD stuff going on right now, you know, it’s like every other booth seems to be about electronic logs cause they’re trying to make it mandatory by December and it seems like a bag of hurt to me, so, I haven’t even stopped any of the booths because I’m not even sure where to start you know, trying to report on some stuff for my podcast and I just don’t know where to start. It’s so freaking big, you know.
Rachel: Absolutely, yeah, alright, well awesome thank you for taking the time today to just answer a few questions, here we really appreciate it and of course we’d to have you on the podcast for Big Rig Banter, so we’ll have to keep in touch here. So thank you, Todd.
Todd: That sounds great. Thanks
Connor: Alright, so again that was Todd McCann host of the Trucker Dump podcast. If you haven’t checked him out, go give it a listen it’s on iTunes and anywhere podcasts can be found. One of the cool things that he mentioned that’s really popular at GATS is the Pride and Polish, that’s what that orange truck he was describing was a part of. And we actually got the chance to talk to Suzanne Stempinski who organizes the Pride and Polish event. And this is that interview.
Suzanne: This is Suzanne.
Troy: Hi Susanne, it’s Troy from Big Rig Banter. How are you?
Suzanne: Hey Troy, I’m good how are you?
Troy: Good. I’m doing very good. Just to start things of, what were your impressions of GATS this year? I‘m sure you guys have been there previously but what was what did you think of this year?
Suzanne: You know what, I thought that the layout which was a little different. I thought it was fabulous. The attendance was wonderful the crowds were large and enthusiastic, and everything about it went really well.
Troy: Very cool. We did hear a lot of people saying that it was more spread out and there was more room to move around and that’s what a lot of people liked about it this year especially.
Suzanne: Yeah, the square footage this year over last year was actually larger, but because it was spread out in a different way, it appeared even bigger. So, all the exhibitors that I spoke with seemed to be really pleased about that it seemed to be driving more better traffic to their booths and you know that’s what they’re really there for, but it also, you know, just lots and lots of people turning out, so I think that attendance was up, energy was up, everybody was happy, other than really being anxious and concerned about what was going on just down the road in Houston, and my understanding is that they are going to be using probably by now they are, a chunk, of the convention center for evacuees from Houston.
Troy: Wow, so why don’t you tell us more about Pride and Polish? I know that was a really popular stand over there at GATS and that’s something that you guys have been doing for a while now.
Suzanne: Pride and Polish has been going on, Overdrive’s Pride and Polish, has been celebrating trucks and the folks who drive them for 26, more than 26 years. And Pride and Polish has been at GATS from the very beginning, and so every year we draw in a collection of the most beautiful, most extraordinary, working trucks, and some are non-working, but most of them are working trucks, and on display and in competition and it’s always a matter of, you know on any given weekend you can find a truck show somewhere in the country, in fact, some, weekends you can find two, three, four, or five. Because people love the opportunity to show off their truck, to get a little recognition, to visit with their friends, to make new friends, and so truck shows are a great way to do that. But, at Pride and Polish, we really are about clean and details. It is a white glove. It is the top of the heap it might as well be the 1% of the best of the trucking industry and one of the wonderful things about that it is that it sets an example that other folks who drive trucks aspire to. You know we get great media coverage and that always helps because our participants love to see themselves in print, on the internet, they want to see their truck celebrated and it’s really hard to find a better way to do it. It’s also the largest indoor truck show in the country. You know most people think Dallas, August, oh my gosh, why would anybody want to give those two words together, but we do because we bring the trucks indoors and the guys and gals that are cleaning and polishing on them, they’re welcome to stay all night the night before, but at least they’re doing it in air-conditioned comfort as opposed to being boiled in oil outside.
Troy: Yeah, and I know that you probably had the chance to walk around a little, what were some of the technology or maybe there was a new booth this year that you really enjoyed? I know a lot of people were talking about the ELDs and that they seem to be everywhere but was there a new piece of technology or a new stand that kind of unveiled that really caught your eye?
Suzanne: Honestly, I’m so busy taking care of the Pride and Polish trucks that when I do have an opportunity to walk around through the parts of the show, it’s generally because I’m in a hurry to get to somewhere that I really need to be and so, I don’t get to absorb as much of it as I’d like. I do know that there’s a lot of conversation about ELDs. I do know that the folks at OOIDA, you know, are vigorously opposing it and so they were actively talking to people. I saw Tony Justice who put on a concert, you know, he had a booth where they’re actively involved in trying to eliminate the mandate for ELDs. I think it’s become a popular cause to rally behind and, but I don’t know how far that will go. I think so far the effort to eliminate them have been largely unsuccessful. But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope that there will be some magic rabbit in the bottom of the hat somewhere.
Troy: What would you change for next year’s GATS? Is there anything that you’d change or maybe add to spruce things up?
Suzanne: I would add more beautiful show trucks, you know, I’m a little bias, but honestly, I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than trucks that are cleaned, polished, decked out, blinged out, and the owners and drivers who bring them they’re so proud of what they do and it’s really nice, we get a great cross-section, we had some antiques that were a couple of all B model max. I wish those trucks could talk I would love to hear the stories of where they’ve been and what they’ve seen. And then we have some older trucks, we have some newer trucks, we have some brand new stuff, some trucks that, you know, just recently came out of the shop, we have builders who take trucks and turn them into rolling works of arts. And then one of our most popular trucks, in fact it was the people’s choice, the truckers’ choice, was a truck that was brought by the Army Air Force Exchange. And it was really so and the most people voted for that, to celebrate it as the people’s choice and it’s really nice to see our military, our men and women who serve being celebrated and recognized as well. So, they don’t have the fanciest truck. But, they do have one that moves people’s hearts and minds.
Troy: And kind of just the final question and I know you hit on it a little before, but we have a lot of young truckers listening to that kind of just got in the industry so what would you tell them why would what was would be your pitch for them to come to GATS? I know it’s a big deal and people fly all over the nation to come to it. How would you, kind of, get some of these younger truckers getting in this in the industry to come to GATS?
Suzanne: You know, it’s an opportunity to really get hands-on up close and personal with all the parts of the trucking industry. If you’re interested in a product, whether it’s a new truck or a trailer, if you’re interested in changing companies or figuring out what kind of product you want to load, it’s all there. If you want to celebrate the best that the trucking industry has to offer if you want to learn if you want to take a seminar, how are the ELDs going to impact your ability to make a living? It was all there at GATS, and it’ll all be there next year, bigger and better because that’s what it does. It just gets bigger and better every year. I’m not gonna miss it and I would hope that other people feel the same was, in fact, I know they do because we visit with old friends as well as make new ones every year.
Troy: Alright, well thank you, Suzanne. I really appreciate you taking time to talk with us on Big Rig Banter and I will definitely keep in touch in the future. I’d love to have you on the show again when we talk again about other aspects of trucking.
Suzanne: I would be happy to help any way I can. I’ve been playing on these parking lots one way or another with show trucks really for more than 22 years. So, I spent 15 years as an over-the-road owner-operator, so I really am pretty passionate about the trucking industry,
Troy: Awesome, well thanks again, and I really appreciate you coming on.
Suzanne: Alright, thanks Troy, look forward to talking with you again soon.
Connor: Alright, so that was Susanne Stempinski, the organizer of the Pride and Polish event at GATS. A really, really popular event and thanks again Suzanne for taking the time to talk to us there. So, now after we’ve kind of looked at the outside of the trucks, the flashy portion of the driving industry, we’re gonna go underneath the hood a little bit to check out a new startup company called Dock 411, and I actually have the change to sit down with the co-founder of the company, Daniel Serewicz, so now we’ll hear from him. I’m here with Daniel Serewicz, am I saying that correctly?
Daniel: Yes sir, you’re one of the only ones to get that correct.
Connor: Awesome, that makes me feel good. We’re off to a great start then. So Daniel is, you’re the co-founder of Dock 411, is that right? A new trucking app that’s coming out?
Daniel: Yessir, yeah, our whole goal with Dock 411 is to show drivers details about their stops before they make them, so things like local directions, how’s the maneuverability in the lot, show them the actual dock location instead of just where the GPS takes you. Everything down to driver conveniences like, can the driver use the bathroom and heard from a lot of cases they weren’t very clean so you can rate how clean they were and give drivers that go there next or yourself a reminder of how that stop went.
Connor: Awesome, that sounds super useful. How did you guys come up with the idea and how long ago did you form the company?
Daniel: So, the company started a little over two years ago. It actually started after college, I went into warehousing and got into warehouse management and that is when I noticed there was a problem with when drivers showed up at my facility, I worked at an older building so I thought it was just the building but, they showed up there and didn’t know what to do and didn’t know what door to go to. Some of them were just lost, not even delivering to my facility but just walking through my warehouse saying, “can you help me find this place?” or things like that, so, but kind of just raised the red flag in my head. I’d like trucking and everything, I just wasn’t into all the different technology that they had so I did a ton of research and realized it’s not the driver’s fault. It’s, you know, there’s no avenue for them to find this stuff out. They get a bill waiting with what’s in the trailer and address, in a company name, and they’re lucky to get a phone number. So that’s when I’m like, well I gotta do something about this so, ended up quitting my day job to pursue this and I ended up partnering with a guy down the street from me, he’s been in technology for, you know, 30 years or so. So, I had no idea how to code and do all that stuff, so the partnership went really well. His name is Eric, and Eric and I started the company about two years ago. We’ve launched the first version of the app about, let’s see, it was last July. We had version 1 of it come out, we took a lot of feedback from drivers. It’s one of our things we pride ourselves in is taking what drivers have told us about the app and making it better because, honestly, it’s for them, so we actually even have a feedback option in the app that we get feedback every day and we meet about that feedback, because we take it really seriously and put it in the app to make it better for people who are using it.
Connor: Very cool, so you guys are a relatively new company then. And, we actually ran into you down at GATS in Dallas. So, what did you think of GATS? Was it a success for you guys as far as getting the word out about the company?
Daniel: Yeah, it went really well. We really enjoyed doing the shows. We had an opportunity with Dave Nemo, a satellite radio station, so we did a little thing with him which is always great. He’s really well-respected in the industry and as far as the show, we had a lot of drivers come through. It’s really neat to actually see some of our power user guys put in docs like crazy. They stopped by, of course, you know like to talk with them and get their feedback and it’s really nice meeting those people in person and then educating the drivers on what we’re doing. Since it’s such a new concept, it’s you know once you break the barrier of at a trade show you know another guy trying to sell to a driver once you break that barrier, then you tell them about what we’re doing they’re like, “wow that’s really cool. I didn’t even know that existed” and we’re like yeah it’s here and we have it and it’s truly for you guys. We don’t charge for it. It’s a free app and it’s truly for you guys to use, so the reception of the product is great. And we’ve only had I think one driver say, “No, I don’t see the use of that if you can’t find the place where you’re going to you don’t deserve a drive.” And we’re like, “easy there,” but the drivers receive it really well, and it’s really encouraging for especially for being a new company so.
Connor: Yeah, that’s so great. So you know are there any other apps like this on the market? I know you were saying that this is a relatively new concept. But, maybe what’s something that you guys do specifically well?
Daniel: So, there are some notes in like company TMS’s. Some of the trucking companies do have like a memo field in their bill waiting or the paperwork or their dispatch of information that goes out to the drivers. Typically, it’s siloed within that company so if your trucking company has it and then you move companies, that information doesn’t go with you. With the app, you can take it anywhere. Any company, anybody can download it, and start adding information or viewing information so. And typically doesn’t go into detail as far as we’re going actual dock location like I said or can the driver use the bathroom or was there vending machines for the driver there to grab a snack? Things like that so there is some of this information out there but it’s not available industry-wide, so that’s why we’re working with some of these trucking companies and 3PLs, so just to get this out there and everybody talks about a driver shortage and it’s hard to find drivers talk to any trucking company. Let’s make the industry more efficient, especially at the stops where it matters. That’s where you make or break your money. You can drive there all you want but you gotta get the product off the back of your truck, so.
Connor: Absolutely.
Daniel: That’s what we’re trying to speed things up. We like to say we make driver stops faster, easier, safer, and less frustrating because a lot of times if you know about an alley dock that’s blindside and if you know about that ahead of time it’s less of frustration that’s there. It’s more of a challenge because you know about it. You’ve been told about it. A lot of drivers we talked to just don’t want to be lied to and I totally get it. It’s human nature, don’t lie to me. So, if they know about it ahead of time, it’s a little less frustrating. And then they’re not throwing the trucking gear and dumping the clutch and trying to back up through something that they don’t really want to do and just more information for everybody is always better.
Connor: Absolutely, yeah who can argue with that right? So, are there any changes or maybe additions that you guys are looking to add to the app that you’d like to tell our listeners about?
Daniel: Yeah, so like I said we’re always taking drive feedback and so we started with about 20 attributes about each dock. Now that was just stuff I thought of and my team had thought of. We’re at about 47 different attributes right now. That’s those 27 other ones came from drivers and so we have another list of probably about 30 of them that we will be adding here in the near future. Things like actually drawing a map of where the GPS leads you off the dock location is so you can see exactly the route that another driver has gone to where the check-in location was, where’s the staging area was, what manned door did you go to? And kind of just lay it out for a driver exactly what to do there. Things like that that’s just a big convenience for them.
Connor: Right on. That’s very exciting then. And so for our last question here, you know, why should a start-up or other small businesses come to GATS? I mean, what advantages do you guys see to coming to the convention?
Daniel: So, getting in front of drivers is huge for us, but since we’re a new concept, new company, like, what we do is we have a few guys work our booth and we walk the showroom floor and talk to all of the other vendors. We try to cover a lot of the booths and just get to know what other people are doing. You know, people, some people don’t know about us and we don’t know about other projects there. I forgot the company name, but it was just so shocking to me. Some guy came out with a taillight for a trailer that had GPS in it. So if the trailer was stolen and there was a big black box hanging underneath it, the thief would know to cut that out and then steal the trailer. They would never know about the taillight that had GPS in it. And some of that stuff, I research trucking all the time. I do a lot of social media for Dock 411, and I just see a lot of products, but when I walk the showroom floor, it’s just unbelievable what people have thought of and the innovative products that are out there and I’m getting to know the people. The relationships we’ve made over the last year and a half of going to tradeshows, especially GATS, it’s so much fun. And to go out and have dinner with them after and really build relationships is, and Dallas never disappoints of course. The food, the people, the culture. It’s just great. We’re in Illinois, just out of Chicago, so it’s way different being down there and we have a blast every time.
Connor: Very cool, well Daniel thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us today. We really appreciate it and hopefully, we get to GATS ourselves next year and we can hang out and talk more about tech and everything.
Daniel: Yeah that’d be great. Thanks for the time, I really appreciate it.
Connor: Absolutely. You have a great day.
Daniel: You too.
Connor: Alright, again that was Daniel Serewicz from Dock 411, a really cool new trucking app and start-up company. If you get a chance, go to their website and check them out. That’s definitely something that can be really useful to a lot of you guys out there on the road. And now for our final interview, I know this show has just been kind of a carousel of different people coming through and talking to us, but that’s really what GATS is all about when you get to it. It’s about interacting and trying to share what’s going on in the industry. So, Troy, I know you have a pretty high-level interview. A nice finishing interview for us here today.
Troy: Yeah, you know, I don’t think it would be a complete podcast if we weren’t talking with someone that had some hands-on experience over at GATS and Emily Larson, the director of Events Services, was behind the scenes kind of making sure everything ran smoothly and luckily I was able to snag an interview. And now we’ll hear from her.
Troy: So, why don’t you tell me how long the organization process take? I know you guys kind of are doing it all-year-round really.
Emily: That’s right, so really we start the moment that we’re on site. So, we start to look at improvements and things that we can do, you know, really while we’re on-site but a lot of that happens once we get back. We do surveys, so we want to hear from our attendees and see the things that they liked about the shows, the things they like to see improved in the show, we do the same with our exhibitors and we take that data and really take a close look at the event. And we really try to do that over the next couple of months so that we can have registration open in January. We look at things like, you know, what can we add that are exciting? Like we had a couple of events this year with a progressive commercials roadhouse run and Uber Freight had a take a load off party, concert, and free food. So, things that we can also add not just to the show floor but also things like truck parking and other events. So, really it is truly a year-long process.
Troy: And how do you kind of gauge what’s a hit and what’s not? Like is there a survey process or is it just kind of seeing where people are flocking to?
Emily: Absolutely, it is definitely surveys. We do try to see things on-site, but there’s a lot happening on-site, so we may miss things that, you know, attendees see or exhibitors see. So we do have those 2 surveys: both an exhibitor survey and an attendee survey that allows us to kind of see the things that are working well, things that we may want to change, or things that we may just be missing that we want to add to the events. So we really do try to listen to the audience and not just make those decisions on our own. So it’s definitely a big part of how we create.
Troy: Yeah, we heard a lot just some feedback from other people. They loved that it seemed to be more spread out and open this year and they were able to move around that was a big thing that a lot of people were telling us when we were talking to them.
Emily: Yeah, so we did have a new layout this year. One of the reasons that we did that is we really have a desire for education and providing information that helps our audience be successful, so we added another stage to the show floor and having a big 20-foot aisle and keeping everything on one level, I think, helps people to find things easier. The aisle were shorter, so if you were looking for someone you could get to them, and it really helped to highlight the educational options that we had as well but yeah we got some both attendees and I think exhibitors like the new layout. But, we’re always looking to improve.
Troy: So going off that, how has it kind of developed over the years? I’m sure, I mean, it seems to grow every single year and I’m sure it didn’t initially start as big as it is.
Emily: Right. So we’re actually, next year will be our 20th year so we’ve been doing this for a long time and has you know done a lot of different things at the event. Just more recently was kind of some new show management. We’ve really looked at, what’s the mission for GATS? And really our desire is that we want to improve trucking, so the parent company for GATS, Randall Riley, does things in the trucking industry all year long. So we’re very entrenched in the industry, so it’s important for us to take care of our industry and be a good partner to our industry. So, everything that we do we try to look at “does it improve trucking?” So that comes from exhibitors that we might accept on the show floor if we feel like it’s something that could improve trucking or provide a service that we think is beneficial. We try to put those people on the show floor and not put the people on the show floor that maybe don’t have that same desire to improve trucking. We add things like the health pavilion, so in the past, it may be more about having a health pavilion and selling booth space for exhibitors that had health products. Over the last couple of years, we’ve developed our health pavilion to be something that provides free screenings to the drivers. We know that they’re out on the road, it’s difficult to get the services that they need, but they know every year they can come to GATS and they can check their cholesterol, blood pressure, check sugar levels for potential diabetes. Last year we actually brought in DOT Physicals at a discounted rate, so what are the things that we can provide that helps improve the health of our industry? Either from just recognizing things, things that can help them, or reduced costs for services they have to get like DOT physicals so those kind of things are the two stages we feel like that’s really the way that we can improve trucking is to provide information, so like this year, we had a lot of information on the ELD mandate.
Troy: Mhm, that was a huge thing.
Emily: Right, things that are happening in our industry so we try to look at that every year. So we had, I mean, FMCSA was there from that perspective, but you had ELD providers that were talking on the stage. You had a fleet crate was up there talking about how they implement these ELDs into their fleet. You had patrol officers that we had a session on that, so there was kind of all the aspects surrounding that topic. We really want to provide the education that is sometimes difficult to get about the different things that are happening in the industry. And then we want to provide things like a hands-on opportunity, so the discovery pavilion is something that’s kind of developed over the last couple of years, and we’re still trying to develop that so we want to provide opportunities to get hands-on. You know, sometimes you go to a booth and it’s just a salesperson there to talk to you. We’re trying to educate our exhibitors in a way that makes it more interactive for the attendee, so what can you learn? Like yes, you’re trying to sell a product, but what problem are you solving for the audience and how can you show them that or help them to see how to utilize your product in real-world applications as much as you can do that on the show floor. So, we feel like the more hands-on people can get with products, it’s a benefit to our audience. So, improving trucking is our goal and we’re going to continue to figure out ways that we can do that.
Troy: Yeah and I know you kind of hit on it, you pretty much answered it, but is the variety and kind of all the education and the different booths, is this why GATS has kind of become the trucking conference? I know we’ve met people all over, we flew in from Pennsylvania and there’s people from all over the country and it seems like GATS is the big summer place to be.
Emily: Yeah, and I think what I hear people saying is that we’re a little different and maybe that’s just cause we’re so connected to the industry, you know, on a year-long basis. But, we really kind of have a reputation for being a place where we’re kind of bringing the industry together. So, we want to create opportunities to network and that doesn’t necessarily mean an attendee with an exhibitor. It can mean attendee to attendee, right? So we want to provide opportunities in a place where they can come together and network and build relationships with people. I think you know our desire that we really do care. It’s a matter of what can we provide that’s gonna be helpful. So that idea of improving, I think you know is catching on and I think people, everybody loves this industry so we all want to support each other and I think having that kind of mission statement of “Hey, yes, we’re a show” and at the end of the day we do have to make a profit, but that’s not our number one goal. Our number one goal is to create an environment where it improves the lives of the drivers and, you know, the people that are involved in the industry and if we do that then everybody succeeds. So I think there’s kind of that flavor of that at the show. I think people saw that in the way that we tried to set the show floor, the things that we try to do at trucking parking. Hey, we think about the fact that if drivers have to get off the road for a number of days, what can we do to make that an easier process? We know, you know, that taking off the road, he’s not making any money while he’s doing that so what can we do to help provide to make it a good experience? We add more things to truck parking to make that simpler, just things like that that we try to do. So, I think that’s kind of what we’ve been known for and what we’re trying to continue to be and I think that you know, really plays to people. I think the attendees see that and they say, “Hey this is a place where I can go get healthier. I can get free things. I’m learning. I’m walking away with something.” So trade shows are fun. You can see a lot of products. We have over 500 exhibitors. There’s lots of fun activities that you can do, but if they can actually walk away with something that benefits them and makes them more successful, then our event becomes a place that they want to be.
Troy: Yeah, and I know it’s only been a few days, you’re still kind of in that post-GATS hangover, but is there anything that you’re thinking about changing or adding for next year? I didn’t know if you had a chance to kind of pool in that feedback. Is there anything that you notice that really needs some tweaking or kind of any future plans?
Emily: Yeah, so I think one thing I would like to see tweaked a little bit is that Discovery Pavilion. So I think just helping exhibitors of how to provide more hands-on opportunities. I think is one thing that we really want to try to continue to develop and then I think also we know that there’s drivers that are looking for jobs and ways that we can help connect them. It’s difficult when you’re walking into a recruiting pavilion to know, “okay you have all these fleets here but who has the job for me?” So, trying to figure out ways that we can better connect them, so if they’re really looking for specific jobs they know who to talk to, how to do that. So were trying to figure out additional ways that we can help connect people on that, and connect them on specific things they ask us or they give us information as they register about, “here are the things that I’m interested in looking at.” So doing a better job for attendees and communicating like, “Hey, if you’re looking for a GPS, here are the people that have that product for you. Or here’s the session on the stage that might be talking about that,” so trying to provide the information to our attendees on the things that they’re looking for so they have a more successful event and get more out of it. So those are things we’re already talking about, but a lot of those things also will come like we talked earlier from our surveys and our feedback that we get.
Troy: And just one final question: I know for our podcast we have a lot of younger listeners who are maybe just kind of getting into the industry, but so what would your pitch to them be? Why should they make the trip to GATS? They might come from all over I know it is a big, it’s a weekend, so it’s a big commitment, but what would you kind of say to some of those younger truckers just getting in the industry and what GATS can offer them?
Emily: Yeah, so absolutely, we have a place for them and I think part of that networking right when they get close to other people that have been in the industry for a long time that are walking on the show floor. They make some connections there and then we provide things that are helpful, like one thing that we have been doing for years is our partners and business sessions, so it’s literally four different sessions that we have throughout the show that provides specific information on being successful. It could be an owner-operator or somebody that maybe wants to be an owner-operator. I mean hardcore information where they walk away with a manual, they walk away with information that can help them be successful, so we try to perpetuate things like that on our show so you can find those kinds of things at our event and if you’re just starting out as a driver especially you know we do have that large recruiting pavilion, so you can get a better view in one place of the different opportunities that are available to you. So, definitely there’s something for someone just getting in the industry and trying to get a better understanding of what’s available. You know, a big show like this provides all of that in one place.
Troy: Alright, well that’s all I have Emily, but I do really appreciate you coming on to kind of talk some GATS and we hope, we’re hoping that this podcast kind of grows and we’ll be there and maybe do a live podcast at GATS next year, so that’s kind of our big goal.
Emily: That’s great, well we would love to have you. I just say for anybody that’s listening, if you wanna know what’s happening for 2018, just keep checking truckshow.com and as we have developments on the show, you know, registration will be up, but as we have new things that we’re adding to the event is a great place to find out what’s going on and we’d love to hear feedback so even if you don’t receive the survey or you didn’t attend but there’s things that you’d like to see, there’s an opportunity to contact us there and we love the feedback because that helps us to make the event what our attendees are looking for.
Troy: Alright, well thanks again. That’s Emily Larson, the Director of Event Services for GATS and we appreciate you coming on the show.
Emily: Great, thank you so much. Have a great day.
Troy: You too, thank you.
Connor: So that was a lot of great information here. Really got a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into GATS. Thanks again to Emily Larson for taking the time to really sit down and talk with us and you know so now to close out the show we usually do a fun topic section but you know, this is a slightly different take on the regular Big Rig Banter episode format, so we figured we would just like kind of go over what we’d like to see next year at GATS considering that we haven’t been there yet, Troy and I, I think the one thing we’ve unanimously agreed on is that we’d like to see a Big Rig Banter booth, we’d like to see us actually there. Hopefully, if everything works out right we’ll be down there in Dallas giving some interviews on the spot, maybe doing some video stuff, but who knows. You know, it’s a year off so there’s a lot of things that can, a lot of moving pieces to plan out, but yeah, that’s about it. Troy, any last thoughts here?
Troy: Nope, again, I would love to be at GATS next year. It would be great to do a live podcast and, like you said, talk to some people. And I hear there’s thunder rumbling, so we might see a Troy Thunder appearance as well.
Connor: Oh boy.
Troy: You never know.
Connor: Well on that note, thanks everybody again for listening. I hope you gain some new insights and maybe feel inspired to travel down to Dallas yourself next year for the Great American Trucking Show.
Troy: I’m Troy Diffenderfer.
Connor: And I’m Connor Smith, and this has been Big Rig Banter.
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