IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013 - (Page 42)

ABA PERSPECTIVES Let’s Keep on Truckin’ ABA’s Logistics Committee’s chair wants the baking industry to step it up in a big way and take distribution to the next level at IBIE 2013. by Dan Malovany, Baking & Snack R Bob McGuire 42 / SPECIAL EDITION / Remember the Route Truck of the Future? Yes, we’re taking the “way back” machine to long-ago Expos when then-experts in shipping and transportation spent endless hours engineering a truck that reduced workplace injuries, enhanced driver safety, provided fuel savings, weighed less and carried maximum loads in minimal space. The American Bakers Association (ABA) even had a full-size prototype of what this futuristic truck might look like at its Transpo ’87 show in Cincinnati. That’s all changed for the International Baking Industry Exposition in 2013. The future is now. Yes, how times have changed, according to Robb MacKie, ABA’s president and CEO. With smaller fleets and the movement toward outsourcing distribution, including direct-store delivery (DSD), the focus has shifted to broader logistical issues and to driving costs out of the system, he said. Bakeries face a host of issues such as tray loss, cumbersome regulations, aging fleets and equipment that’s more expensive to replace partly because of new emission requirements, according to Bob McGuire, chair of the ABA Logistics Committee. Working with Jula Kinnaird, Washington representative and ABA liaison to the committee, Mr. McGuire and ABA Logistics Committee members are exploring new ways to get IBIE 2013 their bakery products to their destination. In this exclusive interview with Baking & Snack, Mr. McGuire reveals how wholesale bakers can be significantly affected by a plethora of issues. For more information, visit www. americanbakers.org. Baking & Snack: How have the issues concerning your committee changed since IBIE 2010? Bob McGuire: Back in 2010, we did a pretty good job forecasting the major issues that were looming. The issues we faced then remain the same. We are just at different points of dealing with them. At that time, we noted that good driver availability was thinning, tray loss remained a big issue and regulatory control dominated the challenges for fleet managers. They still are. Why is the driver pool shrinking? It is estimated that the group of Americans over the age of 55 will increase 30% over the next couple of years. The result will be a shortage of qualified drivers as truck driving is not viewed as an attractive career option. The American Trucking Association estimated that up to 30,000 new drivers will be needed this year to replace retiring employees and handle increased demand. The shortage is giving more leverage to drivers who are seeking better pay and benefits. The government’s CSA 2010 (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) regulations and the new Hours of Service changes put further pressure on driver demand. CSA 2010 regulations have taken hold. CSA 2010 is a very good, very effective program. Fleets are improving their safety focus and procedures, and in doing so, many of the less-then-safe drivers continue to be removed from safetyresponsible fleets. What other factors will affect driver availability? Additionally, the cost of power equipment has increased significantly over the last several years. The 2007 and 2010 engine emission standard changes have increased the cost of new equipment. Fleet managers have opted to extend the useful life of power equipment vs. replacement. The fact is the average age of fleets in the country has risen. This can be attributed to the high cost of equipment replacement as well as the economy. All of this will one day face a growing vibrant economy requiring increased trucking demand. Furthermore, fuel prices remain volatile. All of this will require logistics managers to aggressively seek operational cost control strategies. Has there been progress with the issue of tray loss? There has been some very nice activity here. Two significant strategies are being employed to further control and manage tray loss. The first is legal ac- http://www.americanbakers.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013

IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013
Table of Contents
IBIE Perspective - Amid challenges, opportunities persist
State of the Industry - Dizzying changes among baking’s leaders
A changing of the guard
Making Baking History - Progress on Parade
Capital Spending Survey - Making the safe bet
Survey reaches wide sample
IBIE Tech - Going Mobile
ABA Perspectives - Big changes since IBIE 2010
ABA: On the Front Lines
Keep on track with FTRAC
Let's Keep on Truckin'
An Ounce of Prevention
BEMA Initiatives - Collaborative Solutions
Critical Issue: FSMA - Predict & Prevent
Court orders FDA to step up its efforts
Food Safety: ANSI/ASB/Z50.2
Equipment Advances - Clean and Simple
Formulating R&D - Brave New World
Intel about ingredient trends
Critical Issue: Commodity Prices - Long and Winding Road
Ingredients: Creating Simple Labels - Simple Options
Critical Issue: Sodium Reduction - How Low Can You Go?
Ingredients: Ancient Grains - What's Old is New Again
New Product Trends: Baked Foods - Change Afoot
New Product Trends: Snacks - Reinventing Snack Time
Special Section: Bake
The Next Cupcake?
Ingredient Transparency
Food trucks on the move
New Tech Tools
IBIE 2013: A World of Possibilities
Ready to Launch
Pizza Popularity
Revel in Vegas
2013 Exhibitor List
Ad Index

IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013