It was a pleasure for the SCL Team to spend the weekend meeting with drivers, individual owner-operators, fleet owners, and maintenance teams at the annual California Trucking Show in Ontario, CA, 14-15.

Major industries rely heavily on the trucking industry to maintain their supply chain. Just look at the percent of goods and products moved by truck in some industries:
• Agriculture (82.7%)
• Dairy, Fruit, Vegetables & Nuts (92%)
• Pharmaceutical Products (65%)
• Lumber & Wood Products (91.9%)

According to the American Trucking Association, trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 72.6% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. The For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index remains well elevated from the pandemic lows.

We’re proud to protect and optimize the machines that keep our country moving.

Three themes really stood out during our discussions with hundreds of individuals that visited the SCL booth.

1. Finding the right partnerships can elevate a company’s success.  The industry is evolving, and staying static and doing things “as they have always been done” is not an option. Whether it is fighting fraud, reducing costs, or monitoring radical shifts in the industry, drivers, owners and maintenance managers need to be active in identifying companies that are knowledgeable and can bring solutions to the table. We work with dozens of brands to offer cardlock solutions, lubricant products, fuel, and we bring our signature Contamination Control Program to customers by working with the top oil analysis  by relying on their expertise.
2. Owner operators have the same needs as bigger fleet companies.  After talking to hundreds of attendees, it is clear that what impacts big companies also impacts smaller owner-operators. Maintenance costs, fuel costs, industry regulation such as the hours of service rule, and did we mention fuel costs yet? Owner-operators have definitely been feeling the squeeze with fuel costs eating up profits. We talked to a lot of owner-operators, and fleet managers, about switching lubricants and other cost-saving measures that can improve MPG.
3. Networking is one key to success. Networking allows for new opportunities and encourages the exchange of fresh ideas and best practices. Many SCL Team Members got reacquainted with drivers and managers that have moved companies, and are now back in touch with each other talking shop once again. The industry is vibrant, and you shouldn’t underestimate the power of meeting and talking with other people out there with similar challenges, experiences, and networks of their own you can lean on.