Nobody has to tell carriers that trucking is a competitive business. At a time when volumes are flat and capacity is loose, it is more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve. It can be difficult, however, for carriers — especially privately held carriers — to know how their fleet operations compare to those of their peers.
That is where the TCA Profitability Program (TPP) comes into play. TPP is an exclusive benchmarking initiative that consists of over 100 carriers across North America, as well as online users.
Program participants have access to inGauge, a cloud-based benchmarking tool that allows users to see how their operational and financial metrics stack up against others. With over 230 different key performance indicators (KPIs) featured, members can sort the data into specific peer groups and compare themselves in real time.
Joining one of TPP’s 11 best-practice groups gives users the ability to go beyond competition and focus on collaboration with in-person meetings. These groups allow members to share ideas and issues in a relatively intimate environment.
“We have a very unique data set,” TPP Program Manager Chris Henry said. “Carriers in the program benefit greatly from sharing best practices and ideas with their fellow members.”
TPP best-practice group meetings will bookend the Truckload Carriers Associaton’s (TCA) annual convention — Truckload 2020: Orlando. Over 120 TPP members are slated to attend the conference Saturday through Tuesday, a record number since the program formed in 2002.
The following best-practice groups will host meetings before or after the convention:
- TC01–Refrigerated Group. This group includes companies like Prime, Freymiller, Hill Brothers and Schuster.
- TC03–Refrigerated Group. This group includes Nagle, Super T and Witte Brothers.
- TC08–Brokerage Group. This brokerage-only group will hold a one-day meeting on Saturday.
All TPP members, regardless of whether or not they will participate in best-practice groups, will be invited to a private reception scheduled for Saturday evening.
TPP Managing Director Jack Porter will talk about the current and future state of truckload during the general session on Monday. FreightWaves Chief Insight Officer Dean Croke will join him.
More information about TPP and information about joining can be found on the program’s site.