Freight Efficiency with NACFE‘s Mike Roeth & Friends

Ep. 108: Andrew Halonen, president of Mayflower Consulting, talks about his passion for lightweighting, and why he sees himself as a technology matchmaker. He also talks about a new technology for trailers called origami, the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to new materials, sustainability and lightweighting and the role of AI in helping to find cost savings and sustainable solutions.

Ep. 107: Elaine Jones, chief financial officer at Stillwater Hospice and NACFE’s accountant, talks about the importance of target costing in product design and why everyone needs to understand what something costs to build and why. She also shares her thoughts about NACFE, the contractor business model and she gives advice on getting through these times of uncertainty and even gives Mike some advice for the future.

Emilia Sibley, general manager of Terawatt, talks about how EV infrastructure seems like a solvable problem, what’s she’s learned about the trucking industry and the importance of listening to fleets. She also comments  on how we are in a once in a century transition and the need to lean in to the transition.

Dean Bushey, NACFE’s director of programs, talks about his career in the military and how it led to his involvement with autonomous vehicles. He also commented on the current and future state of AVs, and his work on the Electric Vehicle Working Group. He shared his thoughts on making it through the messy middle and gave advice on preparing for autonomous trucks.

Yann Kulp, director of sales – USA for Driivz, talks about the two ways of looking at transportation, his definition of EV suitability and the benefits of being tactical. He also explains what Driivz is and encourages fleets to begin taking baby steps and look for use cases for BEVs.

Jim Park, award winning trucking journalist and a technologies consultant for NACFE, talks about his career as a truck driver, how he made the switch to trucking journalism and why he always tries to put himself into the mind of his audience. He also shares his thoughts on battery electric vehicles and the dramatic improvements that have been made in diesel engines.

Ben Sharpe, senior researcher at Atlas Public Policy, talks about the importance of people in the environmental community and policy space to have a connection to industry. He also shares why he has dedicated a big part of his career to trucking and shares his thoughts on policy in the transformation of the trucking industry. He also provides insights into how to navigate the changes in trucking.

In this episode we flip the script and have Mike Roeth, the show’s host, answer questions posed by his granddaughter Makenzie Roeth. He talks about driving his first diesel truck at the age of 13 and about his first time behind the wheel of an electric truck. He also talks about his career before NACFE and his job as NACFE’s executive director and why he is so proud of the Run on Less series.

Jim Castelaz, founder and chief technology and revenue officer at Motiv Electric Trucks, talks about why he started Motiv and why it feels like we are at an inflection point with EVs today. He also shares his thoughts on the importance of being clear on vocabulary and terms and about learning from what went well and what didn’t. Finally, he talks about the 3 key metrics of EVs and reminds us to not lose sight of the wins.

Michele Calbi, CEO of Team DriveAway, talks about her experience moving a fleet from 5.2 MPG to 7.2 MPG and about the importance of drivers in the fuel-economy equation. She also talks about what got her into trucking and how she has enjoyed her time working at a fleet and at various OEMs. She shares some of the options for moving trucks including decking and she gives some advice for navigating the future.

Jason Mathers, director of the Environmental Defense Fund, talks about the history of the EDF, what it is currently focusing on, and his commitment to problem solving. He also talks about what he loves about working in the trucking industry, the progress we’ve made on reducing emissions and the distance we still have to go. He also offers advice on how to make sure you understand emissions policies and regulations.

Yunsu Park, NACFE’s director of engineering, talks about his career at Navistar and Propel, the importance of doing new things and the data side of Run on Less. He also talks about taking risks, how ready trucking is for what’s coming up ahead and the best way to get people to change.

Bruce Stockton, chief operating officer of Wilson Logistics and NACFE founder, talks about what drew him to trucking and his years at CFI and Conway. He also talks about the value of networking, the importance of data in driving decision making, and making sure technology decisions have a good ROI. Finally, he shares his thoughts on the 2027 emissions regulations and electric trucks.

John Hroncich, director of North American transit sales at BAE Systems, talks about what BAE Systems does, how transit has been ahead of trucking in terms of trying new technologies, and walks us through the various alternative fuel options in the bus market. He also shares why the voice of the customer is so important and encourages people in the trucking industry to be open minded when it comes to powertrain options.

Rob Swim, a trucking industry veteran, talks about his 35-year passion in the truck business, the International CXT, the complexity of vocational vehicles, and what it takes to be a successful truck dealer. He also shares his thoughts on all the powertrain options available, about the Scout and its battery electric reincarnation and about the perfect places for electric trucks.

Amory Lovins, co-founder and chairman emeritus of RMI, talks about why he thinks we have only scratched the surface of how much efficiency is available and worth buying. He also talks about the importance of integrative design and the role of both speed and drivers in improving efficiency. And he shares how he thinks NACFE has helped the trucking industry and how he views various alternatives to diesel.