The Truckload Carriers Assn. is embarking on a project to help motor carriers improve their procedures and methods within the truckload sector of the industry.

Based on a survey of TCA members, many carriers indicated they lack sources for reliable, consistent data to benchmark their companies compared to similar-type operations.
To this end, TCA has issued a Request For Proposal to find a company to collect, compile and analyze the necessary data to estaqblish a database of relevant carrier financial and operating statistics. The multi-phase process will eventually lead to the establishment of various groups of carriers to discuss the benchmark information and assist motor carriers in developing activity-based costing.
Initial information to be gathered will relate to such items as driver, tractor, shop and advertising expenses that are likely to be of interest to senior carrier management. The ability to learn about and exchange information about other carriers' experiences (such as driver turnover cost per driver, tire costs, and insurance costs per load) should prevent carriers from running down blind alleys that other carriers have successfully negotiated or avoided altogether, according to Lana Batts, president of TCA.
Information obtained will not in any way be used to establish freight rates, surcharges, credit terms, service volumes, capacity, sales and marketing strategies, new service plans, or to determine when, where and with whom carriers do business, Batts said.
TCA has set the target date of May 2001 for release of the first round of benchmark data and a date of June 2001 for the first group discussions of the data.
For additional information, contact Lana Batts at lbatts@truckload.org or Cindy Simpson, program director, at csimpson@truckload.org or call (703) 838-1950.