Ep. 81: Dave Beasley, vice president commercial tires – North America, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, talks about his 40 years at the company including his time in blimp operations. He also talks about trucking as a relationship business, the role of retreading, why cheaper tires are not always the best choice, the importance of sustainability and why you need to continue to learn and adapt.

Ali Javidan, founder and CEO of Range Energy, talks about electrified, powered trailers, how a Venn diagram led him to trucking, the role of empathy in product development and the importance of factoring in drivers when developing a new technology. He also explains how he is applying lessons learned during his career in racing and at Tesla and Google, as well as the need to lead with humility when developing new technology.

Brady Matoian, CEO of OK Produce, talks about being on the cutting edge of reducing emissions, his lifelong concern for the environment and passion around sustainability. He provides insight into OK Produce’s move to electric vehicles, the connection between the products they deliver and the best way to deliver them. He also says that while it hasn’t been easy or cheap to operate sustainably, it has been worth it.

Ed Chipalowsky, NACFE’s vehicle service and support manager, talks about his career as both a technician and an educator of technicians. He shares his thoughts on how the biggest changes in trucking impacted technicians and why older trucks are not better than new ones. He also talks about the most important skills today’s technicians need to be successful, the urgency for training for high voltage vehicles and why technicians should be proud of their skills.

Matt McLelland, vice president of sustainability and innovation at Covenant, talks about why he loves his role at the truckload carrier, brags about the strides the trucking industry has made on reducing carbon, and explains the green premium. He also shares his thoughts on why he is a huge fan of renewable diesel and the fact that there is a lot for the trucking industry to be excited about.

Jason Cannon, editor in chief of CCJ, talks about what brought him to trucking, why he’s stayed for a decade, the history of CCJ and what he sees as his role in covering the industry. He also shares his thoughts on the benefits of Run on Less, the industry’s ability to handle all the new technology it is facing and offers advice on how the industry can navigate through the current market changes.

Cristina Commendatore, editor in chief at Fleet Owner, shares the unique place Fleet Owner occupies in the trucking industry media, the role of a trucking journalist and about her career path. She also comments on how she thinks NACFE is doing, the opportunities in the trucking industry, why it's a great place for young people to work and the progress the industry has made in the areas of diversity and inclusion.

Melvyn Roeth, father of NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth, talks about his commitment to farming, making equipment buying decisions, the importance of data to improve operations and the benefits of being involved in industry groups and associations. He also talks about becoming a conservationist and setting aside part of his farm for wildlife.

Seth Clevenger, managing editor of Transport Topics, talks about the role of the trade press in informing industry leaders, facilitating conversations and sparking discussions. He also talks about his career as a journalist and what’s changed for him in reporting on the industry. He comments on the transformational times trucking is in and encourages everyone in trucking to be open to all the new possibilities.

Dan Burrows, founder and CEO of TruckLabs, talks about the complexities of managing the tractor-trailer gap, the importance of wind speed and direction and the fuel savings that are possible when that gap is optimized. He also explains what average speed really means, shares lessons learned that can help other entrepreneurs that are bringing products to the real world of trucking and reminds us that a dollar saved is better than a dollar earned.