When it absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight but . . .

Posted on December 7, 2010

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Funny thing about the famous tag-line for Federal Express is that back in the early 80’s when it was first used, the thought of limited or reduced capacity was never even a question.  Back then we were more concerned with fuel shortages and the rising costs associated with what was called the second oil or energy crisis of the decade (the first occurring in 1973).

The potential repercussions of this second crisis, which threatened to permeate all levels of American society one way or another, was so troubling that papers such as the one authored by J.N. Hooker in 1980 titled “EFFECT OF A SUDDEN FUEL SHORTAGE ON FREIGHT TRANSPORT IN THE UNITED STATES: AN OVERVIEW,” sought to find solutions before the situation escalated beyond a manageable point.

Getting a shipment from point A TO Point B was a capacity problem in terms of fuel shortages.

Fast forward to 2010, and the economic crisis coupled with the increasing globalization of supply chains presented an entirely different challenge from the late 70s and early 80s.  Specifically, while fuel is generally accessible at a more manageable price than it was during the energy crisis, capacity or a shortage if you will in different areas – people and fleet size this time around – presents new challenges with similar consequence relative to service levels.

While many may consider this to be a different dog with the same fleas, on Tuesday, November 30th I was pleased to welcome to the show ADR North America’s COO Dave McClimon to talk about what this latest capacity decline means, how it is different from the energy crisis of yesteryear and, what you can do to manage a viable outcome.

Remember to use the following link to access the on-demand broadcast “When it absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight but . . ..“

Dave McClimon, COO ADR

About Dave:

David S. McClimon is Chief Operating Officer of ADR North America a procurement and supply management consultancy with affiliations and clients around the world.

McClimon joined ADR in January of 2009. Previously, he served as president, Con-way Freight Inc., the largest operating company of publicly held Con-way, Inc. McClimon served as senior vice president of Con-way Inc., (Formerly CNF Inc.,) and president of its subsidiary, Con-way Freight, with management responsibility for Con-way’s three regional, less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carriers, Con-way Central Express, Con-way Western Express and Con-way Southern Express. As the third largest LTL carrier in North America, the company generated revenues of $3 billion, with over 20,000 employees located in more than 350 locations in the US, Canada and Mexico.

McClimon has more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry. Among his professional affiliations, McClimon served as a Director of the California Trucking Association, and was also a member of the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) highway policy committee.

McClimon was also voted a Board member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and was appointed to the Board of Directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  McClimon is a sought-after expert on logistics and transportation issues. On behalf of the ATA, McClimon testified before Congress – the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Homeland Security. He is quoted in such industry periodicals as World Trade, DC Velocity, Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies, Logistics Management, Transport Topics and Traffic World.

McClimon earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and Masters in Supply Chain Management from the University of San Francisco, and has completed additional graduate work from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and Michigan State University.

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Posted in: PI Window on Business (Show), Procurement Trends