The transportation industry is no stranger to wicked problems.  And yesterday Tesla CEO Elon Musk added one more.  Musk announced the second part of his Tesla Master Plan (Master Plan, part deux), where he described Tesla’s ambitious new endeavors - including a plan to build autonomous (self-driving) semi trucks. 

Small to mid-sized companies between 50-500 employees have historically found themselves in a difficult situation.  Should they fully insure or self-insure their health plan? If the decision is to fully insure, employers encounter annually increasing premiums. This is due to medical trend, health care reform fees such as the Federal Insurer Fee, and fixed costs which include state premium taxes and built-in profit margin. 

Conversely, if the decision is to move to a self-insured plan, many firms worry about the increased financial risk. Employers with a low specific stop loss deductible will pay high premiums for those lower thresholds.  However, if the deductibles are increased, the potential claims risk also rises. Enter the group health captive.

To be an early adopter, or to go with the established player? When it comes to choosing a technology partner, this question looms large for many transportation companies. Should we invest in big box technology that has dominated the marketplace for years or should we take a chance on an up-and-comer whose platform is mobile and poised for future enhancements?  

Over the past 20 years, hackers have become an all too common topic in our daily news. It seems as if each time we check our favorite news app, turn on the TV, or listen to the radio on our morning or evening commute the shadow of compromise weighs heavy on our privacy. Corporate data is continually being hacked, yet you never hear about companies being tricked or misled into sending money based on fraudulent information.

Remaining competitive in the midst of the rise of big data and data analytics is not easy. In today’s world of pervasive technology, companies are being forced to change how they operate so they can keep up. With multiple systems gathering information, it can seem like you have numbers and statistics everywhere you look. Think about how to use that explosion of information as a source of insight and to your benefit. For transportation companies there are three main areas which data intelligence can be of significant importance: fleet management, recruiting and retention, and fraud prevention and detection. Let's explore these areas further.

Innovation and technology invite many positive changes and benefits into any industry - and transportation is no exception. "Driverless" trucks are creating quite a stir when it comes to safety, liability, and efficiency, but the conversation doesn't stop there. Industry professionals want to know what benefits will be brought to the table in each of these categories. So, I'll share a few of my insights.

The future is upon us with the adoption of "driverless trucks" into the world of transportation.  As with any innovation, there are always pluses and minuses, but first, we must assess what risks will soon flood our technology driven industry. Let's discuss what this major change means for you.

My parents were a bit crazy; they had three children in three years. With all of us so close in age the fighting was nonstop. And whenever there was a mess or something was broken, a chorus of "I didn't do it" followed. Then we'd all be punished. So what do my childhood antics have to do with data security? Everything. 

Effective leadership is all about clarity.  Being clear about where you want to go, what you want to achieve and how you're going to get there.   

DOMINIQUE BEAUDIN
Director of Technology at HNI 

We’ve all heard it.  Maybe we’ve even said it ourselves.