Ep. 143: Tucker Perkins – Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)

Katerina Jones, chief marketing officer at Fleet Advantage, talks about 20-year career in marketing, the beauty of marketing, and about tying the whole concept of TCO to metrics. She also talks about the benefits of leasing, keeping up with the explosion of data, determining when the time is right to adopt a new technology, the importance of having a plan for asset replacement and what she loves about the trucking industry.

Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), talks about why he focused on propane during his career, the benefits of propane as a fuel for trucks and fuel solutions for the future. He also talks about why he thinks the Messy Middle will be here for a long time, explains the role and vision of PERC, shares what he sees for the future of propane in trucking and talks about his book Path to Zero.

Ep. 142: Terry Stefankiewicz, retired executive director of the National Soccer Festival, talks about his coaching career and the importance of learning from your mistakes. He also talks about the impetus for starting a national soccer festival, what it takes to go from an idea to reality and lessons learned from organizing a big event.

Royal Jones, founder and CEO of Mesilla Valley Transportation, talks about growing into the company name, how he learned about the importance of aerodynamics and why horsepower is not the root of all evil. He also explains why you don’t have to use all the power just because you have it, and he talks about the importance of maintenance, how high fuel prices impact his operation, and the role of MVT Solutions.

John Verdon, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Nevoya, talks about the importance of persistence during transformational times, his tale of two careers and why doing hard things is interesting to him. He also talks about what it takes to build a trucking company from the ground up and about running freight in corridors where it makes sense.

Josh Fisher, editor in chief of Fleet Owner, talks about how the publishing world has changed, the impact of AI on publishing, and the evolution of trucking technology. He also offers his thoughts on how trucking is doing with these new technologies, the collaboration in the trucking industry and the benefit of having smart people stay in the trucking industry. And he gives his opinion on what he thinks is making the trucking industry stronger.

Vinny Riscica, e-mobility section manager at Con Edison, talks his passion for improving the livability of urban spaces, and why electrification is a key way to help reduce carbon. He also talks about what Con Edison is currently doing, the impact of truck electrification on the grid and the benefits of commercial electrification of the grid. He also explains the value of data in making informed decisions and New York’s Public Planning Commission’s proactive planning process.

Emily Long, events & partnerships manager at NACFE, talks about her career, her fame in a small mountain town for one week out of the year, and the importance of storytelling and trying to bring the right people together. She also talks about how by understanding and meeting people’s need you can make magic happen, her focus on issues that matter, and her love for unique convenings like NACFE’s data potluck and about her superpower.

Ep. 136: Matt Srnec, principal engineer at Thermo King, talks about why he got involved with TMC, what drives him to take on the work of electrifying refrigeration and about Thermo King’s early investment in electrifying refrigeration. He also talks about Themo King’s product portfolio including the company’s heating product and some of the challenges we’re going to see with refrigeration going forward. He also explains why he thinks we need to help fleets learn what they can to operate the equipment they already have more efficiently.

Ep. 135: Steve Mignardi, prior executive at Daimler Truck and NACFE board chairman, talks about his career including work as a truck technician, his time in Mexico and his love of trucks. He also talks about the importance of being resilient and shares his thoughts on what success will look like for NACFE and what people can do to help trucking be more efficient.