Spots for the upcoming Courier Magazine webinar are filling up fast. Make sure you secure your spot as soon as possible because once the spots are gone ... they are gone.
Visit www.couriermagazine.com to sign up for the event.
“How to Add Medical Services to Your Operation”
Thursday, Aug. 26
1 p.m. CST
Courier Magazine webinars are designed to educate business owners on a variety of freight and logistics topics. Each session has been thoroughly planned and instructed by some of the top minds in the industry. Courier Magazine webinars can advance entry-level messengers to top-level executives in any company.
Cost: $25 for Courier Magazine subscribers and $35 for non-subscribers. Cost is per phone line.
Register Now! The number of phone connections is limited. Sign up at www.couriermagazine.com or call (816)283.3946
The MCAA Business Meeting came to an end with the induction of Bill "Mr. Courier" Goodman into the Courier Hall of Fame. Presenter Gil Carpel introduced Goodman, who has served the industry for more than 60 years. Goodman worked in the courier business for more than 62 years before retiring in 1989. He still stays involved in the New York State Messenger and Courier Association by serving as the executive director.
Several speakers congratulated Goodman during events taking place over the course of the weekend. Many credited him with being a pioneer of the industry.
"I hope I'll be a worthy member of the Hall of Fame," Goodman told the crowd after a standing ovation. "And I'm not giving up ... I'll see you guys next year."
Courier Magazine’s staff is beginning the planning phase for the 2011 Editorial Calendar. In these meetings, we discuss what topics we plan to cover in next year’s magazines to make sure we aren’t overlooking issues that you, the reader, need to know about. While we’re always considering timely topics year-round and adding articles on up-and-coming topics as we find a need for them, we nevertheless like to create a plan around which we can map out which articles, departments and column you want to read.
What topics would you like to see covered? Have you been interested in a subject about which we haven’t written? Is there a specific issue we’ve overlooked? Send us a note and let us know. Without your input, we can’t plan a magazine that provides the most sought-after info. Send an e-mail to editor@couriermagazine.com with your comments, ideas and suggestions.
The following interview was conducted in May at the 2010 MCAA Convention. Stay connected to the Courier Magazine blog for more interviews with key players in the messenger and logistics industry.
5 Minutes With Chris MacKrell
By Vincent Brennan
Just minutes after being officially sworn in as the president of MCAA, Chris MacKrell, of Custom Courier Rochester, N.Y, sat down for a short interview. He spoke of the MCAA's health going into 2011, predictions about future concerns and developments in Washington, D.C.
Courier Magazine: Give your assessment, so far, of the 23rd Annual MCAA Convention.
Chris MacKrell: The convention is going very well. Attendance is just shy of 400, which is a little bit up from last year. We have a very strong educational process focused on KPIs (key performance indicators), and the industry is changing fairly significantly. The focus is on teaching and informing people on what issues professionals need to watch out for on a day-to-day basis to make sure their business is going strong. A key cornerstone (of the convention) happened earlier this afternoon with the Courier Round Tables. Folks from around the industry were invited to sit around a table and share their ideas about what they are doing.
CM: Talk about the health and stability of the MCAA.
MacKrell: The MCAA is very, very strong. Even though our revenue is at the highest level that it has been (opposed to recent years), we also have a substantial amount of money in the bank to support us in the event of any type of hard time. We have a very strong, seasoned board, and the membership has stayed consistent over the years. The organization continues to be strong, and it has a big upside looking forward. We're going to be re-energizing the industry from a couple of perspectives to bring people in going forward. We were successful when we merged with the NTLA (National Transportation and Logistics Association), and that consolidated the industry a little bit more, but we are working with other associations for the common good of the industry.
CM: What is a big issue with which you and the MCAA will have to deal in the coming year?
MacKrell: Two big issues that I see over the next two years are the continued efforts to defend the rights of the industry so business owners can use the models they choose at both the federal and state level. I've been involved in that (process) for the past seven years as a member of the government affairs committee. So, I believe, over the next two or three years, you'll really see that come to a head.
The other challenge is working with industry participants as the industry changes. Banking has gone on the wayside with Check 21, and home delivery is becoming even more important; more and more companies are doing that. As a result, it's going to change the shape of the industry and the profile of the members.
CM: There’s been a lot of talk about the employee versus independent contractor issue at the convention. How do you see that issue playing out over the next few months and years?
MacKrell: In a perfect world, I see (the courier industry) getting some type of a definitive answer from either the federal or state governments. One of the things that we are going to focus on over the next 12-18 months is a “Bright Line Test.” We plan on submitting that to interested parties so they will be able to give clear definitions on whether someone is operating correctly as an independent contractor.
On the employee side, the pressure for instituting the “card checkers” and other types of labor laws makes it challenging from our perspective … If a guy is out doing a route and pulls off to the side of the road at 3 o’clock in the afternoon for a 15-minute break … how do you verify that? How do you do all those types of things? No matter which model that you use, there is a lot of legislative and administrative challenges that anyone in the business is going to be facing.
CM: The MCAA does a lot of federal advocacy with its Lobby Days. Where do you see the importance of those types of events impacting the future?
MacKrell: It’s critical over the next number of years that just about every state or region in the country has a grassroots or localized association. We’ve seen the development over the last year, thanks to John Banko, and we’ve made this a focus of the association and one of the key components of what we wanted to accomplish. In the last year, we’ve had Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and Arizona and a lot of other state groups that are starting to get energized. It’s a two-prong battle. We may be able to be successful at the federal level, but the states are where the rubber meets the road. Massachusetts (for example) and other states have some major challenges. Those local associations are going to be key to sustainability.
Keeping you informed of what’s going on in the industry is one of our main goals at Courier Magazine (along with giving you top-notch educational information, industry profiles and other informative features). So we’re making a concerted effort to give you regular updates on what’s going on with events in the industry as they happen.
You can begin looking to the Courier Magazine website for briefs on these news happenings, as well as our Twitter and Facebook posts. We’ll offer links from Twitter and Facebook directly to the articles on the Courier Magazine website. So if you aren’t yet following us, be sure to do so. You’ll stay on top of the latest news from the industry’s top performers.
