Phillips Connect Technologies Names Bill Ellis Managing Director

William Ellis has been named the managing director of Phillips Connect Technologies, a division of Phillips Industries that specializes in plug and play connectivity.

Prior to joining Phillips Industries, Ellis was a partner at Keystone Transportation Solutions, a transportation service provider to international commodity traders on the Inland Port of Virginia. He received his bachelor's degree in government from Cornell University and an MBA in finance and accounting from Columbia. He also served in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant.

“In his new position, Bill will rely on his experience, his proven ability at cultivating and growing new relationships and his fit with Phillips philosophy of family values, hard work and listening to our customers,” said Rob Phillips, president and COO.

The Phillips Connect Technologies division's open platform is designed to work with sensor-driven components from several suppliers. The sensor data can be transmitted to the driver, fleet operations team or OEMs using various telematics options.

Related: Phillips Industries Names New Chiefs for Marketing and Trailer Sales

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Sen. Rand Paul Holds Town Hall on Health Care

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul gave a town hall-style meeting in Louisville Thursday to talk to voters about the Republican answer to the Affordable Care Act. (July 6)

One Stop Truck & Trailer Parts Joins Power Heavy Duty

Power Heavy Duty has announced the addition of One Stop Truck and Trailer Parts as its newest member company.

Located in Homestead, Fla., the company is owned by Monica and Albert Bayona and serves a large customer base of local owner-operators and fleets within a 50-mile radius of Homestead. The location carries an extensive inventory of heavy-duty truck and trailer parts.

“Our family-owned business has more than 45 years of experience in service, sales, and parts for the trucking industry,” said Bayona. “Our tractor parts sales have continued to grow with an expanding inventory to supply the local market.”

Power Heavy Duty is a network of independent distributors and service specialists with more than 200 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Mark Iasiello, general manager of Power Heavy Duty explained that the addition of One Stop Truck and Trailer Parts provides the group with a strategic location in an underserved area south of Miami.

“In addition, One Stop Truck and Trailer Parts is an important location because it is the last truck parts store going south to the Florida Keys and the first stop heading north,” said Iasiello.

Related: Power Heavy Duty Network Adds 1 & 9 Chrome Shop

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TCA Launches Profitability Program

The Truckload Carriers Association has launched the TCA Profitability Program, designed to help carriers increase profitability and lower risk profiles.

The TCA Profitability Program combines the TCA's best practice groups with the inGauge benchmarking platform. Through the three-tiered system, carriers can choose exactly how much time and resources they want to dedicate to the program, with plans ranging from snapshot composites to full online access and bi-annual meetings.

The first tier is called Digital Composite Lite and it requires the least commitment from a carrier. By Inputting a small subset of information into the inGauge platform, carriers receive a limited snapshot of critical data points from other carriers in their segment of the industry to which they can compare themselves.

The second tier is called FastStart and provides full access to the inGauge platform. Carriers input full revenue, expense, and operational lines, which the platform then standardizes and creates an action plan. Whereas the first tier provides a snapshot of data, this second tier includes a full digital composite for the carrier's segment of the industry.

The final tier is aimed at carriers that are committed to being top performers in the trucking industry. Best Practice Groups are the foundation from which the TPP is formed, with six groups and sixty carriers already active. This tier includes all of the features of inGauge that the FastStart users can access, but with the additional benefit of peer-to-peer, bi-annual group meetings. These sessions provide opportunities for carriers to share ideas that make their businesses successful.

For more information on the TCA Profitability Program, click here.

Related: TCA Launches Accreditation Program to Foster Professional Development

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