This fireside chat recap is from Day 3 of FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival live event in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For more information on the event, click here.
FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Driving innovation across the middle mile
DETAILS: Terri Creech, head of product and learning at Amazon Freight Partner, spoke with Hannah McClellan, vice president of Amazon Freight, at the F3: Future of Freight Festival about Amazon Freight’s plans to investment billions of dollars across its product portfolio.
SPEAKER: Hannah McClellan, vice president of Amazon Freight, which operates across North America, the UK and Germany
BIO: McClellan has served as vice president of Amazon Freight for 12 years. She also leads Amazon’s Worldwide Returns, Recommerce & Sustainability organization, as well as the portfolio of inbound transportation services offered to suppliers shipping inventory into Amazon’s fulfillment network.
KEY QUOTES FROM McCLELLAN:
“In 2022, we’re going to spend more than a billion dollars on safety-related investments across our product portfolio.”
“We’re spending more than $100 million this year on a lot of sensor technologies [for trailers] … that will allow us to figure out if something’s wrong with a light or a braking system, tire pressure and just making those trailers are as smart as possible so that we can get ahead of any issues.”
“We’re spending nearly $1 billion dollars across our tractor fleet for everything from front collision warning systems and lane departure avoidance, speed limiters and technology like that.”
John jordan
The fact is that $1 billion would be better spent in driver bonuses issued by someone who needs the trucking industry and what a driver Hass to go through daily to get your product where it needs to be early. The way you were going about this problem with electronica surveillance you will need 1 million mechanics on call which will use another billion dollars for repairs. That basically the drivers could have done on site but have no reason to do so because with their income they are not happy. These problems will never be addressed if someone sitting at a desk thanks they know they can solve everything. The driver himself is your number one safety person. They have experience knowing whether the truck is ready or not or is feeling on the road. I am 69 years old I still drive 70 hours a week I have no blemishes on inspection reports for the last 10 years no accidents no speeding tickets no problem at all on the driver report. I was a mechanic and driver for 20 years. You are much better view up a good mechanic course short course for each driver. Have them prepared to do their work. Not just sit behind the wheel. And what to do when they become the crossover. In my experience I have found if you cross the line either way when driving down the road. Crossett just in a minor situation two times you pull over and sleep one hour. Safety number one issue. If you have never driven a truckPeople have no idea how things can happen so quickly. And from what I’ve seen last week to Amazon trucks hitting each otherOn the New Jersey Turnpike he won’t be able to control that from the desk. There is no excuse no response from the driver can’t justify this type of accident.