Today I’m joined by DCLI, a leading transportation brand that is on a mission to transform the way chassis work within the intermodal supply chain by focusing on equipment quality, operational efficiency, and delivering a great driver experience.
DCLI is the largest container chassis provider to the U.S. intermodal industry with over 151,000 marine and 122,000 domestic chassis in its fleet. Serving ocean carriers, motor carriers, beneficial cargo owners and domestic shippers, DCLI operates in over 500 locations on, or near, key port facilities and intermodal hubs throughout the U.S.
Today Lee Newitt, President and CFO at DCLI, will be telling me all about DCLI and what they do; why they’re investing in improving trucker experience; the contentious issue of chassis regulation; and DCLI’s mission to transform the way chassis work within the intermodal supply chain.
Guest bio:
Lee has been President of DCLI since November 2019. He joined the company as VP of Finance in 2013 and played a key role in establishing business processes and building out the Finance organization following the carve out from Maersk. Lee was promoted to SVP, Chief Financial Officer in 2017 and in that role was at the center of DCLI’s acquisition of TRAC Intermodal’s domestic chassis business. He has been a member of the team engineering each successful sale of the company: from Littlejohn to EQT to Apollo to the current owners. Prior to joining DCLI, Lee spent ten years with one of the largest telecoms in the U.S., FairPoint Communications, where he held various roles in finance and strategy and helped grow that company from $200 million to over $1 billion in revenue.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[05.32] A closer look at the landscape of the intermodal industry, and what the market looks like as we head into the second half of 2023 and into 2024.
“For 2023, the key word is normalization. Inventory to sales ratios are mostly back in line, the consumer remains fairly strong, the labor market is strong and inflation is coming down.”
[09.13] A breakdown of different chassis types, and an overview of DCLI – who they are, what they do and their impressive company growth over the last decade.
[12.00] How DCLI work with a multitude of different industry stakeholders, and why a focus on creating exceptional driver experiences brings everyone together and drives success.
“One of the common denominators is that there is always a trucker hooking up to a chassis. So if we can deliver a great driver experience, that will serve the interest of all the stakeholders involved.”
[16.01] The different challenges that DCLI customers face, and the unique, customer-focused and flexible approach that DCLI takes to problem-solving for them.
[19.39] How DCLI have worked with private domestic container customers to provide flexible collaborative solutions that have helped these customers scale efficiently and cost-effectively.
[22.22] DCLI’s mission to transform the way chassis work within the intermodal supply, and how that mission will continue to change the industry for the better.
“We’re long term believers in the growth potential of intermodal. The cost savings and the environmental benefits alone are very difficult to match.”
[24.25] A closer look at DCLI’s best-in-class equipment and ongoing initiatives, from trye improvement to chassis refurbishment, that deliver improved sustainability and efficiency, as well as reduced costs, for customers.
“We bring specialization in a very important and historically over-looked asset, that really is a critical link in the supply chain.”
[28.06] How DCLI supports customers in the back end, through tools for tracking and quoting, and the investments we can expect DCLI to make in this area in the coming years.
[30.46] DCLI’s recent acquisition and the benefits that it will bring.
[31.56] Where DCLI stands on the controversial topic of the government regulation of chassis and the creation of national gray pools.
“We support real operational choice.”
[37.43] The future for DCLI.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to DCLI’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with DCLI and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, or you can connect with Lee on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from DCLI, check out a recent episode of Thoughts and Coffee, in which Ryan Houfek joins our very own Sarah Barnes-Humphrey to talk about lessons learned from Covid and BIG investments in the trucking industry.
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