360: Deliver A Great Trucker Experience, with DCLI
Lee Newitt represents DCLI, the largest container chassis provider in the U.S. He details the company's impressive growth over the last decade, expanding its fleet fourfold to over 275,000 marine, domestic, and specialty chassis. Newitt emphasizes that DCLI's core mission is to transform the intermodal industry by focusing on equipment quality and delivering a superior trucker experience, which benefits all supply chain stakeholders. He strongly advocates for a free market, arguing against government regulation of chassis pools as it would limit customer choice and stifle the innovation that companies like DCLI provide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The different challenges that DCLI customers face, and the unique, customer-focused and flexible approach that DCLI takes to problem-solving for them.
How DCLI have worked with private domestic container customers to provide flexible collaborative solutions that have helped these customers scale efficiently and cost-effectively.
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.
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.
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.
DCLI’s recent acquisition and the benefits that it will bring.
Where DCLI stands on the controversial topic of the government regulation of chassis and the creation of national gray pools.
The future for DCLI.
Resources & 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.
- Check out our other podcasts HERE.
