Delivering people and goods has gone high-tech as IT and technical pros shift the field of transportation into high gear.

 

When you slide behind the steering wheel of a car, you’re probably not thinking about the miles of roadway connecting communities throughout this country. Nor do you think about the millions of packages and raw materials traversing the American highways, byways and railways every day.

Rather, you’re probably intent on getting to your destination with as few inconveniences and delays as possible.

The idea of safely and efficiently transporting goods and people from one point to another, however, has long been a focus of manufacturers, distributors and retailers. And even though more business functions migrate toward online venues, the fact is that transporting materials, products and people remains a vital component of the U.S. economy.

Consequently, building and maintaining the highways, byways and railways to support such grand operations continues to be a critical infrastructure concern.

As such, the transportation industry hasn’t stalled when it comes to taking advantage of cutting-edge advancements. From tapping into the Internet of Things (IoT) to analyzing big data to implementing environmental protocols, tracking how America moves these days requires a high-tech skill set. Just ask these transportation professionals profiled here.

 

Kirk Drives IT Initiatives for Ryder System Inc.

Nothing in Mel Kirk’s professional history mapped out a direct path to the transportation industry.

After college, he worked in pharmaceuticals, returned to school to earn an MBA, and then moved into consumer goods. None of those experiences specifically included a concentration or consideration for product delivery and distribution. And along the way he picked up Six Sigma skills that focus on fine-tuning large processes to improve efficiencies.

However, it’s exactly these experiences that he’s used to assess and address the new technology needs in transportation.

“I didn’t foresee the level of change going on in this industry. It’s an exciting time for transportation. It’s scary and intimidating because of the amount of disruption, but Ryder has every intention of being at the front end of it,” says the chief technology officer (CTO) for Ryder System Inc.

Based in Miami, FL, Ryder System Inc. offers customers a variety of transportation services, including a fleet of more than 234,000 vehicles and the expert skills of 7,700 professional drivers.

Whether catering to individuals who have small-scale, temporary needs for a truck or serving businesses that depend on regular access to large vehicles to distribute products, a transportation facilitator must consistently offer a cadre of fully functional vehicles. Simply put, mechanical problems can deplete a fleet, which results in loss of profits.

That’s why Ryder employs nearly 6,000 technicians, including experts in information technology (IT).

“At this point of time in transportation, the industry is using new technology, enabling different types of processes, and new people with different skill sets are coming into place. It’s a bit of a Renaissance changing before my eyes,” notes Kirk.

When he joined Ryder six years ago, Kirk encountered an infrastructure that reflected the company’s history of nearly 80 years. Like so many organizations in the industry, Ryder hadn’t yet transitioned out of aging hardware and software.

“Older industries have challenges, and one is jumping from the old technology to new technology. However, when I interviewed, what was obvious was Ryder’s commitment to evolve the company, and use more data and more analytics to understand and improve operations,” he says.

Kirk assumed leadership of a modernization project, which, among other elements, meant connecting drivers’ mobile phones to the company’s systems and programming new applications that implement IoT capabilities.

“We’ve introduced sensors on vehicles so we can understand their operational health at any given time,” he says. “Before, drivers took off, and we hoped the truck didn’t fall. Now sensors are there to help avert and track breakdowns.”

He continues: “Plus, our IT organization transformed how we store data, how it’s defined, and how we use data so the organization can make smarter and quicker decisions and have better insights for our team. It’s a critical asset to our business.”

While the project’s scope covered multiple aspects, one of the biggest challenges Kirk faced was deciding which technology made the most fiscal and practical sense.

“There are a lot of start-ups offering new technology, and it’s about taking that technology and applying it in transportation,” he says. “However, not all technology is going to be effective. I do not want to invest in new technology for the sake of new technology.”

It’s a situation Kirk anticipates the industry will be dealing with for years to come.

“The pace of changing technology is significant, but other industries have been disrupted ahead of us,” he states. “We can learn from the people who have dealt with transforming disruption in other industries.”

Get in gear with careers at Ryder System Inc. Log onto ryder.com/careers. Follow on Facebook, facebook.com/RyderSystemInc, and Twitter, @RyderSystemInc.

 

Creasy Jumps on Board with CSX Transportation

As a child in New York City, Troy J. Creasy remembers always having many mass transit options: buses, cabs, subways and elevated (el) trains. Those surroundings sparked a curiosity in him about how people travel from place to place.

“That, coupled with my grandfather’s tenure with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), my father’s career with Amtrak, and the amazing accounts of their time with the railroad, being a third-generation railroader became a dream of mine,” says Creasy.

That dream wasn’t just a little boy’s fantasy. As he grew older, Creasy’s dedication to a career with locomotives only grew, and finally became a reality. Upon earning his civil engineering degree from North Carolina A&T State University, he joined the engineering team at CSX Transportation, headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.

Since its beginnings when horses pulled rail cars, the company has been transporting a variety of goods over the tracks. Today it’s a premier provider of intermodal freight transportation over 21,000 miles of track in 23 states and into Canada.

Early in his career Creasy fulfilled a variety of engineering roles, including assistant roadmaster and engineer for program construction. After gaining various experiences, he moved into project management. Currently Creasy serves as project manager II in public projects, which have included a few high-profile contracts.

“I’m most proud of the Raleigh Union Station project located in downtown Raleigh, NC,” he notes.

“Raleigh Union Station is an $80 million transit hub that will be served by Amtrak. I facilitated a major track and signal reconfiguration of the CSX mainline in the vicinity of the proposed station. The most challenging aspect of that project was the coordination between multiple railroad companies, public agencies and utilities on an aggressive schedule.”

As a project manager, Creasy increasingly finds himself coordinating with external agencies, including departments of transportation, municipal engineering departments and private contractors. He also mediates between CSX units.

“I’m the first point of contact for various internal groups, such as train operations, real estate, community affairs and law,” explains Creasy.

“My role is to define projects’ scopes, establish budgets, assess resources required and compile a project team to execute project completion, both internally and externally.”

Some of these tasks have demanded he acquire new skills, such as understanding the legal nuances of contracts, and projecting costs and returns on investment.

“As some contracts may extend into perpetuity, I’m expected to consider the interests of CSX 50 to 100 years into the future,” he observes.

Although rail transport is an aging mode of moving goods, it’s still a widely utilized option, especially for heavy loads, such as lumber, coal and industrial equipment. As long as these types of resources and goods need to be delivered, rail transportation will continue to be engaged.

However, it’s a market segment that still lags in terms of upgrading its technology. Modernizing locomotives and track safety creates a demand for new engineers who can meld the best of its existing tech with emerging hardware and applications.

These factors are some of the reasons Creasy remains excited and curious about railroads, and why he encourages engineers and IT specialists to consider careers within the sector.

“Gone are the days of static expectations. The transportation industry is rapidly adapting to meet market demands, thus companies must have employees with an ability to rapidly adapt to varying job functions,” he describes.

“The optimal candidate needs to demonstrate a willingness to understand the ecosystem of the transportation industry to fully realize their role in making the company successful.”

Get in gear with careers at CSX Transportation. Log onto csx.com/index.cfm/working-at-csx/job-overviews. Follow on Facebook, facebook.com/CSXofficial, and Twitter, @CSX.

 

Greteman & Cheddie Rev Up Tech for Ruan Transportation

As manufacturers add sensors and data-collecting features to all kinds of vehicles, a question arises as to ownership of the information generated after the automobile or truck is sold.

For private passenger cars, it’s a minor issue and owners may not care. For transportation services corporations, like Ruan Transportation Management Systems, access and control over that data becomes imperative.

“These are exciting times in terms of massive amounts of data being consumed, but who owns it? Is it the company that sells the truck? Will it be our data? Where is that data going? How will it be stored?” asks Nehru Cheddie, director of IT for Ruan Transportation Management Systems.

“It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out with different vendors interacting with [equipment] on a truck. Will truck vendors have proprietary interfaces, or will we have to use connections to leverage each [program]?”

“There’s also blockchain technology, security issues and IoT,” adds Dan Greteman, CIO.

Contemplating these scenarios is a far reach from the beginning days of the Des Moines, IA, company, whose first delivery in 1932 was a truckload of gravel.

Still privately held by the Ruan family, the organization now owns or operates nearly 4,000 power units and 7,500 trailers. It offers customers integrated solutions, as well as supply chain solutions.

In recent years, however, Ruan also has invested in upgrading its fleet so vehicles house current sensors and applications, and in the IT infrastructure to support the growing data.

Getting up to speed means transferring functions to upgraded systems, and for an operation of its size, that’s been a major undertaking. In fact, that’s been a main focus for Cheddie.

“We recently wrapped up converting the legacy applications to new platforms,” he says. “It’s a major milestone I’m proud we’re accomplishing.”

It turns out that keeping pace with the changing technical roadmap offers a competitive edge. Not only do customers want their products moved, but also they also expect transportation companies to be able to track those items en route along with services to efficiently manage inventory, and therefore, control costs. That’s a heavy load for older IT systems to carry.

“Anything older than 10 or 15 years needs to go away because it absolutely costs. There’s a technical debt that you carry,” notes Greteman.

“Technology is a key differentiator [with potential customers]. Technology over price is going to matter,” he continues. “If you have a company applying technology to make operations more efficient, then that’s the type of company they’ll want to do business with.”

Many of Cheddie’s customers are other departments. Among his tasks are conferring with business systems analysts, manage IT portfolios and Agile delivery efforts, and overseeing database management teams.

“I’m motivated to deliver value to the business using Agile methodologies, which plays into the business systems analysis. I also enjoy troubleshooting aspects of database management,” he comments.

Cheddie is excited about how these duties will expand. The challenge for him and Greteman, who oversees all IT functions and strategic technology initiatives, is to attract and engage qualified talent.

“Technology unemployment is less than 1% in Des Moines, so we have to create an environment where people want to work,” says Greteman. “[Today’s graduates] want to work for leaders who are making a difference and doing different things.”

And Cheddie insists that opportunity exists within transportation, and especially at Ruan.

“If you’re not continuously learning, then you’ll be left behind. Ruan as a company understands that. We’re using technology to solve problems, and that makes this industry exciting,” he concludes.

Get in gear with careers at Ruan Transportation Management Systems. Log onto ruan.com/careers.aspx. Follow on Facebook, facebook.com/RuanTransportation, and Twitter, @RuanTransport.

 

Chowdhury Maps Out Caltrans Environmental Policies

From San Francisco to San Diego, California is home to some of the worst traffic in the country. The state’s roadways travel through a vast range of geographies, from beaches to valleys, grasslands to mountains. Surfaces are subject to blistering desert sun in the south, as well as snow and freezing temps in the north.

Whenever Shaila Chowdhury, PE, assistant division chief of the Division of Environmental Analysis, and chief environmental engineer for Caltrans, plans a new project, she must calculate for these types of concerns, plus regulations, budgets, labor and any number of other factors.

“I definitely enjoy the aspect of looking at different dynamics. We have 12 districts that are dealing with their own regions, and projects that are specific to those areas,” she says.

“We look at global challenges, and address those by instituting the right policies, programs and strategies.”

Caltrans, the common reference for the California Department of Transportation, operates statewide, but is headquartered in Sacramento. The agency is charged with designing, constructing and maintaining the state highways, including interstates within its boundaries. It also partners with Amtrak to support passenger rail travel.

Although California has long held a reputation for jam-packed freeways in its cities, its transportation profile is ever-changing. Highways are aging. More vehicles drive over them every day, and long-haul trucks carry heavier loads. Communities are expanding. How do transportation professionals address these concerns?

“In my home country of Bangladesh, I witnessed how, in a matter of years, urbanization and lack of planning manifested serious transportation challenges with air pollution, congestion, accidents and a lack of access to public transportation,” she remembers.

“That motivated me to choose a career in transportation and explore solutions that are not only safe and reliable, but are also environmentally sustainable to all users, such as bikers, pedestrians and public transportation.”

Her interest was furthered while studying for a master’s degree in civil and transportation engineering. That’s when she heard about the work being done at Caltrans.

“They had the tools of technology to analyze crash data and use the results to make roads safe,” she says.

Right after graduate school Chowdhury signed on with the state agency. For the past 19 years she’s helped implement an array of projects - most recently concentrating on evaluating the environmental impact of expanding or improving highways.

“Our job isn’t just about maintaining roads. We’re making sure we’re mindful about the environment,” says Chowdhury.

Sometimes the most optimal solutions are to rethink how traffic can flow. “There are concerted efforts to integrate multimodal transportation options that support the environment,” she explains.

“It used to be we expanded roadways and added lanes, but now it’s about creating flexible designs and reliable travel with smart technology, such as providing real-time travel information to users.”

She adds: “We’re also looking at other ways to address congestion and the needs of users. We’re leading the effort to promote smart land use and facilitating cleaner, more efficient vehicles by [switching] the Caltrans fleet to electric vehicles.”

In terms of future projects, Chowdhury is optimistic, particularly because of the funding created by SB1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act. The state tax on gasoline purchases is projected to deliver $54 billion over the next 10 years and is exclusively slated for roads.

“It provides a historic opportunity for Caltrans and our partners to invest in infrastructure. That’s enabling us to catch up on deferred maintenance. Also we have a lot of employees aging out and retiring, so we’re actively investing in new hires,” says Chowdhury. “I’m excited about the future of Caltrans and California transportation.”

Get in gear with careers at Caltrans. Log onto dot.ca.gov/jobs/vacancy.html. Follow on Facebook, facebook.com/CaltransHQ, and Twitter, @CaltransHQ.

 

Fast Facts: Transportation

Number of Miles of Interstate Crisscrossing the Country: 46,876

Average Quantity of Goods Delivered Daily in the U.S.: 49.3 Million Tonnages, Valued at More Than $52 Billion

Average Annual Miles Driven by American Adults: 13,476

Sources: fhwa.dot.gov and bts.gov