AutoSense hosts Transport Leaders Forum in Auckland on 22 February 2024
AutoSense is excited to announce the NZI-sponsored Transport Leaders Forum at the Due Drop Events Centre in Auckland on 22 February next year.
The breakfast event’s keynote speakers include life coach and BBM Founder Dave Letele, motorsport legend and road safety advocate Greg Murphy, and Coda Group CEO Deena Clarkson, to address the important issues facing people in the transport industry.
Autosense CEO Charles Dawson said the agenda will traverse some of the key challenges senior transport leaders and their management teams face today: health, safety, and innovation.
“The forum will prioritise the crunchy conversations such as creating safe work environments for people in transport, combatting the sedentary nature of the job leading to health issues, and the work-life balance challenges associated with shift work transport and logistics workers face daily.
“We can’t talk about health and well-being without a gentle morning workout from Dave Letele, named the New Zealander of the Year Local Hero last year, whose business aims to motivate people to get fit and transform their lives. We encourage transport operators to book a table for their decision-makers, and support them to set initiatives for health, safety and wellbeing.”
Letele is a living testament to overcoming obesity and will share his inspiring transformation journey. Formerly weighing 210 kilograms, he will take the audience through his emotional roller coaster, highlighting the power of determination, perseverance, and the importance of mental and physical fitness in building a strong team culture.
His talk will prelude Coda Group CEO Deena Clarkson, who will discuss the health, safety, and wellness strategy of one of New Zealand’s largest logistic providers. With not only their own fleet, Coda Group also works with over 70 transport services or partners across their network. Managing a large percentage of container export flows and transport modes around New Zealand on behalf of key blue chip brands.
Clarkson will share insights into leading through a changing landscape, implementing health, safety, and wellness initiatives, and achieving breakthrough results.
“Coda focuses on safeguarding our people and is working hard to ensure our fleet complies with the best safety standards. We feel strongly and believe that if we safeguard our people, we will also safeguard other road users and the cargo we carry for our customers.”
She says safeguarding the team extends to a duty of care off the road.
“We recognise there is a lot of “noise” going on for people outside of work that directly affects their work, especially in the mental health space. We launched annual health checks a couple of years ago, asking our teams to come in and have an hour session with a registered nurse to check for sleep apnoea issues, heart health, and eyesight.
“We have genuine examples now of our employees benefitting from this, including an employee from our Auckland network who was diagnosed as partially impaired from a sight point of view. Had the Coda medical check not been done, he would not have been able to go off and get the right prescription sunglasses to read sufficiently and safely undertake his duties,” said Clarkson.
As a result of their many new initiatives, Coda Group has seen a lift in staff retention.
“Our annual employee engagement survey shows that the team values the extra things we do, and people enjoy working for us.”
Greg Murphy will talk about his motorsport career, emphasising the importance of driver safety. With over 400 V8 Supercar race starts Murphy will shed light on the team environment, culture, and technology used to enhance performance.
Clarkson said Murphy recently visited the Coda Group to speak to the team about the Group’s installation of safety technology, including camera systems, as a minimum fleet requirement.
“Greg engaged with our team in a way that made our drivers sit up to listen, with the strong message, ‘As all professional drivers, we need to be putting safety first every day.’ Some of our generational drivers were worried about the new safety camera technology ‘watching them’. Greg reassured them, ‘Mate, there’s nothing to worry about if you’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be’. He carried a lot of charisma with our team.
“Culturally, he helped us to bust that myth, and they now know the tech is designed to keep people safe, and we have seen a shift in our drivers’ perceptions.”
Sponsored by NZI, the Creating NZ’s Fittest Fleet Transport Leaders Forum breakfast will be held on Thursday, 22 February, at the Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau, from 7.30 am to 10 am. Tickets can be purchased at www.autosense.co.nz/transportleaders
Forum agenda:
7:30 AM: Doors open. Buffet breakfast served.
8:00 AM: Opening address by MC, Doug Kamo + sponsor’s welcome by Garry Taylor, NZI Executive General Manager
8:15 AM: Dave Letele – Path to health and wellness
9:00 AM: Greg Murphy – Driver safety
9:20 AM: Deena Clarkson – The Coda journey
9:50 AM: Panel - Quick fire Q+A.
About AutoSense:
AutoSense provides safety solutions for heavy and light vehicle fleets through online driver training modules, in-vehicle coaching, in-cab simulator training and prevention of fatigue and distraction using Guardian by Seeing Machines and MiTAC camera solutions.
For further information, please contact Kristen Wilson, AutoSense Marketing Manager.
Phone: 027 243 3372 or email kristen@autosense.co.nz