News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2006
Contacts:
Caroline Lyle, Marketing Director
Caroline.Lyle@mcleodsoftware.com
Melissa Snow-Clark, Communications Manager
Melissa.Snow.Clark@mcleodsoftware.com
McLeod Software’s 2006 Users’ Conference Experiences 35% Increase in Attendance
Attendees Gain the Power to Be More Productive, Efficient and Profitable
Birmingham, Alabama –Hundreds of trucking professionals converged in Birmingham, Alabama to participate in McLeod Software’s 16th Annual Users’ Conference, held September 20-23, 2006 at The Wynfrey Hotel. With the “POWER To Do MORE!” as the theme, the event attracted 35% more attendees than last year’s very successful event. As a result, more participants came away with the tools needed to become the most productive, efficient and profitable companies in the trucking industry.
"Our theme and session topics reflected our dedication to providing practical solutions to our customers,” noted Tom McLeod, president and chief executive officer. “This year’s conference offered more educational tracks on executive, managerial and information technology topics, as well as more one-on-one training and case studies than ever before. The more our customers know how to leverage their information and systems,” McLeod continued, “the better they can serve their own customers, drivers and employees.”
More Top Notch Speakers and Sessions
The conference kicked off with a keynote address by Bill Graves, president of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), who focused on the future direction and growth of the trucking industry. Graves, a former Kansas Governor who grew up in the trucking business, also spoke about growing industry concerns, particularly driver shortage. “We (the ATA) are trying to do a better job…of spreading the word about the availability of and the need for truck drivers in this country,” Graves said. One of the initiatives that the ATA is currently exploring is partnering with the AARP and Departments of Labor and Defense to increase the pool of potential driver candidates.
Following the keynote address, attendees participated in over 50 breakout sessions, roundtables and demonstrations presented by industry experts, McLeod Software customers and employees. These hands-on sessions were designed to help attendees improve their operations and bottom-line, while also providing professional education (CPE) credits for Certified Public Accountants and Certified Management Accountants. Sessions also covered ways to fully utilize the power of LoadMaster software, with input from existing customers on their success stories. Attendees also received one-on-one interaction with McLeod Software development staff and hands-on use of the PowerBroker™ version of LoadMaster®, the company’s latest release for brokerage and logistics providers.
More Industry Experts
Influential analysts, thought-leaders, and industry experts also shared insights and strategies to get “The Power to Do MORE,” including:
• George Edwards, noted transportation consultant to some of the country’s premier logistics and transportation services companies; Robert Everitt, Trucking Market Segment Specialization Coordinator (Midwest District) for the IRS; Martin Labbe, former Director of Transportation and Logistics Service for Data Resources, Inc.; and Stephen Graham, independent contractor with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Support Team.
• Attendance of over 30 technology vendors and partners with leading edge solutions to key industry initiatives.
More Endorsements from Attendees
“I was very impressed with the conference and enjoyed all that McLeod offered to the users in regard to information, presentations and products,” stated Anthony Almodovar of Smith Trucking, Inc. “Very professional,” he added.
“I commend McLeod Software for putting on a Users’ Conference that was both enlightening and entertaining,” stated Monte Jefson of Cargill Meat Logistics Solutions. “I especially liked the high availability of McLeod Software employees and the easy access to third-party software vendors…A job well done!”
About McLeod Software
McLeod Software is a leading provider of dispatch and accounting fleet management software in North America. Specifically tailored to the trucking industry, McLeod Software's superior management solutions and services enable transportation companies to increase efficiencies while reducing costs. McLeod Software's integrated best-in-class software products include LoadMaster,Ò PowerBrokerÔ and LoadMasterÒ Document Imaging. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the company serves over 500 companies throughout North America. For more information, contact us toll free at 877-362-5363 or visit us at www.mcleodsoftware.com.
About LoadMasterÒ
LoadMaster is the most advanced enterprise transportation management software solution available to the trucking industry. Fully integrated from operations through accounting, LoadMaster is customizable and interfaces with most popular mobile communication, mileage and fuel systems. Database and platform-independent, LoadMaster offers Client/Server distributed processing with a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The solution is based on Java™2, Enterprise Edition technologies, and will allow applications to run on Windows™, Unix systems and the AS/400 without recompiling.