Lisa Arseneau – Vice President - Lisa began her career in the transportation industry in 1986, joining Central Ontario Appraisers Inc. Her responsibilities included the day to day operation from scheduling appraisals to handling total loss negotiations. She was involved with many industry professionals including adjusters, claims examiners, insurers and insureds. Lisa had 5 years behind her when she made the transition to the Insurance Company side of the industry. Markel Insurance Company of Canada (Northbridge Insurance) is one of Canada’s largest transportation insurers. While there, Lisa developed an extensive network of industry related contacts that are still a very important part of her business life today. Her duties included underwriting, claims and information technology which allowed her to obtain knowledge of just about every aspect of the transportation industry. In 1997 Lisa decided it was time to attack the industry from yet another angle and became an insurance broker. Lisa was hired by a large Ontario brokerage and was put in charge of creating a new Transportation Department. During the next two years, she was able to connect more directly with the transportation companies and continued to develop and maintain her industry contacts. Since then she has worked as an insurance broker solely in the trucking and transportation segment. Currently in her nineteenth year as a Broker, with H L Staebler Insurance Brokers, she is as passionate today as she was the first day she started. Lisa belongs to several trucking industry associations and is active in all of them, staying current on industry trends, etc. She specializes in safety & compliance areas such as mock audits, company structuring and analysis and is very instrumental in bringing the industry to her clients.

Columnists,Lisa Arseneau |
September 23, 2019

Recently, I attended an industry function that had a panel of “experts” discussing various transportation issues.

I was looking forward to it, like I do any panel when I attend these types of things.  Call me naive, but when I pay to attend a transportation specific conference or seminar, I expect the speakers to be worthy of my cash.

One of the panel “experts” was from my very field.  I was even more enthusiastic to attend, as we are facing some pretty heady issues right now.  Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.  Not only did the “expert” not speak to these heady issues, but they offered up misinformation.  When asked about specific issues and how they are handled, they totally misspoke.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not discrediting this expert at all.  I am simply speaking to the facts.  There is no room for misinformation, or ignorance in our industry, especially now.  Or in any industry, for that matter.

Transportation is a brutal sector right now.  It has been a culmination of several factors that have crippled some carriers, especially owner operators.  From new eligibility rules for new ventures in insurance, to freight being scarce, or not paying what they need to survive, to the weak Canadian dollar for cross border loads.  Add that to receiving misinformation from what is supposed to be a trusted advisor, and there really is no chance for survival.

I literally spend my days educating and advising prospective new entrants to transportation about the obstacles they face today.  I tell them the truth, albeit tough to hear, it’s harder to say!  I have to tell them that it’s just not possible to be an entrepreneur in trucking right now, if they are starting fresh.  If they have a shiny new CVOR, that has not been attached to its own insurance policy in the past three years, they will not be eligible for a policy now.  It is truly heartbreaking for someone like me that has spent their career nurturing  start-ups from cradle to taking their first steps, to really running on their own.  It’s just not possible today.

Ok, that last reference may have something to do with me becoming a grandmother for the first time in early January 2020.  However the metaphor works!

My hope is that your trusted advisor is knowledgeable, honest and will tell you the hard truths that you need to hear.  Until next time….stay safe!

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Lisa Arseneau – Vice President - Lisa began her career in the transportation industry in 1986, joining Central Ontario Appraisers Inc. Her responsibilities included the day to day operation from scheduling appraisals to handling total loss negotiations. She was involved with many industry professionals including adjusters, claims examiners, insurers and insureds. Lisa had 5 years behind her when she made the transition to the Insurance Company side of the industry. Markel Insurance Company of Canada (Northbridge Insurance) is one of Canada’s largest transportation insurers. While there, Lisa developed an extensive network of industry related contacts that are still a very important part of her business life today. Her duties included underwriting, claims and information technology which allowed her to obtain knowledge of just about every aspect of the transportation industry. In 1997 Lisa decided it was time to attack the industry from yet another angle and became an insurance broker. Lisa was hired by a large Ontario brokerage and was put in charge of creating a new Transportation Department. During the next two years, she was able to connect more directly with the transportation companies and continued to develop and maintain her industry contacts. Since then she has worked as an insurance broker solely in the trucking and transportation segment. Currently in her nineteenth year as a Broker, with H L Staebler Insurance Brokers, she is as passionate today as she was the first day she started. Lisa belongs to several trucking industry associations and is active in all of them, staying current on industry trends, etc. She specializes in safety & compliance areas such as mock audits, company structuring and analysis and is very instrumental in bringing the industry to her clients.