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 |
March 31, 2020

Well, here we are, all isolated and distanced in 2020.  The pandemic that is Covid-19 has taken hold of our lives in one way or another.  It is both my proudest moment in transportation and my most disappointed moment in transportation.

I’m fiercely proud of the many companies and drivers that are forging on and serving their country by delivering the much needed goods that stock our grocery stores.  I’m proud of the sacrifice they are making by not being with their families in this scary time.

I’m disappointed in the treatment the drivers are receiving on the road.  Closed truck stops, no parking for rest time, no access to food (trucks don’t fit in drive thru’s) and being treated with little respect.

I’m proud of the individuals that are rallying for the drivers by offering free meals and who are going out of their way to show their respect.

I’m disappointed in the slow response from our insurer partners to offer relief of premiums in some form or manner.

I’m proud of my Brokerage who chose to close and have everyone work form home before it was strongly suggested and then we were  deemed an essential service.

I’m less disappointed with some of our insurer partners now.  While I was writing this, two of them send formal statements advising they are providing parked rate relief!  Way to go Insurers!! That is how fast things are unfolding during this situation.

I’m so very proud of my clients.  They deal with so many things in a day and now they have to deal with this.  Although they are an essential service there are many drivers that are afraid to deliver freight and have the chance of becoming infected.  Although they are exempt from self isolation on their return to Canada, they cannot take the chance of infecting their families and come back for their reset in hotels, by themselves.  That’s just too much for some of them. And for the ones who are doing it, they are true heroes.

This is just so unprecedented and so serious and so many are unsure of rules that change not only daily, but hourly.  I cannot tell you how it makes me feel to see so many in our industry sacrificing and, pardon the pun, going the extra mile.

Let’s not forget about the operations and support staff at the trucking companies.  Social distancing and hand washing and practicing all the safety measures they are day in and day out, to keep the fleet running.  These guys are my heroes too.

I believe in our country, I believe in our industry and I believe we will come out of this stronger and smarter.  I hope everyone stays stay and healthy and that we all see the other side of this soon!

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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.