March 27, OTTAWA -- Don Streuber, president and CEO of Winnipeg-based Bison Transport Inc., believes that in order to be an effective leader one must have integrity and adhere to a series of core values.
As the new chairman of the 4,500-member strong Canadian Trucking Alliance, Streuber -- who succeeds Paul Easson of Nova Scotia's Eassons Transport -- says he will continue the work with those that preceded him in pursuing programs and policies which demonstrate integrity within the industry and which confirm safety, environmental stewardship and respect for professional truck drivers and other industry employees as core values of the alliance.
In the CTA News Release Streuber noted: "CTA has pursued an aggressive agenda in recent years aimed at improving compliance and reducing the industry’s carbon footprint," he says. "We have adopted these as core values at Bison Transport and I believe they serve the entire industry well.
"As the preeminent voice of the trucking industry in Canada, I strongly believe that CTA should continue on this path. It is our responsibility to the communities we live in. We must lead in this area."
Streuber also believes that the single most important challenge the industry faces going forward is a chronic shortage of qualified driver shortage. As a member of the CTA Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Driver Shortage, Streuber says there is no quick fix to the problem and carriers will have to be innovative. But, "at the core of the issue will be to promote respect and regard for professional drivers within all our companies and within the public domain."
Bison is a member of most of the provincial trucking associations. Since CTA is a federation of the provincial trucking associations, "strong provincial associations make for a strong CTA," he says. "Part of our success has been in finding synergies between the associations; something that will become even more important in the years ahead."
Streuber, a chartered accountant with a B. Comm., in finance from the University of Manitoba, joined Bison in 1999 after being the company's auditor and business advisor for many years. During his time at the helm, Bison has grown into one of the largest dryvan truckload carriers in the country. It is perennially ranked as one of Canada's Best Managed Private Companies and has received numerous awards for safety, fuel efficiency, innovation and customer service.
In addition to his role at Bison, Streuber is the chairman of a Winnipeg manufacturing company; a founding director of a TSX listed financial corporation; chair of CentrePort Canada Inc.; vice chair of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy; a governor of the Providence College and Theological Seminary and Honourary Consul for Austria for Manitoba. He is a past chair of the Business Council of Manitoba and a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
Despite Streuber's busy professional life, family comes first. He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Winnipeg and have four children. His favourite pastime is spending time with the family at home or at their cottage in Eastern Manitoba.
