Guest: Brett Wood of ITA and Toyota on National Forklift Safety Day; When it comes to hiring drivers - act fast!; Manufacturing with AI and automation

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Jun 13, 2025

Brett Wood, Chair of the Industrial Truck Association and President of Toyota Material Handling North America, discusses the 12th National Forklift Safety Day, highlighting its importance for industry standards. He emphasizes the need for swift hiring practices in trucking, revealing data showing that fast responses to applications significantly boost hiring rates. Additionally, the conversation touches on the MIT initiative aimed at revolutionizing manufacturing through AI and automation, showcasing the industry's shift toward innovative solutions for safety and efficiency.

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INSIGHT

National Forklift Safety Day Impact

National Forklift Safety Day unifies industry focus on safety and operator training each year.
It fosters collaboration and awareness to reduce accidents and promote ongoing education.

INSIGHT

Technology Boosts Forklift Safety

Advancements in forklift technology have greatly enhanced operator and pedestrian safety.
Features like pedestrian detection and operator presence sensors reduce accidents.

ANECDOTE

Forklift as Operator's Office

Forklifts are considered the office for millions of operators daily.
Every move must be safe to ensure all workers return home to their families.

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Our guest on this week's episode is Brett Wood, Chair this year of the Industrial Truck Association (better known as the ITA). In his daytime job, Brett is the President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America. This past Tuesday, the material handling industry recognized the 12th annual National Forklift Safety Day. Sponsored by ITA, the highlight of the day was a series of presentations on safety held at the National Press Club in Washington DC. Wood speaks about the event held this week and the importance and impacts of safety programs.

Carriers looking to fill driver positions need to act faster when they identify candidates and ensure that their hiring process is efficient, according to a new report from truck driving technology platform Tenstreet. They found that carriers in their network that responded to driver applications within five minutes see a 6.2% hiring rate, which is nearly double the platform average of 3.7%.—so that speaks to the need for fast action.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has launched a new program called the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM). The goal is to help transform the nation’s industrial base by advancing the future of “new manufacturing,” alongside ideas in workforce training, advanced technologies, and industry collaboration. The initiative includes a group of six founding industry consortium members, who are Amgen, Flex, GE Vernova, PTC, Sanofi, and Siemens.

Supply Chain Xchange also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane. It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. All episodes are available to stream now. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.

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Podcast is sponsored by: Storage Solutions

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