The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has officially appointed Stephen Keppler as its new executive director. Keppler had served as the group’s interim director for nearly a year.
Keppler – who’s been with CVSA since 2000 – has 18 years of transportation experience, including stints as department director for vehicle systems for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) trade group and six years with the DOT’s Office of Motor Carriers, now known as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
He strongly believes that safety and profitability go hand-in-hand within the trucking industry.
“Companies and individuals that exhibit a ‘safety commitment’ trait are almost without exception leaders, both in the industry and in their communities,” said Keppler. “Oh, and by the way, many are profitable as well,” he explained in a speech to the Arizona Trucking Assn. last year.
“Safety is not just about regulatory compliance,” he stated. “It is something you have to practice every day. It is about going above and beyond the typical … as the ‘typical’ will not allow you to separate yourself from the crowd.
“Investing in the safety mindset pays dividends in many ways,” Keppler added. “Some of these dividends are tangible, and some are not. However, they all help to improve performance and results.”
