Breaking Barriers and Building the Future of Trucking with Melanie Simard from ISAAC Instruments

In this episode, Lindsey Trent sits down with Melanie Simard, Vice President of Safety Compliance at ISAAC Instruments, to explore her inspiring and unconventional journey through the trucking industry. From starting in logistics to driving heavy loads across tough routes, Melanie broke barriers in a male-dominated field and steadily transitioned into leadership roles focused on safety and technology. She shares insights into the evolution of the industry, the role of user-friendly tech like ELDs, and the importance of building a supportive, coaching-driven culture for the next generation of drivers. Tune in for a conversation about innovation, inclusion, and what it takes to lead transformation in trucking—from behind the wheel to the executive table.

https://www.isaacinstruments.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-simard-54589584/



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The Next Generation in Trucking Association is a non-profit trade association who is engaging and training the next generation of trucking industry professionals by partnering with high schools, community/technical colleges and private schools to connect to and launch training programs around North America.

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Transcript

Before we hit the road on today's discussion, I want to take time to thank some of our sponsors. These are NextGen Trucking Advocates, and that's Averitt, DHL, Fusion, Now, Gordon, Food Service, and KKW. Thank you for your support. Without it, we could not do all of the things that we do every day to connect the next generation to careers in the trucking industry. Foreign hey, this is Lindsey Trent and welcome to NGT Talks. I am thrilled to have somebody that I've gotten to know on the podcast today. Melanie with Isaac, Melanie Simard, she's the safety director and we first met at the ATA, Women in Motion, little reception, and I instantly liked her. 

So I am so happy to have her to talk with us today about her past as a driver and now her role as a safety manager and what Isaac is doing to make trucking better. So, Melanie, welcome to the show. 

Thank you, Lindsey. 

So this is the first question I always ask people and that is tell me about your journey into trucking. What led you to be a driver in the first place? 

So I actually ended up in trucking by complete chance. I was in college and one of my best friend in college started working for a company and she told mel, you should come. We have so much fun. And you know when you're out of college and you're looking for something fun to do. So I'm like, well, what do you do? So she was actually a customer service manager in a third party logistics company and were selling freight. I ended up joining. We were selling freight to trucking companies. So were moving freight across North America. It was thrilling. It was a bunch of passionate people and it got me to really enjoy that other side of things. So the trucking side, the people I was speaking with, trying to sell my freight, I was like, I want to be a dispatcher. 

I want to be on the trucking, the asset side of things. But obviously this is over 20 years ago. There wasn't a lot of women in trucking per se, so there was not many women dispatching truck drivers. And I really wanted to switch on the asset side. So I figured, you know what? I love engine. I was a kid that grew up with dirt bikes and stuff like that. So I said maybe I could become a truck driver and get to learn the industry that way. So I decided to quit that third party logistic company and went on and got my truck driver's license and started driving a truck. 

Tell me so and you're French Canadian. So tell me what is the process of getting your commercial driver's license in Canada. And do you even call it that? 

So we call it. There's different depending on which province it's different. It's either a CDL or a Class 1, what they call it in Quebec, so obviously French Canadian. But it's the same process in the US you gotta go to school, learn how to do dvir. So your drive, your inspection, learn how to drive. And then we go to the license office, pass the practical test. And yeah, so I got my license. I went for a company. I really wanted to go out west. I wanted to go to California. So I started driving at first. For the first year I drove teams to California. So I was leaving Montreal, 3,000 miles, going to California, crossing the Rockies, the winter, the. And I was hauling produce when I started out of California and bringing it back to Canada. And then I moved on to. 

Obviously I started driving and that was ages ago, but it was in 2005, so there wasn't a lot of young women. I was 25 years old. I just started driving. And it was different times. Now the industry has changed. The acceptance of whoever you are, you can drive a truck. But back then it was like, well, you know, you can do this or you can't do that. So everything they told me I couldn't do, I went and drove. So I did flatbed, oversized. I did also the northern parts of Canada, all the way to almost Alaska. I've done everything that they told me a woman couldn't do because obviously you can do it, you find ways to do it. So I drove for a good two, three years at first, and then got offered a position as a dispatcher. 

And this is really what I wanted to do. So I went back in the office, got started dispatching trucks, and I went on and off between dispatching, ops manager, went back in the truck. So I drove for over six years, all in all, but at different times in my career because each time I was offered a better opportunity in the office. But the road was my passion. It was so good I discovered the whole North America. So I went back and forth until, well, women. I got pregnant with my son. So that was the last time I drove 13, 14 years ago and went on. And when I came back to the office after my. My son was born, this is where I switched from. I was the ops manager. I was always in operation. 

And I switched and went to safety and compliance and became a safety and compliance director for a trucking company here in Montreal that had a good for Canada, like a 200, 300 truck fleet. It's a big company. So I oversee the whole safety and compliance department for that company until I join Isaac in 2020. 

Okay, awesome. So every time I hear about a female driver, I'm just like, you're such a baddie. That is awesome that you flatbed whatever over the mountains. You just did it. And I just have so much respect for female drivers especially. So tell me about your current role as a safety director. What does your day look like from day to day? 

So in 2020, when I left trucking and started with Isaac is a technology company. We do ELDs, telematics, all the dash cam, everything around the trucking industry. At first I was super scared of missing my drivers that day to day safety and compliance. But I realized I moved into this role to help the trucking industry as a whole. So instead of helping those 300 drivers, I was able to help the industry as a whole. So I now oversee. So I'm the vice president of safety compliance and I also oversee the technical support department. So I work with the product team to any feature that's safety and compliance related. I work with our customers that have any compliance questions. Safety question. I'm like an expert in a lot of the safety and compliance. I come from trucking. So we're a technology company. 

We have great people developing their product and so I'm kind of the expert in many different departments. 

Yeah. And tell me about Isaac a little more. How does your product help driver safety and how does it help trucking companies? 

So well, obviously it was mandated to have an eld, so for sure they are compliant. So that's the first thing I think is any fleet wants to have a compliant product because your safety rating, your compliance is one of the primary thing that you need and it's mandated and it's the law across Canada and the U.S. So, so we do have ELDs, which helps the hours of service of drivers. But I think in terms of safety, we do so much more. So we're not just the ELD making your hours of service compliant, but we have all the dash cam, the footage, that coaching driver. So I, I think one of the best things from being an ex driver, the dash cam, the safety feature, the real time notification for drivers are really changing. 

It's a game changer for a company because it's. Although sometimes cameras are seen as, oh, they want to observe, they want to look at me, Big brother's watching me. But I think it's a tool if it's well managed, well explained to driver, it's one of the best tool to make it a safer fleet. 

Absolutely. And in your thought process, because we know that Gen Z, they're very interested in technology and that's one of the attractive things about the trucking industry is we've got so much technology. So in your thought process, what do you think? How does ISAAC contribute to technology within a truck and how is that going to attract the next generation? 

So and they were born with technology so they know what technology should be, how it should help them. They don't want something that's not working. Obviously they're used to that cell phone, that iPad, everything that goes super fast. And I think one of the good thing and great thing about Isaac is we understood that it's there to help you make your life better, make it simpler, make it more user friendly and more efficient. So you don't want something that's going to trail behind and you don't want something that it's long to respond. So I think that's what they want is when they get into this truck, they have that technology, they press a button and does exactly what they're expecting. It's intuitive, user friendly because that's what they have in their hands every day, all day. 

The cell phone is not to call someone, it's everything. Their world is on there. So we needed to have something that's pretty much the same, something that's easy to use and yeah, make them more efficient. They don't want to be clicking and going into five different app or five different screen before getting what they need. They need. Well, I want to do my inspection. I click inspection. I've got all my inspection point. There you go, I'm done. And it's easy. And for the cameras and everything, I think the Gen Zs are used to having a cell phone that's tracking them. They're versus. I remember when I first implemented an ELD in my fleet, the driver were like the older generation were like well I don't need this thing to show me how to drive. I already know how to drive. 

Why do you need a camera? Are you going to be looking at me all day long? And honestly we have no time to be looking. And they didn't understand I think as much how it benefits them. It's an investment to make them safer, to protect them also, I mean you want that technology to be there when you most needed it in litigation. So. But I think the newer generation, they know it's there for, to help them. If you explain it good, you get them to adopt the technology and they know why it's there. 

So in terms of coaching Gen Z, have you gotten any feedback from your customers about coaching younger people versus older people and how young people expect to be coached? 

Yeah, it's different and I've lived it. Before joining Isaac, I had actually bought the Isaac platform and implemented it in my track. So I have this two side of the coin that I knew how I did it in my previous fleet and how I got the drivers to adopt the technology. But also when I was coaching my older driver, he was an amazing guy but hated the technology. So it was much different. And I had the newer generation come in and everything has to be quick. You can't sit them in a classroom for three hours, you're going to lose them. So we had little module explaining and they need to understand why. 

And I think that's the biggest portion with the older generation of driver, you needed to prove to them that it was going to help them. Whereas the newer generation, like we have the Isaac coach, which is great, it's three little dots. It's when it's green, it's good if it becomes yellow and dead red. So they know right away they're driving the truck and oh, I'm in the green. All of a sudden all the little dots are getting filled solid green and then, oh, I'm in the yellow. Maybe I'm, I'll go down on the pedal. Maybe I'll, oh, I think I took that turn a little too harsh. So it's real time coaching feedback and I think this is how they got to understand the technology. They want to try it out, they want to test it out. 

So we would go on the road and have a ride along someone explaining and what I think helps is having that driver champion. And that's what we suggest our customer. Like if I go and say, well you need to do this way. Well, I was a driver before but even though they're like, oh, you're in the office now. You're, you're my boss, I don't want to hear from you. So we used to have those driver champion and they would sit with the newer driver and get them to adopt and buy into that technology. 

That, yeah, that, I mean that's smart. That is really smart. And how do you foster a culture of safety without making the driver feel micromanaged? Do they feel like it's like too much or do they feel like it's really helpful? 

Well, you have to. Well, I said it before. You first have to explain to them, why are you putting that in their truck? Or why is it necessary? But I think to foster a culture, you. You've got to first walk the talk. So you have to do it yourself. We had policies, and I was speaking with someone in our last one of our customer lately that was saying, you know what, we do it in our own cars, on our personal vehicles. There's no cell phone. There's the driving speed limits and everything. So I think it starts with, everybody needs to adopt those safety rules that you have in a fleet. If it's only for drivers, if it's not for the dispatcher, if it's not for operations, it's harder to make them believe in your culture. 

We see, we have fleets that they have scorecard, the driver app scorecard. But that dispatcher, that driver manager is also accountable for the same scorecard. So they work together. So it's not, I'm gonna push you. You need to make that delivery go fast. No, no. They. They are scored as well. So they work end in end together. And I think that really makes it easier to foster that culture. 

Absolutely. And I think culture is very important to the next generation. Right. They want to be somewhere they feel welcomed, that they feel included, that their opinion matters, and they want to be a part of a team that is something bigger than themselves. And that's one thing I love about trucking, is because it's set. It. It matters. Right? If we didn't have trucks, what would happen? The world would literally fall apart. And so having a culture is important. Selling the fact that if you work as a driver or as a dispatcher or whatever in the trucking industry, you are really supporting our country. You're supporting the economy. What you do matters, and that is really important. Now you. 

I met you at Women in Motion, and one thing I really love about Isaac is that you all are very supportive of all of the trucking associations. Women in Trucking, Women in Motion. Tell me what your thought processes as a company to supporting nonprofits like Next Generation and Trucking Association. Why do you have that vision to really want to support the industry? 

I think. I think it starts from the roots. We were talking about culture, Lindsey, and at Isaac, you know, you see culture sometimes and it's something posted on the walls. But at Isaac, it's 20 started with the co founders and we don't have HR. At Isaac, we have. Well, Being so our well being team is really care is the core of our organization. So we care about what. We care what you care about. You know, feeling that we matter. I have a big team of technical support specialists and they matter. And I think it starts with we. We care so much about our. And we don't have employees, we have colleagues. So we. We care about our colleagues and we care about the industry and making a difference. 

And making a difference is obviously yes we're selling technology to fleets but what surround the whole industry. And if we are involved in non profit and women in motion in the next generation because if we have no one joining the trucking. Well first off America cannot go on without trucking. But if we support everything that revolves around trucking it makes the industry better. And we like also to be with like minded individual in the industry and having those nonprofit or those organizations that are making the industry better because that's what we do internally. We invest in our people, we invest in our culture. 

Because if they're happy, if they feel good, if they feel like what they do, whether it's someone in tech support answering the phone or someone in production putting this ELD kit together and shipping it out when they feel that we care about them, when they feel they matter, that's what makes us better as a whole. And we like to be around industry professional that does the same. 

And I love that and I appreciate that so much. And you as a woman leader in the industry with your background of all of the different things that you have done, I think is incredible and it can show the career pathway that anybody can have in the trucking industry. And so tell me a little bit about what you're. How you envision a younger person coming into the industry and just all of the opportunities that are available to them. 

Well, obviously I. I'm passionate about the industry and I think it's changed throughout the year. And then thankfully it changed because it was way harder when I wanted to join, when I wanted to drive a truck. When I got pulled over on a road in the states and they were looking for the driver. Didn't believe I was a driver. Nowadays we are. Yeah. Nowadays the industry is really inclusive and there's different opportunity. Back then it was like well, you need to be gone on the road for 14 days. There wasn't many opportunities opportunity. Now a young person looking at the industry is they can do what they want. Whether we have people studying in leadership, you can build a career in the office, but you can go on the open road. You can work locally, you can have dedicated line. 

We've adapted the industry, the trucking, to suit all those different options or choices. Like I didn't have as many choices when I was pregnant with my son. You couldn't really, you could work locally. It was harder. Now the sky's the limit. And you know, Lindsey, I tried once. I was like, okay, that's it. I want to try something else. Because I started, I went out of college into the industry. I've never worked anywhere else. I tried for six months to do something else. I love traveling. So I started working with a buddies in a travel agency and it was so boring. After six months I was like, I'm done. And, and he couldn't understand that. I wanted to be 24/7 with drivers calling me with problems. But I felt like I, I mattered in the trucking industry. 

So after six months I went back in and never tried again to leave that industry. 

Yeah, I don't know why anybody would want to leave it. It's such a great industry. The people are just so wonderful. And that's what we have to convey to the next generation because they have all these options. Do they want to become a plumber? Do they want to go in healthcare? It, you can do it. And trucking. Right. But there's a lot of options and we want them to be welcomed in our industry and we want to get the best and brightest people in the trucking industry and show how great our industry is. So looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation in trucking and in safety over the next five to 10 years? What do you all have in the horizon? 

So we always say that it's an industry with so much data. We're pulling data from the engine, from the truck, from the driver, from the dash cam. So I think one of. And it started now and it's going to evolve. It's gathering everything and making it easier to digest. First of all, for manager, for, even for drivers, they want to see how they did, how they can improve. So I think making it easier to digest, to look and putting it all together so that it becomes actionable and actionable for a driver manager, for a fleet manager, for that safety director. And then putting this technology, they already know it's there to make them to better. But I think it's getting all this technology to make the industry safer and distracted driving, changing their driving behavior. 

So I think we're there, but it's going to be even better. We hear a lot about AI Yes. It's a buzzword. But there's so much that will be available within the next few years. The model, the machine learning, the AI it will get better and it will be easier to use for the right reason. 

And I think it's going to keep people safer. We, which is what we want. Right. We want to keep our drivers safe and the general public safe. So there's a lot of benefits to it. And then in general with the future of trucking, is there anything on the horizon about the future that excites you? 

I think we are getting better at improving the image of trucking. I think we're really working all the association, all the non profit even were talking about women in motion ata everybody is getting involved. Yes, through Covid. All of a sudden truckers were heroes. And it's as if after Covid it started to be back to our old ways. But I think everybody, all the organization are really working to improve, improving the image. And if we want to attract, I look at my 12 year old, how do I attract him, that new generation into trucking? It's not those long crazy hours we used to pull and those 70 hours, that's not what they want. That's not what the new generation want. They want some a workplace that's inclusive. Women like they want something that's inclusive that talks to them. 

And I think this is what's really exciting about the future is we are changing that image. We are changing the trucking industry image. We are showing that there's opportunity. You don't want to be a driver. Well, you can be a mechanics. It's. You can be in the office. You don't want to be in the office. You like the outdoors there. There are so many opportunities. And I don't think when I joined 20 something years ago, I didn't know there was other things. I knew there was a dispatcher, there was drivers, but I had no clue about it development, anything else. Even mechanics there. There was no women mechanics. I love to see those, the women mechanics working on a truck because you know what? They can do it. You don't need to be. It's not a gender specific career. 

So I think that's what's the most exciting about the industry is that nice image that is changing. 

Yeah, that just reminds me one of the things on my to do list today is I need to that we work with an organization called the Technology Student association. And so they are building up future engineers and IT professionals really focusing on middle school and high school competitions and we will be at their conference at the career. They have a little bit of a career expo. And just talking to 6,000 middle schooler and high schoolers about, okay, you want to be an engineer, you want to be an it. Did you know that you could be a data scientist in trucking? You can be an engineer and make these trucks. And it's really fun to see their eyes light up and connect the dots because they don't know about that. 

They just know about the big companies that they've heard about and sitting behind a computer all day for Google or those big companies, they don't know that they can do it in trucking and they can help logistics and make the supply chain better. And it's really a fun thing to be able to go and talk to these students. Any chance you get to talk to students and help open their eyes to what's out there is so much fun. 

Yeah, we actually have an organization in Quebec or we have two offices or US headquarters are in Cleveland, Ohio and we have one just outside of Montreal in Quebec and there is a similar organization and they come and we see the student and they come to our office and they have no clue what the research and development team is doing. All those engineers working and then they go in the truck, they install it, they see their dash cam. So I think we're also doing a better job in going in middle school and high school and telling them about our industry. And this is, I think that's why it resonated with us to partner up with NextGen because that's what we do also in Quebec. 

And knowing more and more organizations that are going into school and bringing the younger generation into our industry is so great. 

Yeah. And studies are finding now that it really does take industry involvement in order to help get people into your industry. So there is a white paper that recently came out and the numbers are staggering that if there is industry involvement in middle school and high school and getting that credential, then more and more people are going to come into our industry. So we all need to see that as a way to work within our community. Right. You're in Quebec. Let's all work in our little backyard and try to get people into our backyard and we can all make such a difference. And really that's why we created Next Gen so we could cohesively work together as an industry to make a difference for the next generation. 

And I think it's important to remember that we've got good jobs and that our good jobs are what we want to expose these young people to so that they have a better future and a better life. 

Yeah, 100%. 100%. And they don't know what they don't know. So if we're not out there telling them how beautiful and how they can make a great career out somewhere in the trucking industry, they won't know. 

That's right. And then they get to meet wonderful people like you. So thank you. And you, it has been a pleasure to get to chat today and to know you more. And where can people find you? I mean, how do we get in touch with you? Are you on LinkedIn? Tell me some conferences you'll be at. 

So I'm on LinkedIn. I will be at the TCA safety conference in Louisville in about a month, June 8 to 10. And, well, you can see on LinkedIn, Isaac instrument or myself, Melanie Simard. And when we're somewhere, I'm going to the Woman in Motion symposium in Pittsburgh in July. So that's my next two stops before the fall and all the conferences that picks up in the fall. 

Well, people will be on the lookout for you and stop by the Isaac booth and connect with you on LinkedIn as well. And it was a pleasure today to talk, and we're just excited about our partnership. So thank you for your support of Next Gen in trucking and your support for the industry you got. You all do so much. So thank you. 

Well, thank you very much. It was a pleasure to be here today. Lindsey.