Robb Palmer founded Nutech Digital in 1995 as an IT services and digital solutions provider. He has been involved in the trucking industry since 2014 when the Manitoba Trucking Association became one of his clients. This partnership resulted in Robb joining the MTA as an Associated Trades Division Executive Committee member just a year later.

“I was invited to join the ATD Executive Committee in the Summer of 2015, and working on the Committee has been a pleasure. The Committee comprises of about 20 individuals from businesses associated with the transportation industry.” Robb says, “Similar to other ATD members that provide services to the trucking industry, Nutech provides IT services, digital marketing, and TMS software.”

Over the last four years, Robb and his team at Nutech have been working closely with the MTA as it expands services – expansions such as RPM Safety. Nutech helps the MTA and other trucking companies in western Canada with services such as a help desk, cybersecurity, cloud services and networking, websites, digital marketing, phone systems, MS Dynamics CRM, and data analysis using Power BI. “We also have an in-house development team that creates software. In the past year, we launched a portal that stores drivers’ licenses, and every evening, the system checks and notifies the carrier when one of their drivers is suspended or has had their license status changed.”

Almost 30 years later, Robb continues to develop his lines of expertise among his team. “We’re growing! We have been in this growing stage of adding more people to our team for the past three or four years. Currently, our team consists of 13 people: eight people locally in the Winnipeg office and five working remotely.” The team is multi-disciplinary, with members from fields such as IT, marketing, design, admin, sales, and software development. “As we all work very closely with one another, we truly value having a supportive and tight-knit group.”

Robb says one of his biggest career achievements is the fact he’s still doing what he set out to do 29 years ago, and being involved in the MTA for the last ten years has been a major factor. “Being invited to the Associated Trades Division Executive Committee eight years ago has opened many doors. Now having many friendships with people that are on the Committee, Nutech Digital has embraced the trucking industry, to the point that our vision is to make trucking the cornerstone of our business,” Robb says, “The transportation industry is a very tight-knit community and being an involved member of the MTA has been instrumental to Nutech’s growth. We have sponsored golf tournaments, trade shows, the AGM, and the spring and fall galas.” Robb and his team enjoy the events that MTA puts on, both in partnership and participation; in fact, Robb still remembers the first event he ever attended – the ATD Spring Golf Tournament. These events have helped Nutech forge meaningful partnerships with not only the MTA but also carriers and other ATD members.

“Working with MTA as our client, we feel our partnership is valued. We’re often at the table when they’re discussing plans, consulting them like a virtual CTO. So, we’re not only very familiar with the team there, but we also feel like we’re an extension of their team, which we really appreciate,” Robb says. “Within the last year, we’ve started working with the Saskatchewan Trucking Association. We’re looking forward to continuing to build this partnership and expanding further into Saskatchewan.”

Robb’s favourite part about working in the trucking industry has been the people and the constant opportunity to implement new technology, specifically within smaller carriers. “We specialize in familiarizing smaller companies with more modern and efficient solutions. We take pride in helping these businesses advance, and we truly enjoy seeing them do well. Technology has evolved to the point where all the services we’ve provided over the last almost three decades have become tightly integrated – Nutech has truly become a 360-degree IT provider,” Robb says. Aside from IT, Nutech is excited to offer their partners everything – from websites and social media, recruiting new drivers and new customers, to managing and analyzing their data in a CRM using Microsoft Power BI. “We love figuring out how organizations can improve their operations in an economy that’s slowing down. These are the times that many companies make improvements in their IT. It’s great to be at the forefront of this shift and to be in consideration with owners and employees of trucking companies as they embrace newer technology and their digital transformation,” he continues.

Robb says there are so many different facets to working in the transportation business. You could be a driver, heavy mechanic, safety officer, business owner, or even pursue an IT career in trucking like he has. “Trucking is something that a lot of young people have overlooked, but when you peel back the layers and look at what’s underneath, you can see all the areas that make the whole industry work and thrive – all of that is ripe with opportunity. Trucking is an underrated staple in our economy; it’s an industry that’s not going away; it is evolving and becoming more diverse,” Robb says, “There’s a saying in the transportation business that everything you have has come in a truck and, if you think about it, that is 100% true.”

When Robb isn’t working long hours at the office, he tries to be active and spend time with his two dogs – particularly in the summer months, when he can also bike outside, golf, and spend time at his siblings’ lake houses. He also enjoys supporting the Winnipeg Jets, especially when they are doing well.