The knights of the road are making a comeback
The Trucking Moves America Forward campaign was announced March 26 at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. The mission of this movement is to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public are aware of the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy and to build the political support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the coming years.
I am thrilled anytime when we can do things to promote a positive image for the trucking industry. Many groups and associations throughout the industry have jumped on board with the image campaign. Some of these include: Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Many of the OEM’S and other industry suppliers are supporting this initiative as well.
Our public image is created from our actions on a daily basis and further reinforced with the stereotypes portrayed in many Hollywood movies. Remember the movies years ago… Convoy, Duel, Smokey and the Bandit. These movies are not the reality of a truck driver’s life and have created a false sense in some people’s minds. In my opinion, this is where the industry started to lose its image of the driver being a “Knight of the Highway.”
I will be attending the Great American Truck Show (GATS) in Dallas next week and I plan to find out more information on a first hand basis. I had plans to attend the kick off at Mid America earlier this year, however scheduling conflicts did not allow for me to participate. The Trucking Moves America Forward has been aggressive in raising quite a bit of money to date and at this year’s GATS they will introduce the “High-5 and Show Your Pride” campaign on August 20, 2014. This campaign encourages attendees to donate five dollars to the TMAF movement in hopes to reach their goal of one million dollars its first year.
Our image will be restored when we as adults are encouraging the younger generation to follow in our footsteps in becoming a truck driver. When I speak with other professional drivers in the industry, a low percentage of them are encouraging their offspring to embark on a trucking career. For me, this industry has had its ups and downs but overall it’s enabled me to provide my family with an above average lifestyle. The wheels of our industry may be a bit tarnished at the moment, however if we each take responsibility we can polish the blemishes from our industry.