Where is the Code for the Road?

I don’t mean to broad stroke the entire industry this way as there are exceptions. TCA’s Highway Angel program significantly highlights the heroic actions of many drivers. Other associations and individual trucking companies reward similar actions. Now, having recognized these folks, I wonder if any of those drivers had to break company policy in order to do the right thing? I also wonder if management called some of them on the carpet once they were out of the spotlight?

I sympathize with association leadership, on both sides of the border, who try to solve this problem. Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) is a program driven to heighten exposure and is overseen by my good friend, Truckload Carriers Association’s Past Chairman Kevin Burch. There is also the slogan of the Ontario Trucking Association, “If you got it, a truck brought it.” These great programs and slogans are an attempt to change the image the public has of our industry. I have often wondered how frustrated leadership must be when large amounts of money continue to be spent trying to create a positive image especially when you consider that, due to COVID, driver and owner operator turnover rates are currently under control. However, when things get back to normal, I predict we will fall back into our old ways. While we are spending millions of dollars to improve the public’s image of the industry, we should also be trying to correct the internal image we have of ourselves.

Consider the individual who drives long haul for a living. When you take this driver’s annual income divided by the hours spent driving, the individual is probably working for minimum wage or less. The exception to this would be those top carriers, regardless of size, who adequately reward their workforce.

As we all know, COVID has revealed the vital role the trucking industry plays in the daily lives of the public. As a result, truck drivers are receiving the accolades they rightly deserve. However, I question how long this new-found respect will last once COVID is under control.

While building a program called the Driver Retention Masterclass, I researched Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. if you are not aware of the thoughts published by Abraham Maslow back in the ‘40’s, it is well worth your time. Maslow professes there are five levels which each of us instinctively tries to reach. It is just part of our DNA. The first level is physiological meaning food and drink. In today’s world, that translates to drivers’ wages. Without this level being satisfactory, coupled with no sense of community, nothing else matters. Until adequate wages and a sense of community are achieved, drivers will continue to look for greener pastures.

Safe trucking,

Rjh