Published: 19 March 2018
When we talk about image, it’s what we see with our eyes that comes to mind. But image is more than what we look like, it speaks to our character, our values, and the contribution we make to our communities. Apparently, trucking has an image problem.
Angela Splinter, of Trucknews.com, recently published an interesting article about the trucking industry’s image with young people. Trucknews partnered with Abacus Data to survey 2,000 young Canadians on their views, and the results provide considerable insight into the reasons for employee shortages.
The stereotypical beliefs that truck driving is low-skill, low-pay, all work and no play, continue to convince most young people to look elsewhere for a job. Driving wasn’t considered a “career” choice, although 25% of those surveyed really didn’t know anything about driving or any other types of jobs in the trucking industry.
Specifically, the survey group “underestimated driver pay rates,” despite the fact that “the average salary for a driver is higher than the average Canadian wage.” The group also “overestimated the amount of training time it would take to meet entry-level requirements,” and assumed the jobs would be “boring.” Dang!
The CEO of Abacus Data is going to be making a presentation to the BC Trucking Association sometime in the near future, to provide more of the survey’s results. In the meanwhile though, we wondered what we all could do to raise awareness about the value of trucking and the incredible variety of jobs that the industry offers.
Maybe we’re just too modest in general about what it is we do. Sure, we’re “truckers,” but when you say that too someone, do they think, “Wow, I’m so glad there are people like you to make sure I get my fresh veggies every day,” or “How the heck do you manage to bring me fresh fish when the ocean is so far away?” No, they probably don’t.
Maybe we should make presentations in high schools, or go to tech colleges to talk about the new age of logistics. Maybe we should produce some videos about what it really takes to get shoes made in China all the way to your local department store.
Maybe we should talk more about the intricacies of customs brokering or all of the documentation that goes into moving products when a new trade deal comes into force. When almost everything that the average person thinks about our industry is wrong, it’s hard to know where to start.
Here’s what we do know. We’re proud to be truckers. We’re excited about the future of our industry. We’re enthusiastic about new technologies, electric semis, and collaboration with our partners in logistics. We know that without us, our communities wouldn’t have fresh veggies or any of the hundreds of other products we move every day; and now, we’re going to try to do better telling our story.
Ameri-Can Logistics Ltd. is a trucking company servicing shipping ports, railroad depots, and communities throughout North America. Operating 24/7/365 with continuous dispatch services, businesses have relied on Ameri-Can to distribute their products to buyers in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, for three decades.
