Communication the Biggest Barrier Drivers Face

This post originally published in December 2018 issue of Truck News.

I did something at the end of October I haven’t done for a very long time, I attended a trucking symposium. Sponsored by the Women's Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC) it brought together drivers and staff from operations, safety, and the executive suite in the same room.

I came away from the day’s meeting with a lot of information of high value to me as a driver. I also came away from the meeting with questions.  A few years ago I spent a considerable amount of time attending industry meetings and became somewhat disenchanted. It's not that the information I gleaned from these meetings wasn’t valuable or that the presenters weren’t professional and well-informed. The problem I saw was that the intention to create positive change on the front line wasn't trickling down to the drivers. WTFC is trying to change that narrative from the bottom up. In light of that this inaugural meeting was named Bridging the Barriers.

There were a couple of things that stood out for me at the meeting. The first was the presentation on trailer theft and truck hijacking. It was an interactive session and training that every driver should receive. It was great to have a 30-year police veteran share his experience as to how these hijackings come about and what you should do if you are a victim (driver) in order to come out of it safely.

The presentation on cannabis and drug & alcohol testing was also interesting. It amazes me that the government can mandate this testing and we rarely if ever question its efficacy. The trucking industry spends tens of millions of dollars every year on drug testing.

So when I put these things together in my head I'm left wondering about something that I have written about in this space many times before. Why do we not have a federally mandated standardized Apprenticeship Training Program for truck drivers in this country?

As important as it is to our personal safety, truck hijacking is not part of a standardized safety program but standardized drug testing is, with questionable results in my opinion in terms of improving safety outcomes. Why are we not questioning that investment?

It appears to me, after participating in a seminar titled Bridging the Barriers, that the greatest barrier we face is the communication barrier. Getting the information to the drivers on the front line is the greatest challenge we face. Until we overcome that obstacle how can we address any of the other major issues that we face?

It's not reasonable to expect long-haul drivers to attend trucking seminars on a regular basis. We simply don't have the time nor can we do it on our own dime. But that doesn't mean we should just throw in the towel.

As drivers we should be investing in organizations like WTFC. The price of membership is less than what the average driver spends on a dozen large coffees in the course of her work week. The return on that small investment is that you have drivers representing you to the rest of the industry in a positive way and bringing to light the issues we face on the front line every day.

That being said, we can't expect that throwing only money at a problem is going to solve it. We have to participate in the process in some way. This is the objective of WTFC. The goal of this organization is to build a network of informed drivers. This is the best way to amplify our voice as drivers in a positive way. We need to bring the driver experience to the forefront of our industry.

As professional drivers we need a unified lobby if we want to have a strong voice at the table. I would urge drivers to take a close look at WTFC as a channel for being that change that you want to see in our industry.

Don’t Underestimate Your Ability to Influence Change

This Post First Appeared in the June 2017 edition of Truck News

 In April of 1970 David Brower founded Earth Day and coined the slogan “think globally, act locally”. It is a term that can be, and is, applied widely outside the environmental movement. According to New Geography the phrase “…..exemplifies the Millennial Generation’s outlook towards implementing societal changes on a direct, local level and their belief in changing the world one community at a time.”

Last month I ended my column with the words - A universal method of training & certification is the only way to manage this (technological) change in a way that will minimize disruption across the trucking industry while defining the job of the truck operator in a rapidly changing market. That’s what we need to attract new blood.

That statement is a global one not a local one. Big ideas are great but we need to be able to act on them as individuals to bring them to fruition. This is outside our individual sphere of influence. So what do we do if we want to influence change?

One way to influence change is to throw your support behind people like Shelley Uvanile-Hesch and the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada. (WTFC)

Shelley is a full time trucker and founder of WTFC. Don’t let the name of her organization deceive you, it is not for women only. Although its focus is to assist women breaking into the trucking industry it does so by focusing on training and mentorship. She brings together experienced truckers with newly licensed truckers, integrity based carriers, and training organizations. As she likes to say WTFC is about creating a network for drivers by drivers. The WTFC slogan is “Join our drive to drive”.

Whereas I have the privilege of presenting my thoughts and ideas in this column each month WTFC brings training to the front line. They do some great grassroots social media work such as creating mentoring groups that bring seasoned drivers and new drivers together. WTFC is a non-profit run by a board of professional drivers. WTFC provides a wonderful place for those interested in joining the trucking industry to go for a driver’s perspective on the industry. Go to the WTFC website and to their Facebook page to get the full picture.

Shelley and her associates in the women’s trucking movement deserve huge kudos for the efforts they are putting forth. They are making a difference while still driving full time. It’s a huge challenge for them. But this is what happens when drivers that live and breathe trucking get sick and tired of watching from the sidelines and jump in feet first to make a difference. We can support them and participate ourselves by becoming a member of their organization. This is an effective way to bring the expertise and experience of drivers to the cutting edge of the rapid changes that are happening right now in the trucking industry.

Another effective way to act out locally and influence change is to speak up within your own company. Don’t underestimate the power of your own voice. Any credible employer values the front line experience you bring to their organization. After all, you as a driver are the face of the company you work for. Don’t undervalue the importance of your position in this regard. In fact I’m surprised that we spend so little time bringing customer service training to the driver. How often do you as the driver end up solving customer service issues on the loading dock? It happens all the time. I have a feeling that drivers will be taking on a larger role on the customer service and public relations front as we move forward.

So joining organizations that represent the interest of drivers and speaking up as a driving professional within your own company are just two ways of acting out on a local level and influencing broader change. It’s incremental change, but it works.