Page 21 - ATR 2 2012 web 2

Image matters

Gary Salisbury believes trucking execs can do
more to help themselves and their image

By J.k. Jones

Contributing Writer

Maybe it takes an Arkansas country
boy to truly appreciate the importance
of image. Especially one who’s worked
his way up from the truck cab to the
boardroom and to prominent leadership
roles in industry associations—from
blue collar work shirts to button-down
Oxfords and silk ties.
Appropriately, in his last official
address as chairman of the Truckload
Carriers Association (TCA) at its recent
meeting in Orlando, Fikes Truck Line
President and CEO Gary Salisbury
combined some down-home storytellin’
with a very pointed message to fel-
low trucking executives: Fix trucking’s
image.
Recalling his year as chairman,
Salisbury stepped away from the lectern,
moved out from behind the teleprompt-
ers and stepped to center stage.
“I was standing there with a far-
away look in my eyes—kind of like now.
You have all these plans,” he said, refer-
ring to his first appearance as chairman Salisbury
last year in San Diego. “In this industry,
as owners of truck lines, executives of not doing more. because Hubbard and Beam have inspi-
truck lines, drivers of trucks, you soon Recent TCA Highway Angels of rational stories to tell—they’re just the
realize to be successful you’ve got to be the Year Sean Hubbard and Marcus kind of truckers the public needs to
patient. My whole thought in this image Beam remain unknown names to most, know about. The kind of trucker that
process is that public image drives pub- Salisbury pointed out, even at the con- attracted a young Salisbury to the busi-
lic policy. So if we want to get a favor- vention of the sponsoring association— ness.
able ruling on legislative or regulatory yet “their faces need to be on every TV “I was born a trucker,” he said.
issues, it’s obvious our image needs to screen and newspaper in the country. “Well, actually I was born a farmer who
be improved—drastically.” “But how do we do that as an wanted to be a trucker. I was a square-
He pointed to TCA’s Wreaths industry?” Salisbury asked. “It’s very headed country boy that didn’t know
Across America, Weight Loss Showdown difficult, when most of the time our anything but ‘get it done.’”
and Highway Angel programs as effec- own industry doesn’t recognize them, Salisbury credited his “old-school”
tive tools in the image campaign—but other than for maybe a day or two.”
took convention attendees to task for And that is a shame, he explained, 

ArkAnSAS trucking report | issue 2 2012 21