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the truck’s cab so they could put it on unanimous in saying that while it may ing that programs like CSA don’t have
before interfacing with customers. seem the government overregulates, room for improvement.”
“I think a lot of our problems can the trucking industry must adhere to
be solved,” Salisbury said. “Whether it’s regulations because of its close proxim- fRom cHRoNIc To cRITIcal
our driver shortage, whether it’s getting ity to millions of motorists, and that if While it is important to weed out
our drivers more respect, or whether it’s regulations are properly implemented bad drivers, a worsening driver shortage
the Claybrooks of the world, we must the unsavory elements in trucking will has plagued the transportation industry
do a better job to communicate that the disappear. the past few years. Projections differ,
man or woman behind the wheel of our Salisbury pointed to the Federal but some forecast that the industry’s
trucks are people who have families, Motor Carrier Safety Administration shortfall will get much more critical,
too.” (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety and predicting the industry will need to find
Accountability initiative as a perfect 95,000 additional truck drivers each
pUSHINg polIcy example of safety regulations remov- year for the next 10 years to meet the
Burruss asked the panel if they ing the bad operators. “CSA has suf- demands of a growing economy. On top
agree that the public’s perception will fered from its share of bureaucratic red of that will be the need to recruit truck
drive public policy – in other words, tape and politics,” he admitted. Yet, drivers to replace those drivers who will
if the industry can improve its public Salisbury said the CSA program is “a simply exit the industry.
image, will the legislation and regula- good place to start and there’s a need So, over the next 10 years, that’s
tions improve? for similar initiatives.” one million new drivers needed plus
“No question there’s a direct link “If we recruit 100 guys and out of an additional several million to simply
between the way the public perceives us those 100 guys only three of them make replace those who leave the workforce;
and what we can get done on Capitol
Hill,” Card said. “If we’re always fight-
ing defensive battles, we’re never going
to get anything done to make our “we read publicatioNs aNd we fiNd ourselVes
industry stronger and better and do beiNg portrayed iN a way that is Neither what
the right things, so I think it is tied we belieVe Nor who we are.”
together.”
Williams offered that much of the —chris burruss, truckload carriers associatioN
problem to improving the industry’s
image is a sense among some within
the industry that people should just it through the screening process, that an impossible task for any industry. But
leave us alone, that we don’t owe any- means 97 of them went down the road take an industry like trucking with a
one anything. “I can tell you there’s a and got a job someplace else,” Salisbury less than favorable image for the life-
whole bunch of people in this business said. “That’s what scares me. I know style it creates for truck drivers, and the
who believe owning a truck or driving that guy and I know what he can do problem will likely go from chronic to
a truck is some type of entitlement or a and he doesn’t need to be on the road critical.
right and it isn’t,” Williams said. “Being driving a truck.” “One of the business philosophies
in this industry is a privilege and I can Williams said the key for trucking that we’ve always embraced at Maverick
tell you from personal experience that associations and transportation execu- is we attempt to manage with facts,”
our biggest critics will become some of tives is to become part of the solution, Williams said. “Another one is begin-
our biggest supporters if we simply do and to be seen doing so. ning with the end in mind. And the
things the right way.” “I’m a firm believer and have been reality is our driver shortage problem is
Williams said that the first step a big advocate for certain regulations compounded by our own internal image
is for the industry to police itself – to on the industry and stricter regula- issues and a lot of other things that
be aggressive and pro-active in stop- tions because left to ourselves, we won’t are within our control.” For example,
ping the rule breakers in the industry do it,” said Williams. “I really believe Williams said an aging workforce and
who are harming the industry’s image. there’s no other way to fix this because no effective recruiting programs to
Williams said that improving safety it is human nature to try to apparently encourage a new generation of drivers is
accountability or embracing electronic get by with everything you can get by a simple reality.
on-board recorders (EOBRs) can win with. But it’s important those regula- Williams said many companies
over potential critics like Claybrook and tions be effective, that they be fair, are arranging shorter routes and more
Card agreed with him. that they really work the way they were
Salisbury, Williams and Card were designed. And I’m certainly not suggest-  41

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