Page 17 - ATR 2 2020 digital

George W. Bush after the towers fell in more than ever I feel the need to lead got to get up and go. You got to face the
New York. by example. I started talking about that issues, face the problems, and maybe
Despite the bad day his own com- last year at the conference. I had an you can help be a part of the solution.”
pany had suffered, Cushman recognized opportunity to address everybody, and One way he’s learned to weather
the wave of hardship that was here and I talked about [collaboration]. But now, the storms is teamwork. He advises sur-
still coming for the industry, and he all of a sudden here it is upon us, and rounding yourself with the best, smart-
was uplifted by the willingness of his I’m exercising it more than ever.” est people. His team of employees have
peers to brainstorm solutions for all the engage with the situation. There hasn’t
carriers who would soon face similar LESSON 2: FACE THE HARDSHIPS been a slip in productivity.
uncertainties. AND BE PART OF THE SOLUTION He’s seen people lose their heads in
While most of his employees were crisis, and that behavior doesn’t make
LESSON 1: COLLABORATE learning how to manage their produc- things better. When workers went on a
Cushman has a very strong belief tivity in a work-from-home setting, six-week strike at General Motors, his
in people, he says, but that’s been con- Cushman is still in the office navigating largest customer, he stayed calm. He
firmed lately. the changes. didn’t lay off one worker and still made
“You know, when I took over as “I need to be here because this money. “Now, did we make as much
chairman, one of the things I talked thing is so dynamic. It’s changing every money as we did in non-strike months?
about was collaboration,” he says. By single day. It’s changing by the hour. No, but first of all, I thought we were
collaborate, he doesn’t mean sharing I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m going to lose a lot of money that month,
trade secrets. Instead, he’s talking about coping great from the standpoint of but because of how we responded, just
common ground, finding the place believing in our team. I keep emphasiz- cooler heads prevail.”
where the soil is the same and starting ing, ‘Think, think, think, think, think.’ That willingness to pivot towards
from there. There’s a way for us to do things differ- working solutions instead of sticking to
His first calls that weekend were ently than we have in the past to help a pre-written script can serve the indus-
to Tim Thorne, president of ABF us all get through these things.” try, he says.
Freight; John Smith, president of FedEx
Freight; James Reed, CEO of USA LESSON 3: MAKE FRIENDS
Truck; Rochelle Bartholomew, president Something else that serves the
of CalArk International; Greg Orr, “YOU CAN’T HIDE industry? Friendship.
president of CFI; Dave Ables of Dart Unlike toilet paper, it’s okay to
Transport; and Matt Herndon of U.S. UNDERNEATH THE hoard friends and stock up for a rainier
Express. Everyone he reached out to DESK. YOU GOT TO GET day. Cushman quotes John Burris, for-
responded with “How can we help each UP AND GO. YOU GOT mer Arkansas representative and ATA
other?” TO FACE THE ISSUES, lobbyist, “You never miss having friends
He and his sales team were on the until you need them.”
phone, finding ways to keep the driv- FACE THE PROBLEMS, Building those friendships is some-
ers who had served their automotive AND MAYBE YOU CAN thing you invest time and energy into
customers. Before our meeting, he had HELP BE A PART OF THE BEFORE the storm starts. Your reputa-
a call that would allow him to put 60 tion in trucking is made up of big and
of those drivers to work immediately in SOLUTION.” small pieces.
conjunction with another carrier. His call-to-action for every truck-
“It’s just so refreshing, and it just ing company is to make themselves
makes my heart glow with happiness to available to friends.
see people that are willing and able to Though he doesn’t welcome them, If he has freight he can’t haul,
collaborate and do things together so he believes he thrives in crisis situations instead of turning it down, he would
that we can all move forward through because of his upbringing on the south make it available to his friends in the
this, because that’s what we have to do,” side of Chicago. His early exposure to ATA, maybe smaller companies without
he says. trials and tribulations and the racial large sales staffs. Trucking is mostly
Collaboration may not come natu- unrest of his diverse neighborhood gave made up of small operations with thin
rally in such a competitive industry, his parents a chance to instill lessons profits. Making sure there is still space
but Cushman says that his years in the of living through hardships rather than for everyone to survive is best for the
ATA have taught him the value. “Since hiding from them. industry.
I joined Arkansas Trucking Association My mom and dad always said, “You
and since I became chairman, now, can’t hide underneath the desk. You 

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 2 2020 17