Page 18 - ATR 2 2020 digital

“First and foremost, I always worry
about me, about my company, but I
worry about those smaller companies,
too. I worry about potentially the cash “YOU CAN’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP BECAUSE
flow in our industry hurting people, PEOPLE, I THINK, ARE GENERALLY GOOD. I’VE GOT A
customers not paying as quickly tomor- STRONG BELIEF IN PEOPLE.”
row as they did yesterday.
“That’s going to hurt me, but it’s
really going to hurt your smaller truck-
ing companies because they got to pay leads on access to personal protective say, ‘Okay, let’s pause and think about
for fuel. They haul 90 plus percent of equipment, assurances about border what we did right,’ because it just seems
all the freight out there. Those carriers, closings and other restrictions that to flow so easily.”
if we’re not careful, could be hurting would impede trucking’s efforts, facts Everyone is reflective while they
quickly.” instead of rumors, and comradery with are getting knocked down, he said. But
That was three weeks ago at the other carriers. you shouldn’t be waiting until the bad
time of press, and he was right. The “If you’re off by yourself, you times to ask what is happening. Pause,
economic pain that struck the rest of wouldn’t know where to go,” he says. and celebrate the good times (because
small businesses around the country As an example of the collaboration they will be back), but be ready to mull
have come for all the trucking compa- he has experienced and wants to pay over the right steps that led you to suc-
nies who weren’t already hauling items forward, Cushman shares a phone call cess just as much as you may regret the
deemed essential to stop the bleeding of he got after one of ATA’s conference wrong steps that lead to failures.
this particular crisis. calls the week before. Whether you learn from your own
“I had this conversation with James crashes or someone else’s, Cushman
LESSON 4: LEAN ON THE Reed and George Henry, his VP of logis- has no time for schadenfreude. Instead,
ASSOCIATION tics. It was right after our call Tuesday. as chair of the Arkansas Trucking
Still, he’s optimistic. Immediately, James Reed called me, and Association, he wants the membership
Cushman’s advice and comfort for he said, ‘I want to give you visibility. and all Arkansas carriers to give and ask
this moment is to lean on the associa- We’re not automotive, Dan. We’re way for help freely.
tion and the friendships you’ve built. overbooked. I’ve got more freight than I “Help somebody. I don’t take any
Everywhere you look, there are inspiring can haul.’” joy in seeing other companies or other
stories of trucking delivering more than Reed assured Cushman that it people experience hardships. If there’s
toilet paper. They are bringing hope and wouldn’t endanger any proprietary any way I could help them through that
light to some dark spaces. information. “You know who my cus- I would.”
“I think that the Arkansas Trucking tomers are. I know who your custom- “You can’t be afraid to ask for help
Association and the members are front ers are. I’m not going to give you my because people, I think, are generally
and center of this thing. I mean look rates. I’m going to show you visibility to good. I’ve got a strong belief in people.”
at Walmart, look at Tyson and things freight,” Reed told him. Trucking is a tough industry, full of
they’re doing to help provide solu- “In trucking, it seems, we’re kind of tough people, but it’s also a small world
tions. It’s good to have those people to brought up as little children to not trust where the friends you make here will
talk to, to benchmark, to brainstorm. the other guy, and we got to get past last if you invest in those partnerships.
Everybody’s giving.” that. I’ve never lived that way, but I’ve “Be caring, be kind. Because we’re
For small carriers with limited heard it throughout my career.” all going to be in the same room a year
resources, he hopes they see two things from now, 10 years from now, maybe
in ATA right now: strong relationships LESSON 5: PAUSE AND CELEBRATE wearing a different logo on your sweat-
with policymakers and collaborating THE GOOD TIMES (THERE WILL BE er, on your golf shirt, but you’ll still be
relationships amongst members. MORE GOOD TIMES) in the industry.”
ATA has hosted calls with Arkansas’ This year, 2020, will go down It’s good advice for surviving a
delegation to the U.S. Congress notoriously in history books, but PAM global pandemic—identifying your
and calls with FMCSA, Arkansas Transport is actually celebrating their friends and protecting those relation-
Department of Transportation, 40th anniversary. They had been expe- ships—but it’s really just good advice
Governor Asa Hutchinson’s office and riencing record years. He cautions that for being a trucker, being an American,
the Arkansas Economic Development the successful times are sometimes being a human. Above all else, we have
Commission. Both calls produced fruit- missed opportunities. “You’re too busy to be truckers, Americans, and humans
ful results: guidance from officials, drinking champagne and celebrating to right now. ATR

18 Issue 2 2020 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT