On this episode of DriverReach’s Taking The Hire Road, guest host Leah Shaver, president and CEO of the National Transportation Institute, chats with Jim Ward, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).
Associations are an important part of the trucking industry, providing their members with a way to access professional development tools, establish and deepen relationships and advance the interests of their members.
A recent American Transportation Research Institute study even showed that motor carriers that are active in state and national membership associations are safer than those that are not.
“The motor carrier industry is a very competitive and ever-changing business. To participate in group discussions, network with your peers and industry suppliers is a great way for companies to keep up today on what’s working, what’s coming down the path for the future and I think associations provide this type of engagement,” Ward said.
The TCA — the nation’s only trade organization solely focused on truckload carriers — represents operators of more than 220,000 trucks throughout North America. It has a mission to increase its members’ productivity, profitability and ability to provide superior service.
Prior to stepping into his role as president of the TCA, Ward was an active member for 30 years. His time as a member, advancing through the leadership line to the chairmanship and watching successful leaders over the years, has given him a unique perspective and insight into what matters to the association’s members.
In conversations with trucking industry leaders and the TCA leadership team, he found reoccurring themes:
Improving the driving job.
Safer roadways and being a good neighbor on the highways.
Managing costs.
Environmental sustainability.
Industry image.
In addition to educating its members, legislators and the general public about these issues, the TCA also provides educational opportunities to members in the form of certification programs.
Some of TCA’s certification programs are tied in with its dues, providing a return on investment for its members. TCA’s North American Transportation Management Institute offers programs in the areas of safety and risk management, maintenance and supervisory roles and a driver’s trainer certification. Through its learner’s management system, the TCA also offers fleet management certification and HR/recruiting and retention certification.
While continuing education is vital, advocating for its members to lawmakers to drive changes and ultimately improve the trucking profession is an integral part of what the TCA does.
In just a few weeks, the TCA will welcome members to its Call on Washington, which will bring together members for an opportunity to meet with government representatives on Capitol Hill to share personal stories about how policy decisions impact their businesses.
“The last thing anyone wants is for [lawmakers] to frame decisions from their perspective and then we must live with the unintended consequences of a bad decision,” Ward said. “They need to hear from people who are producing jobs and keeping America moving.”
One of the biggest issues that TCA has been pushing is when it comes to parking, which ultimately is critical to determining the daily logistics of drivers’ jobs.
“When the average driver employee is spending an hour seeking a safe place to park, it’s a real issue. We’re making some progress,” he said.
Ultimately, asking for more parking doesn’t just mean more space for trucks — it also means safe, well lit and amenities for drivers.
“I suggest carriers look around their state to determine what if any rest areas are currently closed and put pressure on your local and state representatives to get them open in the meantime,” Ward advised listeners.
Continuing to push to make life better for drivers on the road will ultimately help draw more people to the career. As many truck drivers are starting to age out, it’s becoming especially important to bring in more young people to the profession. Promoting truck driving as a first-choice career to high schoolers will be important to draw new people to the industry, Ward said.
“We need to do a better job as an industry letting the next generation know how the job has, and continues to, change. It’s not their grandfather’s job as we say, or in most cases, not even the job that their fathers experienced.”
To learn more about the TCA, click here.
More from Taking The Hire Road:
Safeguarding trucking’s reputation and compliance
Empowering drivers and staff alike
Drivers on demand: How FStaff brings flexibility for all
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