Last month, the Truckload Carriers Association delivered some exciting and long-overdue news to its membership: the inception of #TruckloadStrong, a comprehensive initiative promoting trucking’s image to the motoring public.
I recently heard that apparently TCA is the industry’s “best kept secret." With #TruckloadStrong, neither TCA nor the essential nature of the truckload industry as a whole will remain a “secret” any longer.
TCA’s value proposition has never been stronger as TCA recently achieved a record high in carrier membership with a 6% year-to-date gain – which is now at nearly 8%. We now represent carrier members with a truck count of more than 210,000 trucks which combine to total over $38 billion in annual truckload revenue.
By partnering with LaunchIt Public Relations, the TCA staff will collaborate with CEO Susan Fall and her team to showcase the truckload segment of the industry’s excellence in four areas: A strong commitment to safety; the use of advanced technology to improve safety, efficiency, and driver quality of life; the essentiality of truckload carriers for the nation, its economy and prosperity; and recognition for the generosity of the industry through driver goodwill and carrier community outreach.
Susan stated our position well, saying “truckload carriers are deserving of the recognition that they are a highly safe, technologically savvy and essential industry. This initiative is a group effort. We will be working closely with TCA carrier and supplier members to guide them on how best to spread the word of our superior truckload industry.”
TCA staff agreed, with Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller echoing the sentiments.
“Our organization’s membership is at an all-time high, our industry is incredibly strong and with unparalleled pride in what we do, but we have to do a better job at getting that message out to our partners, the public and in particular potential drivers. That’s why we hired LaunchIt. They have served the trucking industry for over 29 years with successful image campaigns and launches. As our momentum in membership growth continues, the expertise that LaunchIt brings to our strategic plan for improving the image of trucking will be invaluable.”
#TruckloadStrong sums up TCA, its members, and this new image initiative. It’s not just a hashtag but a movement I hope to see a lot more of in the months to come. As our membership continues to reach new heights, our collective voice gets stronger, and we can all join together to promote our industry in the eyes of the public.
If you’re ready to join the movement, I encourage you to attend TCA’s Truckload Strong event, set for Monday evening during Truckload 2021: Las Vegas next month. The fundraising event will take place at the iconic Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas. Thanks to our friends at Daimler Trucks, attendees can enjoy entertainment, networking, unlimited food and beverages, all under the stars.
Want to have a larger presence? Associate members have the opportunity to sponsor carnival games. Contact [email protected] to learn more.
It will be an evening you won’t forget. I look forward to seeing you in Vegas.
Jim Ward is president of D.M. Bowman, a 382-truck fleet based in Williamsport, Maryland. Under his direction, the company has transitioned from truckload carrier to a full-service transportation company, offering its customers dedicated fleet services, short haul, linehaul, brokerage, logistics and warehousing for dry van, flatbed, bulk and specialty services. Ward is the 2021-2022 chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association.
