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Over the Road
Don’t underestimate your ability to influence change
In April 1970, David Brower founded Earth Day and coined the slogan “Think globally, act locally.” It is a term that can be, and is, applied widely outside the environmen- tal movement. According to New Geography the phrase “exemplifies the millennial generation’s outlook towards implementing societal changes on a direct, local level, and their belief in changing the world one community at a time.”
Last month I ended my column with the words “A universal method of training and certification is the only way to manage this (technolog- ical) change in a way that will mini- mize disruption across the trucking industry while defining the job of the truck operator in a rapidly chang- ing market. That’s what we need to attract new blood.”
That statement is a global one, not a local one. Big ideas are great, but weneedtobeabletoactonthemas individuals to bring them to fruition. This is outside our individual sphere of influence. So, what do we do if we want to influence change?
One way to influence change is to throw your support behind peo- ple like Shelley Uvanile-Hesch and the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC).
Shelley is a full-time truck driver and founder of WTFC. Don’t let the name of her organization deceive you, it’s not for women only. Although its focus is to assist women breaking into the trucking industry, it does so by focusing on training and mentorship. She brings together experienced truck drivers with newly licensed truck driv- ers, integrity-based carriers, and train- ing organizations. As she likes to say, WTFC is about creating a network for drivers, created by drivers. The WTFC slogan is “Join our drive to drive.”
Whereas I have the privilege of presenting my thoughts and ideas in this column each month, WTFC
brings training to the front line. It does some great grassroots social media work such as creating men- toring groups that bring seasoned drivers and new drivers together.
WTFC is a non-profit group, run by a board of professional drivers. WTFC provides a wonderful place for those interested in joining the trucking industry to go for a driv- er’s perspective on the industry. Go to the WTFC website and to its Face- book page to get the full picture.
Shelley and her associates in the women’s trucking movement deserve huge kudos for the efforts they are putting forth. They are mak- ing a difference while still driving full-time. It’s a huge challenge for them. But this is what happens when drivers that live and breathe trucking get sick and tired of watching from the sidelines and jump in feet first to make a difference.
We can support them and par- ticipate ourselves by becoming a member of the organization. This is an effective way to bring the exper- tise and experience of drivers to the cutting edge of the rapid changes that are happening right now in the trucking industry.
Another effective way to act locally and influence change is to speak up within your own company. Don’t underestimate the power of your own voice.
Any credible employer values the front-line experience you bring to their organization. After all, you as a driver are the face of the company you work for. Don’t underestimate the importance of your position in this regard. In fact, I’m surprised that we spend so little time bringing cus- tomer service training to the driver.
How often do you, as the driver, end up solving customer service issues on the loading dock? It hap- pens all the time. I have a feeling that drivers will be taking on a larger role
in the customer service and public relations fronts as we move forward. So, joining organizations that represent the interests of drivers and speaking up as a driving pro- fessional within your own company are just two ways of acting out on a local level and influencing broader change. It’s incremental change, but
it works. TN
Al Goodhall has been a profes- sional long-haul driver since 1998. He shares his experiences via his blog at http://truckingacross canada.blogspot.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Al_Goodhall.
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June 2017 • Truck News 49
TORONTO & BRANTFORD TERMINALS