Page 37 - Newcom

Insights
Over The Road
Trucking industry needs to acknowledge role in climate change
We don’t talk a lot about climate change or climate science in our busi- ness, which is at odds with the fact the transportation industry is a mas- sive consumer of fossil fuels. What we do talk a lot about is reducing our fuel costs and becoming increasingly more efficient and profitable.
We also talk a lot about how we can attract young people into the trucking industry and how difficult that is in this day and age. What we don’t talk a lot about is how climate change is the existential issue of our times to the same young people we are trying to attract.
Why would a young person today want to be part of an industry that is seen to be contributing to climate change without taking responsibil- ity for it?
As an industry insider, I know that this is not the case. There are many trucking companies adopting tech- nologies to reduce emissions and fuel costs out of a sense of social respon- sibility as much as out of a need to be fiscally responsible.
We also know that young people want to be the change they want to see in the world and that need to change is becoming increasingly urgent because the effects of cli- mate change are going to impact their lives directly.
It’s time to stop thinking of attract- ing young people to our industry just to drive trucks. We need to be able to show that it’s possible to make a positive change in the world from the inside of a truck cab.
At times, we can be our own worst enemy. As we have adopted technol- ogy that is more fuel-efficient, we have also presented it as something that is superior in performance to that of an experienced driver.
It is not enough to say to us (driv- ers), “Come and sit in the midst of our fancy technology and see how wonderful it is – enjoy the ride.” We
need to be able to interact with tech- nology, to make it more than what it is, to be able to enhance our lives and the lives of others, to feel that we are making the world a better place through what we do every day.
All of that may sound idealistic, even utopian, but we all want to make something of ourselves and contribute to the world around us.
When it comes to the issues of cli- mate change action and improved fuel efficiency, I believe the driver is the key. This is also where the solution to the driver shortage can be found.
For this to happen we need to first realize that driver training goes far beyond skills training and imple- menting rules and systems that gov- ern individual actions.
We need to take a leading role in reducing carbon emissions and sing that from the rooftops.
Over the years I’ve learned that in order to enhance my performance, I need to have autonomy and be empowered with the responsibility to make decisions out here on the road. When treated with trust and respect, most of us respond with commitment and loyalty. That has been my experience. I have been for- tunate in that respect.
Somehow we need to pull all of these things together. We need to take a leading role in reducing car- bon emissions and sing that from the rooftops. We need to open up our industry to new blood by letting peo- ple know that they can be the change they want to see in the future, that their personal contributions in the trucking industry can have signifi-
cant and immediate impacts. We need to treat people well. We need national training programs that are universally available to drivers and carriers that support the full truck- ing experience.
That’s not asking for much, is it? But it’s where we need to go. Settling for less at this point in time is not an option. TN
Al Goodhall has been a profes- sional longhaul driver since 1998. He shares his experiences via his blog at www.truckingacross canada.blogspot.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Al_Goodhall.
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November 2018 • Truck News 37