OTA Dispatch Issue 3, 2020

15 www.ortrucking.org Issue 3 | 2020 TRUCKING’S IMAGE Essential. Respect. Heroes. By Elisabeth Barna, EVP, Industry Affairs & Senior Advisor to the President & CEO, American Trucking OVER THE YEARS, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) has been working to change the perception of the trucking industry through various image, education, and outreach programs. We often receive questions as to why is it important to have a positive image, are we making a difference, and how can we help to improve the perception of the hardworking men and women who keep America moving? First and foremost, the industry must build and mobilize its ‘fan base’ to help us achieve success, to grow our business, and most importantly, to safely and efficiently deliver goods across the country. Those fans must understand the trucking industry and the tremendous value it provides to the U.S. economy and to communities across America. Those fans should understand that we are safe, reliable, and committed to reducing our carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment. Those fans should appreciate that safety is our No. 1 priority and that trucking provides an honorable and fulfilling career option. Safety and professionalism are the foundation of ATA’s efforts to showcase our industry and help shape public perception. When our team goes to Capitol Hill and meets with members of Congress, they point to our industry’s extensive safety record. When they are finished highlighting our safety record, they turn to our professionalism and the trucking industry’s dedication to charitable causes, community involvement, and willingness to respond quickly during disaster-relief efforts. When a hard-hit community needs a helping hand, the trucking industry is there to lend it. Trucking is the first to respond, is there to help rebuild, and when the community gets back on its feet, our industry is there to help move it forward. This is the message we take to Congress, and this is the message that we share with the American people. That is why ATA’s programs like the America’s Road Team, Share the Road, the Independent Contractor Ambassadors program, and our new Workforce Heroes and Tomorrow’s Truckers programs are so important. They showcase our industry and our workforce while educating the motoring public on how to safely share the road. They encourage people to look to our industry for their first, second, or third career, and they show what life is like on the road and behind the wheel. These programs humanize our industry and tell the stories of 3.5 million