Advertising Polishes Trucking's Image

TT Photo

A lot of people appreciate truck drivers but don’t really understand the nuts and bolts of the industry and may not realize how much it is doing to improve highway safety. However, people do seem to understand the vital role trucking plays in the economy.

At least that is what public opinion indicates.

To raise trucking’s profile, Freightliner Corp. and other industry suppliers are mounting an advertising campaign with a coordinated message based on research conducted by American Trucking Associations.

Freightliner, the nation’s largest heavy-truck manufacturer, recently ran full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal. One ad drew comparisons to other high-tech networks, calling trucking “the most indispensable of them all.” The second highlighted the industry’s safety consciousness.

The advertisements drew heavily on opinion research conducted by ATA in January. Focus groups were assembled in four cities — Des Moines, Iowa; Los Angeles; Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C. — to test public attitudes toward trucking and safety issues.

The research confirmed that both trucking’s economic impact and the industry’s interest in safety are messages that are “vital and believable,” said Regina Blakely, ATA’s senior vice president of strategic and litigation communications.

“People believe truck drivers are responsible, safe drivers, and people truly believe and understand that trucking is essential to their way of life,” Blakely said.

For the full story, see the March 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.