Editorial: An Icy TMC

This Editorial appears in the Feb. 23 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

Trucking is quite often referred to as a “resilient” industry. It provides the priceless service of delivering the nation’s goods. The task is carried out with little fanfare — and even less complaining about the hardships and obstacles that have to be overcome every day.

So it should come as little surprise how well attendees of the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting weathered a powerful winter storm last week that practically paralyzed host city Nashville, Tennessee.

The storm that began in the early morning hours of Feb. 16 coated the city with a thick layer of ice. While those reading this in New England may struggle to sympathize based on their unrelenting winter, the storm dumped more than a foot of snow in some parts of the South. It required the governors of Tennessee, Kentucky and other nearby states to declare a state of emergency.

For many attendees, it took a herculean effort to get to the city. One exhibitor shared with Transport Topics his story of arriving in Atlanta from the West Coast, only to find his connecting flight to Nashville canceled. Rather than spending the night in Atlanta and then taking a multistop trip the next day, he decided to rent a car and carefully navigated his way to the conference.

Even for attendees who flew in ahead of the storm, something as simple as crossing the street to and from the Music City Center, the convention site, became an ordeal. There were numerous instances where people who otherwise might be “competitors” would go out of their way to offer a helping hand to those navigating an icy patch or snow pile.

We also must tip our caps to the countless citizens of Nashville who went above and beyond to ensure the safety of their out-of-town trucking guests.

It was particularly unfortunate that the timing of the storm prevented a number of people from getting to Nashville and taking part in conference festivities. There may not be any way to fully make up for the business contacts not made or discussion opportunities missed.

But they should take some solace in knowing they are part of a unique group of people — whose finest qualities were on display during a week full of difficult challenges.

Then again, maybe that is why they are part of this industry in the first place.