Opinion: Good Press
Too many trucking company executives are afraid of or even downright hostile to the news media, and with good reason. They can cite numerous examples of being misquoted or having to deal with journalists with preconceived notions.
Pick up your local newspaper, and chances are that most of the trucking news you see is negative. Most often, trucking makes headlines when an accident occurs, or more recently, when a safety advocate or lawmaker denounces the industry.
As a professional journalist who has worked for both daily newspapers and national business publications, I plead guilty to all of the above charges, with extenuating circumstances.
And, whether people admit it or not, negative news sells. How many of you scan the obituaries to see who has died? Can you say with a straight face that you don’t watch tabloid television shows such as “Dateline NBC” when they are trashing some other industry?
And while we are coming clean, take a moment and think of why trucking gets such a bad rap in the news media.
Like many other businesses watching the bottom line, trucking often doesn’t like to spend time or money on reaching out to the news outlets. Like all relationships — business or personal — media relations requires a long-term effort to build trust between a reporter and his source.
The deafening silence of the trucking industry was questioned by several speakers at the CTA conference, held in San Diego this month.
“Trucking contributes more to the longevity of Americans than the medical profession, and you don’t tell anyone about it,” said Lowell Catlett, an economics professor at New Mexico State University.
Farmers are producing more and better crops and livestock that improve the quality of life, and the bulk of it is delivered by truck. What a great story, Mr. Catlett said.
And a federal regulator who started his law enforcement career as a state trooper questioned why the industry doesn’t talk about the truck drivers he sees helping motorists every day. “I believe the industry is not getting the proper recognition it deserves. The image has to change for the trucking industry both now and for the future,” said Ron Hoffman, state director for the federal Office of Motor Carriers.
Easier said than done.
Here’s a few things trucking can do to get better press:
- Build relationships with local media outlets. That means calling them when you have good news to report. It also means being truthful when they call you seeking comment on bad news. Be fair with them, and as the relationship grows, they generally will be fair with you.
- Take responsibility for your actions and for those of your colleagues. Trucking is ubiquitous. Reporters use the roads to commute to work and reach stores and recreational facilities. They can see what you are up to. If they see smoke-belching trucks cutting motorists off as they speed by, the negative perception of trucking will be reinforced. As speakers at the conference noted, reporters are watching, regulators are watching and your competitors are watching.
- Abide by traffic safety and pollution laws, and pressure your colleagues to do the same. Their actions reflect upon you and contribute to negative stories and onerous regulations.
he state trucking associations in Nebraska and Arkansas are not just relying on public relations. Arkansas truckers are giving money from their pockets to pay for a statewide advertising campaign to boost the image of their industry. The Nebraska Motor Carriers Association is also paying for a statewide advertising campaign.
Advertising is expensive, especially when you consider the following: All the warm, fuzzy feelings about trucking can be wiped out by a tractor-trailer cutting someone off, colliding with a car or another truck, or polluting the skies or the ground.
Be safe, be clean and tell a positive story — that is the best way to improve trucking’s image.
