Is this trucking industry for you? I recently had the privilege to talk to truck drivers for their Spring safety meeting. Why do I say privilege, because that’s the way it should be, a privilege to be in this industry. Unfortunately our industry operates more like a dumping ground than a place for the elite. Often we get compared to professions like an airplane pilot or high class train engineers but are treated like second class. We follow similar regulations, serve more of the public, yet get less respect than many other people in other modes of transportation. I was talking personal brand to this group of experienced drivers and expecting push back that often happens when talking to drivers. This time I was unexpectedly surprised in the agreement and support shown by the group. Why was that you may ask?
It’s been a theme and situation that has been growing slowly over the years and entered in the fast lane of the industry after the pandemic. Fly by night training facilities, fraudulent activities, and employee misclassification have all reared their ugly heads and fast tracked the problems of the industry. Veteran drivers are sick of it and it’s caused all kinds of problems on the road.
We are seeing so much unsafe driving that experienced drivers are afraid to drive anymore leaving the industry for safer options. New drivers can’t find jobs for various reasons from no experience to unscrupulous carriers not showing them the proper industry values. Drivers with little to no training are driving 80,000 pound missiles around like small race cars killing people in their wake.
A number of surprise inspections have shown that unsafe drivers are not just driving unsafe, but not maintaining their trucks and being put Out of Service at alarming rates. This brought us all back to my presentation “More Than a Driver”.
The successful driver in 2026 has to be different, they must stand out to survive! Do you want to make more money, work for good carriers, or move onto other careers outside of the driver’s seat? If the answer to those questions are “Yes” then you have to do more than just be a good driver. You need to have a personal brand that says success. It’s not tough or unachievable but it takes dedication to your career.
We’ll share some tips on our podcast episodes on how you can improve your game if needed. Operating as an “Intrapreneur” is one way to take ownership of your career even as an employee. The challenge is on and not only the industry, but the public is noticing that trucking is even more dangerous than ever. If we don’t care about our own industry, then who will?
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is the host and producer of The Lead Pedal Podcast, Lead Pedal Radio, and Lead Pedal Media. He is a former driver with 25 years experience behind the wheel and has been a respected part of the industry for over 40 years. Listen to the podcast to dive deeper into topics described in this article. Www.theleadpedalpodcast.com
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