Positive Driver Perception

Let's be honest. I don't know that most kids, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, would respond by saying they want to be a truck driver. Please, don't take that as a slight to the profession, or to the men and women who perform such jobs. But I mean, I can remember when I was a child most of the other kids would say they wanted to be a firefighter or a doctor, or even an astronaut. Me? I wanted to be a stand-up comedian, an actor, or a professional baseball player. Look at me now, I get to write for your peering eyeballs on a weekly basis! I get to host podcasts with some of the industry's top transportation professionals! I have found what works best for me and what makes me happy. And I have to believe that's what a lot of commercial truck drivers find in themselves when they're out on the open road.

The general public has been taking notice in the profession and career path of the trucking professional. The most noticeable support for truckers came during the height of the pandemic, when citizens realized just how important a role the transportation industry plays in our day-to-day lives. And that support has continued to show overall growth, with the potential to only continue.

Truck Driver Support

Over the last several years, the public's perception of truck driving professionals has shown an overwhelmingly positive increase. Bearing good news in the ever-widening chasm that is the notorious narrative of a nationwide driver shortage.

An informative survey by Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industry-wide education and image movement, was commissioned to help measure the impact of the awareness and education campaign among American motorists.

The following are several key findings uncovered by those polling efforts:

• 97% of Americans believe the trucking industry plays a "very important" role in the country's economy
• 96% of Americans stated truck drivers are essential to keeping the country's economy moving
• 87% of voters possess a favorable impression of the trucking industry, which is up from 67% in 2019
• 85% consider truck drivers to be professionals
• 78% believe truck drivers have higher standards for safety than other drivers
• 72% rate the industry's safety record as "excellent" or "good," which is nearly the same as in 2019 at 70%

The Positive Outweighing the Negative

Generally, the public tends to say more positive than negative things about the trucking industry, with comments like "keeping store shelves stocked," "critical for the success of the country," and "keeping the country moving" as the top responses. When survey participants were asked which group of workers should be considered "essential or critical" to the country in times of crisis, trucking ranked among the top three along with grocery store workers and healthcare workers.

TMAF began tracking industry views and perceptions in 2014. More and more Americans are continuing to realize the essential role that trucking plays in the nation's economy and in all of our daily lives, thanks to industry-wide education efforts.

As a take-away, don't let the world dictate who you are and what you want to be. Naturally, we are all products of our immediate environment and that can be hard for some to overcome. But if you want to be a truck driver, or a recruiter, or even a dispatcher, find a way and do what makes you happy. It sure seems the world is starting to take notice in your work!