to the request. A local firm produced two trailer wraps that featured bicycles (that were also invented by the Wright brothers), and the first Packard car that was invented in Dayton and, as Burch said with enthusi- asm, “It looks like the freight is jumping right out of the trailer!” According to Glenna Bruun, senior
executive vice president and COO of Texas Trucking Association, TXTA has had suc- cess with their members in the TMAF image campaign because there has been an intentional focus given to it at every meeting and event of TXTA, from the Annual Conference Foundation Main Event that spon- sors the scholarship program, to the Emerging Leaders Council that supports young executives. In fact, at the Annual Conference, two trailer wraps were auctioned off at a remarkable price. “Our members believe in it. It’s important to them,” said Bruun. “We want to make sure we’re drawing people in and getting everyone behind this common message. When we join together, we can move mountains.” The impact of this advertising
and messaging is staggering. Five messages drive the mission and objectives of TMAF: Trucking is safe, essential, vital to the economy, sustainable and a great career. These messages that are communi- cated in the shareables that TMAF offers are vital. Barna observed, ‘’People remember with a picture. With the use of trailer wraps, 16 million advertising impressions were put out there on the highways, 98 percent surveyed remembered the trailer and com- pany, and 97.5 percent had a favorable impression of the company!” Although there have been a number
of successes for TMAF since its inception two years ago, Burch noted the difficulty of getting trucking companies of all sizes involved. “As important as rules and regu- lations are, when people are asked to do something positive for the industry, the same people with the good ideas stop talk- ing,” he said. This simply fuels Burch’s energy to get his colleagues in the industry
18 Issue 3, Fall 2016
to talk and put action behind their talk. His focus over the next year as chairman of ATA is to tell the story. The story of people and the story of the industry. When TMAF conducted a survey they found that when people know anything at all about trucking, it’s usually positive. They know people in trucking, they have family mem- bers who were proud of being truckers, they are grateful for what truckers have done. “There are so many stories,” said Burch. “My goal is to get more people
Jet Express
Photo: ATA/TMAF Dayton, Ohio wrap
comes to a facility and sees what actually goes on there. He explained that this indus- try is over seven million strong when you consider not only the drivers, but insurance people, truck stop personnel, oil company workers, IT and computer programmers, maintenance technicians, accountants, and legal departments. When that reality sinks in to someone who is under-educated about the industry, the lights go on, and Burch is gratified. What TMAF really wants is for people to get out and tell the story. There’s something for everyone to do. It’s about building rela- tionships. “Texas gets it,” said Barna. “With their “Call on Washington” program, they send people to Washington D.C. and we organize meetings for them with policy makers. It’s a way to showcase their company. It’s a way to build relationships and networks. It’s a way to get poli- cies changed. The more we can educate our policy makers, the better decisions they will make that affect our businesses.” A lit- tle bonus factoid: the trucking industry is the only industry that touches every community and every congressional district! What is clear is that TMAF
Photo: ATA/TMAF
involved in it. The foundation is laid now and that was the toughest part.” Or, as Bruun remarked, “The more we talk, the more it permeates and changes minds and hearts.” Barna echoes this sentiment. She noted that polls have shown that the more somebody knows someone in the industry, the better perceptions they have of it. When asked about what the next
achievable accomplishments will be for TMAF, Burch and Barna were of the same mind. Educate, educate, educate. Educate the motoring public and local, state, and federal officials. Burch talked about the shift that occurs when an elected official
is becoming mainstream. People actually know what it is now. And, here’s an exclusive ‘peek’ into something that is on the way, but has not yet been rolled out. TMAF is now in the devel- opmental stage of designing a mas-
cot that can be utilized at events and asso- ciation meetings. One only has to go to a sports event to see the energy that is creat- ed when there’s a mascot to rally around! “When we began,” says Burch, “some
in leadership thought image was fluff. Those thoughts are gone. Image isn’t fluff. Fluff is ‘out’ and telling our story is ‘in.’” R
Renee Miller is CEO of Rescue18Wheeler. com. She can be reached at rmiller@
rescue18wheeler.com.
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