For more years than I care to count, I have been writing articles for you to read about all sorts of things—regulations, equipment, fleet management, best practices, new technologies and old worries like the driver shortage, profitability, trade cycles and safety. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to be able to work in this tough industry that I have come to love so much.
I am not very special or unique in my affections for this business and its people. Those who stay in the trucking industry for any length of time tend to develop strong emotional attachments to their colleagues and associates and to the work that they do together. It seems improbable, doesn’t it?
There are fewer businesses more demanding, more challenging, more nerve-wracking in their deadlines and their cyclical nature than trucking. But there it is.
You probably could make your own long list of the reasons why you stay in a business such as trucking—all the things you love and the things you love to hate. Here is an excerpt from my own list for you—a love letter long overdue:
◗ You work and work hard, and, what is more, clearly feel fortunate to be able to do it. How could someone not admire that spirit?
◗ You are astonishingly generous with your time, resources and energies. Even when your workdays are long and your to-do lists are even longer, you find time to sit on committees, attend conferences, participate in work groups, and support your communities. As manager of Fleet Owner’s educational webinar program, I am routinely grateful and amazed when people (even people I’ve never met) volunteer to be webinar speakers, without pay no less.
◗ You are fair-minded and your word is your bond.
◗ You judge people by what they do and how they do it, not who they are or where they come from.
◗ You are patient teachers and mentors. Being an editor is a lot like being a perpetual student, always learning from people who are experts in what they do. You have certainly been unfailingly gracious in sharing your knowledge and insights with me—explaining, answering endless questions and accepting interviews even when they interrupt your days.
◗ You are brilliant and innovative. I could not begin to list all the people I’ve had the honor of meeting who have dazzled (and still dazzle) me with their knowledge, their abilities and their stunning insights. World-class talent is everywhere in this industry—at fleets, OEMs, component suppliers, technology companies, organizations, just everywhere. Some of you (and I hope you know who you are) enhance and enlarge how I see the world almost every time I talk with you.
◗ You have wonderful senses of humor—thank goodness!
◗ You are loyal and supportive. One could not ask for better friends and colleagues. And you are great company besides. To walk down a conference hallway and see old friends again is to be showered with unexpected gifts—over and over.
◗ You are resilient, resourceful and strong. Having gone through numerous industry downturns and tough times with you, I can guarantee there is no other group of people I’d rather stand shoulder-to-shoulder with than you. You are the best.
I wish that I could shake every hand and say “Thank you,” but this will have to do for now. I am retiring but hope to stay involved and in touch. May every good thing and then some come your way.
