Working on the future

There has been a concerted effort amongst transport businesses to encourage young people to join the industry recently – and the hard work is finally paying dividends.

As we all know, there has been a problem attracting people to road transport for a while now, particularly those of a young age who have yet to decide on a career, but industry has certainly picked up its game this year by taking industry back to the classroom.

Schools across the country have reacted favourably to schemes offering an insight into trucking and the career paths available, and in many instances, companies have opened doors to deliver practical experiences to those who exhibited a keen interest.

It’s good to see road transport turning a corner as more young people take an interest in trucks and trucking – a far cry from the situation experienced just a short time ago. As we pointed out a few months back, people with industry experience now connect with the next generation via social media.

One example is Lindsay Transport. A young chap recently exhibited a keen interest in the company’s vehicles and used his artistic talents to produce drawings depicting various Lindsay combinations. Now, this may not sound like much of an introduction to trucking, but there has been a huge response from Lindsay management and staff.

The young man, in his early teens, indicated he would like a position as a driver in the future and was probably surprised by how many Lindsay staff members went online to offer their thoughts and advice. Management also supplied him with information (and some company merchandise) to maintain that interest.

And the work continues on the road. In one instance, a truck pulled into a service station at Clybucca on the Pacific Highway, catching the attention of a family who wandered over and asked if they could take a close look at the vehicle.

The driver was more than willing to offer a tour of the B-Double unit, even allowing them to climb into the cab. More importantly, though, he took the opportunity to point out the importance of trucks and trucking to the community and outlined the safety features of the vehicle. Hopefully his reaction has left a lasting impression on the family and painted a positive image of our industry.
Historically, we haven’t been all too active in promoting careers in trucking – often because the drivers’ children would naturally follow in their parents’ footsteps – but we’re certainly stepping up our game.  Now the challenge is to not drop the ball again.

 

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