The American Trucking Associations’ newly launched “Nothing Without Trucking” campaign is an effective and thoughtful rebranding of ATA’s efforts to enhance the industry’s image, experts say.
The multiyear, nationwide initiative aims to educate policymakers about the important role trucking plays in Americans’ lives, according to a news release from the organization. The campaign launched at ATA’s Mid-Year Management Session in San Antonio with a promotional video and a new website for industry supporters to share their stories.
“There are countless real, human stories of those who sacrifice their time for our comfort,” the website states. “Whether it’s the holidays or the middle of the night, truckers guarantee we get every want and need. The men and women who work in the trucking industry are the unsung heroes who keep the heart of America beating strong.”
FreightWaves reached out to Lane Kidd, managing director of truck safety advocacy group Trucking Alliance, and P. Sean Garney, co-director at Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, for insights on why ATA started rebranding its image campaign now.
“ATA has launched many image campaigns dating back to the 1990s,” Kidd told FreightWaves. “And this latest ‘Nothing Without Trucking’ looks really effective. [The video] is exceptionally produced. Public opinion eventually creates public policy, and if the industry is willing to pony up the dollars to finance a paid media image campaign, no question the public will respond well to this latest messaging.”
“It’s easy to forget how critical the industry is to every community,” Garney added. “And far too often, the public’s familiarity is focused on the inconvenience of driving around big trucks, rather than the convenience of being able to pick up the things they need at their local store or order online and have it delivered to their door.”
From a regulatory perspective, Garney said he did not think there was an inciting incident, a particular pending regulation or a piece of legislation at which this campaign was aimed. He agreed with Kidd that Nothing Without Trucking is a well-devised rebrand of ATA’s image campaign efforts.
“ATA’s ‘Nothing Without Trucking’ campaign is a timely rebrand of ATA’s previous and successful ‘Trucking Moves America Forward’ image campaign,” Garney said. “It replaces ‘Trucking Moves America Forward.’ Before that, we had ‘Good Stuff, Trucks Bring It.’”
Garney said that the previous two campaigns were successful and critical to reminding policymakers and the public of the essentiality of trucking. He also said the new campaign looks to be diving a little deeper by reminding people that it’s not just the drivers contributing to trucking’s mission.
“It’s dispatchers, mechanics, dockworkers and administrative staff,” Garney said. “With 8.4 million people employed in trucking-related jobs, just about everyone knows someone connected to the industry. It’s important to remind people of their stories and how they’re not so different from their own.”
Garney expressed hope that the campaign resonates with policymakers as a uniting force the public can get behind.
“I love the message which reminds people that, no matter what our political, social or religious affiliation, we all work together to accomplish our critical mission safely and efficiently,” Garney said. “It’s a good reminder to policymakers that we should expect the same from them: to solve critical problems and, to borrow a previous moto, to ‘Move America Forward.’”
ATA did not respond to FreightWaves’ inquiry for additional information about the campaign.