President’s Message

We hear you.

We listen to you, and we understand the challenges you face daily. There isn’t a day that goes by that the need for more drivers is highlighted. That is the sobering reality of this industry and unfortunately, over the last two years as we have grappled with a pandemic, the numbers of folks leaving our industry is staggering.

Driving a truck is a good and honorable career. Despite what some may think, professional drivers are highly respected and appreciated. And while there are more negative connotations with the pandemic than positive, one important and pivotal change that occurred during COVID was an understanding and appreciation of just how valuable truck drivers are. That wave of positivity is still moving across this country, and one would think that in of itself would be the most effective recruiting tool out there. But the workforce landscape shifted dramatically over the last two years, and everyone continues to scratch their head at the number of people that are not returning to the workforce.

Those of us in the trucking industry don’t have the luxury to simply sit back and hope that things start to change, we have products to move, we have shippers to please and most importantly, millions of consumers that depend on our industry daily.

Trucking companies of all sizes are implementing programs and efforts to retain and recruit drivers that are innovative, cutting edge, and downright creative. The strength of our industry has always been defined by our ability to pivot, react, and respond to a changing environment quickly and effectively. Truckers are nimble, reliable, and above all extremely dedicated to moving products from point A to point B.

Like the members we serve, IMTA must also be creative, aggressive, and unrelenting in our efforts to help with the workforce issue. It isn’t enough to simply host member focus groups and listening sessions and offer up a sympathetic ear. We need to have action-oriented plans that will enhance, support, and complement the recruiting and retention efforts of members.

Addressing the trucking workforce issue is our top priority and we are excited about some of the things that are starting to unfold. In November, at the urging of Governor Reynolds, a summit specific to the driver shortage was put on the calendar. The Governor identified several state agencies that she wanted to have at the table, but she wanted IMTA to take the lead role in getting something pulled together that was beyond just “lip service” about the problem.

It was a historic day in my humble opinion. Not only did we have a large audience of engaged participants representing many different demographics more importantly, we were able to have valuable conversations about ways to attract folks to our industry.

Offering up a class at the Iowa schools that would allow interested 18-year-old students to obtain a CDL by the time they graduate from High School is just one of the valuable ideas that came out of this summit. Why shouldn’t a CDL program be offered right along with welding, shop class or some of the other trade oriented high school programs? We have 13 community colleges around this state that are more than eager to partner with IMTA to make this a reality.

We did an informal poll of 5 high schools in the central Iowa area and there were 35 seniors that expressed an interest in a program of this nature. With over 300 school districts in this state, many in the rural areas, we believe that number of interested students (future truck drivers) would be astonishing.

The other important tool we have is our show trailer and driving simulator. The mere mention of this at the summit generated a buzz unlike anything you could imagine. We now have over 30 requests for the show trailer in the upcoming months. Because of this demand, we recently created a Driver Ambassador program to secure professional drivers to help with this important program. In the upcoming weeks we will have 17 Ambassadors taking part in training before they hit the road on an aggressive high school tour.

This is just a sampling of some of the initiatives that are being implemented to address the driver shortage. There are several more ideas that are being developed and explored. They are solid, innovative, and creative proposals that we believe will produce valuable interest and driver prospects. We are excited about the momentum and support we are receiving and even more excited to be able to offer solutions that will get results for IMTA members.

We hear you and we are taking action.

That is what you should expect from your association and we won’t let you down. BRENDA NEVILLE IMTA President & CEO