At stake is not just trucking s bottom line but also the health of the economy, which is increasingly dependent on fast, reliable and efficient truckload services. The time has come for truckload carriers to face up to the issue that has been building ever since deregulation of trucking in 1980. Drivers can no longer be treated as a commodity if carriers are going to survive and provide the kind of service shippers demand in the new economy. William H. Clark, the new owner of Trans-States Lines and a management consultant for more than 30 years, says the issue goes beyond driver pay. In our market segment, we have not paid attention to the human resource side of the business, he said in a recent interview.
People are more important than any customer.
By transforming the business culture at Trans-States Lines, Clark said he is preparing the company to successfully compete in the new century. It appears that truckload carriers have finally reached the point where drivers are doing more than delivering freight. They are determining the fate of some companies and perhaps an entire industry. By Mr. Bearth covers financial issues for Transport Topics.