How is the Commercial Driver of North America portrayed?

The media is responsible for reporting events to the public. Some reports serve to increase advertisement business and some to increase subscriptions to the magazine or newspaper. Whatever purpose is served by the reports, the facts are not always reported nor are the biases removed.

Accidents and horrific crashes make the headlines in various media forms. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of inaccurate reporting the professional driver is conveyed as a monster. Statistically, most crashes are not the professional drivers fault; however, fault is not reported.

These professional men and women who operate commercial vehicles are unique individuals with diverse talents and experiences. They must pass both a written and driving examination with the type of vehicle they will operate on the highways. The testing is much more complicated than the standard drivers examination. Commercial carriers who employ these professional drivers perform background checks, pre-employment drug testing in addition to random alcohol and drug testing, medical examinations, defensive driver training, and safety training during employment. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration regulates carriers and drivers for compliance of safety regulations governing safe operations of commercial vehicles.

Safety regulations compliance is a top priority of these professional men and women. These drivers are vital to our economy because they transport passengers, building supplies, manufacturing supplies, and consumer commodities. In fact, if these men and women were not doing their part, some consumers could not afford to travel to destinations and consumers would not receive consumable products. Since many manufactures have discovered that maintaining large inventories is counter-productive, these commercial drivers transport the needed products safely from the manufacture to the retailer and to you the consumer in an expeditious manner.

Most people are unaware of the technology used by these commercial drivers. In order to facilitate this efficient transportation of products; most drivers use satellite communications and are tracked by their carrier. These commercial drivers are highly trained individuals and must be vigilant toward safety on the highways where less trained drivers share the road. The vehicles they operate are monitored by on board computers that display road speed, braking, engine data, and other essential information.

Fortunately, we can alter the negative image and supply the general public with the accurate information necessary to make a change. It is time to educate the people of North America and change the image of the professional commercial driver. For more information on how you can assist and contribute to this movement; please contact jks@marten.com and refer to Image (I’m A Great Example) of Driven Professionals who are the The DNA ( Drivers of North America.) of Commerce.

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