I was feeling a little nostalgic last week and reflected on when I first started contributing articles for FleetOwner’s IdeaXchange. I recall being honored to be asked to provide content regularly. FleetOwner editors asked me and other trucking industry professionals to write thought-leadership pieces to ensure diverse perspectives were presented to the industry. To start, we decided to do it weekly.
IdeaXchange started 11 years ago, and to date, I have written more than 550 blogs. Even though I missed a few weeks here and there, I have tried to honor my commitment to FleetOwner editors by submitting a blog each week. It’s been fun coming up with topics to write about each week, though sometimes it was easier than others.
I suspect that there are times when what I choose to write about might not have resonated with each of you, and that’s OK. Whether you agree with what I write about or not, I think the important thing is to share ideas, offer opinions, and comment on industry challenges.
I believe everyone, and especially those of us in the trucking industry, has a unique perspective, and I want to encourage each of you to take advantage of opportunities to share your opinions with others in the industry. And, as importantly, ask others in the industry to share their ideas, thoughts, and opinions with you. Sometimes you can even choose to share them in a public forum, like writing blogs or speaking on conference panels.
It doesn’t matter if people agree with your point of view. The goal is a free flow of information, which I think will lead to better, more creative solutions to problems and challenges.
Don’t be afraid to speak up and speak out, regardless of whether you have been in the industry for decades or if you are a relative newcomer. Those of us who have been around the trucking industry for a while can offer a historical perspective and explain how we resolved similar issues in the past, and some of that wisdom can be applied to solve new problems. But we should also seek out the voices of people who are new to trucking, as they are likely to bring fresh perspectives that can shed new light on a situation and lead to innovative solutions.
Finally, I would like to thank Denise Rondini, NACFE’s director of communications, for her help with these blogs. She knows what I think and how I write. Sometimes that even scares me. Well done, Denise. Let’s keep it up.
I’ve been lucky and blessed these past 11 years to be able to share my thoughts and ideas with all of you. And as long as the editors at FleetOwner will let me, I plan to keep writing my weekly missives, sharing my perspective, and welcoming feedback from all of you.
