TCA’s Keith Tuttle Focuses Efforts on Industry’s Image, Success
This story appears in the March 16 print edition of Transport Topics.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — New Truckload Carriers Association Chairman Keith Tuttle is a man with two missions: Tell other truckers how they can achieve successful outcomes, and inform the public about the industry’s positive contributions.
Tuttle, who on March 10 took the helm for 2015-2016 at TCA’s annual meeting here, told Transport Topics that he was particularly focused on continuing to enhance such programs as Wreaths Across America, TCA’s Highway Angel and the recently formed campaign Trucking Moves America Forward because “image is a huge issue” for our industry.
A particular program that Tuttle said “tugs at his heart” is Wreaths Across America, which to date uses 134 carriers that delivered wreaths to 1,034 cemeteries last year, including Arlington National Cemetery.
Tuttle, who is also founder and chairman of regional fleet Motor Carrier Service, based in Northwood, Ohio, said he is comfortable with others’ assessment that he’s intense, particularly about the need to spread a positive image.
“The industry image is changing for the better,” said Tuttle, who illustrated the point by noting that pictures of women on mudflaps in decades past have gone away.
“We have a safer driver population now overall, and the statistics prove that,” he added.
American Trucking Associations Chairman Duane Long agreed “image is paramount” to advance trucking. “We have to use messages from groups like Trucking Moves America Forward to improve our image with the general public,” Long told the meeting.
Both Long and Tuttle said they believe a positive image of trucking can also help with the driver shortage. Tuttle said fleets need to find a way to make trucking “a career of choice, not a job of last resort.” Long said one way to accomplish that was to be more active on the local level to showcase positive contributions that truckers make.
Tuttle used to make pickups and deliveries early in his career and spent summers on the docks at less-than-truckload companies in the Toledo area at a time when there were 90 such companies there instead of the three operating today. He was born and raised in Toledo.
Tuttle stressed the value of getting involved with associations.
“My hope this year is that we have more of our members take advantage of the focused resources we have as an association,” he said, citing a direct link between participation and successful outcomes.
“Is it a coincidence [TCA members] are considered the safest and most profitable fleets in America?” the third-generation trucker asked before answering, “No.”
Tuttle admits to another frustration.
“For the life of me, I cannot understand how you can have a trucking company in this country and not be involved with one of these organizations,” he said. “Even though our trucking company is small, I can call guys from all over the industry through my relationships built in activities at TCA and ATA.”
He has served on a number of TCA’s committees as well as its board of directors in various roles, including secretary, treasurer, and at-large officer. He also is a past chairman of the Ohio Trucking Association and a past image committee chairman of American Trucking Associations.
Tuttle replaced Shepard Dunn, chairman of Bestway Express Inc., a Vincennes, Indiana-based carrier.
“The association is in good hands,” Dunn told TT. “His focus is 100% on education, and he’s going to bring us more focus on that. He’s very savvy and very passionate about trucking.”
Dunn also said that Tuttle was in line to be TCA chairman for 2014-2015, but the two executives swapped their scheduled terms because Tuttle wanted to devote his full attention to heading charitable activities for the Shriners in Ohio and the children’s hospital named for the fraternal order.
Issues that concern Tuttle include federal rules banning 18- to 21-year-olds from driving trucks interstate, he said.
“It’s a crazy restriction,” he said, noting that drivers under 21 can run 200 miles or more within Ohio but can’t make a delivery 8 miles across the state’s border with Michigan.
“We have a much better chance with all the safety improvements to put the younger drivers to work safely,” he said, because of better equipment monitoring and technology.
Tuttle sees another situation that needs changing.
“Truckload is the only industry I know where drivers suffer financially for not being paid when things happen that are out of their control, such as weather and traffic delays,” he said.
He added that a number of carriers are addressing that situation via detention pay and exploring options such as guaranteed weekly wages or pay based in part on hours and not solely on miles.
Tuttle finds time to enjoy golfing, fishing and scuba diving.
