WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several veteran truck drivers spoke recently to a group of youths about the importance of safety behind the wheel.
The talk was part of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Share the Road program at the Indiana State Police Camp.
The event was held in partnership with Indiana State Police and Indiana Motor Truck Association (IMTA) for the second year in a row.
Share the Road million-mile accident-free professional truck drivers Glen Kirk, Old Dominion Freight Line, as well as Jeff Rose and Rich Frazer from Yellow, spoke to students ranging from 12-18 years old about blind spots, safe following distances, merging, the importance of safety belts, distracted driving, safe driving behaviors and how to Share the Road with trucks.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to speak with these students,” Rose said. “The students were engaged with the material and animated to learn about a career in trucking. It is crucial to get these messages out when students are young, so they can develop safe driving habits.”
Using a Share the Road tractor-trailer, youths had the opportunity to climb into the driver’s seat to experience firsthand what a professional truck driver can and cannot see while operating a large commercial vehicle.
Additionally, ATA’s Share the Road instructional video allowed the professional drivers to lead a classroom safe driving course for the students.
“ATA has always said ‘yes’ when we ask them to partner with us on this program,” IMTA President Gary Langston said. “It’s a lot of fun for the kids and for us. We enjoy finding out how many truck drivers they may personally know and what their perspective is regarding the trucking industry. They are never short of questions. We appreciate ISP for asking us to come back every year to talk about our industry.”
Vice President of Safety & Compliance for Zonar Systems Fred Fakkema, chairman of the ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board, said that as a former trooper, he can attest to the value of strong partnerships between law enforcement and the trucking industry.
“The Indiana State Police Department’s partnership with the Indiana Motor Truck Association and the American Trucking Associations is a model of cooperation between industries and a force multiplier for improving highway safety,” he said. “ATA’s Share the Road initiative effectively leverages these partnerships and the collective expertise of our nation’s professional truck drivers and law enforcement officials to make our roadways safe for all Americans.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
