PUBLIC IMAGE ISSUES
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Although much of our debate with operators revolved around the associations' ability to represent them to policy makers, their role in promoting the industry to the general public also cropped up and, on this score, some feel there is more the two associations could be doing.
Although much of our debate with operators revolved around the associations' ability to represent them to policy makers, their role in promoting the industry to the general public also cropped up and, on this score, some feel there is more the two associations could be doing.
"The FTA started the Love Logistics thing, but we didn't see much more after that— there were a few vehicles that appeared in the Love Logistics livery, but it seems to have died a death since," says Dave Coulson of Abbey Logistics, who exemplified the responses we got on this subject.
Neither the FTA nor RHA does enough to promote their members in their respective magazines either, says Coulson. "There is a lot of promotion in their magazines, but a lot of it tends to be by people who want to sell to our industry, rather than being about people in the industry," he complains.
The fact that individual firms, such as Eddie Stobart, have been able to create their own fan club in recent years demonstrates that members of the general public can successfully be made more truck-friendly, he points out. "You might not expect the FTA to put out a driving tunes CD like Stobart has, but you could focus it more towards the general public to get their support, joining together with them to see what you could do," he says.
The fact that individual firms, such as Eddie Stobart, have been able to create their own fan club in recent years demonstrates that members of the general public can successfully be made more truck-friendly, he points out. "You might not expect the FTA to put out a driving tunes CD like Stobart has, but you could focus it more towards the general public to get their support, joining together with them to see what you could do," he says.
"There isn't the will to do it," he concludes. "They dipped their toe in, but seem to have found the water too cold."