Journalists Surveyed On Press Events

A second survey, gauging TWNA journalist (Full) members' feelings about press conferences and events,is well underway. As with the first survey (conducted in 1994), the purpose of this latest survey is to provide companies and communicators involved in the trucking industry with guidelines on how to hold more successful press events and conferences.

Once again, a report on the survey results will be published and distributed to those involved in the trucking industry.

In late July, surveys were mailed out to 81 Full Members: 25 to freelancers; 56 to full-time journalists. To better assess the particular needs of each of the two sectors, there were two versions of the survey. Response to the survey was good, at nearly 50%. Sixteen freelancers and 24 full-timers returned completed surveys. Carol Ludorf, Ludorf Public Relations, is compiling the results.

This second survey is broader in the subjects it covers. There are questions on press conferences, as well as on press releases, story leads, backgrounders and small group seminars. The survey also asks for journalists' preferences in many areas. And, reflecting the growing influence of electronics in newsgathering and in communication, there are questions on Web sites, e-mail, CD-ROMs and the like.

In the development and execution of this project, TWNA has received the pro bono contributions of Carol Ludorf, Ludorf Public Relations, and Debi Nicholson, general manager-corporate communications, Freightliner Corporation. Funding for the survey project comes from Freightliner.

Debi and Freightliner were also kind enough to provide merchandise for a drawing. As an incentive to get Full Members to respond to the survey, the names of those who returned completed surveys were entered into a random drawing. Three names were selected at random for the merchandise. The winners are: Ruth Jones, M.D. Morgan and Andrew Ryder.

Gary Bricken, staff writer, rpm Magazine, Live Oak, TX.

Lianne Cain, writer/teacher, Galena, MO.

Sandra Jones, marketing manager, Webasto Thermosystems, Lapeer, MI.

Norm Norville, senior associate editor, Commercial Carrier Journal, Radnor, PA. [ TWNA apologies for misspelling Norm's name in the previous Dispatch. ]

As of September 1, TWNA had 163 members. The treasury has a balance of $938.06.

Tom Berg, SuperScribe, has replaced Steve Sturgess as truck editor for Construction Equipment.

Cathy Campbell, rpm Magazine, has left the publication to begin a new job as a full-time wife and mother.

Bill Hudgins, Road King, reports that his wife, Wilda Dodson -- an investment broker for Edward Jones -- went with him on an assignment and shot photos for the magazine's July/August issue. At her company's annual regional meeting and awards banquet, she was presented with the "First Annual TWNA Golden Grille Award" for her journalistic accomplishment and also for her staunch defense of the trucking industry. She also got her own "magazine," Road Queen, a cover shot of her standing next to a VN610 in Washington, DC, with spoof callouts combining investment banking and trucking.

David A. Kolman, Truck Sales & Leasing, wonders why no one seems upset that Gen. Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a non CDL-holder, was permitted to drive a tractor-trailer. He took the wheel of a UPS rig to celebrate trucking's commitment to America's Promise, a mentoring program for at-risk youth that he manages. Yet Kolman took a lot of heat for allowing a woman TV news reporter without a CDL to take the wheel of a rig during last year's Truck Driver Appreciation Week activities.

The award should be considered an association award, offered by colleagues as an indication of our collective regard for the recipient's career achievements, according to TWNA Director Jim Mele, Fleet Owner, who is co-chairing the award committee with TWNA Director D. Mike Pennington, Meritor Automotive. The award will be made to a single individual on a biannual basis. Nominations will be evaluated by a panel of six TWNA members picked at random from a pool of volunteers.

If our Achievement Award is going begging among our own members, it might be due to TWNA members being reluctant to toot their own horns. (Besides, patting each other on the back seems frivolous to me.)

How about an alternative group of potential recipients? We could pick out members of the general news media who do a fair and objective job of reporting on truckers and the trucking industry.

I've got one entry already: a couple of reporters at the Kansas City Star (one of them an ex-owner-operator trucker!) who checked into claims by a driver of a US Postal Service truck that "the brakes failed," causing him to bail out of the cab and letting the tractor-trailer bash in an apartment building, killing a 6-year-young girl. The ex-o/o knows something about equipment and questioned a city police officer's report that "a surge in hydraulic fluid" might have given the "feeling" that the brakes had failed (hydraulic brake fluid in a tractor-trailer?!).

She also knew about Road King, so called the magazine, which referred her to me for an opinion. She and a colleague also asked me to review USPS documents indicating that the brakes on both tractor and trailer had recently been maintained. I told them that the Postal Service seemed to have its nuts and bolts in a row, at least on paper, and that, based on my knowledge of air brake systems, brake failure was unlikely. State MC investigators checked out the rig and found nothing wrong with the brakes; the driver was cited.

That I was involved in this is beside the point. The fact that the reporters dug beyond the obvious and got to the truth (a pallet of magazines had shifted and banged into the trailer's front wall, causing the guy to panic and jump) is deserving of recognition that our award might provide.

No doubt there are many other such cases every year. We might present this award at a an appropriate meeting (maybe ours, to let them meet us) or at a Sigma Delta Chi/Professional Journalists convention (I was MU's SDX chapter president while a senior in college, rah-dee-dah). Either way, we might-could (as they say in Mississippi) spread the word about TWNA and the fact that we are available to help general news reporters with background info.

"And the Lord gives us our daily bread?" "Yes, dear," the mother said.

"And Santa Claus brings us presents?" "Yes. . .!"

Skills include writing, editing, photography, radio and video production, events planning, trade shows and more. National/international experience in advertising, public relations, promotions and marketing.

PRESIDENT'S PAGE

Let me begin by thanking all members for the beautiful and fragrant flower arrangement I received from the TWNA. I also want to thank all of those who sent cards and made calls inquiring about my operation.

I am happy to report my back surgery went well. I am back to work and on the mend, although the doctor will not allow me to trailer-truck for a while yet.

Having the nice-smelling flowers (complete with orange - my favorite color - ones) brightened up my room and made me feel good.

Again, many thanks!

Secondly, I want to challenge each of you to become involved in the association, so we can grow its usefulness and effectiveness. Considering the depth and breath of our membership, the possibilities for accomplishing things are exciting. TWNA has the talent and resources to make things happen.

One way to become involved immediately is to bring in new members. Our ranks have been slowly eroding. A pass-along membership application can be found on the web site.

There are a number of projects that need assistance. Among them: building a press mailing list and generating TWNA press releases.

Become involved in TWNA. It's your association. Let's all work to ensure that our association grows more helpful and useful to you, the members, and to the trucking industry.

Keep in mind: Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.

I strongly disagree with TWNA President Kolman's proposal (see the June TWNA Dispatch, page 31, The President's Page: Something To Get Behind?) to donate money to RJ Taylor for his simulator. There he goes again, trying to drum up publicity.

(Taylor, founder of the non-profit Ol' Blue United Safety Alliance, is seeking to raise money to develop a heavy truck simulator that will allow "drivers" to experience first-hand the challenge of driving a big rig without endangering lives and property).

Decent simulators cost $250,000 to $500,000. Even the best simulators cannot give a real feel for driving in real traffic. At best they have a video game look and will not be taken seriously by news reporters.

Simulators are fine for teaching drivers how to react in emergencies (like jackknife situations and how to recover from them). But by and large are way too expensive for even big fleets to buy and use.

RJ does a lot of good with his safety program, especially his work with police officers and school kids. This is great p.r. for the industry. He should stick to that and save the expensive, high-tech stuff for people with money. He shouldn't get any of ours.

-- Tom Berg

FOR the Simulator Program

When I suggested to RJ that he write an "open letter" for submission to the TWNA newsletter, what I had more in mind was to pose questions for (hopeful) feedback on why isn't his organization considered more newsworthy.

I know a few of these answers (and have shared them with RJ); I think it would be good for him to hear it from other journalists - not to mention the many other comments and suggestions he might get.

Anyway, I think you've had a really good idea. My vote as a TWNA member would be to say yes, let's donate that money; then again, I believe in TWNA getting behind a variety of industry efforts/organizations/causes, etc., because of exactly what you said about "...promoting a positive image..."

-- Roxanne Campbell

Pinata Computers

I can get a speaker from the Neo-Luddites Speakers Bureau. What we will need for the meeting is computers for pinatas. Any "sick and tired" members (or non-members for that matter) willing to donate computers should contact me immediately: phone (914) 946-1297.

-- B