Keeping Up with the Industry
I’ve worked inside some of the largest private fleets in the country, earned certifications, sat through more conferences than I can count, and watched this industry change in ways I didn’t see coming. This fall, I’m starting a doctoral program, which is now my third time going back to school.
I’m not telling you that to impress you. I’m telling you because the question I get asked most by people in this industry isn’t about technology or cost per mile. It’s some version of: how do you keep up?
While there’s no one easy answer, I wanted to share some of the learning methods I’ve tried throughout the years.
1. Ask the people around you, including the ones you outrank
Before you spend a dollar on a consultant or a course, call someone you trust in the industry. They’ve probably already faced the challenge you’re dealing with and can tell you how they worked through it. People in transportation are generous with what they know, if you ask. That’s not a shortcut; it’s simply being smart about your resources.
Don’t let your position get in the way of a good answer. Some of the sharpest thinking I’ve come across came from people earlier in their careers; people who weren’t yet used to doing things “the way they’ve always been done.” The learning goes both ways. I’ve been surprised more times than I can count by an early-career professional with a perspective that made me rethink something I’d done for years. They’re closer to the work than anyone. If you’re not tapping into that, you’re leaving intelligence on the table.
2. Certifications build knowledge and community.
I earned my Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) designation through the National Private Truck Council. What I didn’t fully anticipate was the network that came with it. Reaching out to that group for support builds a connection almost immediately, because everyone in it is working toward the same thing.
For your technicians, ASE certifications work the same way. They raise the knowledge floor, yes. But they also demonstrate that you’ve invested in that person’s development. In an industry struggling to retain good people, that’s something your team will remember.
Lean and Six Sigma certifications are worth mentioning, too. There are multiple belt levels to pursue, and each one builds a framework for identifying and eliminating inefficiency. In an operation where margin pressure never fully goes away, that’s a skill set that pays for itself.
There are more certifications in this industry than I could list in one article, but the common thread is that they signal a deliberate commitment to improving one’s knowledge. That kind of investment in your team is what drives retention in a strapped labor market.
3. Graduate programs give you frameworks and a room full of people to pressure-test them
I’ve gone back to school three times now, and the pattern has held every time: the coursework gives you structure, but the people in the room give you perspective.
What I’ve found with advanced degrees is that you learn as much from your peers as you do from the material itself. The more you engage — the more you bring your real challenges into the discussion — the more willing your classmates will be to share what they know.
My advice: get corporate approval to use actual problems you’re facing for group projects or class discussions. You’ll rarely find another setting where you can work through a live operational challenge with people who bring that kind of diverse experience to the table.
4. Conferences are worth more than just the cocktail hour.
I plan my conference schedule around the problems I’m trying to solve. I go into every conference with a short list of the challenges I’m currently working through. Then I build my schedule around the sessions most likely to move the needle on one of them. If I’m wrestling with driver retention or equipment spec decisions, I find the sessions that get closest to those topics, and I show up.
I also walk the exhibit floor with a purpose. Review the exhibitor list before you go and identify the companies worth visiting. New technology tends to show up on that floor a budget cycle or two before it becomes standard in your industry. You want to see it early.
When you get back, share your notes. The people who couldn’t go can benefit from your takeaways, too.
5. Subscribe to the trades
Set up alerts for a few publications that cover what matters to your operation. Some of my personal favorites are CCJ, Transport Topics, and FleetOwner. You don’t have to read everything. You just need enough to know when something is shifting before it shifts on you. It’s one of the lowest-effort, highest-return habits I’ve kept over the years.
5. AI is a tool. Treat it like one.
The advances in technology I’ve seen over 30 years have been remarkable, and AI is no exception. I recently spoke with someone maintaining a trucking fleet who started using AI to support diagnostics for their technicians. It significantly cut their resolution time.
I’ve used it myself. I was working through an issue, ran a quick search, and got enough background to understand the problem. One follow-up question gave me several potential solutions within the same afternoon. What used to take days of research took just a few hours.
It’s not infallible. Always verify what it tells you. But if you’re not using it as part of how you gather and process information, you’re working harder than you need to.
My Two Cents
Thirty years in, I still try to come home having learned something I didn’t know that morning. The industry doesn’t slow down for anyone, and the people I’ve seen lead the best operations never expected it to.
Going back to school this fall is the same bet I’ve made twice before. Invest in learning for yourself and for your team, and it will deliver more than you expect. The people who recognize that investment don’t forget it.