The external factors hitting trucking companies these days are relentless. Trade wars, fuel prices, regulation, soft rates – we’ve all seen fleets wave the white flag, convinced there’s no other way to stop the pounding.

Lately, though, I’m seeing smart fleet owners take a different tack. They know their greatest long-term threat is not external.

It’s internal. It’s culture.

Unlike everything coming at the business from outside, culture is one thing a fleet owner can control.

It’s hard and takes commitment. Saying you’re “driver-centric,” “safety-obsessed,” or “customer-focused” is just marketing unless everyone genuinely believes in those values and brings them to work every day.

Want a driver-centric culture? You’d better offer competitive compensation, respect their time, invest in equipment they’re proud to drive, and treat them like pros. These things take a level of support, resources, and reinforcement that only an owner or executive can provide.

If the formula is that simple, why is corporate culture in trucking such a wreck? Here are a few reasons.

Family empires

When I walked into my first Ontario Trucking Association board meeting almost 30 years ago, I was shocked by all the family enterprises. These owners seemed to have a built-in cultural advantage, where “family” equates to a sense of belonging and tradition.

Yet, I’ve seen the opposite play out.

A “we’ve always done it this way” mentality leads to decisions based on existing relationships, not return on investment. Processes live in people’s heads. AI and other tech get treated like threats.

Too many fleets are still run like fiefdoms that revolve around the founder’s or junior’s personality. When family dynamics overpower professional decision-making, they stifle innovation and scare off young talent. It’s hard to challenge tradition when the boss is the icon and everyone’s job is to keep the ruling clan happy.

It takes a special kind of leader to run a family business today. The name won’t help you scale, adapt, or survive succession, let alone compete with slick third parties who are now your customers. 

Too proud

Like most truckers, I wear my pride for our industry on my sleeve. Owning trucks is a sign of control, service, and strength, and seeing your company’s brand on the door is a badge of honor.

But the numbers tell a different story.

Too many owners still treat their iron like trophies, not tools. They confuse visibility with value, and trucks on the road with success. This old-school thinking has calcified into behaviors that no longer serve our industry.

The progressive owners I know build culture around people. They’re listening more and managing less. They’re hiring non-truckers with financial and digital skills. They use AI and other tech to automate mundane tasks.

And they set aside their personal pride when the time comes.

Technology fears

Technology is another cultural weak point. The industry has been peppered with “solutions” using telematics, automation, and AI, yet many fail because owners won’t buy in.

Instead, dispatch decisions rely on gut instinct rather than algorithms. Admin can’t produce accurate statements. Sales reps control their own pricing. Company culture begins to crack.

I’ve seen it myself. Our company had a high-end CRM (customer relationship management) program to manage the sales funnel. Everyone used it except me. No chance a computer is going to tell me how to manage my customers.

But “do what I say, not what I do” is no way to set a culture. Fortunately, I got called out on it and learned to embrace the discomfort of change and use data as a competitive advantage.

Building a culture rooted in accountability, efficiency, and respect takes strategic thinking, policies, and money. It also means challenging sacred cows and embracing change.

Do yourself a favor. Order some pizzas, get your staff in a room, and ask them one question: “What are we doing today that we’d stop doing if we started again from scratch?” 

The answers may surprise you. But in a market where outside pressures are building up, inspiring everyone to hold fast together from the inside is the best way forward.