TORONTO, Ont. — One of Canada’s most respected pollsters and commentators says the trucking industry can increase Canadians’ awareness of it by showing itself as a key player in socio-economic issues.

“Not many people wake up in the morning and ask themselves how the trucking industry is doing these days,” says Allan Gregg, co-founder of Decima Research.

The Canadian public is generally more concerned with broader issues such as road safetyincluding the number of trucks on the road and unsafe road conditions, public safety, job creation and recovery, and the quality of life in Canada.

The business sector is concerned about broad issues such as economic growth an business prosperity, he adds.

Gregg made the comments in a Nov. 14 speech to Ontario Trucking Association members at the association’s 76th annual convention.

He says the industry needs to position itself as a key player in these broader issues about which Canadians are concerned, to increase awareness about the importance of the trucking industry in this country. He says truck drivers should ask themselves what they do on the roads and in their trucks that play a key role in broader social and economic issues.

“You bring in a load of medical supplies, and you’re helping the health care system,” notes Gregg.