Not All Superheroes Wear Capes!

I was up in New Brunswick, Canada, working with a group of women in the trucking industry (shout out to WIT members Day & Ross!) when I heard the news of COVID-19 causing borders to close and airlines to cancel flights. In my hotel lobby, hotel guests were uneasy and unsure about what it meant and how to proceed. Would they be able to get home? What did all of this mean? How would it affect their businesses? Their families? What would happen next?

By watching the news reports, it was clear we were rapidly heading into unknown territory. 

But that didn’t hinder my clients. These women weren’t letting uncertainty get in the way of their mission. They knew that their work would help not only folks in the trucking industry, but also the community as a whole. So what did they do? They doubled down on taking care of their teams and sought creative ways their company could support their local communities. They donated and delivered food and hand sanitizer to frontline healthcare workers and local agencies in need of critical supplies. They continued to adapt to ever-evolving supply chain and human needs.

They were superheroes to their clients, their teams, their drivers and their communities. 

When you think of a superhero, what comes to mind? Superhuman strength? The ability to fly? Saving the world? A cape flowing in the wind? 

What about the superstrong drive to do the right thing, even when it is difficult? Even when it requires sacrifice? Even when it seems like nobody’s looking? 

When I think of the superheroes during this pandemic, I think of the people who keep the world running. The medical folks, the caregivers, the first-responders, the people who sell food at the grocery store, and Y-O-U. 

Yes, you!

You are the superheroes—the real life Wonder Women and Super Men—who keep North America moving forward. You connect us from farm to factory to hospital to grocery store and beyond.  

You might not be able to leap tall buildings or fly at the speed of light, but like any superhero, you make sacrifices for the greater good. You are helping to save the world one load at a time, one day at a time, one connection at a time. Whether you are a driver, mechanic, dispatcher, logistics coordinator, or supporting your company in another capacity from the home office, you matter. 

The work you are doing matters.  

How can YOU be a Superhero?

You are activating your superpowers for the greater good of the world. In fact, in today’s pandemic supply chain specialists, operations personnel, warehousing and dock workers, and professional truck drivers are working hard to ultimately deliver essential supplies to grocery stores, retailers, medical clinics and hospitals, and homes. And while these superheros are helping to get us through the immediate crisis, they’ll ultimately get back the entire transportation and logistics industry to being the driving force of our economy.

You are flexible and adaptable. As soon as the COVID-19 crisis hit, the transportation and logistics industry quickly responded by changing their standard operations to accommodate the need to maintain safety of their employees, their operations, and the supply chains of their customers. While it has been said that this industry is able to be flexible and adapt to unique situations, what you’ve done in the last several weeks is unprecedented. 

You are brave. Those who are on the front lines of transportation (particularly operations, dock workers and professional drivers) are literally putting your lives on the line every day. We appreciate you! 

You are bold. The individual business owners and other stakeholders in this industry put their companies, their operations, and their lives at risk to boldly do what they’ve never done before. The entrepreneurial spirit and genuine guts of those who work in this industry are clearly apparent.  

You are superheroes. (No cape required) 

May you travel safely. May you feel appreciated. May you be well.