Bridging the Gap: The Importance of Trucking Education with Lindsay Trent of the Next Generation in Trucking Association

Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast

In this episode of Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, host Brent Hutto is joined by Lindsey Trent, the President and co-Founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association.

Together they discuss:

• The importance of career technical education
• Promoting trucking as a positive career choice to young people
• The work of Lindsey’s company, the Next Generation in Trucking Association
• Entrepreneurial opportunities within the trucking industry
• And much more!

Lindsey Trent is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, a non-profit trade association with the mission to promote trucking as a positive career choice and create trucking programs while encouraging training and employment of young people in the trucking industry, connecting them to training and employment opportunities. She was the Business and Customer Development Manager for Ryder System Inc (2017 - 2022) and the Business Development Manager for Driving Ambition (2012 - 2017).

Episode Highlights:

[10:41 - 12:37] After Lindsey learned about a high school program focused on the trucking industry, she was inspired to create the Next Generation in Trucking Association, which focused on bridging the gap between industry and education, and getting young people opportunities across the country to be trained in the trucking industry. There are four verticals that Next Gen. concentrate on: supply chain management, diesel mechanics, driving and warehousing, and logistics. Lindsey says the trucking industry needs to be influencing educators, influencing students and saying, “we want you”.

[18:22 - 19:49] Lindsey’s mission is to invest in the next generation and build up the workforce. She says that it’s all about tackling the problem at its core. Lindsey emphasizes that the Next Generation in Trucking Association is not an overnight solution. This means she is comfortable with saying “we’re not the right fit for you”. She says “we're trying to plant the seed, so in five, ten years, you aren't going to have this problem.”

[27:19 - 29.12] Lindsay’s mission for the future is to continue to grow the association. She says they are trying to get a list of all the career fairs across the country in order to promote the trucking industry as a viable job opportunity. Next Gen. also wants to get more programmes in high schools and make more connections with the community colleges. They are also trying to help companies see that there are work-based learning opportunities for them to get a sixteen or seventeen year-old to come and work for them.

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