Truckin and Tweetin
by February 5, 2012 11:03 am 124 views
You can learn stuff from Twitter.
During President Barack Obama’s recent State of the Union address last week, U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., and Lane Kidd, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association got into a friendly 140-character debate about job creation.
Griffin: “Pres. wants energy independence? Wants infrastructure jobs? Wants manf jobs? He didnt mention KEYSTONE pipeline. I will.”
Kidd: “@TimGriffinAR2 the US economy doesn’t need Keystone. Business is growing.”
Griffin: “U cant be serious.”
Ah, but Kidd was serious: “Very. Read the facts. Pass a transportation bill – a true job creator.”
Then he added: “Trucking could hire 100,000 people now. No adequate training dollars.” And, in 2011, he said, “US trucking firms saw their biggest annual increase in freight in 13 years.”
Although the president specifically talked about vacancies in high-tech industries, Kidd told Whispers that trucking is another industry with a mismatch between jobs and trained workers.
That’s why the ATA is partnering with the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and Arkansas State University on the Governor’s Truck Driver Training Program.
“This program has a guaranteed 300 truck driver jobs at four trucking companies in Arkansas,” Kidd told Whispers. “If the person stays employed for one year, the state forgives all tuition and related expenses.”
The four companies are Willis Shaw Express of Elm Springs, Tyson Foods of Springdale, Maverick USA of North Little Rock and Stallion Express of Beebe.