The trucking truth is always free
What does trucking run on? It runs on facts, not spin; on miles, not buzzwords. It runs because of all of you who live with the consequences of every rule, regulation, rate and rumor.
The onslaught of artificial intelligence has already taken its toll on media production and social media content. It’s not that uncommon to spend half of your time on social media trying to sort out if it’s legit news or more fake AI junk looking for clicks.
We don’t play that game.
Throw in the fact that paywalls are becoming more and more common, and your options are diminished greatly. Unless you follow along with Land Line and LandLine.Media.
Land Line subscriptions to people in the U.S. affiliated with the trucking industry are free of charge. It’s been that way for more than 50 years, and we’re not talking about changing it any time soon. We removed the paywall from our online magazine content. There may come a day when we have to do that again for audit purposes, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be free.
So, you have facts you can take to the bank and can do it for free. Not a bad deal.
We have lots of friends in journalism, and the pressure is really on. The shifts in media consumption – which is one of the nice ways to say people are sick of the news – and a move to rely on AI to write and produce content are making news even less appealing than before.
Ignoring the news doesn’t change anything. Trust me, if sticking your head in the sand would help make bad news go away, I’d be all here for it.
There was a cartoon on the wall in a newsroom that I worked in very early in my career. The newbie reporter was complaining to the obviously seasoned editor that there was no news to report. The editor proclaimed that there is ALWAYS news to report. The headline on the newspaper in the next frame said, “Lull hits the area.”
We’ve talked about these things over the past couple of years. Recessions always generate a dislike for the media. Unrest of any kind draws fire from one side or another.
One thing we do religiously is hold on to our ethics. We are non-partisan and write our copy to reflect as much. If we’re accused of being anything, it’s pro-trucker. We take the news and boil it down to what it means to you in the seat of those big trucks. That means it won’t always be “good” news. It’s just the reality being faced.
When something helps truckers, we say it. When something hurts truckers, we say that too.
The other big point that I feel like you need to know is that the agenda of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is set by truckers – a big group of professionals who have been around the block more than once. They get heated and get tired of waging war on the same issues, but they show up.
This is going to be a big growth year for Land Line. We have the magazine (some of) you have trusted for more than 50 years, our website and improvements are coming to our nightly newsletter and we’ll be adding video content to everything else we produce.
Trucking is a community. We are part of that community, keeping you in the know.
The key objectives are to find a way to package the news that matters most to you. Don’t be afraid to call in and share ideas or other things you’ve seen that you think would be a great fit for Land Line. We want your news tips and ideas.
We have been the go-to trucker’s news source for more than 50 years. We’re rolling up our sleeves, setting the stage for 50 more. Come be a part of it.
In the meantime, we’ll stick to our promise: If it matters to truckers, it belongs in the open. LL