Focusing on Values and Safety

Barrs opened his address by highlighting integrity as the cornerstone of the trucking profession.

“What are the values of your drivers? What are the values of your company?” Barrs asked. “For me, it has to be faith. It has to be family. It has to be my community, responsibility, and service. I have to live by those principles every single day as I go through and lead this organization. We have a lot of work to do. We’ve done a lot of work over the last few months, but that’s just the beginning of the things that we have planned and the things that we need to do to help clean up the mess.”

His comments underscore the FMCSA’s focus on creating a safer and more professional trucking workforce by ensuring that new drivers receive proper training before getting behind the wheel.

Challenges in the Current CDL Training System

The discussion turned to entry-level driver training. Barrs noted that all prospective CDL holders must complete training through an approved provider, but some programs are failing to meet standards.

“But as we found out real quick after I got here, that’s a problem,” he said. “Some providers were not meeting those standards. Some could not demonstrate that the training was even being delivered.”

Since his appointment, Barrs said the FMCSA has removed more than 7,000 providers from the registry and continues to address what he calls “bad actors.”

“To be honest with you, I would just as soon go through and just clear all of them out and start all over again,” he said. “We have a systematic problem here that we have to work through to ensure … we are putting the right drivers behind the wheel of commercial motor vehicles.”

Why Proper CDL Training Matters

Barrs stressed that professional driver training is essential for safety and credibility in the industry.

“Training is where professionalism begins; it’s the foundation,” he said. “If the foundation is weak, the structure above it is also compromised.”

“Carriers deserve confidence that when they hire a newly licensed driver, the driver has been properly trained,” he added. “Everyone traveling on local American roads deserves assurance that when someone earns a CDL, it represents real competency. The truckload sector is too important to allow weak standards, and there’s more work to be done.”

He also emphasized that earning a CDL should reflect genuine skill, not just paperwork.

“We all understand — or we should understand — that your CDL actually should mean something,” he said, noting that “fly-by-night” training providers and less-than-reputable carriers give the entire industry a bad name.

“Your CDL should represent real training, real qualifications, real competency — and it must be issued in a way that is consistent, resistant to fraud,” he said.

Looking Ahead

While no official plan to start from scratch has been confirmed, Barr’s remarks indicate that the FMCSA is exploring all options to improve oversight of CDL training providers. Drivers and fleet managers can expect stricter standards, more accountability for training programs, and continued efforts to ensure that new CDL holders are prepared for the road.

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Doing What’s Right, No Matter Who’s Watching

At these companies, ethics aren’t a talking point. They’re the standard. Whether it’s dealing with drivers, customers, or vendors, the commitment is to fairness and honesty. Pay is clear, communication is direct, and expectations aren’t hidden in fine print. If something goes wrong, a breakdown, a delay, a personal hardship, it’s handled with transparency and accountability, not blame or brush-off. That consistency builds long-term trust on and off the road.

Respect That Goes Both Ways

Respect shows up in how people are treated, not just how they’re talked about. Drivers have voices here, not just truck numbers. If someone has a concern about a route, equipment, or home time, it’s taken seriously. The same respect extends to dispatchers, customer service teams, and shop staff. Customers benefit from that mindset too. Communication stays professional, relationships stay strong, and promises are kept because everyone involved is treated with basic human decency, something that’s not always a given in this industry.

Leading Instead of Following

Leadership for these companies isn’t about titles or spotlight. It’s about being willing to take the harder road if it benefits drivers, customers, or the industry. They invest in safer equipment, adopt forward-looking practices, and make decisions that improve long-term stability rather than chasing shortcuts. When others wait to see what the market will do, they move first, whether it’s compensation, technology, training, or safety initiatives. That forward momentum helps attract the right people and set a standard others try to match.

Why These Principles Matter in Today’s Industry

The trucking world is competitive and unpredictable, but the companies that last are the ones that stick to their values. By doing what’s right, showing respect at every level, and leading with intention, Crete, Shaffer, and Hunt don’t just move freight; they build careers, partnerships, and trust that outlast trends.

To read about all seven principles that guide Crete Carrier, Shaffer Trucking, and Hunt Transportation, visit their website here.

If you’re interested in building a career with a company that lives these values every day, check out available opportunities and join a team that puts integrity, respect, and leadership first.

The post How Crete Carrier, Shaffer Trucking, and Hunt Transportation Live Their Values: Ethics, Respect, and Leadership on the Road appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.