Setting the LTL World on Fire
When she isn’t working tirelessly to drive digital transformation, help carriers transition to a digital era, and modernize the LTL freight classification system, Debbie Sparks writes children’s books to spread the word about the rewards of becoming a truck driver.
Debbie Sparks, Executive Director, National Motor Freight Traffic Association
“I can see the potential in all things,” says Debbie Sparks, executive director of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). “I like to take elements that could be enhanced and bring new life into them.”
From the time Sparks took the helm at the nonprofit association in 2022, she has focused hard on enhancement. She has been working to drive digital transformation for the less-than-truckload (LTL) industry, help motor carriers transition to a digital era, adopt and strengthen their cybersecurity programs, and modernize the LTL freight classification system.
Sparks spoke with us about the path to her current position, her leadership strategies, and some of her current activities.
IL: You’ve worked in trucking for three decades. What has kept you in this industry?
It’s the essential role that trucking plays in connecting people, businesses, and communities. Trucking is the backbone of our economy. Also, it’s a complex, fast-paced world, and often what professional truck drivers haul is critical, whether it’s components for a just-in-time assembly plant or a supply of lifesaving medications.
Beyond that, I’m inspired by the camaraderie and shared responsibility you find in trucking. Motor carriers are generous, patriotic, and committed to helping one another and their communities. For example, when there’s a natural disaster, the trucking industry responds without hesitation: They show up at a local shopping center, load a trailer with cases of bottled water, and drive off to deliver it to people who need it.
IL: What’s one incident from early in your career that taught you an important lesson?
Early in my years in the trucking industry, I saw a colleague repeatedly fall asleep in meetings. Initially, I felt embarrassed, but I later learned he had narcolepsy. Decades later, one of our employees, a diabetic, dozed off due to low blood sugar during a membership meeting. This taught me the importance of compassion and understanding that what appears to be laziness or inattentiveness may actually be a medical condition.
It reminds me that things are not always as they appear and to ask more questions before making assumptions.
IL: When you joined NMFTA as executive director, what initiatives topped your agenda?
My first priority was people. I was tasked with ensuring that I had the right staff members with the right skill sets in the right seats, and that they were in line with our mission. Our board of directors has requested that we modernize and enhance our products and services and take our digitalization, cybersecurity, and LTL freight classification system efforts to the next level.
IL: What are LTL carriers most worried about these days?
One of their biggest concerns is the increasing complexity of cargo claims and theft. In the past, cargo theft typically involved stealing physical freight, but now cybercriminals hack systems, reroute shipments, and track high-value freight to intercept it, making the threat more sophisticated and harder to combat. When something is stolen and a shipper files a claim, managing that process can be extremely complicated.
We’re working on these issues internally and collaborating with experts at organizations such as the Certified Claims Professional Accreditation Council, the Transportation & Logistics Council, and CargoNet.
IL: What project excites you to get up in the morning?
Reimagining the trucking industry is an ongoing process. It involves working with the board of directors and the staff to bring new perspectives and insights for them to consider. We need to learn, grow, and keep pace with the changing landscape while also supporting the needs of the membership.
It’s also imperative that I explore new ways to attract and expand our membership. One new offering I’m excited to introduce to the LTL sector is a benchmarking program, which will provide key performance metrics across carriers’ operations. This will help our membership understand how they compare to their competitors, offering valuable insights to improve how they run their businesses.
IL: If we followed you on a typical day, what would we see?
You’d see me talking with our membership and staff—hearing their concerns, addressing their issues, removing obstacles, and determining the source to solve it. I also enjoy staying on top of the latest trends affecting our members by listening to podcasts, reading industry pubs, attending webinars, and hearing what our membership is experiencing. Additionally, I constantly brainstorm ways to improve our current programs and initiatives, such as the National Motor Freight Classification, Standard Carrier Alpha Codes, digitization, and cybersecurity.
IL: How would you describe your leadership style?
I strive to balance transformational leadership with servant leadership. On the transformational side, we’re working to respond to the evolving needs of our members. With the upcoming changes to the NMFC and the redesign of ClassIT—our online freight classification tool—we’re demonstrating that we’ve listened to all our stakeholders, including LTL carriers, shippers, and third-party logistics providers.
On the servant leadership side, I take pride in offering support where it’s needed, and volunteering to give back, all while focusing on serving our staff and members to ensure they have what they need to succeed.
IL: How do you like to spend your time when not at work?
Spending time with my son, who I adopted when he was 13, has been a joy. I’ve learned more than I ever imagined I could about avatars, Roblox, and the Harry Potter Hogwarts Legacy video game.
I also enjoy the creative aspects of home renovation and remodeling. I always have graph paper and a pencil in my bag. I know every dimension of a dishwasher, refrigerator, or stove, so I can nail a kitchen in a heartbeat, and eyeball the size of a room or a window.
10-4 Good Buggy
Besides leading a national organization that serves LTL carriers, Debbie Sparks also promotes the trucking industry in another role: writing children’s books. Together with co-author Linda Hagopian, Sparks has created 10-4 Good Buggy, a series of picture books that follows the exploits of professional truck driver Tripp Wheeler and his dog, Detour.
“People aren’t raising their kids to be truck drivers,” Sparks says. Maybe that’s because they don’t realize how rewarding the job can be. She and Hagopian decided to spread the word.
“Tripp became a truck driver because he wanted to go on adventures, and he got a job that paid his way to get there,” Sparks says. “He brings along his snow shoes, his fishing pole, and goes to all kinds of unique places.”
Sparks and Hagopian have published two books to date and have a third in the works. “Getting into the mind of Tripp Wheeler and all his adventures is a happy place,” Sparks says.