As part of its efforts to improve the trucking industry’s image, Trucking Moves America Forward unveiled a mascot, a big-eyed cartoon truck wearing a trucker hat, and asked the industry to name it.

Broadcasting live on Facebook from the Pilot Flying J travel center in Knoxville, Tennessee, TMAF co-chair and American Trucking Associations Chairman Kevin Burch pointed out that the movement has come a long way in the past few years.

“Our mission was to create a long-term, industry-wide movement that creates a positive image of our industry,” he said, whether that be union or non-union drivers, owner-operators or fleets, suppliers, and customers.

“If we could all come together with a simple message: We are safe and we have the data to prove it. We are essential … we care about environmental issues … and it’s a great career option.”

Last summer, Burch said, at the National Truck Driving Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was impressed by their duck mascot.

“It was big and it was impressive. I watched the crowds, the kids, the parents, the significant others that were at that convention center take awe of this mascot. It was an attention grabber. As I wear this ‘I love trucks’ button I’ve worn for years, it’s an attention grabber. I thought, ‘TMAF needs a mascot. We need to get an attention grabber.’”

But the mascot needs a name. So TMAF is asking for name ideas to be sent to mascot@truckingmovesamerica.com. For the next month, they will collect the names, then come up with a list of finalists, and put it to a vote. Keep an eye on the Facebook page: Facebook.com/TruckingFWD for more.