PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE


Nebraska Trucking Executive Committee GOOD MORNINGFROM LINCOLN,NEBRASKA!


As I write this edition’s column, I’ve taken a day or so to reflect once again on all the positives we have in our industry right now. Te economy is good, freight is great, rates are up, diesel prices are down and we’ve just worked with a great group of leaders that passed a fuel tax increase in Nebraska.


Despite all these positive signs, I know there will always be some folks in our industry that will say that the economy, freight volumes, rates and diesel prices could always be better! Tese same people are probably asking, “who in the heck told our trade and lobby group to advocate FOR a fuel tax increase!” “We are already paying enough!” “What do they do with the taxes we already pay?” “Tey’ll just waste it on bike trails and landscaping.” “Tere should be no new taxes!” “Cut waste first!” Sound familiar? Fight AGAINST everything and anything! Yes, these are arguments and roadblocks that our own industry has used for decades to help fight increases in the fuel tax. Tey WERE our story.


We became quite good at “just saying no” to any kind of increase that would have gone toward improving our infrastructure’s safety or efficiency. It was very safe for an association’s leaders and paid staff to just say no. After all, if there wasn’t SOMETHING to fight AGAINST, why would members continue to pay dues? Why would we need to pay a staff or pay dues, if we had a government or government agencies that we could trust.


Well, as we’ve learned in the case of highway funding, just saying no has not been in our industry’s or nation’s best interests. As we’ve seen the unintended consequences of not being at the table to discuss and support ways to re-invest in our infrastructure mount, while costly congestion and safety issues increase, it does seem that now is the time to start measuring what “doing nothing” does. We may be at a critical time in history, where an investment in your trade association is measured not on what interests they fight AGAINST, but what they can fight FOR.


With the recent passing of the fuel tax increase, there are many of you that used your voices to tell the great story of why the trucking industry in Nebraska is willing to take the lead to pay it’s fair share for safe and efficient roads. Why, despite it being politically unpopular, increasing the user fee via an increase in fuel taxes for everyone using our roads was the right thing to do and now was the right time to do it. Tere ARE far worse options like public/private partnerships that could lead to tolling roads in our state or increasing other fees that we pay, or—heaven forbid—a ton-mile tax proposal that would have a far greater negative impact on the trucking industry in Nebraska, with far less results.


In closing, if you were in favor of an increase, please remember to thank the brave industry leaders and legislators who had the courage and political will to examine the facts and fight FOR something. If you were opposed, I’m hopeful that you will keep an open mind in the future as we see roads in our cities, counties and state become more efficient and safe by everyone paying just a little more at the pump.


Until next edition,


Larry Johnson President


Nebraska Trucking ljohnson@nebtrucking.com


CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD CHRIS KLOTZ SBT, Inc.


Chief Carriers, Inc. VICE-CHAIR


CHAIR-ELECT BOB CLARK


Distribution, Inc. TREASURER


BOB WINTER


Flatbed Express SECRETARY


MARY DAVIE


Romans Motor Freight AT-LARGE OFFICER


SCOTT ROMANS


CRYSTAL ANDERSON Pitney Bowes Presort


Greater Omaha Express LLC


AT-LARGE OFFICER BRENT FALGIONE


STATE VICE PRESIDENT TO ATA ERICH HELGE


Seward Motor Freight


ALTERNATE STATE VICE PRESIDENT TO ATA MIKE HERRE


Fremont Contract Carriers BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Duane Acklie Don Adams Dean Aden


Steven Aherns George Akerson


Crystal Anderson Tim Aschoff Blaine Batten


Dennis Bauder David Billings


Joanie M. Bogers Kurt Brown


Butch Brown Terry Chvatal Bob Clark


Tom Coffey Mary Davie Eldon Dokter Rafael Dorador


Dwight Dunsworth Dave Erlandson Brent Falgione Ross Faubel Corby Flagle


Hugh Fugleberg Mike Galvin


Norman Geiken Rick Gomel


Dick Hauptman Erich Helge


Michael Herre Albert Hill


Alan Hingst


Duane Hobscheidt Pam Hook Dan Hurt


B.Vincent James


Kimberly Johnson Don Kaiser Jim Kerr


Larry Kersten Jerry Kilthau


4 NEBRASKA TRUCKER — ISSUE 3, 2015 — www.nebtrucking.com Chris Klotz Tom Koenigs


Jean Kurtenbach Dennis Leslie Heidi Loop


Dean Lynch Ron Mencl


Lloyd Mettenbrink Trey Mytty Ron Nolte Scott Olson


Tonn Ostergard Dave Parker Jack Peetz


Dean Petersen Eric Pierson Dick Pierson Tom Pirnie


Gene Quandt Dick Reiser


Greg Reitmeier Scott Romans


Ronald Romans John Sahling


Robert Sahling Roger Schmidt


Terry Schnauber Alan Schulz Jack Shultz


Russell Stough


Daniel Tompkins Jason Turner


Kevin vonRentzell Nick Vuko


Dave Walde


Clarence Werner Jerry Wessel Robert Winter Brian Wood


Robert Wynne Rallen R Zeitner


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