ASSOCIATION INSIGHTS The Value of ATA
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n Washington, we welcome more than 100 new members of Congress and brace ourselves for what is expected to be an intense 2020 election cycle.
In state capitals, we continue to push back against the uninformed lawmakers attempting to discriminate against our industry in order to raise revenues to cover up for years of misuse.
In the courts, attempts to interfere with trucking’s longstanding business models threaten the independence, success and vitality of our nation’s truck drivers and trucking companies.
The trucking industry faces no shortage of threats. And at ATA, we believe we’ve proven that there is only one place for the industry to turn when political pressure mounts, business environments change and new technologies emerge: ATA.
To cap off 2018, ATA delivered its biggest win of the year for the industry when FMCSA approved our petition to pre-empt California’s grossly misguided meal and rest break rules. The rules, an affront to serious safety efforts, made it more dangerous for our drivers to operate in California, complicated the compliance process and exposed trucking companies to crippling legal proceedings. After years of work on this issue, ATA found an untested approach to solving the problem through executive action, making our drivers’ jobs safer and allowing trucking companies to more freely design routes that make sense from a health and efficiency standpoint.
We also sent a message to other states that were considering the adoption of similar, duplicative rules – our industry is relentless in the pursuit of safety and common sense reform.
As we hang new calendars for 2019, ATA enters the year with a comprehensive plan to move the needle on our industry’s legislative and regulatory priorities. Throughout the past two years, we’ve laid the groundwork for a robust, trucking-led infrastructure policy conversation in Washington and are excited to push forward alongside other powerful partners to advance that agenda.
On the trade front, we will continue to educate members of Congress and executive branch officials about the important role that trucking plays in the global trade network, supporting policies that protect trucking’s cross-border trade agenda and offering pro-industry, pro-safety solutions to trade disputes.
On regulations, we intend to hold federal agencies accountable for the rules they make and the Congressionally-mandated rulemaking required of them. 2019 presents a great opportunity for ATA to review and promote strategic policy items that promise to improve efficiency in our industry’s hiring, retention, operational and financial practices.
And for the general public, ATA will continue to invest resources into programs that improve the image of our industry and trucking’s public
perception, like America’s Road Team and Trucking Moves America Forward.
We saw tremendous successes in 2018, enjoyed hosting ATA members at dozens of ATA-led events and meetings, and witnessed prolific growth and innovation in our industry. My team at ATA looks forward to seeing even more of that in 2019.
By Chris Spear President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations
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