OTA Dispatch Issue 3 2019

30 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch MEMBER NEWS Happy 100th Birthday, Cummins! We can’t believe it, either. OTA member, Cummins Sales & Service has been around for 100 solid years (since 1919). With only four employees back then, they recognized the advantages of the compression ignition oil engine and developed their first Cummins engine and have continued to add to their line of products from generators and power systems to components and electrified power solutions. It’s since grown to a global company with over 58,000 employees. Congratulations! Have an event you’d like OTA to attend or a good story to share? Contact info@ortrucking.org BIG RIG RACE As Told by Christie Wuerst with Terrain Tamers ON SATURDAY, JUNE 22, race fans from all over Western Oregon turned out to watch the American Big Rig Racing at the Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, OR. It was a fun night of racing as the Canadian semi-truck group bumped, rubbed, crashed, and rolled coal in their late model modified semi-trucks. The 1000 horsepower, full size— over the road semi-trucks have been cut down, lowered, shortened, and lightened to get around short tracks fast. Not only was the night full of racing, but fans got a chance for meet and greet with drivers, one lucky fan got a ride along, A&M Transport had their pickup with the t-shirt cannon, and kids got a chance to dash for pennies thanks to First Community Credit Union PRA Jr. Fan Club. This was one of the largest crowds in recent years at the speedway. One fan commented on social media afterwards, “That was a great night of racing and the stands were almost as full as when NASCAR comes to town.” Others commented that the event was awesome, very entertaining and they are ready for the group to come back next year. The “Pace Truck” for the night was from the Umpqua Community College Truck Driving Program and was driven by Dennis Sauro, an instructor from the program. Dennis stated, “It was a kick in the butt to look in the mirrors and see these trucks right behind me for three laps.” Most of the drivers from the group work jobs during the week and then travel on the weekends to races. The North American Big Rigs have been racing around Alberta, BC, and Washington since 1989. The race was sponsored by the Umpqua Valley Transportation Sector Partnership, a business led organization collaborating with community partners to solve issues within the transportation industry. Partner members also had their own trucks on display for fans. Partner members that were present included A&M Transport, Gene Whitaker, Inc., Ireland Trucking, Roseburg Forest Products, and Terrain Tamers (all OTA Members), Umpqua Training, and Employment and Umpqua Community College. The Sector Partnership started as collective impact to reduce driver shortage in Douglas County but has since grown into something larger. Recognizing that collaboration is a key component in successful region-wide and industry-wide change; our success depends on our collective impact rather than our individual abilities.