OTA Dispatch Issue 1 2020

Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch CHANGE IS INEVITABLE, so they say. Many follow that up with additional bits of wisdom, such as “change is constant” or “growth is optional.” Those of us in the trucking industry are quite familiar with the concept of change. It’s certainly inevitable and seemingly constant when it comes to the forces that influence how we operate. In many cases, we’re given no option but to change in order to move forward. But I like to focus on the growth aspect that change can bring. Change may be inevitable, but how we react to or adapt to change makes the biggest difference. Reacting to changing situations isn’t unique to the trucking industry, obviously. Look at Oregon’s economy. An abundance of specific resources lead to the creation of several agriculture-based industries, with timber topping the list. While it’s still a thriving industry, as can be seen with our featured member company F.V. Martin, the fact remains that the industries driving Oregon’s economy have changed. The 1980s saw a major shift in the types of products and services Oregon produces, leading to the technology-driven “Silicon Forest” moniker. It now dominates our jobs and state exports—at least in the Portland-metro area. Those of us in more rural areas have a slightly different perspective. But, as always, change is inevitable. As bigger, more “exciting” career opportunities arise for the younger generation, the trucking industry is left scrambling to fill vital positions. The ongoing shortage of drivers and technicians is a glaring example. Our previous recruitment routines no longer work because the pool of workers to pull from continues to shrink and employment expectations continue to grow. So, how do we react to this changing environment? From my own personal experience, I can say we have to expand our horizons…while still investing on a local level. Trust me, they can work together to benefit our business. Like many of you, A&M Transport started looking at different groups to recruit from, starting with hiring military veterans. While we certainly received a positive response, we still had more positions to fill. That led me to an EB3 immigration program through a Houston based company, Visa Solutions. Trucking is becoming a much larger focus for programs like this one, bringing to the U.S. close to 1,600 truck drivers from 60 countries last year. This may not be the right solution for you, but in order to grow and adapt to change, we need to think outside the box and beyond the normal job boards and career fairs. Reaching out to qualified veterans and immigrants provides a more immediate solution to a long-term problem, so we also need to cultivate resources in our own backyards. This is where community involvement comes in. We can’t operate within a bubble and expect to build interest in our industry. While Oregon voters approved more funding for vocational classes and career preparation, the state has yet to deliver. This means we need to get the word out ourselves. The majority of us are involved in trucking because it’s a family affair and/or something we are truly passionate about. We know the importance of what we do. We need to relay that to our local schools and communities. There’s still a lot of stereotyping that we need to cut through. As OTA gives us a statewide community to meet and share ideas, we need to do the same within our local high schools, community colleges, and other regional resources. Many of you have heard my pitch on the Next Gen Sector Partnership model and I will continue to encourage this model throughout the state and our industry as we are seeing great results from both the Umpqua and Rogue Valleys where we have successfully launched sector partnerships with very positive results. It’s amazing to see the results when industry representatives come together to solve common issues. In addition, I was recently invited to attend the monthly OWP (Oregon Workforce Partnership) meeting where I was able to make a pitch to all nine of the Executive Directors about including transportation as a supported sector in each of their workforce areas plus adding a transportation representative to all of their boards. They were very receptive to the conversation and asked that I assist with recommendations for new board appointees from our industry if/when a board position comes open in each of their respective areas. The importance of having transportation represented in the nine workforce areas is to ensure that our industry receives it’s proportionate share of federal and state dollars allocated for workforce development and training. If you have an interest in serving on your local workforce board or would like additional information, please reach out to me. As the trucking industry continues to evolve, it’s up to us to find the right path forward. It might not be 2 2 Andy Owens OTA Chair “Change may be inevitable, but how we react to or adapt to change makes the biggest difference.”