5 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2023 ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, AND PROMOTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS Resources Board (CARB). As a result of their recent adoption of the ACF rule, the California Trucking Association has filed suit challenging CARB’s ability to enforce these regulations on the trucking industry. Other states and the ATA are joining this effort, and our Board of Directors will be discussing this at our strategic planning session in December. Unfortunately, that is more and more how public policy is going. When policymakers won’t listen to reality, then litigation is often the only course of action. And this issue is not the only major issue that OTA is faced with. As this year’s long legislative session wound to a close, the Highway Cost Allocation study that was scheduled for a presentation in February was finally published in June and presented to the Joint Transportation Committee at their interim committee hearing in September. Of significance to you, this report showed that the trucking industry was grossly overpaying their “fair share” of Oregon’s roadways. Unfortunately, the only recourse to this is to get the legislature to make the necessary adjustments. And with ODOT having spent the entire legislative session educating members that ODOT’s budget is in trouble, making these adjustments won’t be easy. That is why we need you—ALL of you! We need you to get involved with OTA. Volunteer for one of our committees. Volunteer to serve as a liaison to one of our elected officials to help educate them on the challenges facing our industry. Write a TruckPAC check so we can be instrumental in getting individuals elected that will have our back. Volunteer to testify—tell the story of how differing policies will affect your business. You can now do that remotely, so you don’t even need to travel to Salem to testify. Write letters, write emails, GET INVOLVED! I saw ATA’s new tagline when I was at MC&E and it says it all. “Nothing Without Trucking.” You know that, and I know that. Now help me spread the message. Here’s to BIG successes in 2024!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTY1NDIzOQ==