5 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2024 ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, AND PROMOTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS JANUARY 2025 23 Southern Oregon Industry Mixer MARCH 2025 18 Trucking Day at the Capitol APRIL 2025 16–18 Spring Safety Conference TBD 2025 TBD Oregon Truck Driving Championships JULY 2025 22 TruckPAC Golf Tournament AUGUST 2025 11–13 Annual Leadership Convention TBD 2025 TBD TMC Maintenance & Education Fair 12 roundtable meetings and hearings around the state focused on ODOT’s budget woes and their inability to finish the commitments of the previous transportation package, HB 2017, due to financial constraints. OTA had two seats at each of these meetings and many of you volunteered to help us share our message. The JTC has now begun a series of workgroups focused on key issues in the transportation arena, and OTA continues to hold two seats at each of these workgroups. It is too early to predict what will come out of all of this, but be assured that your association has a strong voice in these discussions and will continue to advocate for equity and fairness as new taxes are proposed. Even more concerning than new taxes, however, are the challenges coming to us from the regulatory arena. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) passed a requirement during the pandemic that Oregon adopt the California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards for zero-emission trucks that will severely limit your ability to purchase a new diesel truck beginning January 2025. These standards require a certain percentage of battery electric trucks sold in each class of vehicle BEFORE diesel trucks can be sold. Given Oregon has not subsidized battery electric trucks and that most of our companies cannot make them work in the majority of their applications, very few battery-electric trucks have been sold, so the dealer community will be constrained from selling you a new truck next year. We have met repeatedly with the Governor, her staff, and legislators but have yet to see a change to this regulation. The environmental community is pushing this issue hard as a solution to greenhouse gas emissions even though their solution is inevitably destined for failure. As a result of these new regulations, many Oregon-based trucking companies are looking at other (more trucking friendly) states to open an office in order to be able to purchase equipment—at the very Get the latest on OTA training & events online at www.ortrucking.org/events. Watch our calendar for updates on other annual events. moment that ODOT is sounding the alarm on their financial stability! As we all know fewer business taxes and fewer registration dollars certainly will not help ODOT become financially solvent. I continue to share this message with decisionmakers in Salem. With our industry facing multi-pronged, arguably existential challenges on the legislative, regulatory, and economic fronts all at the same time, deciding which fire to focus our attention on first can be overwhelming, particularly as we enter the 2025 legislative session. What we have to do can seem insurmountable some days. We have to see changes to these environmental regulations so that the trucking industry can survive in Oregon. We have to fix our overpayment issue at the same time that the agency is looking for additional revenue. We can face these challenges and improve the landscape for our industry—but we will need your help to do it. Be ready, when OTA asks, to meet with your legislators and help us communicate the urgency of our issues. Volunteer for one of our committees to help us find better solutions to the issues of the day. Spread the message that OTA membership is an investment worth making to your friends in the industry who aren’t already a member. The issues are big. The challenges are great. But together, we will succeed and build a better environment for trucking in Oregon, beginning in 2025.
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