OTA Dispatch Issue 1, 2019

TAKING ACTION Omega Morgan joined OTA as a member in 1996, mainly because they knew very little about the trucking industry and needed someone to turn to. “We wanted to be part of the bigger organization because we were still small. We leaned on OTA a lot—they taught us about DOT regulations, mileage reporting, and how to maintain our books. Any time I had a permit or licensing issue or didn’t feel like something was fair, I’d pick up the phone and call OTA. The association performed a mock audit for us about every other year and even helped us through a large audit in 2005. We have sent employees to training classes like the Ongoing Carrier Education class, but it’s deeper than that.” Troy jokes, “They’ve helped keep us out of trouble!” Although the company’s early OTA involvement consisted of consultation, mock audits, and some classes, Erik Zander has stepped it up in the past three years. He started at Omega Morgan as a project manager/estimator and is now director of sales and handles the marketing at the company. Even with the little time he has left outside of his normal work schedule, Erik believes it’s important get involved and bring more freight to Oregon. That’s why he participates in OTA’s advocacy efforts. He currently chairs OTA’s Highway Policy Committee and works closely with Waylon Buchan, OTA’s Director of Government Affairs. He also sits on ODOT’s Mobility Committee. Two years ago, Erik and a group of representatives from five other local ports and companies started the High Wide & Heavy Corridor Coalition. Erik explains how there’s been a decline in the amount of freight moved through the Pacific Northwest, and that the rest of the country isn’t comfortable moving freight through our area. Some shippers are afraid that their freight will be stopped and not able to move, so they bypass Oregon altogether. “A lot has to do with politics. People hear about environmentalist groups stopping shipments and there’s a low tolerance for risk for the project owners.” Whenever the Mobility Committee works on a project, they look at the industry’s perspective. Erik says the goal is to help expand and protect the capacity/mobility of our state highways. “For example, there needs to be a balance between bike lane construction and other road infrastructure like widening highways.” Sure, there’s the marketing aspect of being involved, but one of the goals of the High Wide and Heavy Coalition is to leverage relationships with the state and set up regulations to make it easier to move freight through Oregon and the Pacific Northwest as a whole without getting caught up in the court system. “It directly impacts our business and other trucking companies’ business,” says Erik. Omega Morgan is also part of the governing committee for the Specialized Carriers and Riggers Association and a member of American Trucking Association, Washington Trucking Association, and the Railroad Industrial Clearance Association. Troy, Erik, and other employees have attended OTA events, like Trucking Day at the Capitol in January and the Annual Convention, because they want to stay current with all the changes in the industry and network with others. “It’s nice to meet people that are in transportation, in a non-threatening environment. We get the opportunity to learn what they do well and share our own experiences with them. It makes us better.” Both Troy and Erik anticipate growth in the transportation business here in Oregon and recognize the need to expand their DOT capabilities. “We’re seeing a generational shift, especially as ownership changes in the industry. Trucking companies can only soak up so much information. The more we participate, the more we understand the benefits of the association. We’ve recently started placing our DOT, safety, and shop departments into some of OTA’s training offerings for education and advocacy. So, when OTA needs our help, we’re going to say yes.” And, they do! When new OTA staff wanted to grow their training www.ortrucking.org 19 Issue 1 | 2019 “We wanted to be part of the bigger organization because we were still small. We leaned on OTA a lot—they taught us about DOT regulations, mileage reporting, and how to maintain our books.”