OTA Dispatch Issue1, 2021

32 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch OTA Training & Consulting During a Global Pandemic By AdamWilliamson, OTA’s Director of Training & Development THE YEAR 2020 was a wild ride. A global pandemic; nationwide unrest, protests, and rioting; late summer wildfires along the west coast; and one of the most chaotic, turbulent Presidential elections we have seen in the history of the United States (the 2000 Presidential election controversy has nothing on 2020). To top it off? With the exception of wildfires subsiding with the fall rain, most of the chaos from last year has carried over into 2021 (early in the year, one of the most popular internet memes bemoaned that after experiencing the 7 day trial period for 2021, everybody wanted their money back!). For the time being at least, it would appear that there should be no rush to loosen our seat belts. The most pressing issue that remains with us in 2021 would undoubtedly have to be continued fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the state of Oregon specifically, significant restrictions are still imposed on in-person gatherings in many counties, presenting unique challenges to a variety of businesses, including OTA. Perhaps nowhere is the effect of these restrictions on OTA more evident than their impact on our training and consulting services. SAFETY Through the years, training and consulting has been a staple service provided by the association to both members and non- members. A key component of these services though has always involved relatively up close and personal gatherings. Under normal circumstances, in-person training and consulting does not present a problem, but with a global pandemic in full swing, it becomes a big problem. For the first time in years, the association saw much of its training opportunity significantly decline. Limited opportunity, however, does not mean no opportunity. While OTA had dabbled in webinar training prior to 2020, during the pandemic we were compelled by circumstance to ramp up our virtual offerings. The bulk of our training classes transitioned over to the virtual platform and we kept a consistent schedule throughout the year. At the present time, we continue to monitor case levels and follow state guidelines/restrictions as we evaluate the potential restart of classroom training. The important take away from this is that OTA continues to be “open for business” as it relates to our training and consulting services (even if being “open” means a virtual only format). A schedule of training webinars is updated regularly on OTA’s website, offering access to almost the entire OTA training catalog. NW Fleet Safety and Maintenance Programs are currently open for enrollment for the 2021 class year. OTA can still accommodate specialized training or mock audit requests for carriers looking for something outside of our scheduled webinars (these specialized services are usually also done through virtual webinars/meetings; however, onsite training is still a possibility if the carrier can arrange a location that will allow sufficient distancing and other protocols to be followed). The good news in all of this is that you do not have to wait either for OTA to schedule a training near your locality or travel to the Portland area for an in-person class. The same training is available through the convenience of a webinar format. While we do look forward to returning to a more normal, in-person training format as soon as possible, the training webinar is a “new” tool in our box that undoubtedly will persist long after the pandemic has run its course. We hope to see you at one of our future trainings this year…in whatever format it may be! Contact OTA if you need assistance with creating a safety policy for your organization. Email safety@ortrucking.org. NW Fleet Safety and Maintenance Programs are currently open for enrollment for the 2021 class year.