16 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Time for a Refresh By Christa Wendland, OTA Communications Consultant AFTER SURVIVING TWO-PLUS years of a pandemic, with much of life put on hold, we emerged with new perspectives and a new list of priorities. Of course, the trucking industry moved through the pandemic as it has so many times before, with commitment to our communities and dedication to delivering what was needed. We had to adjust and adapt along the way and are now taking time to evaluate what changes will take a permanent place in how we operate. Trucking’s current list of challenges also include the latest developments in climate policies that are poised to “transform” our industry, whether we, the infrastructure and the technology involved are ready or not. Many were anticipating a bit of change at the top here in Oregon, with the hope for some fresh executive leadership. We will have a new governor in 2023, but there’s still a question of just how different (for better or worse) things will be. Without question, trucking faces a challenging path forward. Still, once you put everything in the right perspective, even bad times can be an opportunity to refresh. OTA Mission Statement—“Advocate, Influence and Promote to help our members succeed” With that in mind, like many of you, OTA took some time to reflect and think about what our next chapter will look like. It might seem a bit on the nose, but our first step involved a bit of an image makeover. You’ll notice in this issue of the Dispatch that we’re featuring a brandnew logo intended to brighten things up as we rededicate efforts to promote our shared goals and mission. Working Together is Success If you’re not familiar with OTA’s origin story, here’s a quick recap. In 1939, the Oregon Motor Transport Association, Inc. was formed to represent interstate and intrastate truck carriers in policymaking and development of a positive public image. In time, other associations cropped up, often sharing similar goals but with slightly different areas of focus. Then, in the 1950s, understanding that there is strength in numbers, the Oregon Motor Transport Association joined forces with the other specialty trucking organizations and became the Oregon Trucking Associations—plural. For over 60 years all of these past “associations” were represented under the OTA umbrella, even as we operated as a single entity. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”—Edward Everett Hale. As our ideas for a refresh continued, we decided to drop the “s” and become simply Oregon Trucking Association. While OTA members represent diverse segments of the industry and all have unique perspectives, as an organization our strength comes from our singular commitment to protecting and promoting an industry that drives Oregon’s economy on every level. Recalibrating for the Digital World Another impact of a lengthy pandemic was even more reliance on technology, especially when it comes to how we communicate and interact. There are any number of tools that are meant to streamline how we do business, with new innovations popping up every day. Not all of them may fit our needs, but existing in the virtual world requires a
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