Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch FOR OVER 100 years, the trucking industry has been moving an increasingly large share of America’s GDP. And nowhere is that truer than in the American West, where much of the economy relies on agriculture and natural resource production, and communities are frequently separated by vast distances, often only connected via remote highways. In many ways, Oregon embodies this reality, where its vast array of famous agricultural, forest, and seafood products from across the state make it to market on a truck. But so too are high-end, suburban manufacturers like Nike and Intel reliant on our industry to move their products. And let us not forget that the economy relies on our industry to provide the fuel, food, medical supplies, and housing and consumer goods for the entire workforce. Over 90% of Oregon’s manufactured tonnage is transported by trucks and nearly 77% of Oregon communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods. But we are not just responsible for supporting and connecting Oregon’s economy. We are a large economic contributor in our own right. An estimated 1 in 16 jobs in Oregon is in the trucking industry with an average salary above $53,000. And Oregon is where some of the household names in trucking call home. Daimler Trucks of North America, the largest truck manufacturer in the U.S., is headquartered in Portland, where it employs over 3,000 people across the state. Nationally recognized LTL carrier Reddaway was founded in 1919 in Oregon City and today remains headquartered in Tualatin, OR. And we do not just connect business to business either, but thanks to the emergence of e-commerce, increasingly we are also delivering the goods people rely on every day right to their doorstep. My own employer, FedEx, has grown to over 5,400 employees in Oregon today, much of it due to this growing trend. But why, you ask, am I telling you this? If you’re reading this, most likely you are in the trucking industry yourself and already have a pretty strong idea about our importance to the economy. Well, I bring it up for you to use as a reminder to those who aren’t reading this. Because chances are you know a policymaker in your community that doesn’t know this. That person could be a state legislator, or they could be a county commissioner or city councilmember, or a member of a local planning commission or even a civil servant that interacts with our industry. Whatever their role and whatever their knowledge level about our industry, chances are there is much more they don’t know about trucking and how much it impacts their daily life or the larger economy. Use this as an opportunity for a conversation to educate them. We have challenges before us at every level of government and on a vast array of issues. Whether it’s transportation planning and spending, taxes, climate change regulations, or labor laws, it often seems as though trucking is the first to get hit. And yet I often find that those proposing laws and regulations to make life harder for us often don’t realize the critical role we play in their everyday lives. Take for example, the issue of road funding. I think we are all aware by now of the state’s problem with funding the construction and maintenance of critical infrastructure projects throughout our state. Yet, what many policymakers may not realize is that Oregon truckers pay the highest tax rate in the nation for highway user taxes, paying 31% of all taxes owed by Oregon motorists, while only representing 13% of vehicle miles traveled in the state. That also means that our tax revenue helps fund the alternative transportation modes that many opponents of road construction so often tout. So many people often only think of trucks as a nuisance to get around during rush hour. But few stop to think about how they are on the roads to keep our very way of life going. As legislators return to their districts this summer, they will be holding district meetings and going on local tours. I encourage you to reach out to OTA staff to find out how you might be able to host a tour of 2 Evan Oneto OTA Chair “If you got it, trucks brought it.” That means whatever industry somebody is involved in or cares about, they are connected to trucking—whether they know it or not. Driving Oregon’s Economy
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