Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch 2 Evan Oneto OTA Chair OTA COMMITTEES: WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD DURING MY TENURE on the Board of Directors at OTA, a consistent question we have asked ourselves is, “How can we recruit more members to join, and how can we get our current members more involved with the association?” A couple of the common refrains we hear when trying to recruit new members or recruiting existing members to get more involved is some version of, “I’m not sure OTA is focused on my issues,” and “I don’t have time to go to all of those board meetings and discuss all of those political issues you guys talk about.” I get excited when I hear a trucker say something to this effect. Because I know it is only a function of their lack of knowledge about OTA, and therefore an opportunity to educate them about all that OTA is doing for them and the many different ways they can get involved. To those existing members who claim to not have the time or interest to be involved at the Board level, I always reply, “That’s okay, there’s no need to join the Board at this time, just get involved in some of the committees that interest you.” That’s where I started as a member, and that’s where I saw the real value of OTA at work. Similarly, to the prospective member who may have received an email from us or saw a copy of the Dispatch and has concluded we don’t cover their issues— it’s always fun for me to explain our committees to them, and invariably there is always one or several that deal with what is concerning them most. That is why as Chair, I have made promotion of our committees a priority. For the busy, hardworking Oregon trucker, I understand why they may not have the time or interest in attending all of our annual board meetings to discuss the issues that matter to them. That is a significant time commitment, especially if you only care to discuss one or two things on a lengthy agenda. But our committees are designed to take those big agendas and break them down into relevant subject matter areas, for members to directly engage on the issues that matter to them. And since COVID, our committees have regularized the use of online meetings to meet and conduct business throughout most of the year—so there is no longer the challenge of having to travel and miss work to attend. We have committees for just about every type of trucking employee or trucking-related business to be involved in. There is the Highway Policy Committee, that primarily focuses on over-dimension loads and the attending routes, fees, and regulations required for this type of trucking. However, this committee has even delved into issues dealing with regulatory overreach and local planning issues that could even affect a company like mine, that merely runs standard LTL trucks. Are you frustrated with the continual challenge of recruiting new drivers or technicians? Well, come participate in our Workforce Committee where OTA is pioneering partnerships with regional workforce boards and WorkSource Oregon to help recruit and train people for trucking industry careers. In fact, this committee has served as a model for other states and associations nationwide. If you’re a safety supervisor focused on training, we have the Safety Management Council that covers just about every subject imaginable, from driver safety and training to liability management and regulatory requirements. The Council is also responsible for organizing our Spring Safety Conference and our annual Truck Driving Championship. If you’re in charge of maintenance and thinking, I’m not even involved in driving, dispatch, or management— OTA does not concern me—think again. We have the Technology & Maintenance Council. The Council is charged with developing recommended engineering and maintenance practices that are voluntarily adopted by fleets, OEMs, and component suppliers. Their annual events include the SuperTech Skills Competition and Maintenance & Education Fair. Maybe you’re in Sales and Marketing and think to yourself, this is all for Operations people. Wrong again. Come get involved in our Image
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