Even though continuing COVID-19 gathering restrictions prompted the Truckload Carriers Association to move Truckload 2021: Las Vegas from April to September in hopes of having an in-person annual convention, TCA members still had the opportunity to share thoughts, shape policy, and attend informative sessions during April.
TCA’s Spring Business Meetings, held virtually April 19-20 and open only to association members, included strategic committee and board meetings, as well as a timely and relevant educational session. The event also featured a U.S. congressional speaker.
Thanks to event sponsor DriverFacts, TCA members were able to attend the meetings free of charge.
DriverFacts President and CEO Dave Widly, along with his wife and company co-owner, Lori Widly, recognize the importance of TCA’s work, and felt it was important to ensure members had the chance to freely participate in the sessions, according to DriverFacts Director of Business Development Mylene Patterson.
“DriverFacts has been involved with TCA for 14 years and serves on committees, provides information, products, and services in our areas of expertise such as compliance, safety and driver retention,” explained Patterson. “We support TCA whenever and however we can.”
During the first day of the session, Monday, April 19, more than 200 TCA members had the opportunity to attend a variety of committee meetings, including Communications and Image Committee, Highway Policy Committee, Independent Contractor Practice Policy Committee, and Recruitment and Retention Human Resources Committee.
Attendees were also invited to tune in for an interactive educational session presented by TCA Profitability Program (TPP) Retention Project Plan Coach Ray Haight and Jetco Delivery CEO and TCA’s Making Safety Happen facilitator Brian Fielkow.
“Safety, Recruiting, and Your Bottom Line,” geared for senior leaders, explored the relationship between a company’s safety culture and driver retention. The conversation, moderated by Haight and Fielkow, allowed audience participation so that industry leaders could share their thoughts and expertise.
On Tuesday, April 20, attendees were encouraged to attend meetings of TCA’s Membership Committee, Regulatory Policy Committee, and TCA Scholarship Fund Committee (open to trustees only). In addition to Tuesday’s committee meetings, attendees were given the opportunity to hear remarks from Congressional Speaker Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-1).
During Pappas’ presentation, he discussed the various infrastructure proposals being considered by Congress and updated TCA members on the efforts of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to move legislation this year. Pappas also highlighted trucking-related measures that will be added to the larger infrastructure bill and shared his thoughts on how Congress will fund infrastructure moving forward.
The last session of the day was TCA’s Board of Directors Meeting, during which outgoing TCA Chairman Dennis Dellinger handed the reins to incoming Chairman Jim Ward, President of D.M. Bowman, Inc.
TCA received numerous positive comments from attendees, including Garner Trucking, Inc., President and CEO Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, an active TCA member who also serves as Chair of the American Trucking Associations.
“TCA’s spring meetings were a great opportunity to meet virtually with legislators and regulators and allow industry peers to discuss policies and have a voice in new laws and regulations that will affect them,” she shared. “Plus, we thanked Dennis Dellinger for leading the association during a challenging year, and we welcomed new Chairman Jim Ward, who will lead TCA this next year. Thank you, Dennis and Jim, officers and gentlemen.”
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
