Editorial: ATA's MC&E 2013
As the industry gathers for American Trucking Associations’ 2013 Management Conference & Exhibition this week in Orlando, Fla., there is much good to reflect about from the past 12 months, and there are definite reasons to look forward to a brighter 2014.
Freight loads have been steadily improving, the economy is gaining and technology is helping make fleet operations safer and more efficient.
During the past year, ATA concluded its successful court charge to beat back an attempt by the Port of Los Angeles to ban owner-operators from moving loads to and from the busiest port in the country. Several other ports likely would have followed suit, had ATA not been able to get the courts to reverse the rule and preserve the rights of independent contractors to move freight through the ports.
And the associations’ efforts helped mitigate some of the more onerous potential changes to the hours-of-service rule, helping to keep the driving day at 11 hours and getting shorthaul operations exempted from the 30-minute rest-break provision.
The trucking family will be gathering just days after the federal government shutdown ended and the threat of a default on the nation’s debt was removed, for now.
This should ease the threat to the economic growth we are expecting for 2014, which should spell better times for all of us.
We’ll hear more about this on Oct. 21, when ATA President Bill Graves gives his annual “State of the Industry” address.
On Oct. 20, this year’s installment of the “All Eyes on the Economy” luncheon will explore the topic as well, as ATA’s chief economist, Bob Costello,
Wells Fargo’s Mark Vitner and ACT Research’s Kenny Vieth appear with television personality Stuart Varney.
Other highlights will include an address by Jeb Bush, the former two-term governor of Florida, on Oct. 21 and from the president of AAA, Robert Darbelnet, who will talk about the automobile group’s take on infrastructure financing, among other issues.
And before we celebrate the conclusion of this MC&E with the annual banquet the night of Oct. 22 and the humor of Jeff Foxworthy, ATA Chairman Michael Card, the president of Combined Transport, will turn over the gavel to Philip Byrd Sr., president of Bulldog Hiway Express, who will lead the group for the next year.
See you in Orlando.
