Editorial: Strength in Unity, Strength in Numbers

In all my years in journalism, the owner has always reserved this spot in the newspaper for his opinions. Beginning with this issue, TT’s weekly editorial will be more traditional, in that it will represent the viewpoint of ATA, and it will be unsigned. From time to time, I will write a signed column on the op-ed page. Howard S. Abramson, Editor

American Trucking Associations took a giant step toward implementing its blueprint for tomorrow, drawn by the Wren Commission, when its directors approved the association’s budget for 1999. This budget projects an operating loss, because resources are going to be spent to make improvements and initiate projects that won’t yield fruit until future years.

The approved budget also makes good on basic tenets of the Wren Commission’s plan: to retain current members and attract more new ones than ATA has attracted in the past by lowering general dues, and by asking those companies that have not been paying the full cost of ATA services to do so.

ATA President Walter B. McCormick Jr. labeled the $54.4 million spending plan “an investment budget that reallocates resources to our core functions of advocacy.” The budget also provides for spending money to improve the association’s information and technology systems, and includes additional investments in improving Transport Topics.

Under the plan, ATA will spend $17.1 million of its total outlays on its Capitol Hill operations, which monitor the actions of Congress and attempt to influence them. That total purposely equals all the revenue ATA expects to raise in dues during the year.

The balance of ATA’s revenue will come from its other operations, of which the TT Publishing Group is a major part. The shortfall will be covered by income from investments the association has made with its cash reserves.

Last year was the first year ATA’s operations were in the black since 1991. The board’s decision to adopt a deficit budget shows the courage of its convictions that the reorganization plan is a sound one, and one that will prepare the ATA for the challenges of tomorrow.

The reorganization plan is being well received outside of ATA’s official circles as well. Already, a three-year decline in membership has been reversed, and ATA’s membership is approaching 4,000, well above the 3,600 it had at the end of 1998. It’s on the road toward achieving its goal of 4,800 members by the end of this year.

All in all, ATA’s reorganization effort is making tremendous headway.