Editorial: So Little Time in the 24/7/365 World of Trucking

Spending several days in a hotel clustered with thousands of trucking industry leaders and executives reviewing the issues of yesterday, today and tomorrow reinforces the notion that vigilance is a full-time — or as some of us are fond of saying today, a 24/7/365 — job.

This has been a pretty good year for trucking. Business was good for many of the past 12 months for most of us. Trucking scored several important victories in Washington and the states, and is poised to win a few more in coming months.

But the world is a changed place. The amount of time dedicated to leisure or “fun” at last week’s MC&E in San Diego was far less than had been the norm in earlier decades. And the time spent savoring victories has been slashed.

Rather, we find ourselves preparing for the next fight or the next contest. And for good reason, for there’s no shortage of “nexts” waiting for our attention.

No sooner has trucking, under the banner of American Trucking Associations, dispatched the ill-conceived 2000 version of the Department of Transportation’s hours-of-service rules to the trash heap when the fight over the 2001 version looms.

The industry finally got Congress and the White House to agree that trucking deserves its own federal regulatory agency, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but now a struggle can be expected as the government moves to appoint the first full-time, permanent leadership of the agency.

Trucking, again under ATA’s leadership, was able to convince the White House to take some action to bring diesel prices down and supply up. But there’s so much more to be done, including attempts to encourage the White House and Congress to adopt a clear national energy policy.

The fight over the government’s expensive ergonomics plan has been delayed for at least a little while, but many months, if not years, of tussles loom as industry and labor fight over the new rules.

Add to this the looming next rounds of the estate tax, diesel emissions, and heaven knows what else will emerge tomorrow and you’ve got the best advertisement there is for joining ATA — and doing it now.