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When they entered,
they saw there were no
flames dancing in a hearth
onstage, no portable fire pit, not even
a Smokey Joe. There was nothing cozier
than an unadorned pair of tables set end to end
at the foot of the stage.
So, the anticipation shifted to what Martinez
was there to talk about. TCA’s Vice President of
Government Affairs David Heller was to be there
with him. This implied there’d be deep diving into
one regulatory issue or another. The target date for
FMCSA’s highly-anticipated unveiling of a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the next step in a
process that could lead to some big changes to the
Hours of Service regulations, was less than a week
away. Might they be in for a sneak preview, or at least
a few veiled hints of the proposed changes?
That was wishful thinking. But there were plenty of
other hot topics they might address: the impending
pilot program for 18-year-old drivers with certain
military experience to drive interstate; the Drug and
Alcohol Clearinghouse, due early next year; the
mandatory switch from automatic on-board recording
devices (AOBRDs) to electronic logging devices
(ELDs) later this year; the perennial parking problem;
and our eternal infrastructure woes — there’s always
something to talk about.
It was an informal but purposeful presentation, in
the tradition of the original fireside chatter, Franklin
Roosevelt. In the space of an hour they managed to
touch on all those topics, and a few others. But the
central theme of the discussion was discussion itself
and the importance of communication among all
trucking industry stakeholders for positive change to
happen.
The chat’s moderator, SiriusXM Radio Host Mark
Willis, handled the duty expertly, tossing out a wellshaped
question then sitting back and letting Martinez
and Heller run with it.
The starting point of the discussion was FMCSA’s
efforts since Martinez became administrator about
a year and a half ago to improve relationships with
trucking’s various organizations, TCA in particular.
Martinez explained open communication is vital for his
organization to fulfill its function and for the industry to
get the government cooperation and support it wants
and needs.
“This has got to be a two-way conversation,”
Martinez said, and the format of this discussion was
representative of that. “In the past, maybe we’ve had
FMCSA administrators come and give a speech, wave,
then leave.”
Martinez explained that in his opinion, that sort
of star-turn “interaction” isn’t particularly useful. The
importance of attending events like this is not what
he says but what he hears, because the potential is
there to get a measure on where a huge portion of the
trucking industry stands on the issues under FMCSA’s
purview.
“I’m a firm believer in associations,” he said. “Not just
for its members, but it helps in directing communication
with the agency. I need to deal with the associations
to clarify the issues you’re dealing with. There’s a lot
of challenges out there. It’s a very diverse industry. In
order for us to do our job better, we have to have that
open line of communication. I really believe we’re in
the same boat. It’s what you want, it’s what we want.”
Heller, TCA’s point man in governmental interactions,
picked up on that point, adding that that when that
communication is solid, the industry and the agency
can act as partners working toward a common goal —
sensible, workable, productive regulations.
“It provides the industry, and truckload specifically,
an opportunity to tell our story,” Heller said.
Since Martinez has stepped into the administrator’s
role, Heller added, FMCSA has encouraged
discussion, not just with TCA but with the entire
industry. “It’s important you know what to expect,”
Heller said. “We as an industry should expect nothing
less than sensible rules from the agency. They’ve been
very open, they’ve been very forward. They’ve been
very direct with us. I don’t think there’s ever been an
administration that’s been more open and willing and
honest.”
Judging from the applause that line received, much
of TCA’s membership in attendance shares that
assessment.
Having a strong relationship with FMCSA comes at
an opportune time for TCA, as the organization has
made it a priority in the last few years to hone its
political voice, most notably with its annual Call
on Washington, as well as more consistent
interaction with lawmakers.
Trucking has always had a heck
of a calling card, Heller said. It’s
an industry that handles 78%
of the goods sold in this
country. When lawmakers
hear statistics like that,
“They know you are the
big dog in the room,”
Heller said. You have their
attention. But the real trick
is making good use of it.
The power of the message
they can deliver to those
lawmakers is derived
from the data and
the fervor its
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