President's Message
paramount focus of this Association, and it is our intent to be a key player during this election cycle. Part of our effort will be in funding important races. On September 22, the Annual ATA Golf Classic, spearheaded by Classic Chairman Joe Black of McGriff Tire and his committee, is expected to have another successful year. Proceeds from the tournament go to ATA's political action efforts. Last year's event generated more than $100,000 for our PACs, and it appears this year's event will also do its job in raising enough funds for pro-business candidates. Another issue of concern is pending cli-mate change legislation in Congress. If passed, the measure could increase regular gasoline by 77 cents per gallon and 88 cents per gallon for diesel. As trucking companies struggle with already miniscule profit mar-gins, additional costs for fuel would be passed on to shippers of goods and materials and ultimately to consumers. (See Governor Bill Graves' letter which outlines our indus-try's opposition to pending climate change legislation page 32). Another hot button topic is the so-called Card Check Plan, which does away with a secret ballot election after a majority of work-ers sign cards to authorize a union. ATA is on record in opposition of this plan. However, union leaders are targeting Alabama trucking companies, threatening the industry's ability to remain profitable in what most believe are the worst economic conditions since The Great Depression. In response, ATA is spon-soring several executive meetings throughout the state for those who want to learn more about how unions operate and how to keep your business non-union. As you can see, this year will be a defin-ing period for trucking. ATA's mission is to provide a strong, unified voice for trucking, and with your continued support and par-ticipation our industry will thrive and pros-per despite the many obstacles in our path to success. From the President I n July, the Alabama Trucking Association began its current fiscal year with the installation of new leadership and the adoption of a new program of work. I briefed our Chairman Skip Williams that going forward into the next 12 months, this association will be challenged as never before. Our industry will be pressured by issues such as a struggling U.S. economy, upcoming state elections, climate change legislation, and the Card Check issue impacting employer-employee relations. Though some contend that the current recession is reaching its end, most believe that significant recovery will be slow and protracted. Like our member firms, our Association has slashed its operating budget. However, the core membership services per-formed by the Association will continue as usual for the purpose of promoting and pro-tecting the industry in Alabama. Even with these cuts, still at the forefront of our mission is highway safety; and ATA will continue working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Public Safety in their implementation of the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) program. That program's intent is to reduce inter-action between cars and trucks, thus reduc-ing crashes and fatalities. Furthermore, ATA is striving to position our motor carrier members for increased FMCSA safety com-pliance reviews through its Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 program. Meanwhile, the Steel Coil Bill went into effect (in part) June 1. Last month, DPS announced that it extended the period of soft enforcement while the matter of driver certification is revisited. Though the elections are several months away, candidates and support groups are already at work. The election results will have a profound impact on trucking. Perhaps the most visible race will be for governor. However, elections for the 140 seats of the Alabama Legislature will be the Frank Filgo President and CEO Alabama Trucking Association Industry at a crossroads `Our industry will be pressured by issues such as a struggling U.S. economy, upcoming state elections, climate change legislation, and the Card Check issue...' ATA_3Q09_revd.qxp 9/15/09 02:51 PM Page 2