Watching CCTA Grow
What a wonderful Board meeting we had Saturday June 21st in Sacramento! Once again your Association went all out, inviting fantastic speakers who presented a variety of information from insurance issues to CARB regulations and related legal strategies of all shapes and sizes. One thing is for sure; CCTA continues to grow in size, reputation and even national relevance in our fight with CARB and EPA. We also have gained industry respect through our positions and comments on the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, Electronic Logging Devices, Hours of Service etc..
I also wanted to give kudos to the staff, on another great job putting the meeting, speakers and food choices together.
As I look back just 4 or 5 years ago, during the recession, I believe our growth was stalled as we were dealing with all the challenges created by the depression in the construction industry. Instead of down-sizing and settling for a smaller association, we changed our direction and with it things like our name, as we are now officially representing all types of construction trucks in California and all trucks outside the state. With the addition of our new conferences and alliances we will surely continue to grow even more.
Unfortunately with it, we had to overhaul our bylaws to give us the opportunity and legal protection to grow even more and include more types of groups into our fold. The addition of the bylaws new “Subdivisions” section is just the beginning. The Chapters are next and then the remaining sections. I’m confident we can grow the Association even more and include more types of groups.
We need to be an Association for ALL!
Lee included the entire new “subdivisions” section on pg.7, this section has nothing to do with “Chapters”. I suggest you read it and if you have any questions, please feel free to call me.
Our newest “Subdivision” is the Coalition of American-Latino Truckers. Its roots for now will be in the south and I’m hoping we can get a group started for the Punjabi community up here in the north. I recently had a couple of Indian/Punjabi dump truck owner operators from the Bay Area show an interest in our Association and what we do for the industry. So I invited them to the Saturday meeting to show them our growing diversity, and they were very impressed at what we are doing to represent and protect the industry. Incidentally, they have joined us.
We are a very ethnically diverse state, country and industry, if we don’t plan right and offer a seat at the table for everyone; we are doing a disservice to this association, ourselves and the industry.
Inclusive Yes, For Those Who Choose a Professional Path
The years I spent driving a school bus, I found that I always knew the names of the “bad kids” on the bus, but it took a long time to learn the names of the “good kids”. There are a lot of good and bad out there in ANY ethnic group, white, black, brown, yellow, male, female, you name it. The groups that work hard, play by the rules, contribute, are here to stay and make it in this industry, should be recognized as they can bring something of value to the table. They shouldn’t be ignored and grouped in with the “bad kids”, as is human nature to do so.
The possibilities are endless of where we can go with these new coalitions, conferences and alliances and our association. There are lots of great things happening, be sure and read about the things CCTA is involved with, you will be proud of where we have come in such a short time when it looked like we would just dry up and blow away in the wind with all the dangerous PM2.5.
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