Page 221 - BWA FEB 2013

February 2013 | Business World Magazine | 221
In a recent example, the TIA lobbied
for a provision as part of the Fighting Fraud
inTransportationAct of 2011 (FFIT), which
was enacted and passed into law in July 2012.
This bill addresses fraud in the marketplace,
and raises the financial entry requirements
for coming into the transportation indus-
try, Voltmann explains. “It won’t block entry
– it will just make it clear to those coming
into the industry that this isn’t like running a
sandwich shop.”
TIA had a significant amount of input
into the bill, and had worked on some of the
included provisions for close to three years.
“We think it’s going to have a very positive
effect on our members and our industry,”
Voltmann says.
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES
One of the main challenges for the transpor-
tation industry is a growing shortfall in the
number of trucks on the road. While TIA
members have a sufficient number of trucks
at the moment, that number is “tight” be-
cause of the economy, Voltmann says. “They
seemingly were crawling out of the recession,
yet my members are reporting that truck ca-
pacity is very tight in certain markets at cer-
tain times.”
That tightness, Voltmann explains, is
due to a couple of factors. Firstly, demand
is high – “we’re exporting more so there’s
more manufacturing,” he says. Secondly, a
lot of capacity has been “idled” by trucking
companies that went out of business during
the recession, and by drivers who have cho-
sen not to re-enter the workforce. The TIA
is currently hard at work, looking at ways to
remedy that shortfall.
TIA is also working on being more
proactive in promoting their members. Last
fall, they conducted focus groups with ship-
pers to find out exactly what their percep-
tions were, so they could best tailor their
message.
Looking ahead to the longer term,
TIA’s five-year plan includes doubling their
membership, and strengthening the velocity
of their voice. That added strength that will
serve them well as they shape the industry
for years to come. “We will continue to work
and be more proactive in promoting our
members and their interests to the industry,”
Voltmann concludes.