Trucking’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board enhances collaboration to cut crime, increase safety

The trucking industry and the entities that regulate them don’t always agree. However, fleets and law enforcement officials have shared goals: reducing criminal activity and increasing traffic safety.

“Law enforcement right now, just like trucking, is faced with so many different priorities. Getting them all done is a huge task and a huge challenge,” Mark Savage, chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board, told FleetOwner.

Savage served in the Colorado State Patrol for 25 years and was heavily involved in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. Now, he works as director of connected truck solutions at Drivewyze.

Law Enforcement Advisory Board membership

The LEAB chooses its board members every year. Comprising the board are ATA members with previous experience in law enforcement, including current or retired law enforcement officials.

“The great majority of members have served in law enforcement and promoted traffic safety primarily,” Savage said.

Many members also participate in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

LEAB’s current board has 27 members, including Savage. In previous years, the board had 23 to 38 members.

As chairman of the LEAB, Savage works to support the relationship between trucking and law enforcement.

LEAB’s founding

When LEAB was founded, ATA leadership wanted to enhance the relationship between the law enforcement community and trucking on a national scale.

“A lot of states already have a very strong relationship at the state level," Savage said. "For example, where I’m from in Colorado, we [law enforcement] have a strong partnership with the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. Most states, if not all, have some level of a partnership with the industry.”

While partnerships between trucking organizations and law enforcement have existed at the state level for many years, these partnerships were not too robust at the federal level.

“I think Chris Spear, who is kind of the CEO of American Trucking Associations, recognized that and thought that this was a great opportunity to improve the relationship between the trucking industry and some of the folks that regulate it.”

So, in 2021, ATA established the Law Enforcement Advisory Board.

“No two groups have a stronger and more consistent presence on our nation's highways than law enforcement officers and American truckers,” said Spear in ATA’s announcement of the board. “Therein lies a strategic opportunity for greater collaboration, increased communication, and new bonds.”

Since then, the board has helped raise awareness and provide resources across major industry issues.

What the board is doing

The board meets once every other month to talk about current issues and counsel ATA on accomplishing shared goals.

“In the last couple of years, the Law Enforcement Advisory Board has helped the American Trucking Associations refine some of their goals and objectives as it related to improving the environment for truck drivers,” Savage said.

LEAB also focuses on improving traffic safety and reducing the number of fatalities and injuries on our roads. It accomplishes these goals by raising awareness of prominent criminal activities and the relevant resources available for law enforcement officers.

Tackling trucking’s challenges

LEAB’s meetings tackle large challenges facing the trucking industry, including parking, cargo theft, and human trafficking.

Truck parking shortages

“One of the big topics that we knew was going to need to be addressed was truck parking,” Savage told FleetOwner.

Brenda Neville, co-chair of ATA’s Women in Motion Advisory Council and president and CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, brought some of LEAB’s shared experiences to Congress in November 2023.

LEAB worked with Alexandra Rosen, ATA’s staff liaison to the board, to highlight some of law enforcement’s experiences and challenges with the lack of truck parking across the country.

Two years ago, when Congress began considering the truck parking bill, LEAB helped ATA share the stories of law enforcement's experiences.

“They [ATA] brought up the issue and said, ‘Is this an issue for you? And, if so, can you provide us with any examples of how it’s an issue?’” Savage told FleetOwner. “A lot of our board members said, ‘Yes, it absolutely is, and here are some stories that we can share with you, which you can share with members of Congress so they understand.’”

LEAB sent letters to all 50 state governors in 2022 to illustrate how the parking shortage traps law enforcement officials in a dilemma: force drivers to relocate and violate hours-of-service rules or allow the drivers to remain parked illegally in unsafe locations.

Brenda Neville, co-chair of ATA’s Women in Motion Advisory Council and president and CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, also brought some of LEAB’s shared experiences to her Congressional testimony on roadway safety in November 2023.

Cargo theft

“One of the largest issues that we’re concerned with, and the topic of our last board meeting, was cargo theft,” Savage said.

Cargo theft has been a significant issue for trucking. Trucking has seen a rise in thefts over the last few years. Incidences of theft range from broker fraud to theft from parked containers.

LEAB raises awareness about this criminal activity with local officers and then connects those local officers with federal resources that can help to address the problem. The board is working “just to raise awareness within the trucking industry about the impacts of this crime ... and what drivers and companies can do to prevent this crime going forward,” Savage said.

For example, LEAB is working with Cargo Theft Task Force out of Florida and is in discussions with the California Highway Patrol to help raise awareness.

Human trafficking

Human trafficking has been an ongoing major issue for both the law enforcement community and trucking industry.

LEAB has been promoting resources/training from organizations like TAT, a major nonprofit helping to combat human trafficking.

“Our role in regards to human trafficking would be to just make sure that the broadest range of officers across the country are aware of what TAT does and how to get TAT resources for their organization,” Savage told FleetOwner. “Even providing training, whether it relates to cargo theft or human trafficking, about not only the signs and potential symptoms of these criminal activities, but also what you can do about it, is a big role of TAT, for example, and hopefully going forward, the Law Enforcement Advisory Board.”