The American Trucking Associations (ATA) Executive Committee has unanimously adopted plans to escalate its national advocacy efforts to create a "Washington lobbying powerhouse." Details of the plan, laid out in a speech by Walter B McCormick Jr, ATA president and chief executive officer, were approved by the Executive Committee at the group's 2000 Winter Leadership meeting.
The plan realigns ATA's resources, eliminating some functions that do not directly support the new ATA's national focus on issues that affect the entire industry. The budget also returns a substantial portion of dues to members, giving them the opportunity to pursue image, state, local, and regional priorities. Highlights of the plan include:
* An immediate 10 percent dues reduction, offered to motor carriers as a credit against 2001 dues.
* An additional 10 percent cut planned for 2002, contingent upon membership revenue growth from conference integration. When combined with the 25 percent cut in combined dues provided in 1999, this results in a 51 percent cut in dues from 1999-2002.
* A narrowing of ATA's focus to major national initiatives.
* A streamlining of ATA functions in order to direct its resources toward national advocacy.
The plan caps off a two-year restructuring of the organization. The realignment began in 1998 with the near-unanimous vote of the ATA membership to adopt the Wren Plan, a roadmap to reshape the organization around priorities of its members. The plan called for a streamlined organization that united the trucking community and effectively leveraged industry clout to deliver results on major national issues.
