The Last Word

We’re All in Sales Now.

By Tom Ricciardone, Guest Writer

I had the opportunity last year to participate on the selection panel for the inaugural Arkansas Road Team. Patterned after America’s Road Team, it is a public outreach program of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a passion to spread the word about highway safety

I’ve written elsewhere that I feel very fortunate that in my communications work for the industry I’m able to spend time with truck drivers.

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Up Front- Take the Field

 Shannon Newton
 President, ATA

There is a universal rule in baseball about playing the outfield with a lead, especially a two-run lead in the bottom of the 9th. Under no circumstances can the ball be hit over an outfielder’s head. It’s called no-doubles defense.

In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, the Texas Rangers were one strike away from defeating the St. Louis Cardinals and securing their first World Series championship.

Exceptionally talented, trained, professional athletes were in position. Rangers’ right-fielder Nelson Cruz’s positioning was a non-issue until the Cardinals’ David Freese swung at a 1-and-2 fastball with two runners on base.

The ball was hit directly toward Cruz. He reacted poorly, tried to recover unsuccessfully. Both runners scored on what became a triple for Freese. And the rest, as they say, is history. Both runners scored, extending the game. The Rangers went on to lose in extra innings and Game 7 as well.

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The Last Word

We’re Gonna Do What They Say Can’t Be Done.

By Andy Davis, Guest Writer

After months of the Governor’s Highway Funding Work Group meetings, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced his proposals for additional highway funding to a large crowd on Tuesday January 19, 2016.

Some of the ideas presented in the working group are included in the Governors proposal. The plan includes transferring $4 million ($2.7 to the state, $1.3 to cities & counties) in existing diesel taxes from general revenue back to highways, $5.4 million in revenue from the ½ cent sales tax approved by voters that is currently directed to the central services fund. That is the fund that pays for elected official’s offices.

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Up Front- Making it Count

 Shannon Newton
 President, ATA

Progress can be hard to measure. Bringing about change is often a slow process. However, this year has produced several notable pieces of legislation and regulation that have been a long time coming, bringing with them meaningful change for the industry in Arkansas and across the nation.

As 2015 began our association had a lofty agenda including relationship building, legislation passing and regulation monitoring. Our top legislative priority last January was to pass anti-indemnification legislation. Arkansas was one of very few states that still allowed shippers to force liability onto carriers no matter the circumstances. With the help of our members, the bill halting this practice passed through both chambers in March and was signed into law by Governor Asa Hutchinson. A win three years in the making.

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