The Last Word
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- Created: 03.18.2022
The more things change, the more they stay the same
By Roby Brock
As we enter 2022, I’ll celebrate (and commiserate) working at the state capitol or covering Arkansas politics for 30 years. My first foray in state politics was working in the transition office when then-Gov. Bill Clinton was elected president and he transferred power to then Lt. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker. I got to witness that historic transfer of leadership up close in a private chamber session, which was pretty exciting for a 20-something political newbie.
Right after he was sworn in, Gov. Tucker called a special session of the legislature to deal with a Medicaid funding shortfall, which led to the soda pop tax that stayed on the books for decades. During that dramatic special session, bottlers circled the capitol with their delivery trucks in an intimidating blockade and their employees entered the marble halls of the capitol shaking empty aluminum soft drink cans filled with pennies. It was near-deafening.
Meanwhile, supporters of Medicaid—nursing home employees and residents, developmentally disabled families and teams of pro-soda pop tax supporters—wandered the halls in confrontation with the uniformed soft drink workers.
Up Front- Fast Friends
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- Created: 01.19.2022
Shannon Newton
President, ATA
As I think of all the friendships that I have nurtured over the years and how precious those are to my life, career and place in our community, it is evident that the pandemic took its toll on personal connection. Some may have mastered connecting through a screen, but I was not one of them. Behind a mask, from six feet away, it has been hard to navigate first impressions and introductions. Whether you are starved for connection or most comfortable by yourself, meeting new people or strengthening previous connections feels more challenging these days.
Making friends in school was easy. You are served the same lunch, walk the same halls, endure the same homework assignments and midterms for 8 hours every day with the same group of peers. The proximity and shared circumstances amount to an understanding that develops into a relationship. It’s almost out of your control how close you grow to the people around you.
Shared experiences are an incubator for fast friendships.
The Last Word
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- Created: 01.19.2022
How Trucking Can Rise Above Current Industry Challenges
By Jeremy Reymer
As leaders in the trucking industry, we're all acutely aware of the unprecedented challenges we're facing daily. Unfortunately, these challenges are nothing new. According to the most recent ATRI survey, "Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry - 2021", the driver shortage topped the list for the fifth year in a row. Industry thought leaders such as the American Trucking Associations’ Bob Costello, chief economist and senior vice president, estimate that the industry is short nearly 80,000 drivers, and many expect this to be on the lower end of the actual number.
An Increasing Loss in Drivers
Several reasons can be attributed to this increasing loss in drivers over the last few years. The first is the introduction of the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, which has been steadily disqualifying non-compliant drivers since January 2020. According to the FMCSA, over 70,000 drivers have been removed or disqualified from operating a CMV due to the Clearinghouse.
Add to that an aging workforce – the average age of a truck driver is 55 years old; the average age of a new entrant is 35 years old – coupled with a global pandemic that exacerbated drivers leaving the industry while also restricting new entrants from joining, and you’ve got a perfect storm that has led to the challenging driver shortage we currently face.
Up Front- Managing Expectations
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- Created: 11.01.2021
Shannon Newton
President, ATA
I’m a strong believer in managing expectations. It helps avoid a lot of life’s disappointments. So as people start to sign their e-mails with “Happy Holidays,” we need to talk about setting our expectations for a “happy” season.
No one wants to talk about toilet paper again, but images of empty shelves where rolls of three-ply should have been stacked deep encapsulates the chaos of the early days of the pandemic in America. COVID-19 cases were low, only a few states were dealing with hospital capacity issues and misinformation was only starting to breach questions that scientists were just beginning to research.
We knew plenty of toilet paper existed, but the temporary disruption to the supply chain was enough to make the paper product aisles appear post-apocalyptic for a few weeks. The run on Charmin was a pandemic outcome I didn’t expect. Since then, every delicate link of the chain has been tested.
