Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/495301
4 I f I asked you to name the mayor of your hometown, could you do it? Sure. What about the town council? Most of them, right? Governor of your state? Easy. Legislators? Maybe. The further we get away from where we pick up our mail – and the further down the chain of command we go – the less we pay attention to the details, espe- cially in politics. We know full-well when President Obama signs or kills a bill, but very few of us follow the details to that point. And at that point it's too late to do anything about it. I found myself Googling the name of the state representative that serves my hometown recently. I was ashamed. To be clear, I live in a seriously ger- rymandered district where you could hit a golf ball from my district into about three others. But that's no excuse. Trucking is one industry that can be affected from a thousand different direc- tions, and it's nearly impossible to keep track of all the angles that affect change. Staying up-to-date on the Highway Bill, import and export regulations and countless other things is challenging even for Google Alerts. That's where industry organizations like the Heavy Duty Manufacturers As- sociation (HDMA) are vital. HDMA and its parent, the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), look at key legislative priorities that affect parts suppliers in every seg- ment of the motor vehicle industry on both state and federal levels. Tim Myers, president of Alcoa Wheels, was named 2015 chairman of the HDMA at the 25 th Annual Breakfast Briefi ng at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., last month. "HDMA is a strong, effective organi- zation because of our members," Myers adds, noting membership grew by 18 percent in the past year. That membership is already going to work. HDMA's Legislative Summit will be held this month. As part of the Sum- mit, senior offi cials from the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration (NHTSA) will participate in a panel discussion, giving HDMA members an opportunity to hear from senior NHTSA offi cials about their key issues. Gas tax and infrastructure may not sound all that interesting when you just want to sell parts and service, but those things can infl ict serious carnage on a business if not properly managed. And when's the last time anything in Wash- ington was properly managed by an elected offi cial? Organizations like HDMA are there to manage the fl ow of conversation for the good of the industry. But for them to adequately do that, you have to make your voice heard. You don't have to roll up your sleeves and get elbow-deep in these issues, but you should. Rolling up your sleeves doesn't necessarily even mean going to Washington, but it does mean support- ing those willing to fi ght on the front lines. If you're not a member of an organi- zation that has infl uence over this indus- try, I suggest you start your search now. Innovation leads to regulation, and trucking is innovating at a break-neck pace. If a piece of legislation hasn't touched your business yet, it's only a matter of time before that changes. I encourage you to do what you can to be in front of change before it sneaks up on and steamrolls over the silent majority. At that point, you don't have the op- portunity to make your voice heard. Truckers aren't the only ones driving trucking. Lawmakers do it to, and you're going to want your interests loudly represented in the passenger's seat when a legislator grabs the wheel. T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 Editorial | Jason Cannon Don't be in the silent majority By Jason Cannon, Online Editor jasoncannon@randallreilly.com When's the last time anything in Washington was properly managed by an elected offi cial?