As the crisp air finally takes hold and fall sets in in beautiful Pennsylvania, the team at PMTA recently sat down to take stock of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the past twelve months for our members. It’s been a busy year for the trucking industry, and PMTA has been no exception. It is with pride that we share with you the following list or our top 10 accomplishments, which were made possible by leveraging the full power of your PMTA membership this year.

PMTA’s Top Ten Accomplishments This Year

1.       Stopped bridge tolling. PMTA and its members fought for a year and a half to stop PennDOT’s plan to toll nine interstate bridges, saving Pennsylvania truckers over A BILLION DOLLARS a year in toll costs.

2.       Repealed weight class stickers. PMTA’s effort to repeal weight class stickers finally paid off in January when PennDOT published notice that they were no longer required, saving the owners of 1.6 million vehicles a hassle unique to Pennsylvania.

3.       Suspended CARB enforcement. After CARB’s new warranty provisions went into effect, increasing the price of new trucks, PMTA and its members went to work. Though the bill has yet to pass the Senate, PA’s Dept. of Environmental Protection already suspended enforcement of CARB through July 2023. This work sets the stage for tackling the issue further next year.

4.       Hosted a sold-out PA Truck Driving Championship. The June 2022 TDC at Kalahari, the first in-person event since 2019, was hugely successful, with 132 drivers and more than 700 people attending the banquet and awards presentation, setting the bar extremely high for next year!

5.       Testified on trucking issues before House and Senate committees 13 times. PMTA’s staff and members testified before four different committees in five different hearings over the course of the past year. Lawmakers heard PMTA’s take on issues such as bridge tolling, emissions and electrification, CARB, and inflation.

6.       Hired a Director of Chapter Relations. Kelly Hawthorne has been reenergizing PMTA’s eleven chapters, assisting with events, putting resources together, and becoming the go-to chapter resource to ensure that every PMTA member has a local network to turn to.

7.  Loaded up the calendar with events. Over the past year, PMTA headquarters hosted sixteen safety training events and Safety Management Council meetings, eight free webinars, and five state legislative events with a total of 20 state lawmakers. This list doesn’t even include our premier events (Annual Membership Conference, Safety Day, and TDC).

8.       Began a new committee of Allied members. Originally called the Trade Committee and now the Allied Member Committee, this new group was formed to give trade members a voice in PMTA. It has already suggested ways to provide more educational opportunities for carrier members.

9.       Relaunched our trucking leadership program – PA Trucking FFWD. The new class of students in PMTA’s leadership development program began work in January. PA Trucking FFWD is intended to help emerging leaders in the industry develop the knowledge and skills they need to level up and become the next generation of PMTA’s trucking leaders. A new class will be starting soon.

10.   Began to plan for the next chapter. PMTA launched a survey of its membership last year to determine what they value in PMTA and how they want to see the association move forward. This survey’s results became the basis for board and committee discussions over goals for the next three years at PMTA.

The new strategic plan will outline the priorities for the association moving forward, along with the plans to get there. In other words, we are literally writing the book on what the future holds for PMTA now. We look forward to working with you over the coming years on the next chapter. Next year’s list of accomplishments promises to be even better!