Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
National Headquarters: 1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO 64029
Tel: (816) 229-5791 Fax: (816) 427-4468
Washington Office: 122 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Tel: (202) 347-2007 Fax: (202) 347-2008
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Norita Taylor
March 12, 2007
norita_taylor@ooida.com
(800) 444-5791
OOIDA reaches 150,000-membership milestone
Commitment and communication credited for success of truckers’ professional association
(March 12, 2007, Grain Valley, MO) – Like anyone else, truckers have their own, individual opinions and can certainly speak up for themselves. But when it comes to getting significant changes made that affect their rights, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has ensured a strident, unified and collective voice since 1973. Having grown from just a handful of truckers, the Association has now hit a new milestone in its history as it has surpassed the 150,000 mark in membership.
“It is our members’ participation and constant feedback that has enabled us to pursue our mission of communicating their concerns, protecting their business interests, while also keeping them up to date on all the issues and changes that affect them,” says Jim Johnston, OOIDA president and CEO.
The Association was formed during the height of the Arab oil embargoes, which had nearly shut down the trucking industry and crippled the United States. Determined to give professional truckers a voice in legislative and regulatory processes at federal and state levels, OOIDA is now the only national organization dedicated to the rights of truckers. One of the first major, long-term victories came in 1979 when the U.S. Congress held a series of hearings at the urging of the Association. These hearings investigated the widespread abuse of truckers and resulted in Congress directing the Interstate Commerce Commission to develop the Truth-in-Leasing regulations.
OOIDA has continued its active representation of professional truckers with lawmakers on all issues affecting their trucking businesses, testifying on their behalf and participating in a wide range of regulatory bodies. In the courts, OOIDA’s pursuit of unscrupulous motor carriers for violations of the truth-in-leasing regulations has produced significant rulings further defining truckers’ rights under the regulations.
Today, the Association continues to communicate on behalf of members in a number of ways on issues such as highway privatization, regulatory changes, the opening of the Mexican border, government-mandated speed limiters, hours of service and others. OOIDA’s national headquarters in Grain Valley, MO, has more than 340 employees. The Association also maintains a permanent office in Washington, DC, with a staff of four. OOIDA publishes Land Line Magazine with a circulation of 231,000, and its correlating Web site, www.landlinemag.com, gets more than 200,000 visitors per month. The Association’s home Web site, www.ooida.com sees more than 160,000 visitors each month. “Land Line Now,” the Association’s daily radio program, is heard on XM Satellite Radio’s Open Road Channel 171 and has its own Web site at www.landlinenow.com.
“I think the reason we’ve seen all this growth is simply because we have delivered on our commitment to professional drivers,” says Todd Spencer, OOIDA executive vice president. “And the members themselves help spread the word to each other about the need for greater participation. To reach the 150,000 mark, you can bet there has not been much idling going on around here.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is the national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo. area. The Association currently has more than 150,000 members from all 50 states and Canada.