(via the Journal Record) George Orwell had it right: The most important political act is not winning an election or passing a bill – it is telling the truth. Now, telling the truth in politics often means admitting that all the facts aren’t in your favor. In most cases, your opponent has some good arguments and the facts to back them up. Most people find it difficult to confront the truth of their opponent’s argument and honestly explain why, despite the justice of that part of the opponent’s case, they are still right. There are a few times, however, when an argument is so clearly wrong that it is difficult to understand what anyone can say in its favor.

As Oklahoma carriers await a looming deadline for full implementation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010, nine pilot states have recently completed field tests of the enforcement system.

The Oklahoma Trucking Association (OTA) is partnering with trucking associations in six of those pilot states (Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana and New Jersey), which have developed a training webinar to discuss their experience with CSA 2010, giving attendees real-world perspectives on dealing with the much-anticipated program...

Carl Krites, a Con-way Freight professional truck driver based in Wapakoneta, Ohio was named the 2010 National Truck Driving Grand Champion. Carl’s driving skills and knowledge of transportation and truck safety information topped those of 415 other professional drivers from all across the United States in the National Truck Driving Championships, held in Columbus, Ohio. The 73rd annual “Super Bowl of Safety” is sponsored by the American Trucking Associations.

On November 2, 2010, Oklahomans will vote on SQ 744, a constitutional amendment that would peg the annual education budget in Oklahoma to the regional average per pupil expenditure in six neighboring states. OK Policy has released an issue brief and accompanying materials on SQ 744 that makes the case for why the proposal represents the wrong solution for Oklahoma.

You are cordially invited to join us in welcoming in the newest Roadside Medical clinic location in Oklahoma City, OK on Friday, June 25, 2010. The "Belt Cutting" and Grand Opening Ceremony will start promptly at 10 a.m. Tours will be given after the ceremony.

FREE HEALTH CHECKS FOR ALL DRIVERS.Come to the new Oklahoma City clinic anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and receive a free health check.The check includes weight, blood pressure and body composition.

The session of 2010 is now over and here is my report on how the industry was affected by proposed legislation and legislation that passed and was signed into law...

Randy Reed of FedEx Express has been named the Grand Champion of the 2010 Oklahoma Truck Driving Championships (TDC) which took place June 4 and 5 in Oklahoma City...

The 2010 Oklahoma Truck Driving Championship (TDC) will be held this Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5, at the OSU-OKC Driving Course in Oklahoma City.

Over 100 truck drivers from all parts of the state will compete in eight separate classes to win a spot in the National Truck Driving Championships held August 3-7 in Columbus, Ohio...

As you may have read in our earlier post, SB 1574 will DOUBLE the Oversize/Overweight Permit Fees, the Oklahoma Trucking Association worked tirelessly to encourage our legislature to consider the impact that the new permit fees would have on our businesses in Oklahoma.  The Senate unfortunately also passed SB 1574, ending this session with a defeat, but overall a successful session...

The Oklahoma Trucking Association has been hard at work trying to prevent this bill from passing, but it has unfortunately passed the House and we are doubtful that we will see anything different from the Senate...

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today released the findings of their 2009 Bottleneck Analysis of 100 Freight Significant Highway Locations. The research, which assesses the level of truck-oriented congestion at 100 locations on the national highway system, uses ATRI-developed analysis methods, customized software tools and terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion severity ranking for each location...

Harry Kimball, vice president of safety for Freymiller, Inc., of Oklahoma City, Okla., has been named 2010 Safety Professional of the Year by the Safety & Security Division of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented on May 17, 2010, during the Division’s 29th annual Safety & Security Meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Mo...

Looking to save some money? Well starting May 11, 2010, Oklahoma Trucking Association members can now save up to 28 percent on their express shipping courtesy of UPS...

The Etowah County Sheriffs Office recently conducted an experiment at Sardis High School where students attempted to drive a golf cart through an obstacle course while attempting to text...