It’s April

Fiscally, April means that one quarter of the year is already in the bag. Almost all our 2019 members have renewed for 2020, we expect record attendance at the TIA Capital Ideas Conference & Exhibition in Austin, Texas, and we’ve added amazing new staff to better serve you.

Promotionally, TIA hit the ground running to promote you to shippers at early year conferences. If the pace keeps up, we will exceed the 72 industry events we attended last year. In Washington, our voice is strong and clear on the need for meaningful investment in infrastructure and Congressional clarification of what constitutes a “proper” motor carrier selection process. We are working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Trucking Associations, and others to take this fight to the states.

Programmatically, April is the start of the year with new initiatives and product launches at the TIA Capital Ideas Conference.  Through the TIA Advantage Program, we will launch new products to help you remain competitive. The TIA Board will review the first draft of TIA’s 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan.

The previous Strategic Plan was based on securing TIA’s place as the organization representing third-party logistics companies and securing our financial strength. These goals were achieved. TIA is now the clear voice of the industry, our voice is unified across all modes, our finances are strong, and our logo on your loads is well recognized.

The 2020’s called for a new approach, with new challenges requiring new initiatives, and a new vision for where the industry will be when we look back in 2030. While the final words have not been approved by the Board yet, we know that TIA must lead the logistics industry in growing and safeguarding a robust, competitive 3PL marketplace. We seek a marketplace that looks much like it does today, with thousands of companies of all sizes able to run profitable and ethical businesses. We seek a marketplace where shippers rely on 3PLs to make a majority of all freight purchase decisions. We seek a marketplace where you understand your costs in order to reduce those costs to remain profitable. We seek a marketplace where new companies, well prepared to run ethical companies, can establish businesses. We seek a marketplace where the risk from truck accidents and cargo claims are properly apportioned and understood.

To achieve this vision, TIA will expand upon its advocacy efforts before Congress, administrative agencies, international organizations, and in key legal proceedings. TIA will continue to advocate on your behalf to shippers and carriers. TIA will help you understand your costs and implement technology and structural changes necessary to meet the changing market. TIA will build on our successful best practice and framework documents to help you meet the challenges of the market. TIA will offer new ways to help you share knowledge with each other and new products and services to help you grow. And, TIA will maintain a fiscally strong association with knowledgeable, professional staff.