3PL Perspectives
AS 2021 DRAWS to a close and I reflect on my first year as Chairman of TIA, I’m thankful for our incredible staff and all that we have accomplished under the direction of President & CEO Anne Reinke. Anne’s steady leadership has helped us navigate continued challenges created by the pandemic, extreme supply chain disruptions, a shifting technology landscape, and potential regulations coming from the federal government. Thanks to Anne for setting the tone and steering us in the right direction as work and life get back to normal.
The Executive Committee tasked Anne to focus on four initiatives this past year. We have made great strides in these areas and will continue to focus on them in 2022. Here is a quick recap of our progress to date and a preview of where we are headed.
- Education: If you have not already taken advantage of the great educational opportunities we offer, I encourage you to do so. The Association has tailored many educational programs to meet your company’s ever-changing needs. Please check them out on the TIA website tianet.org/online-education/.
- Advocacy: Anne, Chris Burroughs, and Scott Marks have made tremendous strides on many different initiatives this past year. TIA recently participated in a roundtable discussion focused on supply-chain disruptions before the House Republican Members of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. And TIA has supported legislation that would create a pilot program for DOT-licensed property brokers to participate in the C-TPAT. We are pleased to announce that the Senate Homeland Security Committee was meeting for a legislative markup (hearing), and the Committee unanimously approved S. 2322, the “C-TPAT Pilot Program Act of 2021.”Lastly, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan infrastructure package, which contained several vital provisions for TIA Members, including “dispatch service” language that will finally clarify what a dispatch service is and help force fraudulent actors out of the industry. The Bill was signed into law by President Biden during a White House ceremony on November 15. In 2022 our main focus and effort will be getting the Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard bill H.R. 3042 over the goal line. We have been working on this for many years, and we are closer now than ever to making this bill a law.
- Connections: The ability to network and bounce ideas off new individuals who have experienced similar business challenges is one of the most significant benefits of being a member of TIA. As I have shared many times, I have forged lifelong friendships through TIA, and I feel that this is one of our Association’s most significant values. It was amazing to see everyone in person this past October in San Antonio at the 3PLXTEND Conference. We have many exciting things in store for our April 2022 annual conference in San Diego. We will also be offering regional meetings and conferences for companies of similar sizes in the coming year. The goal is to create an environment that provides networking opportunities with companies that have the same needs and challenges that you have.
In addition to these existing friendships, we have also been building stronger relationships with our shippers and other trade associations. This will be a continued area of focus for us in 2022.
We have many things to look forward to in 2022. Thank you in advance for your membership on behalf of the TIA Board of Directors and TIA leadership. We are looking forward to serving you, and with your support, we will continue to be the leader and voice of the third-party logistics industry.
