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The Official Newsletter of Louisiana's Trucking Industry |
April 10, 2025 |
THIS WEEK |
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ASSOCIATION UPDATES
INDUSTRY UPDATES
MEMBER PROGRAMS
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ASSOCIATION UPDATES |
Truckers: Speak Out on Insurance Reform - April 15 & 22 |
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Starting next Tuesday, legislative committees at the State Capitol will begin hearing critical bills focused on lawsuit abuse and insurance reform--issues that directly impact your business, your premiums, and the future of trucking in our state. These reforms could bring real, long-overdue relief from excessive insurance costs and predatory legal practices--but they won't happen without the support of those most affected. That's why we're calling on truckers across Louisiana to show up, pack the hearing rooms, and testify. Mark Your Calendar -- We Need You There! Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge
Lawmakers need to hear directly from the people who keep Louisiana moving. Your story matters. Your presence makes a difference. How to Attend a Committee Meeting If you've never attended a legislative committee meeting before, don't worry--we've got you covered. Here's what you need to know - these pages will help you understand where to go, how to sign in, and what to expect when testifying. We'll also be on-site to support you. If you have questions, want to prepare testimony, or need help coordinating your visit to the Capitol, please contact Executive Director Renee Amar at renee@lmta.la or (225) 287-0117. |
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SUGGESTED VIEWING: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple Supports Real Insurance Reform |
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Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Tim Temple recently announced his support of incoming auto insurance reform legislation during a press conference ahead of the 2025 Legislative Session. Temple highlighted his support for a variety of bills aimed at addressing Louisiana’s rising auto insurance costs and improving the state’s insurance climate overall. He also used the opportunity to respond to and counter several points made by Governor Jeff Landry during the Governor’s own press conference earlier in the week, offering a contrasting vision for how best to tackle the auto insurance crisis. Temple was joined by Jake Minner, Director at Bengal Transportation Services, and Jared Varnado, Owner of Varnado & Sons Towing and President of the Towing & Recovery Professionals of Louisiana. Both Minner and Varnado are members of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA), and their companies have been directly affected by the high cost of commercial auto insurance. The event concluded with a Q&A session, where media had the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with Commissioner Temple about the proposed reforms and their potential impact on the industry and Louisiana drivers. |
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SUGGESTED VIEWING: Louisiana, The State We're In | Driving Into Debt (COMPLETE SERIES) |
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LPB’s Karen LeBlanc introduces a three-part series, "Driving Into Debt," which takes a deep dive into the causes, concerns, and solutions to Louisiana’s auto insurance crisis. In her first report, Karen looks at what’s driving up consumer auto insurance across the state. *Part two, focused on commercial insurance and feature information provided by the LMTA as well as an interview from Executive Director Amar. PART 2 * |
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Annual Convention - Additional Experiences Survey |
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We're considering offering a few optional add-on experiences during the Annual Convention and want to gauge member interest.
Would you be open to participating? Let us know by completing the survey below! It should take less than 2 minutes to complete.
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2025 Seafood Gala - View Photos |
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LMTA hosted its annual Seafood Gala on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Hilton Capitol Center in Baton Rouge. This premier social and networking event brought together industry professionals for an evening of live music, refreshing drinks, and Louisiana's finest seafood.
The historic downtown venue, with its stunning views of the Mississippi River and the Louisiana State Capitol, provided a picturesque backdrop for the festivities. Attendees enjoyed reconnecting with colleagues and celebrating Louisiana’s trucking community.
We thank everyone who attended as well as our sponsors for making this event a success!
Next year's Seafood Gala is planned to be held back in New Orleans! We will share the location and date as soon as it is available.
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ATRI Invites Motor Carriers to Participate in 2025 Operational Costs | Data Needed |
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ATRI’s Operational Costs of Trucking is the industry’s leading public benchmarking tool. ATRI collects data confidentially from for-hire motor carriers of all sectors, regions, and sizes – from 1-truck owner-operators to 10,000+ truck fleets – to document changing cost patterns in truck operations and how fleets can leverage the cost data to achieve higher profitability and improved operational efficiencies. Cost metrics requested by ATRI include driver pay, insurance premiums, and equipment lease or purchase payments. Additional questions relate to key performance indicators such as non-revenue mileage, dwell time per stop, and miles between breakdowns. Carriers can confidentially submit these data for the year 2024 on a per-mile or per-hour basis with an easy-to-use online data entry form or an emailed PDF form. A new, streamlined version of the form for owner-operators makes it easier than ever for one-truck companies to leverage the benefits of benchmarking. All participating motor carriers receive a customized report that compares their fleet’s costs and operations to an anonymized peer group of the same sector and size, as well as an advance copy of the full report. For-hire motor carriers are invited to submit operational cost data by Friday, April 25. ATRI’s data collection form is available online here, along with a sample customized report and support via Frequently Answered Questions. All confidential information is protected and published only in anonymized, aggregate form. |
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2025 Annual Convention | Registration & Room Block Open! |
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The Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) invites you to join us for the 2025 LMTA Annual Convention, taking place July 30 – August 2, 2025, at the beautiful Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, AL. This annual event brings together trucking professionals, industry leaders, and policymakers for a weekend filled with insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and fun. Event Highlights
VENUE & BOOKING This year's Annual Convention will be held at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, AL. Perdido Beach Resort LMTA has secured a special room block at the Perdido Beach Resort for convention attendees. The exclusive room block booking link is only available in the confirmation email sent after registering for the event. Be sure to register early to secure your accommodations. |
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Trucking Day at the Capitol | Apr. 28 |
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The Louisiana Loggers Association and Louisiana Motor Transport Association invite you to join us on April 28 for Trucking Day at the Capitol, an essential event dedicated to advocating for the future of the trucking industry.
This is your opportunity to engage directly with lawmakers, discuss the challenges facing our industry, and promote solutions that will drive trucking, logging, and transportation forward across Louisiana. Your voice is critical in shaping policies that impact our businesses, our workforce, and our economy.
Your presence makes a difference. Join us and help shape the future of trucking in Louisiana!
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INDUSTRY UPDATES |
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FREE "Litigation Checklist" for Trucking Companies |
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As of the date this newsletter was written, the requirement for businesses to file a Beneficial Below is a free "Litigation Checklist" from LMTA members Perkins & Associates. Their team wanted to share this information, providing a litigation checklist that may help your company to keep track of what should be done along the way in the unfortunate event of a suit against your company. While we hope your team never has to use this resource, we encourage you to review it and keep it on file. |
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Emergency Declarations |
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Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development Offer Safety Talks for Carriers and Drivers |
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The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) remains committed to engaging with the industry at all levels beyond enforcement efforts. As part of this proactive approach, LADOTD offers its team as a resource for training, discussions, and industry collaboration, whether through formal sessions or informal meetings.
Organizations across the state are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. LADOTD leadership is available to visit facilities, conduct walkthroughs, and engage directly with staff to foster stronger connections and support industry needs. Strengthening these relationships is a priority, and LADOTD is dedicated to facilitating meaningful engagement throughout Louisiana.
For more information or to schedule a visit, please contact: Chief Jeffery C. Melchior Jeffery C. Melchior, Chief of Police - DOTD Police 225-377-7185 |
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Louisiana State Police Offer Safety and Compliance Services for Carriers and Drivers |
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Louisiana State Police (LSP) are offering safety and compliance services for carriers and professional drivers. This is a great opportunity for truckers and their drivers to understand what LSP are looking for on the highway. LSP will come to your facility and train your crew. Please note: this is not a class. Contact Brady Johnson at brady.johnson@la.gov if you would like LSP to perform one of these services for you. Services are provided across the state and are open to fleets of all sizes. No fleet is too big or too small!
Take advantage of the following services to improve safety and compliance:
Sgt. Brady Johnson Louisiana State Police Compliance Review Division CVE Training Coordinator |
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MEMBER PROGRAMS - Save Money |
LMTA Member Exclusive Affinity Programs
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The LMTA currently offers a variety of exclusive business partnerships and services to members of the association. Special member-only offers for our partners are listed below and can be found through your LMTA Info Hub under the "Resources" tab.
LMTA & WEX CARD The Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) is excited to announce a rewarding affinity program partnership with WEX and their MasterCard product. Whether you use a physical WEX MasterCard, a Ghost Card for recurring payments, a Virtual Card for one-time payments, or integrate WEX MasterCard to handle all electronic payments, you can help the LMTA earn valuable rebates.
APP EMBARK App Embark specializes in creating mobile apps for companies that allow employers to organize and communicate with their employees more efficiently and effectively. As part of our partnership with App Embark, LMTA members save $500 on the cost of the build fee!
LMTA INSURANCE SERVICES- MENGEL FINANCIAL GROUP Mengel Financial Group is committed to providing the best and most affordable Voluntary Employee Benefits based on employers’ specific needs. As part of our partnership with Mengel Financial Group, LMTA members are offered group benefits at no cost!
TO LEARN MORE OR SCHEDULE A DEMO, SELECT THE LINK BELOW IN YOUR MEMBER PORTAL.
Please note: Since these are exclusive member only offers, you will be directed to log into your Info Hub to view the details. |
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