The Nevada Trucking Association held their annual ‘Day at the Capitol’ on Monday.
It is put on to raise awareness of the importance of the trucking industry to Nevada
“It’s to help make our politicians, our legislators, our regulators more aware of an industry that is essential to the economy here in Nevada,” explained Nevada Trucking Association CEO Paul Enos.
According to the Nevada Trucking Association, 98.3% of all freight transportation in Nevada is carried by trucks.
It’s really about making sure that we are passing laws in states and in the nation that make the most sense in order for our industry to serve all of those sectors of the economy that we touch everyday,” explained Enos.
The American Trucking Association (ACA) has been around since 1947. It serves as the national umbrella group to represent all of the state trucking associations in Washington D.C.
Founded 91 years ago in 1932, Nevada Trucking Association is older than the ACA.
The Nevada Trucking Association parked the ACA’s eighteen-wheeler “Interstate One” in the front courtyard of the Nevada Assembly Building.
It’s a classroom on wheels that goes all around the country to teach the public about what it’s like to be a trucker and how to be safe when driving around big trucks.
Independent contractor Dee Sova is American Team Leader who travels with the truck.
“They get to get on that simulator inside and actually see what a driver actually goes through. And, I think it’s a fantasic learning tool for people who are unaware of what drivers deal with on a day-to-day basis,” explained Independent Contractor Trucker Dee Sova.
Sova became a truck driver back in 1991 after a divorce left her the single parent of four daughters.
“I was excited to know that I could go from being on welfare, public assistance, to my first paycheck covered all of my bills and so that’s when I knew that trucking was an industry that could support my family,” said Sova.
In 2019, Sova tells us she chose to leave California after a bill (AB5) passed in the state legislature that mandated all truck drivers belong to a company, and barred independent contractors from operating in the state.
“I felt like they were taking away my portion of the American Dream to be able to operate my business the way that I wanted,” said Sova.
Nevada Truck Drivers Association used the day to talk to lawmakers about their opposition to this type of legislation.
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