By Steve Parker, June 2016
ATD Chairman
Steve Parker
Whether you sell
cars or trucks, defending the dealer business is really two sides of the same
coin.
Since 1917, NADA has been working to serve the interests of automobile dealers
on a national scale. And ATD—the younger division of NADA—was created in the
early 1970’s to accomplish the same goals but on behalf of franchised truck
dealers across the nation.
We’re extremely proud of our history, and our impact has been significant over
the past four decades.
ATD has been at the forefront of national issues, representing our truck dealer
members and providing the advocacy, education and resources to this highly
specialized segment of NADA’s membership. ATD has had the extraordinary
opportunity to serve members alongside our “car dealer cousins.” In our endeavor
to defend our industry, we’ve found great common ground amid the issues faced
by NADA and ATD: extreme government overreach from federal regulators; complex
manufacturer relationships; adapting to a turbulent economy; ever-evolving
needs of our consumers just to name a few. Above all, we’ve learned it’s vital
that both the truck and auto industries are well represented in the nation’s
capital.
At every turn, ATD works hard to let the government know that the commercial
truck industry moves America forward. We have met with important federal
regulators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House to remind them that what they do
has a real impact on all of us.
Last year, Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.) introduced H. Con.
Res. 33, a bipartisan resolution that would put Congress on record in
opposition to any harmful FET increase. H. Con. Res. 33 currently has 30 bipartisan cosponsors,
but additional support is needed. I’m urging the commercial truck industry to
contact your members of Congress to ask them to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 33. And
just recently, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced S. Con. Res. 40, which
puts the Senate on record opposing an increase of the FET. Please contact your
Senators and ask them to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 40 also. We will continue
working on this issue and many more throughout the year.
This past April, I spoke at the 2016 ATD Convention and Expo about the
importance of building relationships with our elected officials so that we are
able to influence our industry’s progress and galvanize outreach to prevent
government overreach into our business. I have personally hosted members of
Congress to tour my dealership and meet with employees and even ride in a
heavy-duty truck so that they gain a true perspective of this business. I
cannot emphasize enough how worthwhile this experience is for both the dealer
and the legislator. I’ve found that elected officials come out learning much
more than they expected regarding what we do in our stores and for our
community.
As chairman of ATD, I am proud to represent truck dealers as a voting member on
NADA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. I am humbled to serve ATD’s
members and provide a voice on your behalf. And rest assured, that ATD will
proudly represent truck dealers across the nation for the next four decades and
beyond.
Finally, in this month of June I’d like to wish all the fathers a very Happy
Father’s Day! Personally, my wife and I are experiencing what it is like to be
first-time grandparents since our newborn grandson entered this world. The
sight of a new life is reinvigorating and it reminds me that we serve to
protect our industry, not just for ourselves, but for future generations.