I am fond of saying, “The success of our Association is directly related to the success of our Association.” Stated differently, the participation of our membership in meetings, workshops, conventions, and industry events results in the Association having the opportunity to be more impactful in our many advocacy projects—both regulatorily and legislatively. As your representative I attend many meetings and hearings and the gravitas of being the leader of an active and engaged Association is definitely one of the tools that we use to ensure that our position is heard and considered.

Early in the month, I had the opportunity to lead a call between the National Council of Moving Associations (NCMA), which I chair, and the National Council of State Transportation Specialists (NCSTS) (think those providing regulation and enforcement of the moving industry around the country). NCMA has met with NCSTA annually for several years and has found value in the engagement. It was a good opportunity for us to share the good work being done in states including California, Illinois, Texas, and New Jersey on behalf of both consumers and the permitted industry.

One of the primary areas of focus on the call was the very recent announcement by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration that they were going to make scam-moving and rogue operators a mission priority. They just issued a press release, see the cover of this issue, on their new enforcement action. We have been told that this will not just be a short-term initiative, but a long-term approach to a challenging issue.

There is still time to register and attend the 105th annual CMSA Convention, May 16-21 in Rancho Mirage, California. You won’t want to miss the program or the opportunity to network with CMSA members from around the state and the nation. We are well above our allotted room block but members have still been able to book at our preferred rate (well below the rack rate). If you run into challenges in booking, or for any reason have to modify/cancel your existing reservation please contact CMSA before the hotel!

April/May 2023 - CMSA Communicator