CDA President’s Message

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What Is On Your Mind?

As well as promoting the best interest of the expedited delivery industry in California, your board of directors is dedicated to maintaining and improving the CDA’s value for our members. To help us in our volunteer efforts we would love to know ‘What Is On Your Mind’. So please take a moment to visit the CDA website at cadelivery.org, and click on the contact us button, and provide us with your insights about how we can improve the association in the coming year. Let us know what educational content we might focus on that would be of the most interest to you for our upcoming events, and also let us know what government regulations or proposed regulations concern or hamper you the most. As board of director member J.R. Dicker of Gold Rush Courier out of San Jose reminded us at our last board meeting, the three pillars of our association are advocacy, networking, and education. And it is your input that will help us focus these efforts.

Speaking of education and networking opportunities our recent member dinner, and networking event at the Doubletree Marina Hotel in Berkley was a great success. If you were there, it was great to see you, and if you were not then you missed a terrific happy hour networking opportunity followed by a great business education presentation by Linas Jarasius of Swiss Avenue Partners. My thanks and kudos to our Membership Committee Chair Donna Springer of Go Getters in Sacramento, for arranging a great evening and speaker. In just a brief time, Mr. Jarasius presented us with numerous valuable and fascinating ideas on how to manage our businesses for better results.

Mark your calendars to save the date of Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 to attend our next member dinner event in Burbank. Invite a friend, a potential new member, or a new associate member to attend this event with you!  Be on the watch for more details to be announced soon, but the date is set so please take a moment to put it on your calendar.  Also, mark your calendars for the dates of our 2012 annual convention to be held at the Hilton Doubletree Marina Hotel in Berkley on July 20 and 21. Association Vice President Bryan Scott of Rapid Express is the 2012 Convention Chair, and also on the Convention Committee are board members Donna Springer, Andrew Brady, J.R. Dicker, and Jim Hobbs. As usual the grand opening reception for the convention will be on Friday evening. However, instead of golf or a go-kart racing event on Friday prior to the grand opening, Jim Hobbs of Am-Tran in San Leandro is planning a fishing expedition for those who wish to participate. The fishing outing has had more interest than any extra activity we have ever had so it will be a great sponsorship event opportunity. If any of our member companies, or associate members are interested in sponsoring our fishing charter excursion please let us know! More details will follow soon but the Doubletree Berkley Marina will be a beautiful and fun setting for the 2012 convention.

Also on my mind, is the NLRB scaring anyone with their proposed administrative changes designed to create ‘ambush’ type union elections? Consider supporting the Cal Chamber and NFIB efforts to prevent NLRB unfair union promotion activities. And, if you have not yet heard the good news, a federal district court in California recently issued a decision, in Dilts v. Penske Logistics, LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 122421 (S.D. Cal. Oct. 19, 2011), holding that motor carriers that transport property are not subject to California’s meal and rest break laws because such laws are preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAA Act). At the time of writing this article we are still waiting for the long overdue ruling on California’s meal and rest periods law by the California Supreme Court, but the Penske ruling in Federal court upholding that FAAAA preempts state and local laws is very encouraging!

Rick Chase, President
California Delivery Association