Legislative Respresentation

History and Purpose | Legislative Representation | Join CTA

Our legislative program is one of our organizations strongest assets. Our membership is well trained and utilized in the hearing process as well as utilized to directly lobby key legislators on our board approved positions.

After our policy committees send their positions on legislative or regulatory proposals to the Board, they are openly debated and voted on through an open, democratic process. It is after that process that implementation begins and our Kingpins are called to action. Yes, we use our volunteer members as the front line in statewide legislative districts to educate elected officials. This serves as crucial backup for our professional lobbyists who then meet with members at the capitol carrying the same message.

Our industry occupies every single county and township in California. Our members participate in political and legislative skill building workshops and mock legislative hearings. The result is an intelligent and informed membership that holds legislators accountable to trucking when they cast their vote. Our membership is far ahead of most trade associations in their grassroots advocacy and enjoys the results of success because of a three part process:

• Our membership receives regular and advanced training in how to communicate with and hold accountable elected officials. We call this our Kingpin Training. CTA has a volunteer Kingpin Committee, whose job is to be trained and then become the association's grass roots advocate for our legislative program of work. These trained members are the first line of our legislative army.


• Our members make sure their voice is heard and acted on at our state Capitol. CTA employs top quality professional staff and advocacy contractors to get into the offices of the elected officials and their staffs inside the Capitol. The professionals also coordinate the activities of the kingpins so that our membership can apply the maximum pressure, both inside the Capitol and in the district, for our position.


• Our members vote among themselves on the positions the association takes on legislation . . . whether on our own sponsored legislation or that from other organizations. This action means we are fully vested into the process bringing updates to our policy committees and Kingpins on a regular basis. Our members are passionately committed to advancing the association's position because they worked together to develop the position. Few trade organizations engage in direct democracy at the level practiced by the CTA.

History and Purpose | Legislative Representation | Join CTA