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of such policies as Labor Secretary would harm small businesses and consumers, particularly at a time when the economy is grappling with challenges.

The ATA’s letter emphasizes the crucial role of small businesses, particularly in the trucking industry, which comprises nearly 32,000 trucking companies in Alabama alone. These businesses form the backbone of the state’s economy and are responsible for employing 125,110 Alabamians. The ATA commends Senator Tuberville for his consistent support of small employers, recognizing the significant contribution they make to the state’s economic growth.

By voicing their concerns over Julie Su’s nomination, the ATA showcases its dedication to protecting the interests of Alabama’s trucking industry and the broader workforce. The association seeks to ensure that the Secretary of Labor is someone who will foster an environment conducive to the success of small businesses, rather than implementing policies that burden them with increased costs and potential harm.

AAA Cooper named among America’s best midsize employers by Forbes

titude for the company’s seventh consecutive recognition as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers by Forbes. He said, “Being recognized for a seventh consecutive year reflects a commitment to creating strong relationships based on respect, trust, and decency. I am grateful to all our team members that exhibit these values making this recognition possible.”

In addition to this award, AAA Cooper Transportation was also named one of 2022’s Best Employers for Veterans by Forbes, recognizing the company’s dedication to supporting and hiring veterans in the workforce.

AAA Cooper Transportation has provided transportation solutions since 1955 and has grown into one of the leading LTL carriers in the United States. With over 5,000 employees and a fleet of over 3,000 tractors and 7,000 trailers, the company provides shipping services throughout North America.

The recognition of AAA Cooper Transportation as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers for 2023 by Forbes reaffirms the company’s commitment to providing a safe and positive work environment for its employees.

“Notably, the Golden Flake brand remains an important part of Utz’s portfolio, and our product offerings and partnerships under this banner are not changing,” Brick said.

“We will continue to have a presence in Birmingham and will stay an active part of the community.”

Utz Quality Foods, based in Hanover, Penn., purchased Golden Enterprises, Golden Flake’s parent company, in 2016 for $141 million.

Golden Flake was founded in 1923 in the basement of a Hill’s Grocery store in north Birmingham.

ATRI releases new research priorities for 2023

At a recent mid-year meeting in Florida, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) Board of Directors approved the 2023 Top Research Priorities, as identified by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC). ATRI’s RAC identified and prioritized the list of recommended research topics at its annual RAC meeting held in Atlanta on March 14-15. The ATRI Board, led by ATRI Chair Derek Leathers of Werner Enterprises, reviewed and approved the research topics on May 5.

ATRI’s RAC selected a diverse set of research priorities designed to address some of the industry’s most critical issues.

AAA Cooper Transportation, an LTL (less-than-truckload) company based in Dothan, Ala., has again been named one of America’s Best Midsize Employers by Forbes. The company, an independent subsidiary of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, has been recognized with this honor for seven consecutive years.

This award is presented annually by Forbes to companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees, based on employee feedback and an analysis of each company’s corporate culture, working conditions, diversity and inclusion, and other factors. AAA Cooper Transportation is among 500 other companies to make the 2023 list, and it has been recognized for its commitment to creating a strong work environment that fosters respect, trust, and decency.

Scott Bowers, AAA Cooper Transportation’s Vice President of Human Resources and Risk Management, expressed his gra-

According to reports, Utz Brands has announced it is closing the company’s Golden Flake Birmingham manufacturing facility in July. The decision means about 175 employees will be laid off from the 275-member workforce. About 100 will remain in distribution operations.

The company disclosed an SEC filing on April 24. Pre-tax cash charges of approximately $3 million to $5 million are expected to be incurred because of the closure.

In a statement, Utz Foods Vice President Kevin Brick said Utz “made the difficult decision to permanently close our manufacturing operations” in Birmingham.

ATRI’s 2023 top research priorities are 1) Expanding Truck Parking at Public Rest Areas. The lack of available truck parking is perennially ranked by drivers as their top concern. This research will identify and map truck driver needs to rest stop attributes, develop best practice case studies and utilize truck driver data to identify strategies for expanding truck parking capacity available at public rest areas.

2) Identifying Barriers to Entry for Female Truck Drivers. Female truck drivers represent less than 10 percent of the truck driver workforce, yet ATRI research documents that female drivers are safer than their male counterparts. This research will identify gender issues and proactive steps that the industry can take to make truck driving careers more appealing to women.

3) Complete Streets Impact on Freight Mobility. Complete Streets is a U.S. DOT program designed to make transportation accessible for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders. However, planning decisions to deploy complete streets often negatively impact freight transportation and those who rely on truck- delivered goods. This study will quantify these impacts and recommend approaches for transportation planners to better facilitate freight movement.

4) Examining the Diesel Technician Shortage. The industry’s challenges in recruiting and retaining technicians are often cited as being as critical as the driver shortage. This research will work with government and industry to identify the factors underlying the shortage, including mapping career attributes to workforce needs, and assessing high school-level vocational training availability, industry recruitment practices and competing career opportunities.

5) The Cost of Driver Detention. Truck drivers and motor carriers consistently rank driver detention at customer facilities as a top industry concern. This research, supported by shipper groups, will include quantitative data collection to identify detention impacts, costs, and strategies for minimizing detention.

Lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen driver apprenticeship program

The American Trucking Associations and the International Foodservice Distributors

Association are praising the recent introduction of the DRIVE Safe Integrity Act, spearheaded by Representatives Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) and Henry Cuellar (DTexas), to help alleviate the truck driver workforce shortage. The bill builds upon strong, bipartisan support for the DRIVE Safe Act over the last few Congresses and the inclusion of the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program in the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“Building a 21st-century supply chain requires a strong, vibrant and growing trucking workforce,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “The DRIVE Safe Integrity Act will bolster new career pathways into interstate trucking while promoting safety and training standards that far exceed the bar set by states today. This legislation offers a timely and essential trucking workforce and supply chain solution, built off years of broad bipartisan Congressional support.”

“The last three years have proven just how important truck drivers are to the American economy and way of life, and how urgently we need to develop a pipeline of qualified, well-trained professional drivers to meet our nation’s growing freight needs,” said Mark S. Allen, President and CEO of IFDA. “Strengthening the ability of younger drivers to receive rigorous training and safely enter the trucking workforce will help fill this pipeline, and we thank Representatives Crawford and Cuellar for their bipartisan leadership in addressing this issue.”

The trucking industry faces a shortage of more than 78,000 truck drivers coupled with a need to hire 1.2 million new drivers over the next decade to meet increasing freight demands. However, current U.S. Department of Transportation regulations bar a vital population of job seekers from interstate trucking, exacerbating the driver shortage as qualified candidates are lost to other industries. In 49 states plus the District of Columbia, 18-, 19- and 20-yearolds are permitted to obtain a CDL and drive heavy-duty commercial vehicles in intrastate commerce, but federal rules have long prohibited those same drivers from driving in interstate commerce.

To address this issue, the bipartisan infrastructure law enacted in 2021 included a nationwide pilot program modeled after the DRIVE Safe Act to create a pathway for young drivers to operate interstate with rigorous safety and training guardrails in place. The Save Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program was capped at 3,000 participating

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