President’s Message

Throughout the history of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, volunteer leadership has been the hallmark of our continued success and effectiveness as an organization. In 1942, when John Ruan convinced a group of his trucking colleagues to start an organization, they didn’t hesitate to get involved. Little did they know that this would entail several years of their personal time as well as their personal money.

These early IMTA leaders had little to no experience in lobbying or government relations but that did not deter them. The whole premise for starting the association was to have a voice at the Capitol and to unify an industry. They showed up to meet with legislators and potential members, armed only with their passion for an industry that provided them a good income and unlimited opportunities.

Their effectiveness in those early days was grounded in an unwavering belief in their causes and positions. They knew the value of the trucking industry and the potential of a strong association, and they were unrelenting in their efforts to remind everyone else of that value too.

In those early years, this small group of volunteer leaders crisscrossed the state recruiting members, hosting association events, and promoting the trucking industry, all while running trucking operations that they had started from scratch. Their unbending work ethic coupled with their intense desire to have the best trucking association in the country fueled their efforts in those early years.

Thankfully the hard work paid off and within 5 years they had a professional staff, money in the bank, and most importantly, respect and admiration from the outside world. What started as a dream scratched out on a napkin over drinks in a smoky bar set a very important and valuable course for Iowa’s trucking industry.

Now almost 80 years later, this legacy lives on and the volunteer leaders of the Iowa Motor Truck Association continue to be the hallmark of our success. Leadership comes in many different forms and every day we are the beneficiaries of the outstanding leadership that is displayed by a multitude of IMTA members and supporters at many different levels. The level of support provided by our trucking members as well as our valued vendors is second to none. Because of the ongoing involvement and engagement by the membership, IMTA is a highly capable and stalwart advocate. The big acts and more importantly the small acts of leadership enable this association to be extraordinarily effective. It is not unusual for IMTA to generate hundreds of calls or hundreds of dollars in response to a rallying cry for action. Our voice is effective and above all, respected. I believe that the forefathers of the Iowa Motor Truck Association would be very proud to see the association today. While many things have changed, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of member involvement. You can and do make a difference. Don’t ever underestimate your

LEADERSHIP COMES IN ability to provide leadership and be MANY DIFFERENT FORMS AND EVERY DAY WE part of the solution. Your voice does matter! Our IMTA community is comprised of varying levels of experARE THE BENEFICIARIES tise, education, and demographics.

OF THE OUTSTANDING We have the resources to solve the

LEADERSHIP THAT big and little problems. Because of

IS DISPLAYED BY the leadership provided by the mem-

A MULTITUDE OF bership, we can identify the issues

IMTA MEMBERS AND that pose a threat and those that provide an opportunity, and we can

SUPPORTERS AT MANY take action quickly.

DIFFERENT LEVELS. We all share an unwavering commitment and deep loyalty to the trucking industry, and we are stronger, louder, and smarter together. There is power in numbers and that has been proven for over seven decades at the Iowa Motor Truck Association. So let’s keep the momentum going. I look forward to our continued work together. BRENDA NEVILLE IMTA President & CEO