A Brief History of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association
Everyone has heard the old axiom about "strength in numbers". Well, in 1937, as the country was still struggling to break out of the Great Depression, that lesson was being drummed home to the several hundred independent trucking firms operating in Colorado.
CUT THROAT COMPETITION -- Bitter competition, factionalism between rival trade organizations, slander campaigns by the railroads and increasing state and federal regulation, were making business survival exceptionally difficult for Colorado's truck lines. Operators were under assault from virtually every possible direction.
Clearly there was a need for strong leadership - a need for one organization that could effectively represent the diverse needs and interests of all of Colorado's motor carriers. But it took several years of intense effort before that one organization could be forged from the numerous carrier factions and trade organizations within the state.
The two leading contenders for the job of sole industry representation were the Colorado Transfer and Warehouseman's Association (CTWA) and the Colorado Trucking Association (CTA). Unfortunately, these two organizations were constantly at odds with each other and were seldom on speaking terms. This schism threatened to permanently undermine the best interests of the entire industry.
FREIGHT TARIFFS -- The main functions of the old CTWA were publication of freight rate tariffs and providing legal representation for its membership before various regulatory commissions. Its membership consisted exclusively of inter- and intrastate regular route common carriers. On the other side was the CTA. Its membership was drawn from contract and irregular route common carriers.
Yet despite an intense and longstanding rivalry, these two important transportation organizations did in fact merge, to create a single powerful voice to represent the interests of the entire Colorado trucking industry.
A MERGER -- The CTWA and CTA got together largely through the efforts of Ted Rogers, the first President of the American Trucking Associations. Mr. Rogers recognized the benefit to the entire Colorado motor freight industry if it could be represented by one entity. He worked tirelessly to overcome the hostility that both organizations shared for each other, and was ultimately successful when the two organizations merged on December 15, 1939. They formed the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, under the leadership of Elton Cooley, its first Chairman.
The CMCA membership came from every segment of the motor vehicle industry: common contract and private carriers; transfer and warehouse operators; liquid fuel carriers; livestock haulers and virtually every type of business affiliated with the industry. Yet no matter how varied the needs of its members were, the organization strove to meet them all.
Back in 1939, Chris Sorenson and his family ran Sorenson Truck Service, Inc., an intrastate irregular route system hauling general commodities. Sorenson, who later became the 9th Chairman of the CMCA, recalled the early days before the organization and his motive for joining.
ECONOMIC REGULATION -- "When regulation started arriving in the 1930's, why naturally, we old-timers battled the thought pretty strongly. Eventually we were made aware of all the regulations and the need for us to pay attention to them. So, all of a sudden we had to find out how, when and where to select and implement our tariff programs. That's why we (Sorenson Truck Lines) joined. The Colorado Motor Carriers Association had a tariff bureau and that was the main reason we were so anxious to become a part of the organization", he said.
BEYOND TARIFFS -- But the CMCA existed for more than just tariff publishing. Its purpose, as stated in the Preamble to its bylaws was:
To advance the general interests of its members; to inculcate just and equitable principles in our business relations; to acquire, preserve and distribute information valuable to the members and generally aid in establishing that balance of all conferences of the industry necessary to the consistent maintenance of the highest practical degree of public interest and welfare.
And what are the CMCA's objectives and policies? Once again its bylaws, written 64 years ago, hold the answer:
The object of this Association shall be to encourage friendly relations between members; to foster confidence and cooperation; to establish uniform rules and regulations; to foster and advance safety upon the public roads and highways; to affiliate with or establish reciprocal relations with any other associations, commercial or industrial, and the American Trucking Associations, Inc.; to disseminate information and statistics valuable to the member of all of the several natural conferences of the industry and to promote cordial relations with the public and national, state and municipal authorities in matters of common interest to the industry.
It was with these principled words that the Colorado Motor Carriers Association embarked on a tradition of service that would span the next sixty years.
