12-1-2024 | Issue 23

TODAY'S NEWSLETTER IS SPONSORED BY:

We are now taking commitments for the 2025 Newsline Sponsorships. If your company would like to be a sponsor, please contact Carol Foster at (615) 777-2882 or email cfoster@tntrucking.org to reserve your edition. The cost will be $300.00 per edition with your logo and a link to your website. If you would like a banner ad linked to your website it would be $500.00 per edition. There will be a total of 24 editions this year.

THANK YOU to those that sponsored in 2024!!!

Please note: We moved to a new software system in June. If you haven’t yet logged into your new account and are having trouble accessing member pricing for events, please email khupp@tntrucking.org for assistance.

• NATMI - Safety & DOT Compliance (12/10/2024 to 12/11/2024)
• Raffle Drawing | Tennessee Trucking Foundation (12/12/2024)
• Christmas - Holiday TTA Closed (12/24/2024 to 12/25/2024)

• More Events

About Interstate Health

Interstate Health revolutionizes healthcare access for professional drivers and local communities. Our state-of-the-art clinics, provide convenient, reliable care tailored to the needs of the transportation industry.

Primary Contact: Tim Campbell

Email: tim.campbell@interstatehealth.com

Phone: (602) 708-4474

Mailing Address: 330 Franklin Rd, Suite 135 A-160, Brentwood, TN 37027

Website: interstatehealth.com

About Furrow Auction Company

Since 1968, Furrow Auction Company has been a trusted leader in real estate and industrial equipment auctions, offering unmatched expertise and delivering exceptional results. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, we serve clients nationwide through both live and online auctions.

Primary Contact: Marianne Spence

Email: marianne@furrow.com

Phone: (865) 546-3206

Mailing Address: 10319 Cogdill Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932

Website: furrow.com

There’s a story about a young man who falls in love with a girl in his town. Wanting to do things right, he approaches her father to ask for her hand in marriage. The father agrees to give him a chance and says, “I will release three bulls into the field behind my house. If you can catch the tail of one of them, you may marry my daughter.”

The young man accepts the challenge and steps into the large field behind the house. Soon, the first bull comes charging out—large, angry, and intimidating. The young man steps aside, thinking, “I’ll wait for the next one.” Then the second bull appears, even bigger than the first. Once again, the young man hesitates and steps back.

Finally, the third bull comes out, small, scrawny, and weak. He sees his moment and reaches forward to grab the tail—only to realize the bull has no tail.

In the end, the young man waited so long, that he missed the opportunity.

While I wouldn’t recommend putting a potential son-in-law through that test, the lesson is clear: waiting for the "perfect" moment could mean missing the moment altogether.

Fortunately, the members of the Tennessee Trucking Association are not known for waiting around. When bad towers were working in Memphis or hurricanes devastating East Tennessee, you didn’t wait for better conditions or a more convenient time—you took action. You spoke up, you showed up, and you made an impact when it mattered most.

That’s the power of what we do together. We act when needed, and through that action, we create real, lasting change. Your commitment to standing up for what’s right, your support of one another, and your dedication to the values that strengthen our Association are what make us a powerful and resilient force in this industry.

As we move into the holiday season, I encourage you to reflect on the opportunities you’ve seized this year—and even those you might have missed—and appreciate all that we’ve accomplished together. This is also a time to prepare for the year ahead. I hope you’ll consider marking some key TTA events on your 2025 calendar, as they’re great opportunities to grow and connect.

Whether you’re spending the last month of this year with family, taking some time to recharge, or working to finish out the year strong, I hope it’s a wonderful holiday season and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Mike McFarlin

M & W Transportation Co., Inc.

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2024 ANNUAL CONVENTION DIAMOND, PLATINUM & AUCTION PARTY SPONSORS

For all our Convention Diamond, Platinum, and Auction Party Sponsors, we have added a new benefit for 2024. In addition to the benefits listed on your Sponsorship form, you will have your logo with a link to your website in each bi-monthly Newsline for the remaining issues this year starting with the July 15 edition. Thank you so much for your generous support!

With Christmas around the corner, criminals will use this time to take advantage of terminals and shipments. I urge companies to be prepared, vigilant, and review security procedures. Here are some reminders:

The top targeted location types are 1) Warehouse / Distribution Centers 2) Parking Lots. The top targeted types of commodities are 1) Food and Beverage 2) Household Goods. In 2023, the total loss value was $331,965,445. The most common methods of cargo theft are 1) Straight Cargo Theft physically stolen from where it sits. 2) Common Pilferage or theft in smaller amounts. Thieves look for whatever they can steal and sell quickly. 3) Strategic Cargo Theft involves fraud and deceptive information to trick shippers or brokers into giving the load to the thieves.

Theft groups may use “sniffers”, devices that detect covert GPS technology, even those embedded within a trailer. Additionally, they often use GPS jammers to block that technology, so it can’t be used to help law enforcement locate stolen property.

Tips for Preventing Cargo Theft:

Eliminate stops within 300 miles of origin, avoid stray parking lots with low visibility, increase security personnel in warehouses, use technology to track cargo in real time, use physical locks, be vigilant on holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas times see a rise in thefts) and work with a third-party logistics company with advanced security measures in place and experience dealing with the risks of theft to alleviate the stresses surrounding cargo loss.

CargoNet is a program that works to help secure cargo, coordinate communication, recover inventory, and track trends with a 24/7 support center: https://www.cargonet.com/

Enjoy the upcoming holiday season and remember, the best security equipment is YOU!

Marty Pollock, Director of Safety

Tennessee Trucking Association

Dale Allen

Adams and Reese LLP

Ashley Harbin

Adams and Reese LLP

Republicans Maintain Dominance in Tennessee on Election Night 2024

Election night 2024 in Tennessee held much less drama than other states, as the GOP was able to keep a strong hold in the State of Tennessee. President Donald Trump won the state decisively, taking 64% of more than 3 million votes that were cast. Marsha Blackburn won in a landslide victory to continue holding her seat as a U.S. Senator against Democratic opponent State Representative Gloria Johnson, with more than 63% of the vote. On the U.S. House front, all nine incumbent candidates won in a sweeping fashion. The state legislature will remain a Republican supermajority with Republicans maintaining their 75-24 seat advantage in the House, as well as a 27-6 seat advantage in the Senate. 

Trump Wins Tennessee Decisively

Heading into the election, there was little doubt that President Trump would win Tennessee decisively. Tennesseans solidified their support by voting with nearly the same percentages as they did in 2016 and 2020. Trump’s strongest margins were seen in rural areas like east Tennessee, while Vice President Kamala Harris garnered the most support in the large cities of Nashville and Memphis, and Haywood County.

Neither candidate spent time in Tennessee leading up to the election with Tennessee firmly planted in the “safe” category for President Trump. Instead, both candidates dedicated their efforts in battleground states, like North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. There were only a handful of Presidential ads shown on television throughout the state with a majority of the political outreaches found on various social media platforms.

Trump’s victory in Tennessee extends the Republican Party’s presidential winning streak in the state to 28 years, reaching back to Bill Clinton’s win in 1996. Tennessee has consistently supported GOP candidates in national elections, with Republicans securing high margins in many rural and suburban areas. Over the years, Tennessee has shown clear voting patterns that reflect urban and rural divides, with urban centers like Nashville and Memphis showing more Democratic support while the state’s rural regions largely favor Republican candidates.

U.S. Senate Race: Marsha Blackburn Cruises to Victory

Incumbent U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) took the win over State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) by securing more than 63% of the votes. This was the only statewide race on this year’s ballot in Tennessee. Blackburn will now be serving her second six-year term as a U.S. Senator for the state of Tennessee. Prior to her election in the Senate, Blackburn served eight terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and before that she served in the Tennessee State Senate. Her Democratic opponent, Gloria Johnson, has represented parts of Knoxville at the Tennessee General Assembly since 2012.

The win for Marsha Blackburn signaled the continuation of another streak for the GOP – 29 straight years of holding both of Tennessee’s U.S. Senate seats. This once again marks a loss for Tennessee’s Democratic Party, which has fallen short of closing a statewide race.

U.S. House Race: Incumbent Seats Win Across the Board

This election year all nine of Tennessee’s House seats were up for grabs, with incumbents running in each district. All nine incumbents were re-elected, ensuring they will serve for another two years. As a result, Tennessee's delegation to the U.S. House will consist of eight Republicans and one Democrat.

State House Election Round Up

This year in Tennessee, voters participated in elections across all 99 districts of the House of Representatives. With the state House composed of 75 Republicans and 24 Democrats, the GOP entered the election cycle confident in their ability to maintain their supermajority. The Democratic Party aimed to make gains in five competitive legislative seats but ultimately failed in their efforts. Notably, in 31 districts, only one candidate appeared on the ballot, highlighting a lack of competition in those areas.

While most State House races were relatively uneventful, four contests stood out as highly anticipated. In District 97, Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis) defeated former Shelby County Democratic Party Chair Jesse Huseth by just over 1,000 votes. In House District 18, Rep. Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville) bested her Democratic opponent Bryan Goldberg with a margin of 2,600 votes. In District 67, Rep. Ronnie Glynn (D-Clarksville) won re-election by fewer than 130 votes, narrowly defeating Republican challenger Jamie Dean Pelz. Finally, in District 74, Rep. Jeff Burkhart (R-Clarksville) secured a victory over Democratic candidate Allie Phillips by just under 2,000 votes.

Additionally, in an open-seat contest, Shaundelle Brooks defeated former Republican legislative aide Chad Bobo by a narrow margin of 2,300 votes. Bobo, who was heavily backed by the GOP, was unsuccessful in his attempt to flip the seat to the Republican side.

State Senate Election Round Up: The Senate Welcomes Three Newcomers

This election cycle, the even-numbered state Senate seats were up for grabs. While there were fewer surprises in the general election, most of the notable developments occurred during the primary races.

The Senate continues to be dominated by a Republican supermajority with 27 Republicans and 6 Democrats. Three new members have joined the Senate this year. Republican Tom Hatcher will fill the open seat in Senate District 2, previously held by retiring Sen. Art Swann (R-Maryville). In District 4, Bobby Harshbarger, who won the Republican primary against incumbent Senator Jon Lundberg, handily defeated independent candidate Dalia Price. Finally, Republican Jessie Seal, who defeated Sen. Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) in the primary, will take office as Senator for District 8 after securing a victory over Democrat R.E. Ellison.

The GOP aimed to flip the seat held by incumbent Senator Heidi Campbell (D- Nashville) with Republican challenger Wyatt Rampy. However, Rampy was not successful in his efforts to unseat Campbell. Campbell won by a large margin of just over 16,000 votes against Rampy and will continue to hold her position representing the 20^th District.

Looking Ahead

The 114^th General Assembly will convene on January 14, 2025, and although the legislative session has not officially begun, the introduction of legislation has already started. One bill in particular has already garnered enormous attention from legislators, lobbyists, and interested stakeholders. HB0005, sponsored by Representative Gino Bulson (R-Brentwood), would raise the current cap on noneconomic damages from $750,000 to $1.5 million for most civil lawsuits. The bill would also increase the cap for noneconomic damages in catastrophic cases from $1 million to $2 million. The $750,000 cap on noneconomic damages was established as part of a tort reform package passed by lawmakers in 2011. At the time, many in the business community and Republican lawmakers felt the cap was too high. Representative Bulos’s primary argument for increasing the limits is that inflation has eroded the value of the award, making the current cap less meaningful.

We will be closely monitoring Bulso’s legislative proposal and will provide ongoing updates as news develops. On behalf of the Tennessee Government Relations Team of Adams and Reese, it remains our honor to represent you at the Tennessee General Assembly. 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO TENNESSEE TRUCKING FOUNDATION IN HONOR OF...

Troy Dickens

Contributions were made by: J.B. Baker

 In Honor of: Troy Dickens

Wayland Thompson

Contributions were made by: J.B. Baker

 In Honor of: Wayland Thompson

Tennessee Trucking Foundation Contribution

Want to make a contribution to our Foundation? You can easily donate to the foundation on our website. Thank you to all who support our Foundation's mission. 



• Advancing highway safety
• Educating the public through programs designed to make our roads safer
• Providing Tennessee children’s charities with funds to improve the lives of our state’s children
• The TTF Scholarship, administered annually by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Visit the website to donate.