Open Road - Winter 2026
From the Executive Director’s Desk
Renee Amar 2026-01-23 07:58:33
DON’T WAIT FOR CHANGE – MAKE IT
New year, same road — but this year, Louisiana truckers must shift into a higher gear. Truck drivers keep the state alive. From petrochemical plants along the River Parishes to seafood markets on the Gulf, from Baton Rouge warehouses to the sugar fields up north, truckers move the goods that power livelihoods. They’re the backbone of supply chains, hauling fuel, food, building materials, medical supplies and the odd piece of equipment that keeps a town working. When truckers stop, shelves empty fast, hospitals feel it and businesses bleed cash. That’s power. And in this year, that power needs to be wielded.
Wake-up call: Regulators and politicians set the rules while many drivers treat politics like a distant highway exit. Not anymore. Fuel taxes, toll projects, weight-and-dimension rules, inspection regimes and electronic-logging mandates are realities that hit paychecks and safety on day one. Rising insurance premiums and infrastructure plans that ignore truck parking — these aren’t abstract problems; they’re the hurdles drivers face every run. New year’s resolutions won’t fix them. Collective action will.
Make this the year you stop waiting for change and start making it. Politics isn’t polite — it’s pr actical. Get informed. Join an association. Show up at meetings. Testify at hearings. Vote for candidates who understand what a 14-hour day looks like and who will fight for fair reimbursement, sensible hours-of-service rules and realistic enforcement. Hold officeholders accountable when they preach “support” for business but legislate against the people who actually move it.
This year, be strategic. Fight regressive tolling on I-10 and I-12. Demand safer rest areas and real truck parking. Organize targeted campaigns — letter drives, coordinated testimony, turnout on election day — small moves that yield big policy wins.
Louisiana truckers are tough, competent and indispensable. Treat the cab like a command center for change. Make a commitment: Talk to colleagues, vote and demand representation that respects the work. The roads will keep running only if those who drive them assert power off the pavement as fiercely as they do on it. This year, get in gear — your livelihood, your safety and the state’s economy depend on it.
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