Open Road - Winter 2026
LMTA President’s Message
Rickie Guillory 2026-01-24 13:59:14
Owner, Guillory Petroleum Transport LLC2025-2026 LMTAPresident of the Board
BE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL
I-10, Houston, Texas – 4:30 a.m. Traffic was moving at 6 to 7 miles per hour. A driver needed to move over for an exit 2 miles ahead. He observed a car pull ahead on his right, then slow down and disappear into his blind spot. As he eased right, there was a “bump” to the other drivers’ driver-side door. The damage to her vehicle was under $4,000 and no airbags were deployed. The truck sustained only a scratch on the chrome lug nut covers. Within four hours, the other driver retained an attorney, and within 24 hours they were demanding $750,000.
This scenario is familiar to many of us and is becoming more common. What should have been a straightforward matter of paying for repairs and compensating for lost time and a rental car has escalated into a major lawsuit. Thanks in part to LMTA, some recently passed legislation may help alleviate some of these issues, but much work remains.
This is why our company — and many others — have joined LMTA. I firmly believe in the power of numbers. Trucking companies and drivers need a strong voice in the industry, and LMTA provides that voice for Louisiana. Together with national associations such as American Trucking Associations (ATA), we can positively influence policy affecting the trucking industry and the businesses that support it.
For years we have fought for sensible regulation, lower taxes and permitting burdens, better fuel pricing, affordable equipment and parts, fair labor costs and access to tires — not to mention the ongoing challenge of recruiting professional drivers who care about our companies and equipment. We are resilient; we overcome pressures that might cause other industries to fold. We are the spokes in the wheel that keep this country moving. We respond in emergencies, delivering goods to communities affected by storms, fires and floods. We keep hospitals, police and fire departments powered when the lights go out. This is what we do and will continue to do.
Our government sometimes underestimates the importance of the trucking industry. With LMTA’s support, we will continue to remind policymakers of our contributions. Join LMTA or your state’s trucking association, get involved in local political and judicial elections and stay engaged in your community and state. Use your voice — as the saying goes, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
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