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 association, 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.
CMCA Services
Training Opportunities
CMCA Offers a rich variety of training opportunities for both members and non-members. The modern CMCA training center in Denver is the location of most seminars. As demand warrants, CMCA also conducts seminars at other locations around the state. Take a look at this year's seminars on the training page.
2012 CMCA Convention
A highlight of the CMCA year is the annual CMCA convention. It is a chance for members to network and renew their knowledge of CMCA programs and successes.
The 2012 annual meeting will be held September 20-22 at the Ritz-Carton Bachelor Gulch, Avon, Colorado at peak fall foliage.
CMCA staff is working to line up speakers for the event. Online registration will open in June 2012. There is a dedicated page on this website to provide details of the convention.
CMCA Structure
Throughout its illustrious history, the structure of the CMCA has remained essentially unchanged. It 
is divided into conferences, with each conference made up of members from a particular specialized field of motor transportation. Today, the organization has six conferences. Each conference has elected representation on the governing board of the organization. Additional directors are elected from conference nominations.
CMCA CHAIRMAN -- The board chairman is selected from among board members and is elected annually by the board. The board's duties are to represent the general membership in deciding policy and to conduct ongoing association business.
Various committees and councils also serve the organization. The councils, such as the Safety Council, conduct education and training activities pertinent to their areas of specialization. Committees are formed to handle specific tasks, such as putting on the annual convention.
To better address the changing landscape for trucking over the years, CMCA has tailored its programs and efforts to better meet these challenges. Today, CMCA's main functions may be categorized into three areas. These are: membership services; legislative and governmental relations; and education for our membership, as well as educate others about the trucking industry.
CMCA SERVICES -- Our services are focused to better position our members in the marketplace in a variety of manners ranging from providing information through our monthly newsletter magazine and annual convention, to the provision of group worker compensation plans and low cost telecommunication services. In the area of governmental relations, the association serves as a spokesperson for the trucking industry at the federal, state and local level. This involves continual monitoring of issues of interest to our members in the government arena and involves a high level of interaction with the various regulatory bodies on the state level.
TRAINING -- In the area of education, CMCA has been providing workshops and seminars on a variety of topics ranging from changes in governmental regulations to safety procedures. These workshops are presented as a service to our members. In addition we are providing presentations to various groups, including business organizations and citizen groups, on the importance of trucking in our state and the challenges facing the trucking industry.