ABOUT WEST STATE ALLIANCE

HISTORY & MISSION

West State Alliance represents the best interests of independent truckers, the trucking industry and the communities we serve by promoting the highest standards for safe, efficient and environmentally conscious containerized transportation. WSA strives to be the most productive and positive force in the West Coast trucking industry, promoting a goal of “cleanest and greenest” conditions in our neighboring communities.

In 2015, board members of the West State Alliance voted to merge the association with the Western States Trucking Association, itself a nonprofit founded in 1941. The merger is intended to bring a wider source of member benefit programs, representation, and communications to the Oakland port trucking community. West State Alliance is still the voice of the Port of Oakland trucker.

WSA was founded as a nonprofit trade association in 2004 by a dedicated group of independent trucking companies (Primary Motor Carriers) serving the Port of Oakland. These Charter Members envisioned an organization serving the best interests and addressing the most pressing needs of local truckers. They felt an independent organization could unify truckers around industry priorities by articulating common interests, promoting best practices and providing the means to speak with a collective and authoritative voice. In 2009, membership was extended to independent owner operators so as to represent their needs within a changing industry with equal sense of purpose and urgency.

From its inception, WSA has pursued its mission of providing leadership in West Coast independent trucking by engaging in the following activities:

• discussed and negotiated with steamship companies on business issues of common concern to West Coast independent trucking companies;
• coordinated and engaged in litigation of business disputes of common concern;
• presented information and opinions to government agencies;
  attempted to influence legislation germane to the members’ common business interests;
• promoted improved business standards and methods and uniform business practices;
• organized workshops and seminars with members to share new developments and timely opportunities;
• held conferences and meetings for the purpose of discussing the problems of the industry; and
• disseminated accurate information and news concerning transportation issues to our members, the public and the media.

WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED

Since its inception West State Alliance has been a leader in expressing the views and advocating for the interests of Port of Oakland truckers. We’ve advanced equitable treatment of Port truckers through interaction with the State, the Port of Oakland, our local elected representatives, the courts, other associations and private business. WSA is active in all aspects of highway safety and in environmental and transportation policy which it supports through direct participation on numerous committees and in various forums on the local and state levels. WSA participates in virtually every significant rule-making body affecting Port of Oakland truckers, and members testify at all major hearings on trucking issues. As a member of West State Alliance, you are invited to get involved. Let our voices be heard!

In its relatively short history WSA has accomplished the following results on behalf of its members and the entire local trucking industry:

• Concerted advocacy and activism by WSA were instrumental in winning significant extensions to implementation of the January 1, 2010 CARB ban on non-compliant trucks at the Port. WSA successfully lobbied local elected officials to support demands for increased state funding to modernize the Port truck fleet, resulting in an additional five million dollars in state grants immediately being made available to Port of Oakland truckers. As a result, some 600 trucker jobs were saved!
• WSA spearheaded efforts with local government resulting in a truck replacement and buy-back program for ’04-’05-’06 engine model trucks, raising $3.43 million in government equipment subsidies for truckers.
• With hundreds of Port trucker jobs at stake, WSA helped secure low-cost independent financing for truck filter retrofits and helped many displaced truckers access job retraining programs.
  WSA assisted many desperate Port drivers and owner operators with government challenges to their TWIC application, in the process helping over 60 individuals with rejected applications obtain TWIC cards.
• WSA was highly influential in the Port’s decision to drop language specifying a trucker employee mandate in their adoption of a National Goods Movement Policy Resolution. WSA also influenced the outcome of the Port’s Comprehensive Truck Management Plan including the Port’s decision to set aside factually inaccurate findings and detrimental arguments of the Beacon Economics Study.
• WSA was instrumental in bringing SSA terminal to the table around issues surrounding implementation of an RFID program at the Port, resulting in a time extension being granted to Port truckers.
  Under the leadership of WSA, the monthly Port Trucker Work Group and OT-411, the Trucker Information Center have become the “go-to” places for policy information, education and technical assistance related to all important issues affecting Port drivers and the drayage industry.
• WSA regularly joins with other influential goods movement trade associations in voicing opinions and waging campaigns on important policy matters. We have gone on record opposing placing Cap-and-Trade policy under a declining cap and, of greatest urgency, oppose proposed modifications by Congress to the FAAAA in their effort to deregulate federal control of the ports. WSA remains vigilant as the “voice of the Port of Oakland trucker.”