Bennett Presents: Seth Millican on Trucking Challenges, Solutions, and the Future of Georgia’s Carriers (Part 2)

Show Notes

Ready to discover what’s driving the future of trucking in Georgia? Buckle up for Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Seth Millican, Executive Director of the Georgia Trucking Association, as he joins hosts Caitlyn Folks and Lee Gentry for an insightful, boots-on-the-ground look at the challenges and innovations shaping the transportation industry today.

In this episode, you’ll get the inside track on Georgia’s pro-business climate and how state and federal initiatives are paving the way for safer, more profitable operations for carriers and drivers alike. From the ongoing battle over truck parking shortages—and what $200 million in new funding could mean—to the bold strategies propelling workforce development and legislative advocacy, this conversation offers practical takeaways for industry pros and newcomers alike.

You’ll hear Seth break down not only the urgent needs around secure truck parking and female driver safety, but also how the association is reimagining its events, training, and partnerships to create a stronger, more connected community (spoiler: there’s more to their truck driving championships than you might think!). Plus, get an insider’s view on recent tort reform wins, the push for a unified business coalition, and how getting politically engaged is vital to protecting trucking’s future.

Whether you’re a carrier owner, a driver, or simply fascinated by the logistics that keep our country moving, this episode is packed with actionable insights, inspiration, and a few laughs along the way.

Don’t miss out—subscribe now for more candid conversations and expert perspectives on the road ahead for transportation and trucking!

CHAPTERS:
00:22 Pro-Business Administration’s Impact on Trucking
01:46 Federal Funding and Georgia Truck Parking Challenges
03:43 Female Drivers and Safety in Truck Parking
04:52 Dangerous Parking Scenarios Due to Regulation
06:12 Preparing for the Next Convention & Industry Priorities
08:55 Workforce Development: Retaining Quality Drivers
09:31 Trucking’s Political Voice and Recent Legislative Wins
10:39 One-Stop Shop for Training and Carrier Support
13:21 Fighting Back Against Lawsuit Culture in Trucking
16:11 The Heart of Georgia Trucking: Community & People
19:02 The Nation’s Largest Truck Driving Championship
21:33 Seth’s Message: Get Plugged In to Your Association

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Transportation Nation is brought to you by the Bennett Family of Companies and discusses all things in the transportation and logistics industry.

SPEAKER_03: Welcome back to
another episode of

Transportation Nation Let's Just
Right, the part two of our

interview with Seth Millennium.

SPEAKER_01: You made a point
about the midterm, so I guess

that's kind of raising an
eyebrow for you that there could

be some things come down the
pipe that we're not even

thinking about right now that
could hurt us.

But but you said that this
administration is pro-business

and pro-trucking.

SPEAKER_00: They are.

Absolutely.

And we've seen that.

Um we were actually in
Washington last week with uh uh

administrator bars and his
senior team.

Um really excited about his
leadership.

Um he obviously has a great
background uh coming from

Florida, coming from the law
enforcement community, but

coming from a pro-business
state.

Um and I would say I have been
really, really grateful to Major

Montgomery and his team uh as
we've gotten to know them and

kind of understand their
worldview of how law enforcement

and business should work
together.

Um they are absolutely
pro-business.

They want to partner with us as
we want to partner with them and

make sure that, yeah, we're
we're safe, we're compliant, but

also that we're we're operating
well and and we're able to turn

a profit.

They they very much understand
that that's our goal.

Same thing for administrator
bars.

And so uh what's the old saying,
personnel as policy?

I think for trucking, um that
has worked out really well for

us.

Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01: That's good to hear.

Well, no, I noticed you
mentioned earlier about

congestion in our state.

But let's talk about parking
too.

Parking can be a challenge for
truck drivers, right?

And um I know the federal
government government has uh put

some funding out there to help
with this situation.

So can you tell us how that's
helping us in Georgia for our

carriers?

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.

So truck parking has been top of
the list, I would say, for DOT,

our state DOT, even if you talk
to uh Janine Miller, the

planning director there,
Commissioner McMurray, uh they

are well aware of our need for
additional truck parking.

Uh Georgia's got about 7,000-ish
truck parking spaces statewide.

The vast majority of those are
private.

Um I think uh 75 to 80 percent
of those are probably private.

And so I know DOT has been
looking for ways to, and it's

it's not a cheap proposition.

Obviously, you have to acquire
acquire the real estate or the

right-of-way or whatever, and
then have the funding available

to uh create the infrastructure.

Um and so that$200 million
that's been made available

through the appropriations bills
that passed a couple of weeks

ago, um, that will likely, we
don't know this for sure, but

that will likely be uh not
formula funds, it'll be grant

funds.

So we'll have the ability as a
state to apply for those funds.

If awarded those grants, then we
can apply that to construction

of truck parking um in certain
areas around Georgia.

Now, a lot of folks outside the
industry, when you talk about

truck parking, they think about
a parking lot, right?

Maybe some lights.

Uh but we know based on the work
that ATRI does with their annual

driver survey, that type of mind
for a lot of our drivers in

Georgia is not just having a
place to park the truck, but a

place that's safe, that offers,
particularly for female drivers,

we all know like we all need
more female drivers than that.

SPEAKER_01: And we have female
drivers in this company.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

Yeah.

They're better drivers.

It's it is scientifically proven
that women are better drivers

than men.

Just ask my wife.

SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much
for saying that we got it on the

podcast for the record.

SPEAKER_00: That's right.

But if we want for those uh
ladies to be able to drive and

feel safe, they can't just pull
over in a parking lot.

It probably needs to be fenced,
it needs to be secured, there

need to be amenities there.

Um and so that type of truck
parking is a lot more expensive

than just you know paving a pad
somewhere.

So the good news is we l again,
we live in a pro-business state.

This is a this is a priority for
DOT, and I know that to the

extent they're able to get
access to any of those federal

funds, they'll use them wisely.

SPEAKER_01: You know, yesterday
morning I had to go to North

Georgia uh for something, and we
were driving on the interstate,

and we drove by a a uh what do
you call it, where the uh rest

area.

Sorry, I couldn't think of it, a
rest area.

We come up on that rest area,
Seth, and that that you couldn't

see many cars, but you could see
a lot of trucks.

But the problem with that, there
were trucks lined up on the

coming into the rest area, and
there was a gazillion more on

the exit ramp coming out of it.

I'm thinking, oh my gosh.

I mean, I I would think that's a
little dangerous, but they're tr

they have to stop because of the
regulation hours of service.

So and I'm thinking that's
terrible.

I mean, they're parked
everywhere on that rest area

trying to, you know, meet their
requirements as a driver.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

And it's it's tough for them
because you're right, they're

kind of handcuffed, right?

Uh they don't have a choice.

When that when that um uh ELD
says it's time to stop, they

have to stop.

Um but for them and for the
motoring public, to your your

earlier point about safety for
the motoring public, probably w

one of the worst places you can
park is on an off-ramp.

Because then that's where folks
are coming off the interstate.

Who knows if they're driving the
the correct speed or not?

Last thing you want is for one
of those cars to hit uh the back

of one of our our trucks.

SPEAKER_04: Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Um that's another
lawsuit, right?

So a lot of a lot of issues kind
of tied up in that, but I'm

optimistic that we're gonna be
able to make some progress on

that'll be good in a couple of
years.

That's good.

That'll be good.

SPEAKER_03: That's good.

So we know that you guys have a
convention coming up in June.

Do um so what are some key items
that y'all are preparing for for

that convention or just things
in general this year um that are

gonna help drivers and carries
from just legislation training

safety?

I know you guys are really big
on education.

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.

Great question.

So one of the things that we had
the opportunity to do last year

as we were working through me
coming in, being the new guy,

um, is we kind of reorganize how
our board of directors works and

how they interact with the
association.

And so uh we've got a number of
different working committees on

our board now, from legislative
to PAC or political action

committee to marketing
communications events.

So I one of the things that we
wanted to do was ensure that um

between all of our
communications on social media,

email newsletters, what we're
saying to legislators, these

presentations that we go out and
give in communities, um I'll be

down in Macon, Georgia tomorrow
speaking to a civic club down

there talking to them about why
trucking is important, um, as

well as all of our signature
events, that we've got

consistent communication, that
the messages, the story that

we're telling, and the issues
that we're speaking to are

consistent.

Um we have uh we have three uh
or we actually have four

signature events every year.

We have our truck driving
championship, we have our

convention that you mentioned in
in the summer, we have a golf

tournament in the summer as
well, and then we have our

leadership conference in
November, which is heavily

geared towards uh leadership
folks uh in our in our member

member companies.

Um so this year um I think we
I'm really excited because this

will be the first year that
we've really been able to go to

those board committees and say,
what are you hearing?

What do we need to be talking
about?

What are you concerned about?

Um and so they're really gonna
be driving that content

conversation with us.

And I can tell you there's a
couple of things that folks are

interested in.

Uh number one is what can we do
in and around trucking um to

boost our margins until this
freight, until we kind of swing

out of this freight recession.

Um, whether it's um moving empty
containers back from the port or

what what can we supplement our
core business model with to

improve those margins until we
get back to a place where we can

make money, make real money
doing what we really do at our

core.

Um so that's one question.

The regulatory and compliance
question is always there.

Um how do we stay on top of
regulatory trends?

How do we try to be proactive as
opposed to reactive with those?

Um another uh another key area
is workforce development.

How do we not just go out and
fill open jobs, but how do we

keep from having open jobs?

How do we how do we retain the
folks that we have now?

Um because in this economy, the
best workforce development

strategy is keeping the people
you got.

Right.

So workforce development will be
a key part of what we're talking

about.

And then I think the other area
that you will see a lot of

conversation about at our events
is how as a trucking industry,

we do a better job at punching
our weight in the political

process.

Um it is an and and I think this
past legislative session was a

great illustration of why it's
important to be involved

politically.

Major victory on tort reform.

Um we need to make sure that
from a political perspective,

leadership, when they're
considering major issues, goes

hang on just a second.

Have we have we talked to the
truckers?

Do we know what the truckers
think about this?

That's where we need to be as an
industry.

And so we're gonna be focused
really heavily on educating our

members and even folks that are
trucking companies that are not

members about why it's so
important to be engaged

politically.

Contributing to pro business
candidates, building

relationships between our
members and the elected

officials in their communities,
um, making our voice heard at

the Capitol, that that's gonna
be a priority for us moving

forward.

Because number one, we've got a
lot more good stuff we want to

do on behalf of the industry,
but we also don't want to lose

any of the progress that we've
made over the last couple of

years.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you've got to
stay focused on that.

Well, we did notice on your
website that you have training

curriculum for the carriers.

How is that work and are they
taking advantage of that

opportunity from your
association?

SPEAKER_00: That is something
that we view as a huge growth

opportunity.

Um we as an association have
relationships with different

training providers that we've
been offering for the last

couple of years.

And we'll, you know, we'll have
a couple hundred folks go and

and take advantage of those
opportunities.

But uh I think to the earlier
question about like what is our

focus as an association, one of
the one of the uh big takeaways

that we got from that strategic
planning process that I that I

mentioned was that we've got a
huge opportunity to grow and

scale our what I call our legacy
program.

So that's our events, that's our
training, that's our curriculum,

um, and really identify where
carriers have find gaps in what

they're able to offer their
employees.

And so we're gonna be having a a
uh pretty extended conversation

over the next 12 months or so
with a number of different

stakeholders on how we can build
a kind of a one-stop shop

training program.

Again, this would be this would
be under our foundation where we

can recruit a kid out of high
school, put them through uh

training opportunities, they
want to be a driver, they want

to be a diesel tech, they want
to whatever it is they want to

do in the industry.

Um, but then also provide
resources to carriers that are

in business.

If you if you have gaps in your
uh compliance or if you have

gaps in your safety training,
let us know.

We've you know we've got a
product for you.

And so last fall we launched uh
a new website.

It's GA Trucking Solutions.org,
I think.

It's either.org or dot com.

And that's gonna be the home for
all of our affinity programs.

SPEAKER_01: Nice.

SPEAKER_00: Um we are we already
have a work workers comp pro

partnership that we have with
Alliance Interstate Risk.

That's a very successful program
for a lot of our members.

Uh we brought online a health
insurance provider for they can

provide uh W-2 team insurance,
uh independent contractors.

Uh so we've got that
partnership, and then we're

being very intentional about
identifying other affiliate

relationships that we have where
we can bring training solutions,

back office solutions, discount
programs online, and eventually

that'll be a one-stop shop for
all of our carers to go.

You know, I don't think we'll
ever have a single product that

100% of our members will use,
but if every single one of our

members can go to that website
and find one thing they'll use,

then then I think that will be
successful.

SPEAKER_01: Sound like you have
a you'll have a variety of them

that that they want to they can
they could choose to choose to

help them.

So we're good.

SPEAKER_03: So Seth, let's back
up a little bit.

You kind of touched on this
earlier, but let's go back to

the topic on how so many people
want to sue trucking companies.

I mean, that's no secret, right?

There's billboards all over
these interstates right outside

of here.

So you guys going back to the
education piece, um, how do

y'all work on educating, if
that's the right word, these

trial working, you know, to talk
about this.

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00: Uh that's a great
question.

Uh so I will say I think kind of
case study uh from last year

where you had a a very unusual
uh unusual in the sense that it

it doesn't happen this way
often.

Unity between our elected
leadership and the business

community.

And when I say the business
community, I mean the entire

business community.

Um from Governor Kemp to Speaker
uh Burns to Lieutenant Governor

Jones, this is clearly a
leadership priority.

So that was I think that was
step one.

And if we're being honest,
without Governor Kemp's

leadership, this doesn't get
done.

Right.

So that's number one.

Number two was we had probably
the broadest coalition of

business interests working
together, rowing in the same

direction that I've ever been a
part of.

And I've I've been down there
almost 25 years.

Uh when we would meet in the
mornings, you know, to kind of

brief brief out what that day
was going to look like, we were

sitting in a room with probably
15 or 20 other business trade

associations just like ours.

Hospitality, food services,
highway contractors, I mean you

name it, those folks were in the
room.

So there was a a really um there
was a unique level of unity

there among the business
community.

Uh number three, and we talked a
little bit about this a while

ago, is going to be making sure
that we get pro-business people

elected to office.

That's gonna be our biggest
focus over the next eight

months.

Obviously, Georgia is in a
unique position in that all of

our statewide constitutional
offices are up uh for election

or re-election.

Governor Kemp, unfortunately, is
term limited, and so the

governor's seat will be open,
the lieutenant governor's seat

will be open, and then obviously
your statewide offices on down

the line.

Uh we anticipate there being a
lot of open seats in the

legislature.

Um we obviously have we have an
inordinately large legislature

in Georgia's second largest in
the country.

Uh we've got 180 members of the
House, 56 members of the Senate.

Um we believe, obviously, we'll
know here in about a month,

we're probably going to be uh
need to be active in probably 20

or 30 of those races on behalf
of pro-business candidates.

So I think to your point, your
question about making sure that

we are in a position to guard
against degradation of what is

now a very uh uh a very balanced
civil justice environment.

Uh electing the right leaders,
right, and in positions of

influence, being active
politically, and then staying in

close coalition with our our
other business community

partners, I think is going to be
key to being successful there.

SPEAKER_01: Sounds like it.

Well, Taylor, man, you've
brought a lot to the table

today.

A lot going on.

There is a lot going on.

Especially in the association.

I mean, you guys are really
trying to help the Georgia

drivers and truck, you know, the
carriers, the trucking companies

in the state of Georgia.

So I was I was thinking you
probably don't get a whole lot

of rest at night because you're
thinking about all this stuff

that's going on and stuff you
got to think about not only in

Georgia, but what's going on in
Washington, D.C.

There's a lot of stuff going on.

There is a lot of stuff going
on, but it's good stuff.

SPEAKER_00: You know, it's good
work.

Association, I tell people all
the time, like, association work

is not complicated work, but
it's hard work.

Uh all you do is go out and ask
your members, like, hey, what do

we need to be doing?

What do you want?

And then you go do it.

It's pretty, it's pretty simple.

Um, but again, for a state like
Georgia, for an industry like

this, um, there's always gonna
be something to do.

And that's exciting to me.

Uh, I'm I'm not a sit-around
guy.

Um, and so that's exciting to
me.

But I will say, um, coming, I
was in at the chamber for 13

years, coming in here.

Uh by far my favorite part has
been getting to know the people.

Um, coming out and visiting uh
uh companies, meeting the

executive team, meeting the
frontline workers.

Um this industry is just packed
with great people.

Um and that's been really
exciting for me.

And it makes it easy.

It really makes it easy to get
up and go, all right, here's

what we've got on the list for
today, here's what what's on the

list for this month.

Um and I will say we do have a
lot going on, but we were very

intentional in how we built out
that strategic plan that I

mentioned.

That's a five-year work plan for
us as an association, so we know

exactly what we're trying to do
when.

We've got benchmarks, we've got
timelines, and and we want to be

accountable for it.

Uh our goal is to take the
things that we identified uh as

a part of that process, and
we're gonna execute on them.

SPEAKER_01: That's important.

I know I want to throw a shout
out to Danny Lowry.

He's the one who one of the
owners here who helped bring you

here because he felt it was very
important to make sure that uh

not only ourselves, but
everybody in the state of

Georgia hears a message from you
and what's going on.

So that's good stuff.

Let's jump to a little fun stuff
here.

So in April, you've got the
truck championships coming in.

Tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_00: So I will I'd say
this every chance I get an

opportunity.

Uh shout out to Emily Crane on
our team.

Emily is our vice president of
safety and engagement.

She runs everything in our shop
related to events, safety,

marketing.

Um biggest and we think best,
but definitely biggest truck

driving championship in the
country.

We had 200 and I think three
drivers that came out last year.

Wow.

SPEAKER_03: And so Where'd y'all
have it at?

SPEAKER_00: It's at Lake, it's a
Lake Lanier Islands.

Okay.

Oh, nice.

Um it's you know, it's a little
bit of a um a little bit tough

to find a location that has
enough lodging and a big enough

parking lot where we can
actually do this.

Um but we had about just over
200 drivers last year.

Um great time, runs about two
days.

So the drivers come in, they do
a written test, and then there's

actually a course that they will
come out and drive, obviously by

class.

I think we have five or six
different classes that that

drive.

Uh, and they spend two days
driving, and we cook out, and

there's great food, and families
come and watch them.

Uh commercial vehicle
enforcement is out there.

Um, and then the winners in
those divisions then qualify to

go on and compete at the
National Truck Driving

Championship, uh, which last
year was in Minnesota.

I think it's I think it might be
in Pennsylvania this year.

Emily will correct me if I say
that incorrectly.

But, you know, I think for us,
uh, we do a lot of events that

are focused on folks that uh run
these businesses that are in the

C-suite.

This is a great opportunity for
us to celebrate the drivers.

Um, and they have a great time
coming out and competing against

each other.

We do, we've got an announcer or
so for every driver that comes

out, we talk about them, we talk
about their bio, we talk about

their family and their hobby.

So it's just a great
opportunity.

SPEAKER_01: That means a lot to
them.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

And it's a great opportunity for
us to get a couple hundred of

them in the room and say, guys,
look, we couldn't do what we do

without y'all and remind them
how important they are.

Um so it's a great event.

We have a lot of fun with it.

And I would encourage anybody
that is interested, uh, go on

our website.

You can register to compete.

If you don't want to compete,
just come hang out with us.

It's a great time.

SPEAKER_01: Sounds like a sounds
like a lot of fun.

Well, Seth, we're getting ready
to wrap up this session of

Transportation Nation, and we're
glad you came with us today.

But if you had one message that
you would like to deliver to the

carriers and the drivers in the
state, what it would what would

it be?

SPEAKER_00: Y'all get plugged
in.

Find somewhere to get plugged in
with what we're doing.

Um I'm really excited about
where we're headed as an

association.

I'm extremely humbled and
grateful for the opportunity to

represent this industry.

Um if you're not plugged in to
the association, send us an

email, get on the website,
follow us on social media, uh,

just come attend an event, uh,
come to one of our safety

council meetings.

To convention, come to something
like that, uh, get a chance to

see what we're all about and
what we're talking about doing,

but also get a chance to meet
all the other folks in the

association.

Um, it is a great community,
it's a great group of folks, and

we're looking to we're really
looking to grow that.

You know, we represent a couple
of hundred carriers in Georgia.

Uh we know there's about
thirty-five thousand carriers in

Georgia that could or should be
members of ours.

And so we're really looking to
grow the family here, and so

love to get anybody plugged in
that wants to.

Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah.

Well, we've been members for
gosh, I don't know, we've been a

business fifty going on
fifty-two years.

So we've been members since
forever, I think, Lee.

SPEAKER_00: Way longer than I've
been here for sure.

Yep.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah.

Well, thank you, Seth, so much
for joining us today for all of

your amaz amazing insight.

And um, we can tell that you
have a heart for drivers and for

this industry.

And we're just so excited that
you're in this seat and to hear

all the amazing things that
y'all have that you're working

on, your strategic plan, your
events, and just educating us on

what's coming down the pipeline
and what we can expect from a

legislation point of view.

So this has been a wonderful
conversation, and we appreciate

you being with us today.

Appreciate the opportunity.

SPEAKER_01: I've enjoyed it.

It's been great.

So thank you.

Well, everybody, this wraps up
another episode of

Transportation Nation.

Thanks for joining us.

And until our next one, God
bless, and please be safe out

there on the roads.

SPEAKER_03: Be sure to subscribe
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Together, we can move anything.