Trucking firms in Washington State that are Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) can join a consortium allowing them to work as a group to pursue contracts on larger agency-owned projects. Washington APEX Accelerator caught up with Mary Lerdahl, owner of Emerald Consulting Services, LLC, to share more information about the consortium.
Q: How was the Trucking Consortium created?
A: The WSDOT Office of Civil Rights and Equity pursued funding through the legislative process for a consulting firm to create the Consortium. My firm, Emerald Consulting Services, LLC was awarded the contract to create the Consortium last August.
Q: What is your role in the consortium?
A: My role is to create the legal framework of the entity, develop a multi-year Agreement, create the organization chart and job descriptions for the initial roles of estimator, dispatcher and administrative support, develop a trucking rotation system, develop training around bidding and estimating practices, and engage with the statewide DBE trucking community and community organizations involved in highway construction and industry associations.
Q: What are the eligibility criteria for participating in the consortium?
A: A trucking firm must be a certified DBE firm through the Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises (OMWBE) before being accepted into the Consortium. They must also meet all of the legal requirements like licensing and insurance needed to participate in public projects.
Q: How will trucking companies benefit?
A: Trucking firms will benefit by being part of a group that has a proven capacity to meet the trucking hours needed to perform larger public projects. They will also benefit from best practices around bidding and estimating, contract administration, prompt payment and associating with other like firms.
Q: How do trucking firms get involved?
A: Interested firms may reach out to me directly, Mary Lerdahl, at (206) 817-0290 or via email mary@emeraldconsultingwa.com.
Q: Are there any fees to be part of the consortium?
A: At this time, there are no fees to join the Consortium.
Q: How will it be implemented at the contracting level?
A: The Washington Trucking Consortium is still in the development stage but is slated to begin accepting members in late 2024-early 2025 and begin pursuing projects by the fall of 2025.
