Overview
Synergetic Endeavors led grassroots and grasstops engagement efforts on behalf of Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) in Minnesota, partnering with community leaders and local elected officials to communicate to state policymakers the significant public safety risks and infrastructure problems that would arise if heavier vehicles were allowed on our state and local roads.
Coalition Building
When Synergetic Endeavors was first brought on board by the national organization, there were four statewide associations signed on to publicly support CABT’s efforts in Minnesota. Our client set a goal to add an additional six organizations to that list. After meeting with dozens of representatives from these associations over the course of the contract, we were able to add fourteen new statewide associations and two regional associations to that list, exceeding our goal by over 200%.
Grassroots/Grasstops Mobilization
Over a period of 7 months, our team logged over 5,000 miles meeting with grasstops prospects in 33 counties on behalf of the coalition, completing 252 meetings with potential grasstops advocates and recruiting 126 grasstops supporters for the statewide effort, including dozens of mayors, police chiefs, county commissioners, sheriffs, and other public safety and infrastructure advocates. These supporters generated over 850 meaningful letters to legislators on the issue as well as dozens of additional phone conversations, in-person meetings, e-mails, and local government resolutions.
Public Relations
Our team also helped to generate many news stories and Op-Eds regarding the issues, as well as preparing our grasstops advocates for editorial board meetings as well as working to ensure they stayed on-message if called to be quoted in potential stories regarding the effort:
- Citizens League says large trucks on Minnesota roads don’t pay their fair share (MinnPost)
- 2/26/2015 – Legislation would up load limits on roads (Mesabi Daily News)
- 2/28/2015 – Heavyweight debate/City councilors’ view: Heavier trucks wrong for Duluth
- 3/28/2015 – My View: Heavier trucks could damage local roads (Mankato Free Press)
- 4/3/2015 – Op-Ed: Heavier trucks proposal raises road costs, dangers (St. Cloud Times)
- 4/10/2015 – Op-Ed: Heavier trucks are wrong for Minnesota (Rochester Post-Bulletin)
- 4/16/2015 – Taylors Falls Council sends resolution asking legislature not to revise trucking weights (Chisago County Press)
- 4/17/2015 – Our View: Fix roads, bridges before raising truck weights (Rochester Post-Bulletin)