Driver Employer Council of America

What Driver Employer Council of America does

Driver Employer Council of America (DECA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in the late 1960s/early 1970s to represent companies that employ, staff, and lease commercial drivers. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1-10 employees, DECA serves as the industry-specific advocacy body for driver employer organizations, providing legislative representation at federal and state regulatory levels (including the FMCSA and state agencies), a Code of Ethics and Good Practices, and access to specialized legal counsel through Littler Mendelson, P.C. The association's core activities center on regulatory advocacy, industry education, and networking — most visibly through its annual Fall Conference held in rotating cities (Phoenix 2026, Austin 2025, Clearwater Beach 2025).

DECA generates revenue through a three-tier membership model: Regular Membership for driver staffing and leasing companies, Allied Membership for industry suppliers and consultants priced at $500 per year, and Associate Membership for individuals and smaller entities. Pricing for Regular and Associate tiers is not publicly disclosed and is likely quote-based depending on company size. The go-to-market motion is community-led: acquisition occurs through industry networking, conferences, word-of-mouth referrals, and legislative advocacy visibility rather than direct sales. Named member companies include Trillium Drivers Solutions, TQM Workforce Solutions, TransForce, Centerline Drivers, CPC Logistics, and LRI Logistics, with board representation drawn from these firms.

DECA does not sell a technology product. Its underlying assets are institutional — 50+ years of regulatory precedent, the Personnel Services Supreme Court affirmation, an established Code of Ethics, and an embedded relationship with one of the largest US labor and employment law firms. The association operates nationally within the United States, with no disclosed international footprint.

Name

Driver Employer Council of America

Legal name

Driver Employer Council of America

Website

https://decausa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Driver Employer Council of America (DECA) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit trade association serving driver staffing and leasing companies through advocacy, networking, and an annual conference, with revenue derived from a three-tier membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: DECA generates revenue through membership dues from three tiers: Regular Membership for driver employment companies, Allied Membership for industry suppliers and consultants at $500/year, and Associate Membership for individuals and smaller entities seeking industry knowledge and networking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DECA is a membership-based transportation industry trade association that delivers value to driver staffing and leasing companies through three membership tiers (Regular, Allied, Associate), annual conferences focused on CDL driver hiring, federal and state legislative advocacy on driver employment issues, and a Code of Ethics and Good Practices. Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues and conference-related fees.

Product overview

Driver Employer Council of America (DECA) is a transportation industry staffing trade association, not a software product company. DECA operates as a membership-based organization offering three membership tiers (Regular, Allied, and Associate) to support driver staffing and leasing companies. The association provides advocacy representation at federal and state levels, organizes annual conferences (including Fall Conference events in locations such as Phoenix and Austin), and offers a Code of Ethics and Good Practices for member companies. DECA has promoted the interests of the driver employer industry for over 50 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Membership

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Littler Mendelson, P.C.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLittler Mendelson P.C. serves as DECA's legal counsel, providing specialized labor and employment law expertise to the association and its members. The firm is one of the largest employment law practices in the US, with offices including Washington D.C. location at 815 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400. Key contacts include Peter A. Susser and Nancy N. Delogu.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Tank Truck Carriers: A specialized trucking association for the tank truck segment. Comparable to DECA as a focused, niche trade body offering targeted advocacy, conferences, and member services within a defined trucking vertical.
• Truckload Carriers Association: A niche trucking association focused on truckload carriers, operating with a similar small-staff, member-driven model and providing conferences, advocacy, and education targeted at a specific trucking sub-segment.
• Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association: A driver-focused trucking association representing owner-operators and professional drivers. Like DECA, it is a specialized membership body with strong federal advocacy and member education, but its constituency is drivers rather than driver employers.
• National Association of Personnel Services: A staffing-industry association providing advocacy, education, and networking for personnel/staffing firms. It mirrors DECA's association model and member services, though it serves the broader staffing industry rather than CDL driver employers specifically.
• Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association: A niche transportation association for specialized carriers and riggers. Comparable to DECA as a small, specialized trade association offering targeted advocacy, conferences, and education for a defined transportation sub-segment.

Others

• Staffing Industry Analysts: A research and advisory firm serving the staffing industry with market data, reports, and conferences. Adjacent to DECA's members—driver-staffing firms rely on SIA research—but it is a commercial data provider rather than a peer trade association.
• International Association of Movers: A global trade association for the moving and relocation industry. Comparable in structure to DECA as a membership-driven transportation association with advocacy and education programs, but serving a different transportation vertical.

Broad incumbents

• American Moving & Storage Association: A broader transportation/moving industry association offering advocacy, education, and member services. Overlaps with DECA as a transportation-sector association but is not focused on driver-staffing/leasing firms.
• American Trucking Associations: The largest U.S. trucking industry association, representing motor carriers broadly. It overlaps with DECA on federal advocacy and member education but covers the entire trucking value chain rather than specializing in driver-employer staffing.
• American Staffing Association: The primary U.S. trade association for the staffing industry. It competes with DECA for staffing-firm memberships addressing driver-leasing clients, but does not specialize in CDL-specific regulatory or joint-employer issues the way DECA does.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/decausaorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/decaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/driver-employer-council-of-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Driver Employer Council of America