It's great to write a letter or make a phone call to your senator or representative about pending legislation or proposed regulations. But if you really want to convey how government policy affects your business to the people who make those policies, nothing beats a face-to-face meeting.

That's why a number of logistics industry associations arrange for their members to make group pilgrimages to Washington. If shippers, carriers, and service providers personally describe their concerns to members of Congress, government agency administrators, and other policymakers, the associations say, decision makers will gain a clearer understanding of the impact of the government's actions on day-to-day operations.

Examples of logistics-focused groups that have organized meetings in the nation's capital include the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT), scheduled for Feb. 7-8; the Messenger Courier Association of America on Feb. 28; and the American Trucking Associations, the National Industrial Transportation League, NASSTRAC, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which will jointly stage the "Stand Up for Trucking" event on Feb. 1.