With pending legislation and advocacy issues threatening to raise transportation and supply chain costs, more than 10 industry associations have agreed to participate in a pro-trucking Washington fly-in on Feb. 1. This industry-wide event, called “Stand Up For Trucking,” will bring together scores of transportation executives and key stakeholders in trucking. The event’s organizers are calling it “historic” because both shippers and carriers are working collectively to help their Congressional and Senate representatives understand trucking’s contribution to the well-being of this country.
According to Mike Regan, chairman of NASSTRAC’s Advocacy Committee, this shipper association and the American Trucking Associations met in September in Washington and laid the groundwork for this coalition of industry groups to bring a strong pro-truck, pro-safety message to Washington.
“It says a lot about how important these issues are—not only to the trucking industry at large, but also to their customers who have responsibility for managing complex supply chains,” said Regan. “Never before have the advocacy interests of both motor carriers and shippers dependent upon over-the-road trucking been more closely aligned.”
ATA and NASSTRAC found support from other associations, including the Transportation Intermediaries Association, National Private Truck Council, Coalition for Transportation Productivity, Truckload Carriers Conference, National Industrial Transportation League, Retail Industry Leaders Association, Cleaner Safer Trucking, Forest Resources Association, National Automobile Dealers Association, and the American Movers and Storage Association.
According to Brian Everett, executive director of NASSTRAC, the agenda will include the need to enact a multi-year highway bill that reforms the program and focuses funding on critical freight corridors, as well as the need to pay for highway infrastructure in the most efficient way.
In addition, NASSTRAC, ATA, and participating associations agree there’s a significant need to encourage Congress to stay focused on safety while stopping laws and regulations “that impede productivity and increase the delivered cost of goods,” including the proposed changes to the truck driver hours of service currently being considered.
There is no registration fee for this industry-wide Washington fly-in but registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.StandUpForTrucking.org.
