Washington — As Congress takes steps to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs, American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear was on Capitol Hill today to urge lawmakers to prioritize the needs of the trucking industry, which is essential to delivering the nation’s freight. This was the seventh time in the past seven months that ATA has been invited to appear before Congress.
Testifying before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety, Spear emphasized the importance of increasing infrastructure investments and pledged to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation and Senators to increase the safety and efficiency of our roadways.
“We appreciate the Subcommittee members’ commitment to safety,” Spear said. “Every American benefits from a modern, safe, and efficient transportation network. It is even more essential to the 3.5 million truck drivers who are indispensable to our way of life. Roads and bridges are their shop floor.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, enacted in 2021 with ATA’s strong support, boosted funding for roads and bridges by 38%. With the law approaching its fifth and final year, however, Congress must pass successor legislation to recalibrate the U.S. Department of Transportation’s focus for the next five years, compensate for rising construction costs, and eliminate red tape.
Spear identified two intractable infrastructure issues—record-high congestion and a severe lack of truck parking—that deserve immediate attention. Truckers are stuck in traffic for over one billion hours annually, which is the equivalent of 435,000 drivers sitting idle for a full year. Additionally, there is currently just one parking space for every 11 truckers on the road.
“The next infrastructure bill must not only alleviate highway bottlenecks, but prioritize other critical projects, like truck parking,” Spear said. “Expanding parking access is not only the right thing to do for road safety – it’s the bare minimum we owe our drivers… particularly women drivers, who deserve a secure, well-lit place to rest.”
The Senate Commerce Committee is tasked with drafting the safety title of the surface transportation bill. Underscoring trucking’s commitment to safety, Spear pointed to the $14 billion that the industry invests annually in safety technologies and driver training, including apprenticeships. Spear called on Congress to complement the private sector’s efforts by encouraging innovation and adopting evidence-based technologies that promote safety. He also voiced his support for commonsense regulations.
“The most important safety action we can take is ensuring that unsafe drivers do not get behind the wheel in the first place,” Spear said. “That requires drivers being proficient in the English language, as well as proven drug testing protocols.”
To further enhance safety, Spear pressed for Congress to respond to “the meteoric rise of cargo theft,” which is now costing the supply chain up to $35 billion. ATA testified on this issue in February and again last week in support of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which would provide law enforcement with the tools and resources necessary to stop these illicit activities, which are often orchestrated by transnational criminal groups.
Spear’s full testimony can be read here.