The American Trucking Assns. (ATA) is hoping to convince Congress to review federal laws that limit the ability of the trucking industry to increase productivity, which would thereby reduce highway congestion and energy use while improving highway safety and air quality, the trucking lobby said.
Michael Smid, president & CEO of YRC North American Transportation, testifying on behalf of ATA before the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said fundamental changes are needed to federal laws on productivity that have not been updated since 1982, a time period where tonnage has increased nearly 40%, he said.
“Over the previous quarter century, the trucking industry has made continuous improvements that have allowed its customers to significantly reduce inventories and create manufacturing and supply chain efficiencies that have saved the U.S. economy billions of dollars, increased salaries, slowed consumer price increases and created countless jobs,” Smid said. “Any disruption to the movement of freight on our nation’s highway systems will jeopardize these gains.”
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