WASHINGTON — American Trucking Associations Chairman Ray Kuntz asked a Senate committee Wednesday to make fundamental changes to federal surface transportation programs in order to allow the trucking industry to move freight more efficiently.
“Currently, our country appears to be facing an economic slowdown, we are in the midst of an energy crisis, and an environmental crisis is looming,” said Kuntz.
“A long-term plan to rebuild our highway infrastructure and reduce congestion will stimulate our economy, reduce fuel consumption, reduce our carbon footprint, and ensure our nation’s ability to compete in a global economy. The correct path, though not easy, seems clear,” he told the panel.
Kuntz, chairman and chief executive officer of Watkins and Shepard Trucking, Helena, Mont., testified at a hearing on “surface transportation and the global economy” before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s transportation and infrastructure subcommittee.
He asked the panel to dedicate additional resources for repairing critical highway freight bottlenecks and address rural highway needs, and to ensure that the public interest is protected if tolling or private financing is used to fund projects.
Kuntz recommended reforms to federal truck size and weight limits in order to give states more flexibility to make changes to their own regulations — changes that will improve U.S. competitiveness, reduce fuel consumption and lower vehicle emissions, he said.
