Barnes to Cover Capitol Hill for TT

Veteran journalist David Barnes has joined the staff of Transport Topics as national affairs writer, where he will head the newspaper’s coverage of Capitol Hill.

Mr. Barnes, who came to the American Trucking Associations earlier this year to direct its public affairs office, was formerly a reporter for Traffic World magazine, a business weekly on shipper and logistics issues. He covered Congress, the Supreme Court, Department of Transportation and other federal agencies, and won several awards for his work, at Traffic World.

In his journalism career, spanning more than a decade, Mr. Barnes has been a reporter and political columnist for the Express of Easton, Pa., the New Jersey Herald of Newton, N.J., and newspaper wire services and industry publications in Massachusetts, California and Washington, D.C.

He was legislative assistant to Rep. Dick Zimmer, a Republican from New Jersey. After working on Mr. Zimmer’s 1990 campaign, Mr. Barnes joined the congressman’s staff in 1991, where he drafted legislation and managed press relations until 1995.

“We’re delighted to have David return to this side of the news business,” said Transport Topics Editor Howard S. Abramson. “His real love is news, and we think this is where he belongs. Because of David’s familiarity with trucking issues, he will strengthen TT immediately.”

In addition to covering the federal legislative process for Transport Topics, Mr. Barnes also will report on selected state issues that have national importance and will write a column.