Opinion: Approaching Midterms Put Issues in Focus

By Bill Graves

President & CEO

American Trucking Associations

This Opinion piece appears in the Oct. 18 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

Midterm elections are right around the corner, and a number of issues are at the forefront of voters’ minds — not the least of which is the economy. Everyone wants to know what will be done about job creation and economic growth.

We’re keeping an eye on the economy in the trucking industry as well. We think the data show this economic cycle is sustainable. It’s likely that growth will slow a bit during the remainder of this year and the beginning of 2011, but that slow-and-steady pace means the chances of a double-dip remain relatively small. Even small gains are translating into good news for the transportation sector. American Trucking Associations’ truck tonnage index has seen consistent year-over-year growth, and for-hire trucking employment is gaining.

Aside from the economy, one of the most pressing issues is CSA. Safety always has been a top priority for ATA. We’ve embraced CSA and the opportunity it offers for the industry to get bad actors off the road and improve the safe image of the industry; however, there are still a number of aspects of the program that need to be clarified. One of the sticking points for us is crash accountability and how at-fault and unpreventable crashes are weighted. We’re also keeping an eye on how warnings and citations will be regarded. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced a handful of positive methodology changes, and we will continue to monitor the effect of CSA on our members and the industry.

We’re prioritizing other safety issues, including hours-of-service regulations, electronic logging devices and distracted driving.

The new proposed HOS rule already has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget, and we expect it will be unveiled very shortly. This is a very big deal for fleets and the shipper community. I’m concerned that HOS regulations may change, even though crash statistics have improved dramatically since the current rules were implemented. Even as the industry has become safer, several citizen groups have been advocating for reduced working hours and increased restart hours. We also may learn more about electronic logging and when electronic logging devices will become mandated. I believe it will happen; it’s just a matter of when.

Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation on Sept. 29 that would require electronic logging devices in all commercial motor vehicles subject to both hours-of-service and record-of-duty status requirements. Several large motor carriers support the bill. However, Congress is not expected to act on it quickly. If it does not act on the Pryor/Alexander legislation during the post-election lame-duck session, the bill will need to be reintroduced when the next Congress convenes in January. FMCSA also is expected to issue a proposed rule mandating such devices for a very broad portion of the carrier population, perhaps as soon as the first quarter of next year.

Distracted driving is an issue that’s gotten a lot of attention in the past few months. While it is one of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s top priorities, ATA also supports measures that will improve safety on our highways, such as a ban on texting. However, we worry that some distracted-driving initiatives may go too far. Our economy relies on the just-in-time deliveries made possible by the in-cab communication that’s vital to the industry. Our progressive 18-point safety agenda focuses on multiple measures that can reduce driver inattention, a leading cause of crashes, but the needs of the industry and the benefits of responsible use of technology must be considered when distracted-driving regulations are developed.

Of course, another top issue for the trucking industry is highway reauthorization. Maintaining and improving our nation’s roads and bridges is a top priority for the industry, and we’ve now been without a highway bill for more than a year. Funding is certainly a sticking point, and many ideas have been floated. ATA has told Congress repeatedly that infrastructure funding must be prioritized and that monies in the Highway Trust Fund should be used for their intended purpose instead of being diverted to other projects. If the government fails to act, states may be compelled to step in, thus creating a patchwork of programs that could complicate interstate operations.

In addition, ATA is monitoring some other issues surrounding reauthorization, including legislation about more productive vehicles. With safely increased truck weights and combination vehicles, we would require fewer trucks on the road and reduce both fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

We applaud the Obama administration for its efforts to make permanent two pilot programs that grant more productive trucks access to interstate highways in Maine and Vermont. We greatly appreciate the president’s support for changes that will improve safety and economic productivity. Existing restrictions on truck weight limits constrain the trucking industry’s efforts to reduce crashes, to help our customers to remain competitive in global markets and to lower our carbon footprint. ATA urges Congress to support safer highways and a better environment in Maine and Vermont by agreeing to the president’s request to make the pilot programs permanent.

The environment is another hot topic for the industry. We support the administration’s push for fuel economy and emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. We are excited to provide input as the rulemaking process continues with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, cap-and-trade legislation is still a concern. Trucks are not discretionary fuel consumers, and we are concerned that climate-change legislation will increase diesel prices and hurt consumers without significantly reducing emissions from the trucking industry.

In the realm of labor reform, card check is now familiar to many of us, and organized labor’s efforts to push through that or similar legislation that will make it easier for them to organize are not necessarily over. The Nadler bill, which would permit states and other local units of government, such as ports, to influence limits on commerce, also could adversely affect the trucking industry by creating union protections.

These are just a few of the issues and priorities we will continue to weigh as we move forward. The road to recovery is still tough, but we will continue to travel it together.

Bill Graves is president and CEO of American Trucking Associations, Arlington, Va. Prior to joining ATA, Graves was a two-term governor of Kansas.