Slater: DOT, Trucking Must Cooperate

ARLINGTON, Va. — Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater declared his commitment to working with American Trucking Associations to reduce truck-related fatalities, despite criticism from safety groups.

"While some have criticized the department for working in partnership with ATA, I do not apologize for that," Slater said in a June 17 speech to the group’s board of directors.

"We have worked with trucking and we will continue to work with you as we move into a new century and a new millennium," he said, adding that the Department of Transportation is "fully committed to working with you to demonstrate that this industry is as committed to safety as it is to profitability."

Slater called on trucking to live up to its responsibility to ensure that driver log books are accurate tohelp reduce fatigue. He also encouraged trucking to work with DOT to "identify the bad drivers and the bad companies and get them off the road."

The transportation secretary urged trucking could help support the development of a safety management auditing system for all carriers and by developing and using advanced safety technology.

For the full story, see the June 28 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.