The freight transportation policy outlook on Capitol Hill for next year remains murky, thanks to the uncertainty of key congressional contests this year.

When Americans cast their ballots for president and members of Congress, they also will help to determine the outlook for the country’s highway funding that is so critical to freight movement.

The message from Pennsylvania trucking leaders to voters in the 9th Congressional District is simple: It sometimes helps the industry when the top transportation policymaker in the U.S. House of Representatives also is your congressman.

LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — Voters in Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District have a choice in the upcoming election that could shift the emphasis on national freight transportation and other infrastructure issues.

WASHINGTON — The trucking industry’s chief representative on Oct. 26 called on Congress to take the lead on policy decisions regarding self-driving commercial technology.

LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — The top transportation policymaker in the U.S. House rejected the notion of devolving transportation authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation to state agencies during a debate with a tea party-backed opponent at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus on Oct. 21.

In this election cycle, senior transportation policymakers, including House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), chairman of the Railroads subcommittee and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a senior member of the Commerce Committee, are scrambling to hold on to their seats.

Before voters in Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District head to the election booths, they can hear from the incumbent Republican and Democratic challenger who have scheduled a debate Oct. 21.

The murky transportation picture in the 2016 presidential contest got a bit clearer, courtesy of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

America’s next president needs to advance a long-term funding plan to modernize infrastructure and freight corridors to guarantee economic growth for the coming years, industry stakeholders said.