ATA Infrastructure Task Force Meets with Secretary Chao, Congressional Leaders

Trucking Executives Press Case for Building America's Transportation Network

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Feb 08, 2017, 16:51 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week, members of the American Trucking Associations' Infrastructure Task Force travelled to Washington to meet with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and key members of Congress to urge swift action to move forward with a long-term infrastructure spending package to address the country's critical need for highway and bridge improvements.

"The members of this task force represent an industry that moves 70% of the nation's freight, moving 54% of our GDP and pays half of all highway taxes," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "This group of industry leaders came to Washington to discuss the importance of building a modern transportation system to ensure America's continuing competitiveness. Our nation and economy depend on good, safe, efficient roads and bridges, and that now is the time to address those needs."

The American Transportation Research Institute's recently released top freight bottlenecks report vividly illustrates the need to strengthen our nation's roads and bridges. With the Trump Administration's focus on moving a significant infrastructure package, the ATA's Infrastructure Task Force was created immediately following the election, and includes eleven CEO-level trucking industry executives. This week's meetings with Secretary Chao and key congressional leaders will be the first in a series of visits.

"The trucking industry already contributes a great deal to the Highway Trust Fund and elsewhere to finance road and bridge construction, but we recognize that we need to do more if our country is going to maintain the type of transportation network a 21st Century economy demands," said Task Force Co-Chairman David Congdon, CEO of Old Dominion Freight Line.

"Having the opportunity to talk about these issues with Secretary Chao and congressional leaders is an important part of the process of building America and getting the kind of infrastructure bill our industry needs," said Task Force Co-Chairman Jim Burg, president and CEO of James Burg Trucking Co.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward

SOURCE American Trucking Associations