About 170 truck transportation stakeholders participated in last week’s industrywide “Stand Up For Trucking” fly-in, which resulted in about 140 visits to Congressional offices. The timing of the fly-in on Feb. 1 was significant as it was the day before the scheduled markup of Congressman John Mica’s proposed highway bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.
The fly-in, led by Mike Regan, president of Tranzact and chairman of NASSTRAC’s advocacy committee, involved the coordinated efforts and support of 12 industry associations. According to Regan, the key message to members of Congress from those participating in the industrywide fly-in was simple: The success of our economy requires that we have a safe, efficient, productive trucking industry.
“We need to enact a multiyear highway bill that reforms the program and focuses funding on critical freight corridors, and we need to pay for it in the most efficient ways possible, not through tolls,” said Regan. “In addition, our message is to stop burdensome laws and regulations that impede productivity and increase the delivered cost of goods.”
Along with NASSTRAC, a shipper association, the coalition was sponsored by AgHaul, American Trucking Associations, Coalition for Transportation Productivity, National Private Truck Council and Transportation Intermediaries Association. Other participating associations included American Moving & Storage Association, Cleaner Safer Trucks, National Association of Manufacturers, NIT League, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and Truckload Carriers Association.
