In his 10th Management Conference & Exhibition speech as president and chief executive officer of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), Chris Spear said the association must be prepared to work with whichever administration wins the coming U.S. election.
A priority will be to bring “common sense” solutions to discussions around environmental mandates.
“The stage is set. The stakes are high. And in just three short weeks, we’ll know the direction our country takes,” Spear said. “Regardless of the outcome, ATA will remain at the table.”
He said the association has already mapped out the differences between a Harris administration and a second Trump term.
“Our policies and solutions not only envelop common sense and data, they’re also achievable,” Spear said.
What’s not achievable, he added, are environmental regulations currently proposed by CARB and the EPA.
“This administration’s mad dash to zero continues, while a growing number of federal and state legislators and regulators are starting to pay closer attention as reality sets in,” Spear said of the transition to zero emissions. “We preface by highlighting what we’ve done, not only because it paints our industry in a positive light, but because our achievements didn’t center on an all or nothing approach.”
He highlighted key environmental initiatives already undertaken by the trucking industry, such as the phase-out of sulfur in diesel fuel and support for the EPA’s SmartWay program.
“Today’s EPA and California regulations are undermining these emissions cuts because they disregard other readily available technologies and solutions. That’s why Roland Berger research concluded that it would cost the private sector more than $1 trillion to electrify the entire industry by 2040,” Spear said.
“We need infrastructure, 40% more power on the grid, reliable sourcing of key raw materials for batteries, price parity… and ultimately, parity in the total cost of operation. A diversified industry like trucking requires multiple solutions to reduce emissions. This administration needs to wake up, stop picking favorites and start focusing on the overall goal – reducing emissions.”
Union ‘thuggery’
Spear also took aim at the Biden administration for supporting unions and joining picket lines.
“Union membership continues to plummet across the country, but that hasn’t stopped this president, vice-president and acting secretary of labor from tucking this entire administration into the pockets of big union bosses,” said Spear.
He blamed “union thuggery” supported by the president for the recent shutdown of East and Gulf Coast ports in the aftermath of a hurricane.
Nuclear verdicts
The ATA leader also spoke on the issue of nuclear verdicts. “We’ve seen some jaw-dropping decisions this year,” he said. “ATA won’t stand for the plaintiff bar’s abuse of the civil litigation system.”
He noted 13 more states introduced lawsuit abuse reform bills over the past year. Other association wins Spear cited include getting US$200 million in government funding for truck parking, provisions to combat cargo crime and predatory towing, and pushing for the approval of hair testing.
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