The American Trucking Associations (ATA) announced it has named 11 executives to the federation’s Infrastructure Funding Task Force.
“I announced the formation of this group in October as part of my first State of the Industry address, with an eye on launching the effort in early 2017,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “But with infrastructure spending likely to be one of the first policy efforts undertaken by the incoming Trump administration, the time is right to begin this important work now.
“These individuals have been asked by the leadership of ATA to evaluate all potential sources of funding for our roads and bridges. While this does not mean we are abandoning our historic support for the fuel tax or opposition to tolling existing highways, it does mean that we will be looking at alternatives to help the new administration develop long-term, sustainable infrastructure funding.”
The members of Infrastructure Funding Task Force are:
- Jim Burg, President and CEO, James Burg Trucking Co. (co-chair)
- David Congdon, CEO, Old Dominion Freight Line (co-chair)
- Mike Ducker, President and CEO, FedEx Freight
- Eric Fuller, COO, U.S. Xpress Inc.
- Neal Kedzie, President, Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association
- Rich McArdle, President, UPS Freight
- Dennis Nash, CEO, Kenan Advantage Group
- Tonn Ostergard, President and CEO, Crete Carrier Corp.
- John Smith, Chairman, CRST International Inc.
- Paul Will, Chairman, Celadon Group Inc.
- ATA Chairman Kevin Burch, President, Jet Express Inc.
The Task Force will meet for the first time on December 19.
“Having well-maintained, congestion-free highways is very important to our industry,” said ATA Chairman Burch. “Trucks move 70% of the nation’s goods, and while our industry already pays a significant amount in state and federal user fees, we are prepared to contribute more because it is an investment in safety and efficiency. This Task Force will point the way for ATA as the nation debates the important question of how to pay for these important projects.”
