The League's Washington Freight Transportation Policy Forum has earned respect and recognition for attracting the nation's most influential policy makers. Over the past two years, we have been honored to host the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, leading congressional policy makers and top experts from industry and government on freight transportation.
Presentations from NITL Special Highway Meeting, 1/31/2012
Following are the links for the presentations from the NITL Special Highway Meeting that occurred on 1/31/2012.
Mr. Larkin presentation: Click to view
Mr. Haney presentation: Click to view
Mr. Costello presentation: Click to view
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Important Facts
Trucking is the engine that drives the United States economy. Restricting or limiting trucking productivity hurts corporate supply chains, damages the economy and results in fewer jobs.
- The trucking industry is the backbone of the nation's economy, with nearly 7 million Americans working in trucking-related jobs, including approximately 3.5 million commercial truck drivers.
- Trucks moved $8.3 trillion worth of goods in 2007, and trucking industry revenues account for 4% of the U.S. gross domestic product.
- 80% of all U.S. communities depend solely on trucks to deliver their essential every-day products. If you bought it, trucks brought it!
- From food and clothing, machinery, electronics, to pharmaceuticals, and toys, this country's manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, farmers, utilities, service industries depend on trucks to get the job done.
THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY IS SAFER THAN EVER
The latest report from the FMCSA shows that the large truck fatal crash rate fell to 1.0 crashes per 100 million miles in 2009 from 1.1 crashes per 100 million miles traveled in 2008. Since 2000, the fatal crash rate for large trucks has fallen 54.5% - more than twice as much as the passenger vehicle fatal crash rate, which dropped just 25% - in the same time period.
TRUCKS ARE CLEANER THAN EVER
A model year 2010 truck produces one-tenth the fine particulate emissions and smog-forming Nox emissions compared with a similar truck manufactured just four years ago. Furthermore, overall fine particulate emissions from on-road diesel engines have been cut by more than half over the past decade.
THE TRUCK COMMUNITY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT TO KEEP AMERICA MOVING
- Enact a multi-year highway bill that reforms the program and focuses funding on critical freight corridors
- Pay for highway infrastructure in the most efficient way – through taxes on fuel, including diesel fuel – not tolls. To raise the same amount of money, tolls must be significantly higher than a fuel tax because they are very expensive to administer and, if operated by a private entity, must provide a healthy return on investment. Tolls also constitute double taxation, since vehicles pay both existing user fee taxes plus the toll.
- Stop burdensome laws and regulations that impede productivity and increase the delivered cost of goods, including proposed changes to the hours of service regulations for truck drivers.
