ATA (American Trucking Association) will support higher fuel taxes

April 15, 2008 by SwizStick  
Filed under Supply Chain Management

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At the beginning of this month independent truckers around the country tried to rally support for a nationwide trucking strike to protest the rising cost of fuel and shrinking profits. Despite sporadic cases of idle trucks, the strike failed to garner widespread support, although there seemed to be plenty of grassroots support (and sympathy for their plight) online.

Now comes this whopper: The American Trucking Association has gone on record saying that they will support even higher costs of fuel via higher fuel taxes. Are they serious?

Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, said at the National Industrial Transportation League’s (NITL) Spring Policy Forum earlier this month that if all sectors “give a little, we can get a lot” from the upcoming debate over infrastructure funding.

To show the truckers’ commitment to improving this country’s infrastructure, Graves says ATA is willing to support higher fuel taxes in exchange for certain improvements in major freight corridors that trucks ply every day.

“We believe there needs to be more investment in infrastructure across the board—in all modes,” Graves said. “All modes need to be invested in as we go forward.”

Yup, sounds like they are serious to me. Luckily even the ATA is wise enough to know that this is probably dead on arrival:

Still, an increase in the fuel tax may be a non-starter in Washington. Graves privately told of a meeting with a Democratic member of Congress who he thought might be receptive to an increase in the fuel tax.

“Are you kidding me?” Graves recalled this member of Congress saying.

My thoughts exactly.

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