ATA president says Trump administration will empower trucking industry
If you ask Chris Spear CEO and president of American Trucking Associations about the outlook with Trump in office, things are shining brightly. According to Spear, all is well with the new administration. In fact, Trump shows the potential of helping the trucking industry regain its standing as a powerhouse in the economy. We all know how important the trucking industry is. Now is the chance for the industry to reach its fullest potential with expansive growth. Here are ways that Trump is expected to help pull the trucking industry up by its bootstraps.
Pushing Away From Regulation
The growing consensus in the trucking industry is that there are too many federal regulations involved. Plus it’s never-ending. It almost feels like we are hearing about a new trucking regulation every week. From the electronic logging rule to the speed limiter mandate, it’s a lot to take in. And while it’s wonderful that agencies are concerned about truck driver safety, often times the safety devices and technologies cause more trouble than they are worth.
However, the new Presidential administration is hardcore for deregulating the government. This is in direct line with Republican thought and a welcomed circumstance for those in trucking. From DOT physical exams and DOT inspections to how fast you go, how much fuel you use, and how your diesel emissions are released, the government knows a lot about truckers. This is all thanks to regulations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and safety advocates.
Plus, as trucking is reduced from regulatory control, it allows the industry to push toward enterprise and economic gain. When the economy is stifled and in a recessive state it is impossible to expand in earnest. Thanks to the Great Recession the trucking industry is just now starting to see honest improvements. A massive freight demand unlike any within the last decade, inventories well stocked across the nation, and a boom on Wall Street has given the trucking industry just what it needs to level up. As we see what Trump does with removing regulations, we can hope that this improvement will only continue to happen. This is the first step in the process of empowering the industry.
Free Up Expansion
The trucking industry is already balanced on a very thin rope. Everything from the price of diesel to the economies of nations thousands of miles away can disrupt the industry in some manner. A major factor for this is that there are so many variables involved. Truck drivers haul goods that keep the global economy moving, in addition to homes across America well-stocked.
These trucks are owned by private or for-profit businesses that equally depend on the economy to make ends meet. So when some of the variables, in this case, trucking regulations, are removed, this opens up the industry and frees it for growth. Less regulation and restriction equates to more power and opportunity for financial expansion, further empowering trucking.
Infrastructure Improvements
The next part of this process is improvements to the transportation system. Trump has promised to put $1 trillion into infrastructure, which will provide substantial advancement. This will be benefited directly by the trucking industry. As trucking companies like Bennett Motor Express, Big M Transport, and Boyd Bros. Transportation Inc. are spending less on repairs and replacements for their rigs, this money can be reinvested into the business further boosting the economy.
By having America’s highways, byways, bridges, toll roads, and buildings improved, this is an extraordinary benefit for trucking. While it will take years for all of the infrastructure projects to see fruition, it is an empowering feeling for truck drivers knowing that things are looking up. This is the key to empowering the trucking industry as a whole. The more investments made in the trucking industry, the more these improvements will benefit the nation as a whole. After all, without truck drivers in motion, we would not have the great nation that we have today.