ARLINGTON, Va. – The American Trucking Associations (ATA) welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments on infrastructure and trade during last night’s State of the Union address.

“Tonight, President Trump called for a national, bipartisan effort to restore our country’s declining infrastructure – and America’s truckers are answering that call,” ATA president Chris Spear said. “A win on this issue will require real investment, not budgetary gimmicks as tried in years past. That is why America’s truckers, along with a broad coalition of the business community, have pledged our financial commitment to making this national priority a reality.”

Spear commended the President for addressing these issues, which he said will help the economy and increase the country’s competitiveness abroad, while also allowing drivers to be more efficient and spend less time in traffic. He also welcomed comments on the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

“Trucking and trade are synonymous. Trucks move US$720 billion worth of goods annually across our borders with Canada and Mexico, and cross-border trucking activity supports more than 47,000 jobs in the United States,” Spear said. “Any significant disruption to those trading relationships would have serious consequences for trucking and the economy, so we join President Trump in his call for Congress to quickly ratify the USMCA trade agreement.”