ATA chief named to White House panel
ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations president and CEO Chris Spear is among transportation leaders named by President Donald Trump to the administration’s Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.
Under the initiative, leaders from all sectors of the U.S. economy will work with the White House to chart the path forward as the country recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am honored to serve our president and the nation in this capacity, representing the trucking industry and joining four ATA member company CEOs, to bridge this crisis to a safe, speedy and full recovery,” said Spear.
“Just as they have during the mitigation and response efforts, truckers will be at the forefront as we revive our economy’s engine and get our country moving again.”
The trucking CEOs named to the group are Fred Smith, FedEx; David Abney, UPS; John Roberts III, J.B. Hunt and Darren Hawkins, YRC Worldwide.
Meanwhile, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has demanded that its representative be added to the panel.
“We’re extremely disappointed the White House has ignored small trucking businesses in favor of publicly traded mega carriers, who certainly won’t use their positions to address your needs,” the association wrote in a call to action sent to members.
“Hell, most don’t even know what the needs of owner-operators or professional drivers are under normal circumstances, let alone during a national crisis.”
The association represents some 160,000 truckers.
Trucking moves more than 70% of America’s freight. In 2018, the industry hauled 11.49 billion tons of the nation’s goods.
- This story has been updated with reaction from the OOIDA.
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This 160,000 truckers needs to pickup their brains are theirs asses and shutdown your trucks, then let’s see if ATA would run the show.
Trump is a business man of course he’ll stand with the big transport companies ( Big Business) that really shouldn’t need the help. They have driven rates to Rock bottom the worst I’ve seen in 40 years to put little business out. Meaning owner operators and small companies.
With that said there is no real help for us little companies just hang on park your trucks and hope to be able to restart at later date. Our country has sold or food supplies, manufacturing businesses etc to other countries and put us relying on foreign countries for our survival what ever made anyone think they’d be there for us now. It’s a sad country today.
This very bad for truck drivers. They will look out for the interests of the large trucking companies ( over 100 trucks) Medical care and improved protection for truck drivers that group has already fought those improvements in the past. They need to have a rep from the O O D I A to make sure truck drivers drivers and lease or owner ops are getting proper rules to make truck driving as safe as possible at this point in time.