ARLINGTON, Va. – Okay, maybe they didn’t say it quite with those words, but the American Trucking Associations says it’s time to expand domestic energy sources and called on the Obama administration to stop blocking access to U.S.-held energy assets.

With political turmoil in the Mid East and North Africa threatening to send oil prices surging higher, energy independence has never been more important in the U.S. than it is now, says ATA.

"The trucking industry requires more than 34 billion gallons of diesel fuel to deliver essential commodities like food, medicine, clothing and fuel," said ATA VP and regulatory affairs counsel Rich Moskowitz during testimony at a Department of Interior hearing on a five-year plan for offshore oil and gas production.

"Despite advances in alternative energy, the trucking industry will continue to depend on traditional diesel fuel for the foreseeable future."

Recent events in Egypt and Libya have "highlighted how fragile the global oil market is, putting our industry at risk for rapid price spikes, even as we slowly begin to roll to an economic recovery," added ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said.

"Fuel is our members’ second largest expense, so uncontrollable spikes cut right at their bottom line."

The U.S should promote the development of domestic sources of energy, like those on the Outer Continental Shelf, to lessen consumers dependence on foreign oil, says ATA.

"Rising fuel prices hurt truckers twice — first by increasing their operating costs and then by reducing freight volumes as consumers spend more on energy and are forced to reduce their spending on other consumer goods."