WASHINGTON, DC — The North American trucking industry is already feeling the "ripple effect" from disruptions in the U.S. Gulf Coast transportation network spawned by Hurricane Katrina, American Trucking Associatons president Bill Graves told CNBC.

"It’s a major logistical problem," for the trucking industry said in a televised interview. "Obviously it’s a disruption to the supply chain."

The U.S. trucking industry is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to try to ensure loads that are "essential to the recovery effort" do make it to the beleagured region. However, many roads remain impassable, either still under water or cut off by collapsed or unsafe bridges.

Graves also applauded the Bush administration’s decision Wednesday to open the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ensure adequate crude oil supplies.