YouTube
Marvin Fielder

Trump invites truckers to White House to praise tax cuts

April 13, 2018
President Trump invited truckers and other workers to an event at the White House to celebrate the tax cuts.

Truck drivers and fleet executives were among the invitees to a White House event to praise President Trump’s tax cuts.

During the April 12 Rose Garden ceremony Trump said his administration was “defending the American worker.” He added that more than 5 million had already received a bonus or increase in their pay checks from the legislation he signed into law in December.

Trump said representatives of about 50 companies were on hand at the event, with several of them appearing alongside him at the podium.

One was truckload carrier Werner Enterprises. President and CEO Derek Leathers personally thanked Trump for the tax cuts, which helped fund a $127 million investment in new equipment, and a pay bump for 9,500 drivers. 

Also speaking was Werner driver and military veteran Quinton Ward, who told Trump “you care about truck drivers and we see that.”

Executives and employees Crete Carrier and TCW Inc. were also in attendance. All three fleets at the event are members of American Trucking Associations.

“In the past three months, I got raises that will provide me and my family over $4,000 annually,” Jeff Tetzloff, a driver for Crete, said in a statement issued by ATA. “The extra money in my check provides me and my family freedom and flexibility.”

ATA said a survey of member companies found that 50% of carriers were planning to increase wages or offer bonuses as a result of tax reform, and 47% were planning to invest their tax cuts in new equipment.

The federation held an event for Trump in Pennsylvania in October to rally support during the tax debate.

During his comments, Trump called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) one of the “worst trade deals” in history.

ATA has voiced its disagreement on this position with the president, saying that the trucking industries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico have all benefitted from NAFTA.

About the Author

Neil Abt

Neil Abt is a former FleetOwner editor who wrote for the publication from 2017 to 2020. He was editorial director from 2018 to 2020.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Take Control of Your Finances: A Practical Guide for Carriers in Trucking

This guide is designed to help you navigate these challenges, featuring strategies for automation, examples of effective tools, and a real-world success story from Phoenix Cargo...

Report: The 2024-2025 State Of Heavy-Duty Repair

Fullbay's fifth annual State of Heavy-Duty Repair compiles insights from almost 1,000 experts and over 3,500 shops. If you aren't leveraging these proven data points, your competition...

Guide For Managing Maintenance

The Guide for Managing Maintenance is a comprehensive resource designed to help fleet managers improve their maintenance operations, reduce downtime, and lower overall fleet costs...

The Road Ahead: 2025 Trucking and Fleet Insights

Discover how fleet operators are impacted by challenges like driver onboarding delays and complex compliance, and the critical need for technology to boost efficiency and cut ...