NASHVILLE—American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear challenged President Biden’s latest federal vaccine mandate and called out the administration for “weaponizing public health” and further dividing an already-strained labor pool of talent.
During his annual State of the Industry and Association Address at ATA’s Management Conference & Exhibition (MCE), Spear not only praised the industry’s efforts to keep the country moving through the pandemic, but he urged the industry to come together and raise its voice in the wake of uncertainty and the politics that come with it.
“Throughout this pandemic, truckers proved how we make a difference. There was no playbook. Yet our drivers are once again this industry’s most valuable players. You’re among an elite list of professionals that include scientists, first responders, and health care providers,” Spear said. “When many in this nation sheltered in place, you maintained composure and answered the call.”
Noting the weight of supply chain challenges and disruptions, Spear pointed out that Biden’s federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates could further crack or even crumble the supply chain.
“Through this pandemic, trucking has kept America safe and remains committed to consumers and the nation, delivering food, PPE, and vaccines,” Spear said. “Elected officials would be wise to take that into consideration, especially with a shortage of talent—not just in trucking, but every sector of the nation’s economy, where labor participation is at an alarming 61%. With this intent, the administration’s COVID vaccine mandate is to protect all Americans—why pick winners and losers? In other words, stop weaponizing public health by dividing our workforce. Ours is a real-world industry that is safely bringing America out of this COVID-induced world.”
Spear also emphasized that ATA’s ability to remain aligned on key issues is critical.
“Despite playground politics, there’s reason to be optimistic. In the wake of it all, America responded—thanking truckers in every state, congressional district and community in the country,” he said. “Our image is what we make of it; it’s who we are and how we want to be perceived. We need to ride the crest of this wave, steering each challenge toward a favorable outcome.”
Trial lawyers, 'extremists,' and infrastructure
Since the last MCE event in 2019 in San Diego, the industry has witnessed change at nearly every level of government, including at the White House, Transportation and Labor departments, and in the House and Senate, Spear noted. However, not all these new leaders and their agendas align with the industry’s priorities, he added, pointing to trial lawyers, big union bosses, and environmental extremists.
“Three years ago, I announced lawsuit abuse as a tier-one ATA priority,” Spear said. “We’re exposing and combatting the reptile theory of justice and putting an end to nuclear verdicts. We’re also taking steps to alert and train defense attorneys across the country, so they are prepared to combat the plaintiffs’ bar and their reptile justice.
“This approach will ensure cases center on the facts and merits, not Powerball payouts,” he added.
Spear also acknowledged that trucking OEMs, suppliers, and motor carriers thoroughly understand that cleaner trucks is good business. The industry helped create and pave the way for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program and helped write Phase I and 2 greenhouse gas emissions reductions rules. ATA is now working on Phase 3 GHG rules dealing with nitrogen oxide, Spear said.
“Our commitment to the environment is well-documented, and it’s based on reality, ensuring that equipment is tested, dependable, and stringent at timelines where adoption can actually be met,” he noted.
Spear then addressed infrastructure, noting that the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House is also an ATA tier-one priority.
“Despite the odds, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is an example of what’s possible when we tell our story,” Spear said, calling the bill a “historic” investment not just in our roads and bridges, but in developing the industry’s future workforce. He pointed out that in the House and Senate, ATA testified 24 times over the last five years.
“This bill is an investment in our economy, in our nation, and in our daily lives,” he added.
Of the 617,000 bridges across the U.S., 42% are more than 50 years old and more than 46,000 of them are structurally deficient, Spear explained. Of the four million miles of public roadways, 43% are in poor or mediocre condition. According to ATRI, traffic congestion is more than $1.2 billion in lost productivity each year.
“This bill will deliver 38% increase in funding for our roads and our bridges over the next five years. That’s $477 billion in funding, including $347.5 billion for highways and $37 billion for those decaying bridges,” Spear said. “This is historic, and the largest infusion of federal funding in our nation’s network since the creation of interstate highway systems. It gives states the certainty and ability to plan new projects over the course of several years and addresses our nation’s top bottlenecks.”
The bill will invest in trucking’s future workforce, training younger talent how to responsibly operate Class 8s across state lines. The bill also establishes a Women in Trucking Advisory Board at the FMCSA and it funds a U.S. Department of Transportation advertising campaign to promote the trucking profession.
Equally important, according to Spear, is what was left out of the bill. He said ATA fought successfully to keep “harmful anti-trucking measures” out of the bill, including the Pro Act, independent contractor rule classification, a reversal of the meal and rest break victory, as well as hours-of-service reform rollbacks, and a return of the “old, flawed” CSA scoring program.
ATA honors trucking’s ‘selfie king’
This year, ATA presented its Trucking Cares Achievement Award to John Lex, a 32-year veteran truck driver with 3.1 million accident-free miles. A husband and a father of two sons, Spear acknowledged Lex for being a leader and the “first in line to help and always with a disarming smile.”
“And while most of us were focused on the spread of COVID, this year’s recipient was dealing with an even bigger threat—cancer of an aggressive nature,” Spear said. “It took time to understand what could be done about it, but like our industry, he figured things out. He plotted a course and most importantly, he didn’t walk away from the fight."
“He showed us firsthand how the millions of drivers got America through this awful pandemic—they never quit,” Spear added. “Today, he is back in his cab doing what he loves most.”
Lex, a professional driver for Walmart Transportation and also known as the selfie king across trucking social media channels, fought back tears accepting his award.
“I just look out here and I see so many family members,” Lex said. “People talk to me about the trucking industry and ask me about becoming a truck driver. We are one big happy family no matter who you drive for or what position you hold. This past year and a half has just been tough. Without y'all, without your support, and without your prayers, there is no way I could have made it through here.”
In his concluding remarks, Spear called for industrywide growth and unity.
“Let me be clear, ATA is not, nor ever will be, the association of ‘No.’ We’re not complacent obstructionists. When confronting an issue, an opinion different from our own, we double down our effort to improve that outcome,” he said. “We don’t complain. And like John Lex, we never quit. And our persistence and dedication to any challenge, no matter how hard, is exactly why we win.”
