Lots of change may be on the menu for trucking in 2017 as economic trends and federal policy efforts could make further alterations to the U.S. freight market 鈥� everything from canceling regulations to the adoption of new strategies for meeting customer demands.
鈥淲hen you move 70% of the nation鈥檚 domestic freight there are few issues out there that we are not a part of either directly or indirectly,鈥� Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) trade group, explained in a recent phone interview with me. 鈥淭ax reform, trade, and infrastructure: we have a role to play in all of those issues.鈥�
For starters, he noted that the 10-year $1 trillion infrastructure proposal put on the table by President-elect Trump could be a big positive for the industry in a number of ways.
鈥淚nfrastructure is our industry鈥檚 lifeblood: We need good infrastructure and getting such a package passed is key right out of the gate,鈥� Spear said. 鈥淎t least as proposed, that package will likely be tied to tax reform.鈥�
Trade is another really pivotal issue in Spear鈥檚 view, as over 76% of NAFTA surface trade is carried by trucks. 鈥淎gain, we have to help shape whatever trade proposals will look like,鈥� he noted.
When it comes to regulation, though, you can boil Spear鈥檚 view down to two words: 鈥渋t depends.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e not afraid of regulations 鈥� we鈥檙e a very heavily regulated industry. But what we want are good, clear regulations that we can comply with without undue burden and a measurable return,鈥� he explained.
鈥淟ook at the Phase 2 greenhouse gas [GHG] rules: they will define future efficiency for our industry and offer a measurable return for our investments. This is a win-win for us and the environment,鈥� Spear said.
鈥淏ut where regulations don鈥檛 work, we鈥檒l oppose them. For example, the speed limiter rule we will oppose [because] it鈥檚 completely flawed approach.鈥�
In the end, he stressed, it 鈥渁ll really comes down to good give and take between industry and the regulators.鈥�
Sandeep Kar, global vice president for mobility at Frost & Sullivan, added that few industries will face the impact 鈥� whether net positive or negative 鈥� of a Trump presidency as strongly as trucking, which is a leading indicator of economic activity and typically feels the effects of economic swings and fluctuations well before many other industries or sectors.
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