WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has invited the leadership of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) to meet with President Trump March 23 to discuss the trucking industry and health care, according to the ATA.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our members and drivers to talk about how the health care debate impacts them and their ability to move America's goods," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear.
Joining Mr. Spear on the visit will be top executives from 10 leading trucking companies that are ATA members and a dozen professional drivers with a combined 319 years of driving experience and 29.4 million accident-free miles, the ATA said.
"We look forward to telling our story," Mr. Spear said, "a story of how trucks move 70 percent of our nation's freight safely and efficiently, touching every aspect of our economy, including our health care system."
The 10 trucking company executives are: Kevin Burch, president, Jet Express Inc., Dayton, Ohio, and ATA chairman; Jim Burg, president and CEO, James Burg Trucking Co., Warren, Mich.; David Congdon, CEO, Old Dominion Freight Line, Thomasville, N.C.; Mike Ducker, president and CEO, FedEx Freight, Memphis, Tenn.; Eric Fuller, CEO, U.S. Xpress Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn.; Neal Kedzie, president, Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association, Madison, Wisc.; Rich McArdle, president, UPS Freight, Richmond, Va.; Dennis Nash, CEO, Kenan Advantage Group, North Canton, Ohio; Tonn Ostergard, president and CEO, Crete Carrier Corp., Lincoln, Neb. And John Smith, chairman, CRST International Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The ATA will bring its Image Truck — Interstate One — and a trailer provided by Jet Express featuring a Trucking Moves America Forward wrap, hauled by ATA's Share the Road Truck to the White House.
The trucks will be escorted by the professional drivers: Steve Fields, Independence, Mo., (YRC Freight); Ralph Garcia, Albuquerque, N.M., (ABF Freight System); David Green, Hot Springs, Ark., (Werner Enterprises); Rhonda Hartman, Des Moines, Iowa, (Old Dominion Freight Line); John Lex, Monroe, Ga., (Walmart Transportation); David Livingston, Springfield, Ga., (TCW Inc.); Don Logan, Eskridge, Kan., (FedEx Freight); Charlton Paul Jr., Chester, N.Y., (UPS Freight); Russell Simpson, South Vienna, Ohio, (Holland Inc.); Todd Stine, Altoona, Pa., (Carbon Express); Barney Earl Taylor, Orlando, Fla., (Penske); and Derrick Whittle, Fieldale, Va., (Cargo Transporters Inc.).
"Trucking is a vital part of the American economy," Mr. Burch said. "We are looking forward to meeting with President Trump and talking to him about how we can ease regulatory burdens on our industry, reform our tax system and rebuild America's infrastructure."
The ATA is a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils that calls itself the voice of the trucking industry