"Freight Forward: Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges to Deliver for America" was the title of a recent hearing in Washington, D.C. focusing on a number of issues facing this country's truck drivers.
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Highways and Transit took testimony from several people in the trucking industry. They included:
- Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
- Anne Reinke, president and chief executive officer of the Transportation Intermediaries Association
- David Fialkov, executive vice president for Government Affairs of NATSO
- Cole Scandaglia, senior legislative representative and policy advisor of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
This video includes their testimony and questions from members of the subcommittee.
In his opening remarks Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford, a Republican from Arkansas, said, "The trucking industry plays a crucial role in the supply chain, ensuring that goods and supplies are transported from one location to another. A popular refrain that demonstrates the importance of the trucking industry is: “If you bought it, a trucker brought it,” because nearly everything purchased for your home got to the store on the back of a truck."
Crawford also mentioned the need to attract younger drivers to the profession and provide adequate truck parking.
