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imperative that we not only win this issue and provide relief to our
members but we also tamp down the inclination of some states to
expand that purview. We believe we can get that done, hopefully by
September, where we see a vote taken. Beyond F4A, tax and infrastructure
are almost synonymous. We’ve been very engaged in that.
We’ve been over to meet with the president, the vice president, the
secretary of transportation and the five committee chairs and ranking
members [of committees that impact transportation] on Capitol Hill.
Our members have been very active and vocal on the importance of
this issue and the importance of having dedicated, sustainable funding
for infrastructure that isn’t coming from competitive sources,
such as discretionary monies. So we want to shore up the trust fund
and have good roads and bridges. Tax reform is part of that because
if you are going to do a 10-year, trillion-dollar bill it’s going to have
to be funded out of some sort of tax reform.
I think the third issue would probably be trade. We have a different
president, a different path being taken with respect to trade. Trucking
moves 76 percent of the NAFTA surface freight; we move 83 percent
of the cross-border traffic with Mexico and Canada is our largest
trade partner in the world. So trucking would be the first to feel any
dramatic change in the relationship we have with our trade partners
to the north and south.
TLA: The president has said he’s going to renegotiate NAFTA. If he
doesn’t get what he wants, he’s going to drop it. Let’s assume he’s
going forward and he’s intending to get it done. From a truckload
perspective, what is there that needs to be changed in NAFTA if anything?
John: I don’t really see much that needs to be changed in NAFTA.
Adjustments in some areas could benefit trucking and they should be
in the forefront of discussions.
Chris: I think less than more. You have to separate some of the campaign
rhetoric from reality. The reality is that if you make changes to
that agreement that are too dramatic, as I said, our industry would be
the first to feel it and it will be impactful. John and I were just down
on the border in Laredo. It’s the biggest border crossing with 16,000
trucks a day. We met with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP); we met
with local trucking companies [and with] people that pretty much are
in the thick of it, if you will. And they understand the importance of
it. I think there are several elements beyond having a good, free, fair
and sound trade agreement. I think the framework is there. It may
be a little dated since it was enacted in 1994. It could be upgraded
maybe in environmental and labor standards. However, I think the
framework is still very much intact, as John and I have noted. There’s
a security element to our borders that has a trade component. But
also as we saw with CBP, security is very integral. They’re screening
everything. You can just imagine with that many trucks coming
across the border, the mandate they have is absolutely massive. And
I would say beyond that is infrastructure — you’ve got to have good
infrastructure to handle that kind of throughput to and from [the border]
— and they certainly didn’t. You saw that firsthand. There was a
lot of backup. We saw a lot of traffic. And fourth, I think tax policy is
really key in terms of how that’s built into the trade agreement. Those
are important elements to it. Those four things right there are kind
of in a constant churn and we witnessed that together by touring the
border. And I think we got a firsthand view of what needs to be done
and what shouldn’t be done.
TLA: John, what was your takeaway from that visit?
John: Chris said it well. I would like to add we also were impressed
with the members and leadership of the newly formed Laredo Motor
Carriers Association. I had no idea of the number of trucking
companies that have established themselves in the Laredo area. It is a
hotbed for trucking. The association has grown quickly, has a bright
future and we look forward to working together to tackle the issues
at hand. The dedicated professionals at the CBP have a really big job
to do and they do it very well. Our visit with them shed light on the
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