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February 28, 2000 9:50 AM, EST

American Trucking Associations President Walter B. McCormick Jr. asked for immediate help for a trucking industry battered by soaring diesel fuel prices, in testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 24.

	Michael James - Transport Topics
	Walter B. McCormick, president of American Trucking Associations, testifies before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

No quick fixes were offered by the senators, who focused on long-term solutions to the energy crisis that has pushed diesel prices up 53% over the past year and driven truckers to exasperation.

One senator offered a bill to suspend the federal fuel tax of 24.3 cents a gallon until prices moderate, but passing such legislation likely would take too long to help many trucking operations.

The committee focused on addressing the root of the problem, which members said is over-reliance on foreign oil and low U.S. stockpiles.

McCormick said high fuel costs and the industry’s already razor-thin profit margins mean that even small shifts in fuel prices now force many carriers out of business.

For the full story, see the Feb. 28 print edition of Transport Topics. .