ATA’s Spear Urges Senate to Fund Truck Parking, Freight Tech
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WASHINGTON — Funding for infrastructure projects and safety technologies that can improve connectivity along the nation’s supply chain are priorities for Congress to consider in an upcoming highway bill, American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear .
As transportation policymakers consider an array of provisions to be included in a comprehensive, multiyear surface transportation measure that’s on the congressional horizon, freight stakeholders such as ATA continue to advocate for greater efficiency throughout mobility networks.
At a wide-ranging Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing with ATA and representatives from the trucking and freight workforce, Spear emphasized the significance of adopting technologies and applications designed to facilitate the flow of freight. From communication telematics to certain degrees of automation, the ATA leader told lawmakers that the next major highway bill should reflect the needs of the trucking industry. He noted that the Department of Transportation is already focused on the technological opportunities that lie ahead for trucking.
“You’ve got to keep investing in the good technologies,” Spear said. “Test them, deploy them — I think the department is very good about picking the best technologies that impact our industry and our safety.”
Increasing funding for industry-specific projects, such as truck parking, would enhance workforce safety as well as the recruitment and retention of truck drivers, he stressed. ATA has repeatedly pressed lawmakers to fund big-ticket parking expansion projects. This year, a fiscal 2026 House transportation funding bill includes $200 million for truck parking operations.
Spear stressed the myriad safety benefits of expanding truck parking for drivers.
“Expanding parking access is not only the right thing to do for road safety — it’s the bare minimum we owe our drivers … particularly women drivers, who deserve a secure, well-lit place to rest,” he said. “The most important safety action we can take is ensuring that unsafe drivers do not get behind the wheel in the first place. That requires drivers being proficient in the English language, as well as proven drug testing protocols.”
RELATED:ATRI Study Looks at Ways to Expand Public Truck Parking
Speaking with Transport Topics prior to the Senate hearing, Spear offered perspective specific to ATA’s agenda in Washington. “We’ve been working with this president long before he was elected last November on these issues. So, I’m very happy with the progress we’re making with both the administration and Congress,” Spear said.
He also pointed to cargo theft and the rollback of a federal independent contractor rule as priorities.
“I’m really, really excited about the wins that we’re getting,” Spear said, “and those that are about to come in a very short period of time.”
Congressional committees are proceeding with a reauthorization of many of the policies that make up the federal highway network. Roadway safety, supply chain connectivity and the potential adoption of emerging technology are on senators’ radars as they draft the next highway bill.
(CommerceRepublicans via YouTube)
Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) emphasized, “America’s trucking and motorcoach industries are more than just transportation. They are the lifeblood of our economy, connecting supply chains, creating millions of jobs, and ensuring the efficient and timely delivery of goods.”
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), chairman of the Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety Subcommittee, added, “These drivers work long, demanding hours to keep our communities connected and our supply chains running. [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] plays a crucial role in ensuring safety on our roads while allowing these industries to thrive.”
Key federal highway programs are operating under a fall 2026 deadline. The most recent authorization of the nation’s highway system was included in 2021’s $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, often referred to as the bipartisan infrastructure law. Atop Congress’ priorities for highway policy legislation is restoring long-term solvency for the Highway Trust Fund. The fund relies on insufficient revenue from the federal 18.4 cents-per-gallon tax on gas and 24.4 cents-per-gallon tax on diesel. Those rates were approved in 1993.
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