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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Up 0.2% in March

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 0.2% in March after increasing 0.5% in February. Compared with March 2011, the index was up 2.7%, which was the smallest year-over-year increase since December 2009.

“March tonnage, and the first quarter overall, was reflective of an economy that is growing, but growing moderately,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. “The pace of freight definitely slowed from the torrid pace in late 2011.
“Most economic indicators still look good, which will continue to support tonnage going forward,” he said. Costello also noted that the industry should not expect the rate of growth seen over the last couple of years, when tonnage grew 5.8% in both 2010 and 2011. “Expect tonnage overall this year to be up at a more moderate rate, perhaps less than 3%, which is more in-line with normal growth.”

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Trucking’s Premier IT, Logistics and Finance Professionals Convene June 11-13 in Tampa, Florida

“The Future of Trucking’s Finance & Technology Platforms” is the theme for this year’s combined conference of ATA’s Information Technology & Logistics Council and the National Accounting & Finance Council scheduled for June 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Tampa in Florida. Regarded as trucking’s premier forum for IT/logistics, operations, tax and financial professionals, the 2012 ITLC/NAFC Annual Conference will provide 15 in-depth educational sessions and five separate exhibit viewing periods. Featured speakers for the Tuesday and Wednesday plenary sessions will be Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies and Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist. For more, click here.

N.J. Trucking Executive Warns Senate on the True Cost of Tolls

In testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, NFI Chief Financial Officer Steve Grabell warned that rapidly increasing toll rates, as well as the spread of tolls across the transportation system, are a threat to consumers and to the trucking industry.

“I am deeply concerned about the significant increases in toll costs that have been imposed on NFI and other trucking companies over the past few years,” ATA member Grabell said.

“These added costs have forced us to re-route our trucks to less efficient secondary roads, which raises our costs and increases congestion and safety concerns,” he said. “In addition to the impact increased tolls have on logistics providers, the added costs associated with toll increases filter down to the consumer and affect business decisions regarding hiring and facility location and expansion.”

In 2011 alone, Grabell said NFI paid $14 million in tolls.

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New Study Finds Significant Safety Benefits of Limiting Truck Speeds

New research released this week by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration confirms the clear safety benefits of using technology to electronically govern and limit the top speed of commercial trucks.
The study team, which included the American Transportation Research Institute and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, found that “multiple analyses indicated a profound safety benefit for trucks equipped with an active [speed limiter].”

“This study confirms what ATA has been saying for years – speed kills and one of the most effective ways to prevent hundreds, if not thousands, of crashes on our highways is to slow all vehicles down, including large trucks” American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves said. “ATA petitioned FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration six years ago to mandate the use of speed limiters on all commercial motor vehicles manufactured since 1992 to save lives and make our industry safer. This study strengthens ATA’s case and we call on both agencies to swiftly move forward with rulemakings to ensure that these devices are required on as many trucks as possible.”

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ATA Backs Bill to Repeal Truck Excise Tax

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves called on Congress to swiftly adopt a proposal introduced by Reps. Jim Gerlach (R-Penn.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) to repeal the 12% federal excise tax on large trucks and replace it with a modest increase in the federal diesel fuel tax.

“The proposal by Congressmen Gerlach and Blumenauer would not only reinforce the ailing Highway Trust Fund, but would provide a boost to U.S. manufacturing and speed adoption of environmentally friendly technologies,” Graves said.

The bill would eliminate the 12% federal excise tax on heavy truck sales and replace it with a 6.3-cent increase in the federal diesel tax.

“Revenues from the excise tax are only paid into the Highway Trust Fund when new trucks are purchased, but when truck sales slump, it puts even more pressure on the already overextended fund,” Graves said. “Further, by cutting more than $15,000 from the cost of the average new truck, eliminating the excise tax will encourage purchases of trucks, providing a boost for manufacturing and accelerate the adoption of new technologies aimed at improving safety and fuel efficiency." For more, click here.