Page 11 - ATR 3 2014 web

news in Brief

sHannon newTon named Trucking Association forward.” and for economic growth,” said ATA
presidenT of arkansas “I am honored and humbled to Chairman Phil Byrd, president of
TrUcking associaTion have been chosen to lead the ATA,” Bulldog Hiway Express. “While we have
Newton said. “My years with the asso- been looking for acceptable alternatives
ciation, working on behalf of this great to the fuel tax, we believe it is still the
industry, the member companies and best way to generate the revenue we
the thousands of dedicated, professional need to repair and maintain our roads
men and women, in the cab and out, and bridges.”
have been so rewarding. The proposal by Sens. Corker and
“I welcome the opportunity as Murphy would raise the fuel tax six
president to continue to work with the cents a year over two years, then index
ATA’s extraordinary and dedicated staff the tax to inflation. The federal fuel
and with these extraordinary members tax has not been raised since 1993, and
to help drive our industry’s growth,” she since then the revenue it generates has
said. lost nearly half its buying power.
“For too long, Congress has shied
BiparTisan fUeL Tax increase away from taking serious action to
proposaL update our country’s aging infrastruc-

Shannon Samples Newton
has been named president of the
Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA).
Newton has been with ATA since 2003
and has been vice president since 2008.
She succeeds Lane Kidd, who resigned
earlier this year.
“When we began our search for a
new president, we knew that an experi-
enced leader with deep industry knowl-
edge and a broad skill set was exactly Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ture,” said Sen. Murphy. “We’re cur-
what we needed,” said Craig Harper, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) proposed a rently facing a transportation crisis that
ATA board chairman and EVP and COO raise and index of the fuel tax in order will only get worse if we don’t take bold
of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. to preserve the “user pays” principle and action to fund the Highway Trust Fund.
“Shannon is a dynamic leader keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent. I know raising the gas tax isn’t an easy
and extremely knowledgeable on the The trucking industry was quick to choice, but we’re not elected to make
complex issues faced by our members,” commend their efforts. “The American easy decisions – we’re elected to make
Harper said. “The board was unani- Trucking Associations (ATA) believes the hard ones.”
mous in this appointment. She became a well-funded, well-maintained trans-
the clear choice to lead the Arkansas portation system is essential for safety 

ArkAnsAs truckinG report | issue 3 2014 11