Page 20 - ATR 6 2015 web 2

Instead, Osiecki said the ATA was
looking at other ways to raise money
through dedicated federal user or regis-
tration fees that did not appear in this
“yes, it’s piecemeal, But it’s raisiNg highway bill.
a lot of reveNue.” “We’re going to have to swallow
hard, and we’re going to have to live
—rep. rick crawford, r-ark. with that, but with an eye towards the
future of perhaps raising the user fee
going forward,” he said.
In addition to the funding provi-
sions, the bill contains a number of
PAyIng for hIghwAys it would raise an estimated $9 billion policy provisions directly affecting
The biggest issue, of course, was from 2018-25 by selling 101 million trucking.
money. The primary means of fund- barrels of crude oil from the Strategic
ing highways, the motor fuels tax, has Petroleum Reserve, and it would raise csA reform
not been raised since 1993 and is not $350 million by depositing civil penal- One of the most important safety
indexed to inflation. Meanwhile, con- ties related to highway safety into the issues for motor carriers is a badly need-
struction costs have increased. Since Highway Trust Fund rather than the ed change to the Federal Motor Carrier
2008, the Highway Trust Fund has been general fund. Meanwhile, the new Safety Administration’s Compliance,
kept afloat by transfers of $65 billion spending would be offset by measures Safety, and Accountability program.
from the Department of Treasury’s gen- such as limiting Social Security pay- The standing system did not take fault
eral fund. ments to people with felony warrants, into account when scoring accidents,
Highway advocates and the truck- a move that would save $2.3 billion. By which means a motor carrier could
ing industry had hoped Congress would the time both houses passed a bill, the be penalized when its truck is struck
spend more on the nation’s declin- funds from barrels of crude oil sale was by a texting motorist. The trucking
ing infrastructure, but Crawford said limited to $6.2 billion, the penalties industry has opposed this provision
a major increase seemed unlikely. The on motor vehicle safety violations was since it was created. The bill puts more
House version kept funding flat over six upped to $423 million, and a number responsibility on the FMCSA to make
years. While Senate version offered more of other gimmicks that do not include sure the CSA scores are more reflective
money, but only provided funding for a higher gas tax were allotted to pay for of a carrier’s safety performance. In the
three years. The resulting $305 billion the increased spending. end, FMCSA must study the CSA scores
FAST Act will provide something that the “Yes, it’s piecemeal, but it’s raising and their accuracy at predicting future
previous highway bill, MAP-21, could a lot of revenue,” Crawford said. crash risks, with the percentile rankings
not: the certainty of long-term fund- Passage of a highway bill is a vic- ordered to be removed from public view.
ing—5 years of knowing where the money tory even for a lawmaking process Within hours of President Obama’s
for the next project will come from. described as “dysfunction junction” signature, the scores had been taken off
The FAST Act includes a new $4.5 by Dave Osiecki, American Trucking the FMCSA website.
billion grant program for “nationally Associations executive vice president At the Little Rock conference in
significant freight and highway projects. and chief of national advocacy. Osiecki November, Osiecki predicted that CSA
To qualify, highway projects must be made the description at the ATA’s reform must come from the outside.
part of the National Highway Freight Safety, Security and Human Resources “At the end of the day, the Federal
Network or the National Highway National Conference & Exhibition, Motor Carrier Safety Administration is
System, but up to $500 million can be which was held in Little Rock Nov. 2-4. not all that interested in improving at
awarded to freight rail or intermodal Both the American Trucking the core CSA,” he said. “They are what I
projects. In addition, the FAST Act also Associations and the Arkansas Trucking describe as sort of improving it around
creates a $6.3 billion National Freight Association favor motor fuels tax the edges, around the margins. This sys-
Program, with that amount being des- increases because those extra taxes tem, and I don’t know how individually
ignated for highways, but allowing 10% would be preferable to the delays and you feel about this but, collectively as
of the fund to be spent on intermodal safety hazards they face on today’s out- an industry and collectively as ATA, the
projects. dated roadways. But trucking advocates system simply doesn’t work as intended.
The bill then being considered by recognize that, as Osiecki said, a motor It is not accurate enough at the indi-
the conference committee found money fuels tax increase “just is politically vidual carrier level.”
from a variety of sources. For example, unpalatable in this Congress today.” 

20 ArkAnsAs truckIng rePort | Issue 6 2015