American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves
on Feb. 8 applauded President Obama for his commitment to rebuilding and
renewing the country’s infrastructure, but called on his administration
to live up to that commitment by proposing a robust surface
transportation program with a strong focus on highways.

“We agree with President Obama when he said America is operating with
‘outdated and inadequate infrastructure,’ and we appreciate his
commitment to provide the United States with the ‘fastest most reliable’ transportation system in the world,” Graves said following Obama’s Feb. 7
address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “However, we urge the
president and his administration to live up to that commitment with a
strong focus on traditional highway and bridge projects as they work
with Congress to craft the long overdue surface transportation
reauthorization.”

“The U.S. Department of Transportation said late last month that, by
any measure, trucks haul the vast majority of the nation’s freight, and
America’s trucking industry carries these goods safely, efficiently and
faster than any of its competitors,” Graves said. “Investing in the
nation’s roads and bridges is among the most efficient ways to create
jobs and insure the continued competiveness for U.S. businesses.”