>> MARIA: WELCOME BACK.
BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
EAGERLY AWAITING DETAILS ON
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S HIGHLY
ANTICIPATED INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN.
WE’RE EXPECTING THAT TODAY.
ONE OF THE LARGEST IMPACTS WILL
BE FELT BY THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO
SPEND THEIR LIVES ON THE ROAD.
THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY.
JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS CHRIS
SPEAR, THE CEO AND PRESIDENT OF
THE AMERICAN TRUCKING
ASSOCIATION.
CHRIS, IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> MARIA: THE PRESIDENT TWEETED
THIS OUT THIS MORNING, THIS WILL
BE A BIG WEEK FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
AFTER SO STUPIDLY SPENDING
$7 TRILLION IN THE MIDEAST, IT’S
TIME TO START INVESTING IN OUR
COUNTRY.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FROM THE
PRESIDENT?
>> THE PRESIDENT’S RIGHT, WE’RED
WE’RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE
DEBATE.
WE’RE HAPPY THE PRESIDENT MADE
IT A PRIORITY.
NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS, PAYING
FOR IT.
INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT FREE.
IT’S NOT CHEAP.
AND AMERICAN TRUCKING’S NOT
GOING TO WHISTLE PAST THE GRAVE
GRAVEYARD ON THIS.
WE’RE PROPOSING A BUILDING
AMERICA FUND.
IT WILL RAISE $340 BILLION OVER
10 YEARS.
IT’S REAL MONEY.
IT’S IMMEDIATE.
IT WILL SHORE UP THE TRUST FUND.
IT’S CONSERVATIVE, LESS THAN 1
CENT ON THE DOLLAR TO ADMINISTER
IT.
WE NEED REAL MONEY ON THE TABLE.
THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE OUT
OF THE DEBATE.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP THE CONGRESS
AND THE PRESIDENT GET AN
INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE FINISH
LINE.
>> THIS IS MIKE MURPHY.
WE HEAR SO MUCH THAT THE
ECONOMY’S IMPROVING.
IMPROVING AND THERE’SA BIG DEMAR
PEOPLE TO HELP TRANSPORT THE
PRODUCTS FROM ONE POINT TO
ANOTHER.
BUT HOW DO YOU FORESEE THE
FUTURE WHEN WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT
DRIVERLESS TRUCKS AND TECHNOLOGY
AFFECTING THE DRIVING INDUSTRY
AS A WHOLE.
HOW DO YOU SEE THAT A YEAR OR
FIVE YEARS OUT FROM NOW?
>> WE CURRENTLY MOVE 71% OF THE
DOMESTIC FREIGHT IN THE COUNTRY.
IF WE’RE GOING TO GROW WE’LL
HAVE TO ADD INNOVATION INTO THE
DEBATE.
WE WELCOME IT.
WE DON’T BELIEVE IT’S A DEBATE
ABOUT DRIVERLESS VEHICLES.
WE BELIEVE IT’S A DEBATE ABOUT
DRIVER-ASSIST AND HOW TECHNOLOGY
CAN MAKE THE FLEET SAFER AND
SERVE THE ECONOMY GOING FORWARD.
WE BELIEVE THIS IS A
CONVERSATION ABOUT DRIVER ASSIST
TECHNOLOGY.
THIS WILL COME ABOUT IN THE NEXT
10 YEARS AND THE 10 YEARS.
>> DAGEN: THAT FIVE CENTS A YEAR
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT’S
FROM INCREASING THE GAS TAX, YES
OR NO?
>> YES, IT IS.
IT WOULD BE BAKED INTO THE PRICE
OF FUEL AT THE WHOLESALE RACK.
WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOST
EFFICIENT, IMMEDIATE WAY TO
SHORE UP THE TRUST FUND AND FUND
THE INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE.
RONALD REAGAN SIGNED A SIMILAR
PROPOSAL TWICE DURING HIS
ADMINISTRATION.
WE BELIEVE IT’S CONSERVATIVE,
LESS THAN 1 CENT ON THE DOLLAR
TO ADMINISTER.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP THE PRESIDENT
AND CONGRESS FIND REAL MONEY ON
THE TABLE, NOT FAKE FUNDING
SCHEMES LIKE TOLLING OR
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
THAT’S ONLY APPLICABLE ON LESS
THAN 1% OF THE ROADS AND BRIDGES
OUT THERE.
FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF ROADS
AND BRIDGES, YOU NEED REAL
MONEY.
P-3’S TOLLING THAT COSTS
35-CENTS ON THE DOLLAR TO
ADMINISTER.
THAT’S NOT CONSERVATIVE.
OUR PROPOSAL IS.
WE BELIEVE IT’S THE RIGHT WAY TO
FUND INFRASTRUCTURE GOING
FORWARD.
>> MARIA: THAT’S WHAT DAGEN SAID
A MINUTE AGO.
YOU SAID WE SHOULD TRY TO LOOK
TO THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE ROADS
MOSTLY.
>> THE FEDERAL GAS TAX HASN’T
GONE UP SINCE 1993, 18.4 CENTSS
18.4 CENTSON EVERY GALLON, NOT O
INFLATION.
THEY TAKE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL
FUND, MEANING INCOME TAXPAYERS
ARE PAYING TO REPAIR THE ROADS
IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> WHAT ABOUT ELECTRIC?
>> WE SEE ALTERNATIVE FUEL AS A
VIABLE SOLUTION IN THE FUTURE,
MAYBE NOT IN THIS COMING 10
YEARS, BUT MAYBE IN THE
FOLLOWING 10 YEARS WE’RE GOING
TO HE SEE MORE ALTERNATIVE FUELS
LIKE ELECTRIC.
THE PROBLEM IS INFRASTRUCTURE,
HOW DO YOU CHARGE IT, HOW DO YOU
BUILD OUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO
PROVIDE THE POWER FOR THAT
TECHNOLOGY.
>> MARIA: TESLA JUST ANNOUNCED
ITS LAUNCH OF THE ELECTRIC