Pub2-2021-Issue3

8 Kentucky Trucker President’s Message Rick Taylor, President Kentucky Trucking Association W hen President Biden addressed G-20 leaders Oct. 31, 2021, at their annual gathering, he acknowledged something truckers have always understood: “Supply chains are something that most of our citizens never think twice about until something goes wrong.” The trucking industry is a key part of the nation’s supply chains, and our work is important to this country’s health and vitality. But supply chains, and truckers in particular, depend on good roads and bridges. That is why the KTA strongly advocated for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that finally passed Nov. 5, 2021. There were 19 Republican Senators who voted for the bill, including Mitch McConnell, and 13 House Republicans who voted with the bill’s Democratic supporters. Truckers understand the importance of keeping to schedules and getting goods to their destinations as efficiently as possible. If they don’t understand, they soon move on to other industries. The infrastructure bill is an important step for reducing or eliminating the country’s current problem with supply chain bottlenecks, and we are happy it passed even though the supply chain problems are likely to continue well into 2022 or even 2023. The U.S. has gone through entire decades where infrastructure was either neglected or given an inadequate amount of money for repairs. Despite that reality, freight demands have seen exponential growth. ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said the following after the bill had been passed: “Roads and bridges are not political — we all drive on them. A majority in the House realized this today and did what’s right for the country, not themselves.” He went on to explain, “From farmers to truckers, the millions of hard-working people who make this country great won today. Those lawmakers who put their constituents before themselves to help seal this achievement have cemented a lasting legacy that the American people will now see, feel, and use for many decades to come.” When talking about the infrastructure bill, President Spear mentioned the decision to lower the age requirement for drivers. The age change will allow