Representatives from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) testified before the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit on May 6, asking members of Congress to address the escalating cost of fuel.
The trucking industry "simply can't absorb this rapid increase in fuel costs," declared ATA State Vice President Mike Card.
Card, whose Oregon-based trucking company runs more than 400 trucks, expects to spend more than $21 million on diesel during 2008, 26% more than last year.
Subcommitte Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) testified that the rise in fuel costs has significantly impacted the trucking industry.
"Each time the price of fuel increass by five cents per gallon, a trucker's annual costs increase by $1,000," he said. "When the average trucker feels the pinch of gas prices, the increased cost of transporting goods to market significantly affects the price of consumer goods."
