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“This is a different agenda and direction our federal government is taking. Love it or hate it, it’s impactful," ATA President Chris Spear said March 10 at the TMC Town Hall meeting in Nashville, Tenn. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — President Chris Spear said he is staying focused on the issues that matter to trucking amid the unsettled political and economic atmosphere in Washington.

“It’s just a bit chaotic,” Spear said during a March 10 presentation at the . “No shortage of issues and a lot of dust getting kicked up — purposefully. And our responsibility, on your behalf, is to see through all of that. What’s really going on, and, most importantly, what does that mean for trucking.” TMC is part of ATA.

With President Donald Trump moving quickly on an agenda centered on trade, immigration and economics, Spear focused his comments on where trucking fits in.

“This is a different agenda and direction our federal government is taking,” Spear said. “Love it or hate it, it’s impactful. It’s impactful on us. We are the heartbeat of our nation’s economy. We’re not quick to dismiss the importance that we have, and all the reasons that this president is now back at the White House. It’s the economy, it’s kitchen table economics, it’s our ability to reduce inflation, to streamline supply chain, to ensure that our industry continues to play an invaluable role.”

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American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear delivers his TMC Town Hall address March 10 as part of TMC 2025 at Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)

Spear stressed that what ATA members discuss at meetings such as TMC 2025 makes a real difference, as it can intersect with the high-level issues being debated on Capitol Hill that affect trucking — including taxes and trade. How these issues play out, he noted, will set the stage for how the trucking industry grows and evolves.

“Certainly we benefited from the last tax cut bills under President Trump in his first administration,” Spear said. “This second term is going to be equally impactful, allowing our industry to invest in new equipment, technology, training, workforce, pay.”

Spear also focused on Trump’s ongoing tariff battle with Canada, Mexico and China, and the confusion it has caused. He noted that the back-and-forth over when tariffs might take effect, how much they will be and whether there will be reciprocal actions has created uncertainty. But he also pointed out that voters knew these policies were coming in a second Trump administration.

“The question isn’t if he was going to do it,” Spear said. “We knew that. Our focus is the duration. How long. How long do these things apply. Because they’re directly impactful on our industry. We’re moving 76% of the [United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement] freight. So just these small adjustments are going to have an immediate impact on the trucking industry.”

Spear assured the crowd that ATA is going to have a strategic and thoughtful role in those policy discussions, noting that the goal is to represent trucking and help the industry navigate tariffs with as little disruption and pain as possible.

The same is true as the Trump administration considers rolling back or halting some federal environmental efforts — some of which trace their roots to state-level rules in California.

“Bear in mind that this is not the United States of California,” Spear said. “California has dictated a lot of the debate on environmental regulations for the whole country. Much of the effort has focused on reducing transportation emissions, with the state being a central point.”

Spear pointed specifically to California’s Advanced Clean Trucks and Advanced Clean Fleets regulations, the latter of which the state has abandoned. Each one sets prescriptive targets on adoption of zero-emission trucks for truck makers and motor carriers, and some federal efforts now on lawmakers’ radar mirror these rules. Spear stressed any environmental rules advanced by Congress must have achievable standards and timelines.

“We are actively working with this White House, this [Environmental Protection Agency], the House, the Senate, to ensure these rules, ACT, ACF, NOx, are revoked permanently,” Spear said. “When [Congress] returns from a week’s recess, we’re going to see those votes taken. We will be actively promoting their passage. This is about seamless interstate commerce. Our industry operates in every state and every congressional district.”