NATDA Magazine Jan/Feb 2016 | Page 14

NATM APPLAUDS ENACTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION Bill contains tandem trailer transport provision benefiting trailer manufacturers and consumers, and provides long-term funding for highway projects President Barack Obama has signed into law legislation permitting the tandem towing of light- and medium-duty trailers from manufacturers to dealers throughout the United States that was a priority for the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (“NATM”). Included in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (H.R. 22, the “FAST Act”), the new law will help consumers, lower freight costs, reduce highway congestion and deterioration, and cut highway-based emissions. “The new law provides a safe, uniform national requirement for transporting light- and medium-duty trailers nationwide, decreasing the need for trailer manufacturers to transport their products to their dealers one at a time,” said Pam Trusdale, Executive Director, NATM. The provision, section 5523 of the FAST Act, permits light- and medium-duty trailer manufacturers to deliver their products to dealers in tandem combinations, subject to existing size and weight restrictions. It includes appropriate safeguards to protect the traveling public, requiring the trailers be empty and transported by only professional drivers holding commercial driver’s license (CDL) certifications. The measure was originally adopted as part of the House-passed version of H.R. 22 after Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR-1), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-2), Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) offered it as an amendment on the House floor. The House provision was then accepted during a conference to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation. The FAST Act also eliminates uncertainty about long-term funding for transportation projects, facilitating investments into U.S. transportation infrastructure. The increased construction that will flow from the bill will benefit the light- and medium-duty trailer sector, as more trailers are purchased to support those projects. It also will help to ensure that the nation’s highways and roadways are wellmaintained, which is important to highway safety. NATM and its members provided tremendous support for this industry initiative, making numerous trips to Washington, D.C. to meet with Members of Congress to educate them about this tandem towing issue and offering support for a transportation reauthorization bill. NATM was represented by K&L Gates LLP in Washington, D.C. on the legislation. The National Association of Manufacturers also supported the FAST Act and the tandem towing legislation. www.natm.com. continued on page 18 14 NATDA Magazine www.natda.org