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Spear Urges Congress to Remove Tech Barriers, Repeal FET
ATA President Says Tax, AV Rules and Freight Fraud Tools Need Federal Action
Key Takeaways:
- ATA President Chris Spear told senators June 9 that outdated tax, regulatory and enforcement policies are slowing trucking technology adoption.
- Spear said the 12% federal excise tax deters fleets from buying newer trucks with updated safety and efficiency features.
- Spear urged Congress to repeal the tax, create a national autonomous vehicle framework and strengthen federal tools against freight fraud.
WASHINGTON — American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear told federal lawmakers that trucking is ready to continue investing in safer and more efficient technologies — if Congress removes barriers impeding progress.
The June 9 congressional hearing centered on how the federal government can encourage deployment of emerging transportation tools without locking industries into outdated policies.
One theme of Spear’s testimony before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines and Safety was the cost of replacing older trucks with newer equipment. He argued that the 12% federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks remains a major deterrent to modernization because it raises the cost of vehicles equipped with the most up-to-date safety and efficiency features.
“The century-old tax punishes the purchase of the very vehicles that come with the latest technologies,” Spear said.
In an exchange with Subcommittee Chairman Todd Young (R-Ind.), Spear called repeal “a no-brainer,” saying it would put “the newest, latest, greatest technology on the roads.” Spear endorsed legislation authored by Young: the Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act, that would incentivize fleet turnover by eliminating the federal excise tax on trucking.
By contrast, Spear had harsh criticism for top-down directives to adopt unproven technology, which disrupts the supply chain. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) acknowledged this and pointed out that House and Senate Republicans recently repealed a federal mandate that would have forced an aggressive transition to electric trucks that cost significantly more than diesel powertrains. Spear thanked Congress for taking this action, noting that when costs for trucking companies rise, it “definitely translates down” into the prices consumers pay.
Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous commercial vehicles emerged as another major focus of the hearing. Spear repeatedly urged senators to create a federal framework rather than leave the issue to a growing patchwork of state rules. Responding to Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Spear said commercial vehicles should be included in any legislative autonomous vehicle framework and argued that trucking could help lead deployment because it operates in a business-to-business environment.
“Having trucks equal with passenger vehicles, if not leading this platform, would be more appropriate in my opinion,” he said.
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Asked by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) what is holding back safe autonomous trucking deployment, Spear returned to the need for uniform rules.
“We need a national framework,” he said. “If you’re going to invest in this technology, grow it nationally, not by state, or we’re conceding this to China.”
Freight Fraud
The conversation also turned to cargo theft, freight fraud and chameleon carriers. Spear warned that criminal networks are exploiting “outdated systems, weak identity controls and fragmented reporting structures to steal freight, impersonate legitimate carriers, and undermine trust in the supply chain.”
During questioning from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Spear said bad actors “shouldn’t get busted, go under and then repost under a new [DOT] number.” He argued that Congress should pass Young’s Securing American Freight, Enforcement and Reliability in Transport Act (SAFER) to give federal agencies stronger anti-fraud tools and make those authorities permanent.
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Cruz. (Karen Foote/American Trucking Associations)
That emphasis on practical modernization — not just in equipment, but in federal enforcement and regulation — ran through the hearing. Young, who opened the session by warning that proven technologies can remain “locked behind outdated rules or tied up in red tape,” later asked witnesses whether regulation should focus more on performance than process.
Spear embraced that approach.
“You need a performance-based system,” he said. “This is a technology hearing. Let’s breathe it. Let’s let it [be] unbridled and not prescribe everything.”
Industry Voices
Other witnesses on the panel largely agreed with Spear, arguing that regulators should focus on measurable outcomes rather than legacy requirements. Ian Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, described how AI-assisted inspections, sensors and machine vision are improving rail safety.
Laura Chace, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, said digital tools should be treated as “core transportation elements.”
Cole Scandaglia of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said his union does “not oppose innovation” but urged Congress to pair new technologies with stronger guardrails for safety and workers.
Spear’s testimony framed trucking as an innovation leader looking for Washington to keep pace. Congress does not need to choose between innovation, safety and supply chain resilience, Spear emphasized, but it can move faster in updating tax, regulatory and enforcement policies to match the technology already coming into the market.
