News From ASET - February 14, 2001

Congressional Visits in Full Force

ASET has been actively meeting with Members of Congress, Senators, and their respective staff to discuss reintroduction of ASET's legislation in the 107th Congress. Interest in our objective has been high, particularly with House Members that serve on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. We anticipate our legislation will be introduced in the House within the next several weeks and in the Senate this spring.

It is critical to our success that ASET members and supporters contact our targeted list of congressional sponsors as soon as possible. Members of the House and Senate want to hear from companies and organizations that operate in their home state. It is important that their offices receive calls and letters illustrating why our truck weight proposal will save your company money and result in fewer accidents on the highways. If you have not already written or called any Members of Congress, please contact Jake Jacoby immediately to find out how you can help.

Dept. of Transportation Admits a 'Crisis' in Transportation Policy

The DOT has expressed grave concerns about their projected outlook for transportation policy over the next twenty years. Their conclusions suggest that freight will increase approximately 87% by the year 2020. The answer is to look at new possible productivity improvements or spend billions on new infrastructure costs. They suggest that the issue of weight may need to be looked at more closely. There was an article regarding the DOT's findings in Traffic World on January 22nd. If you would like to view the article, please feel free to click here or go to our Media Coverage section.

British Truckers Granted More Weight

British truckers were granted the right to haul just over 97,000 pounds on six-axle tractor-trailers. The news has been hailed as a significant step in making British companies more competitive on the world market. An article appeared in Transport Topics on February 6th regarding this story. You may view this article by clicking here or by going to our Media Coverage section.

Agriculture Groups Interested in ASET's Legislation

Jake Jacoby spoke to the New England Grain and Feed Council on February 5th at their annual conference. ASET's weight legislation was one of two main topics of discussion at the transportation seminar held in Boston, MA. Several companies represented at the meeting expressed support and interest in our objectives, as have many companies involved with the National Grain and Feed Association across the country.

The National Farm Bureau has agreed to actively support ASET in our lobbying and grass roots efforts to push our issue to the forefront of the transportation agenda on Capitol Hill. No organization in agriculture is more respected in Congress than the Farm Bureau and ASET is proud to have their assistance on this matter.

ASET Begins Spring Fly-In Preparations

We have begun planning for this year's Spring Fly-In event in Washington, DC. Our target date is May 2nd and will involve an all-day agenda of meetings, speeches, and a luncheon to be held in the Rayburn House Office Building that afternoon. ASET will send out a brief questionnaire to determine who will be able to attend and whom our members would like to meet with while in Washington. You can download this questionnaire in Microsoft Word format by clicking here. Please fax or e-mail the information back to ASET when completed.

House and Senate Transportation Committees Finally Set

It's taken some time, along with a lot of behind-the-scenes scrambling, but the House and Senate have named their committee and subcommittee members. Please go to our In Congress section to view the entire list in both the House and Senate.