Freight Giants Set Sights on the 2024 Election: From 'Winning Debates' to 'Winning Orders'

Although economic issues remain the top concern for the freight industry, another topic drew equal attention at the industry's largest trade show this year: the 2024 presidential election.

At the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Management Conference & Exhibition in Austin, Texas, the upcoming election frequently surfaced in executive speeches, panel discussions about swing voters, and questions from attendees.

Politics has never been confined to the ATA's Truck PAC. As the freight industry prepares for an election year, the trade group representing this multi-billion-dollar industry placed greater emphasis at the conference on sharing its perspectives, research findings, and specific policy agenda.

New ATA Chairman Andrew Boyle said at the closing dinner in the Austin Convention Center that the issues affecting the freight industry are inherently political but often transcend party lines.

Boyle, co-president of Boyle Transportation, a temperature-controlled carrier based in Billerica, Massachusetts, urged fellow executives to show empathy when advocating for the industry at the state and federal levels and even at the Thanksgiving dinner table in the coming year. He said doing so could help achieve goals such as repealing the federal excise tax, which would reduce the cost of a new tractor by 12.5%.

"Between political parties, big tech companies, and media organizations, many entities profit from dividing us and ruining that Thanksgiving dinner," Boyle said at the October conference. "But we can show a little empathy and maybe try to win the order, even at that table."

"We don't want any of it"

At last year's conference in San Diego, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear criticized the previous administration of former President Donald Trump for unfulfilled promises to the freight industry, calling them "all hat and no cattle."

This year, in a fiery keynote address, the association leader launched sharp attacks on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and other adversaries.

He blamed the union for the collapse of Yellow Corp. Then, the ATA CEO went further, directly naming Biden—who has called himself the most pro-union president in American history.

"If that's what this president is selling, we don't want any of it," Spear said.

Although the industry as a whole leans conservative, the trucking association appears not to have placed bets on Biden or Trump as 2024 approaches.

According to Federal Election Commission data, as of September 30, neither candidate nor their principal fundraising committees had received contributions from the ATA's Truck PAC.

Instead, according to the FEC, since January 1, the ATA's Truck PAC has directed more than $410,000 in political contributions to groups affiliated with members of Congress from both parties.

The industry's focus on the election was evident throughout the conference. Dozens of attendees came to hear Rich Thau, founder and president of Engagious, share findings from his "Swing Voter Project."

In partnership with Axios, Thau asked focus groups of non-partisan voters about policy and political dynamics in Washington.

In video clips Thau played, the concerns and views of those "Trump-to-Biden" swing voters varied.

But Thau highlighted a key point of consensus among swing voters, a major concern shared by Republicans and Democrats alike: they believe both Biden, 80, and Trump, 77, are too old for the presidency.

This is a pointed issue for a freight industry facing major changes, including an aging workforce and a wave of retirements in the coming years.

"I trust the voting public to sort out this (election). I don't know how it will turn out," said Jim Ward, chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association and retired president of D.M. Bowman, who attended Thau's session. "Many of us are getting older... Ensuring we have good strategies for workforce development is probably my biggest concern."

"Election years are always tricky"

After answering two questions about driver shortages and the potential impact of the Israel-Hamas war, ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello received a third question about the upcoming election at the end of his annual outlook.

"Election years are always tricky for the economy," Costello replied. "I tend to think that if voters and households are uncertain about the future, they might hold back on spending."

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"If voters and households are uncertain about the future, they might hold back on spending."

Bob Costello

ATA Chief Economist

"But usually we find that in the end, it comes down to: Do they have jobs? Are they earning more? That matters more to how they feel."

In his closing dinner speech, Boyle said he learned the concept of "winning the order" from former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a moderate Republican.

Baker learned it from his father at the dinner table—after Baker's mother left the table because her son raised his voice during an argument. As Boyle recounted, Baker's father admonished him: "You may have won the argument, but you lost the order."

The ATA chairman then described a passionate environmental argument made in September before the House Ways and Means Committee about repealing the excise tax. He said the argument came from a Democratic congressman from New Hampshire, who noted that repeal would drive adoption of cleaner, safer trucks.

"My friends, that is the ATA and our state partners winning the order," Boyle said.