Dayton businessman discusses transportation issues with Obama transition team
Monday, November 24, 2008
WASHINGTON — A Dayton businessman spent part of Monday morning at the Department of Transportation advising President-elect Barack Obama's transition team on trucking issues.
Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express, a company that serves the automotive industry primarily in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, was part of a handful of representatives from the trucking industry who presented one-page white papers advising Obama's transition team – as well as current Department of Transportation employees – on issues they hope the next administration will address.
Burch, who serves as first vice chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association, said he pressed the issue of safety, as well as emphasized the importance of rebuilding bridges and highways. He said an Obama plan to spur new jobs by rebuilding crumbling infrastructure is considered a "win-win" for the trucking industry, and would help their business during tough economic times.
"We are the rolling inventory, if you will," he said. "No one has the extra capacity to just have goods sit."
He said the industry is also interested in leaving less of a carbon footprint, and said trucking will still be necessary even if the nation begins moving more goods via railroad to reduce carbon emissions.
"When's the last time a railroad delivered milk to a store?" he asked. "There are still huge needs for trucks."
