In a recent interview with the Kansas City Star, Kansas Gov. Bill Graves talked about trucking and his future position as president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations,
a job he is scheduled to take in January 2003 after his current term is over.
Graves told the paper he remembers his father, who owned a trucking company, speaking "almost reverently about the leadership of ATA."
The biggest issues facing the trucking industry, Graves told the paper, include balancing safety with thin margins, including driver fatigue. He sees truck safety as an important role for the ATA, as well as educating the public about the industry and how important it is.
Asked about the view that truck drivers work in a "sweatshop on wheels," Graves told the paper, "I certainly don't view the motor carrier industry in that light. I think for the most part it's dominated by very fine companies made up of very fine people who deliver outstanding service economically and on time. There are always going to be in every industry fringe operations. Accidents do happen in every industry that we all regeret and wish could be avoided."
While the governor's only truck driving experience is yard jockey and city delivery, he told the paper, "I may need to see if it wouldn't be appropriate for the head of the association to have a CDL. Speaking from experience is a lot better than just having someone tell you about it."