During the sixth annual “Call on Washington” this September, TCA members engaged with lawmakers, legislative aides, and industry specialists.

David Heller, TCA’s Senior VP for Safety and Government Affairs, described the event as a pivotal platform to spotlight significant industry concerns.

Beyond advocating for increased parking accessibility, TCA participants voiced issues regarding the shift to electric vehicles and the emission standards set during the Biden administration.

The association also highlighted the importance of the independent contractor model and discussed strategies for workforce recruitment and retention. Throughout the week of September 9, TCA hosted panels featuring industry stakeholders and government officials.

“The feedback from our members who attended these meetings was overwhelmingly positive,” Heller mentioned to Transport Topics on September 13, following TCA’s Capitol Hill engagements. “Workforce-related issues are frequently intertwined with these discussions.”

The annual “fly-in” method employed by groups like TCA aims to optimize engagement with policymakers by facilitating in-person discussions. Heller noted that TCA conducted around 100 meetings during this year’s fly-in, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the trucking industry’s daily challenges to lawmakers.

A transportation funding bill for fiscal 2025, currently under review in the House, proposes $200 million for expanding truck parking facilities. The bill awaits a vote for presidential approval. TCA supports the truck parking provision along with other freight stakeholders.

Should this funding proposal not pass for fiscal 2025, Heller remains hopeful for its inclusion in the forthcoming comprehensive highway policy legislation. “We recognize the pressing issue of truck parking and its prioritization by professional drivers,” he stated.

Earlier this year, TCA celebrated its drivers of the year, who were present at the “Call on Washington” discussions on Capitol Hill.

Tim Chelette, an esteemed driver with Big G Express and previous America’s Road Team captain, raised significant parking concerns, stating, “If they want their freight, [then] they need to have places for us to park as well, along with a bigger truck stop. You could go in some of these states, and they have a rest area that you could put 500 trucks in and you go in another state and you can’t move but 15, maybe 20 trucks.”

These parking issues were echoed by fellow TCA drivers of the year. James White from P&S Logistics remarked, “Hopefully we can get something done.”

Rosalinda Tejada, representing Knight Transportation, emphasized the value of Capitol Hill interactions. “We’re able to adequately educate those people who might want to come [into] the industry or have questions,” she explained. “Given the platform awarded to us as truck drivers of the year, it’s up to us to determine its potential.”

Clark Reed, a seasoned driver with Nussbaum Transportation, emphasized the critical role of drivers. “This is such a noble profession that, like we talked about, we keep this economy rolling,” Reed said. “If it wasn’t for us, and this sounds very conceited, but if it wasn’t for us, nothing would be here. We wouldn’t have anything.”

Source: Transport Topics

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By tapping into the vast battery capacity of these locomotives, the researchers envision an interconnected system that functions as a colossal backup transmission grid. This game-changing network would not only pool saved power, but also enable power sharing among different regions, effortlessly handle surges in demand, and alleviate transmission congestion.

The implications of this research present a bold vision for a more reliable and sustainable power grid.

“Compared to new transmission lines and stationary battery capacity, deploying [rail-based mobile energy storage (RMES)] for such events could save the power sector upwards of US$300 per kW-year [for new transmission lines] and US$85 per kW-year [for stationary battery capacity,” researchers said in the article abstract. “While no known technical barriers exclude RMES from grid participation, addressing interconnection challenges and revising regulatory frameworks is necessary for deployment at scale.”

The extensive U.S. rail system, with its 137,000 miles of tracks, has the potential to serve as a reliable backup system. Researchers explain that the network stretches across highly populated and transmission-congested regions, making it a valuable asset.

Notably, a single train has the capacity to store 1 gigawatt-hour of battery power, equivalent to 1,000 semi-trucks.

Further exploration is needed to understand the practicality of using rail battery storage as a solution to transmission constraints. This necessitates both studying real-world freight scheduling limitations and considering the environmental impact.

The North American freight rail industry is exploring alternative energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the feasibility of electrifying certain areas of the rail network, like ports.

Source: FreightWaves

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