Trucking, rail, Amazon vie for seats on DOT advisory board

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has received over 50 nominations for a 10-person advisory panel being set up at the U.S. Department of Transportation to help overhaul freight and passenger infrastructure, but apparently it wants more.

DOT is extending the deadline for nominations, which were initially due on Monday. The new deadline is June 13.

Included in the first wave of nominees are representatives from the country’s largest freight lobbies and biggest users of its transportation networks, including the American Trucking Associations (Dan Horvath Sr., VP of regulatory affairs and safety policy), the Association of American Railroads (Ian Jefferies, president and CEO), and the Transportation Intermediaries Association (Anne Reinke, president and CEO).

To help shape policies and regulations to improve U.S. infrastructure from a D rating to a B – as estimated by the American Society of Civil Engineers – DOT said it wants to create a board with “balanced membership that appropriately represents the varied interests of transportation stakeholders,” including experts from aviation, logistics, infrastructure, construction, finance and legal affairs.

Steve Armato, VP of Amazon Transportation Technology and Services, could help with that balance if selected, according to his nomination letter. It states, “With over two decades experience at Amazon, Steve has a passion for innovating on behalf of customers, particularly at the intersection of technology, science, and operations.”

“Steve’s leadership has contributed to Amazon’s agility to re-optimize and re-route our network in the face of disruptions, and has fostered the environment that embraces deploying new technologies at scale to advance safety and efficiency.”

While the department did not specifically mention labor, the Teamsters Union sees such representation as an important part of the panel’s mission.

“We believe that it is essential that the committee’s roster of industry leaders and experts include labor voices with deep expertise in the transportation industry to best inform its work,” the union wrote in a letter supporting the nomination of Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien.

“As the Committee considers its taskings, particularly relating to infrastructure modernization, new investments, and regulatory improvements, O’Brien will provide necessary perspectives from the workers who keep our transportation systems running across all modes of transportation in every corner of the nation.”

DOT received nominees from several companies and organizations that specialize in building infrastructure, including Ryan Lindsey, VP of government relations for building supplier CRH Americas; J. Bruce Bugg, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission; and Husein Cumber, senior adviser of Brightline Holdings.

Cumber has managed several capital projects, including reconnecting a rail freight line at PortMiami and building an intermodal container transfer facility at Port Everglades, Florida. “My experience in both the freight and passenger rail industries, and working with federal, state, and local rail transportation stakeholders, will provide a unique perspective,” he told DOT.

Others seeking a spot on the panel include:

• Jason Ambrosi, president, Air Line Pilots Association.
• Faye Malarkey Black, CEO, Regional Airline Association.
• Laura Chace, president and CEO, Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
• Catherine Chase, president, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
• Tyler Duvall, co-founder and CEO, Cavnue LLC.
• Garrett Eucalitto, president, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
• Fred Ferguson, president and CEO, American Bus Association.
• Maria Lehman, former president, American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Brigham McCown, chair and founder, Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure.
• Patrick McKenna, president and CEO, Eno Center for Transportation.
• Jim Monkmeyer, president of transportation, DHL Supply Chain.
• John Samuelsen, international president, Transport Workers Union of America.
• David Seymour, chief operating officer, American Airlines.
• Mike Sinnett, senior vice president of product strategy, Boeing.

Related articles:

• DOT’s deregulation barrage raises compliance concerns for trucking
• Advisers to FMCSA waver on support for trucker overtime pay
• FMCSA panel recommends ban on truck lease-purchase contracts
• DOT looks to AI as it prepares to cut workforce

Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher.

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