Washington, D.C. – The Shippers Coalition applauds Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and
Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) for introducing the Safer Highways and Increased Performance
for Interstate Trucking Act, the “SHIP IT Act.” This bill provides common-sense solutions by
taking a holistic view of the pain points in the supply chain by increasing shipping capacity,
lessening burdens on current and future truck drivers, providing incentives to recruit and retain
drivers, and allowing additional flexibilities during times of emergency. These solutions will
ensure consumers have access to critical goods and bring much-needed reform to a system that
has been long neglected.
The SHIP IT Act modernizes the authority for certain vehicle waivers during emergencies, allows
truck drivers to apply for workforce grants, streamlines the CDL process, and assists with truck
parking difficulties. This bipartisan bill will drastically improve our supply chain and keep costs
down for consumers by making it easier for shippers to move products to every corner of the
United States.
“Our supply chain is at a breaking point, and the introduction of the SHIP IT Act is a critical step
in building a stronger transportation network. The SHIP IT Act will strengthen our nation’s
supply chains before another crisis occurs. Congressman Dusty Johnson has a proven record of
being a leader on these issues, which was witnessed in his steadfast commitment to the
passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA). The OSRA was needed to ease the backlog at
ports and the SHIP IT Act is the natural next step to continue the important work of bolstering
the nation’s supply chain.” – Sean Joyce, Executive Director, Shippers Coalition
“At PepsiCo, we’re committed to continually improving how we do business so we can safely
support the communities we serve, meet the needs of our consumers and the demands of our
customers. As one of the largest private fleets in North America, PepsiCo is pleased that
provisions in the SHIP IT Act will not only modernize our current supply chain system, but also
make roads safer and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” – Jim Farrell, Senior Vice President,
Transportation, PepsiCo
“The SHIP IT Act offers tangible solutions that stand to immediately address pressing supply
chain challenges. We call on Congress to pass this bipartisan legislation and take meaningful steps to lower consumer costs, enhance efficiency and support safety.” – Thomas Madrecki, Vice President, Supply Chain, Consumer Brands Association (CBA)
“Congressmen Johnson and Costa have introduced a sensible solution for untangling the
nation’s supply chain problems and strengthening the U.S. economy. The SHIP IT Act removes
numerous regulatory barriers that will make it easier for truckers to do their job – delivering
critical products across the country. These regulatory reforms are vital to meeting the current
and future transportation needs of our industry, as well as the farmers, manufacturers and
energy producers who depend on the business of chemistry. We strongly urge Congress to pass
this legislation as soon as possible.” – Chris Jahn, President and CEO, American Chemistry
Council (ACC)
“The SHIP IT Act is commonsense trucking reform legislation that will help dairy companies
overcome many of the current supply chain challenges facing our industry. The legislation
would bring the U.S. supply chain into the 21st century to meet the needs of shippers, reduce
regulatory burdens that cost shippers millions of dollars a year, create good paying jobs, and
support the ambitious sustainability goals of dairy businesses. IDFA is grateful to Reps. Dusty
Johnson and Jim Costa for their leadership on this issue, and we urge swift passage of the SHIP
IT Act in both chambers of Congress.” – Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO,
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
“Milk is a perishable commodity that needs to move quickly along the supply chain from the
farm to the consumer. The damages wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain
snarls that followed have shown how important it is to find safe, efficient means of transporting
goods across the country. We commend Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Jim Costa
(D-CA) for their bipartisan Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking
Act. This measure includes important provisions that will improve transportation efficiency and
sustainability within the U.S. dairy industry.” – Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, National Milk
Producers Federation (NMPF)
“AF&PA is proud to support the Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate
Trucking (SHIP IT) Act to help alleviate supply chain constraints experienced across industries
resulting from challenges related to the ongoing rail labor uncertainties. AF&PA has long
advocated for many of the key provisions in this bipartisan bill. We thank Rep. Dusty Johnson
(R-SD-AL) and Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-21st) for their continued support, leadership and
commitment to crafting a multifaceted approach to build stronger supply chains in the United
States.
This legislation will provide more flexibility and reliability to the forest products industry
for receiving products integral to the papermaking process. Reliable transportation helps
deliver our essential products to their final destination faster and more efficiently. We look
forward to working with our partners in the Shippers Coalition and on Capitol Hill to move the
SHIP IT Act forward in the 118th U.S. Congress.” – Heidi Brock, President and CEO, The
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA)
