Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/87831
LOGBOOK million from Political Action Committees. The remaining $11,000 is soft or outside money to political parties and outside spending groups. The CRP ranks the American Trucking Associations as a Heavy Hitter, which means it is one of the 140 biggest overall donors to federal elections since the 1990 election cycle. This election cycle, it contributed a total of $562,400 to candidates and the remaining $106,150 to political parties and outside spending groups. In congressional races, three Republican members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee were the top recipients of ATA funds. Iowa Rep. Tom Latham, an appropriations transportation subcommittee member in his ninth congressional term, received the most ATA contributions with $12,750. Florida Rep. John Mica, chairman of the transportation committee chairman and Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the Railroads Pipelines and Hazardous Materials subcommittee, each received $10,000 from the organization. The Owner-Operator SHORT HAULS OPERATIONAL COSTS for trucking have risen over the past four years to $1.71 per mile in 2011 for fleet operations, says the American Transportation Research Institute. The annual report says fuel and driver wages were the largest costs for carriers, together constituting 62 percent of the average operating cost in 2011. November 2012 | Overdrive | 15 Independent Driver Association contributed $293,738 this election cycle. Candidates received $275,738 of that while the remainder went to PACs, parties and outside spending groups. OOIDA's highest contribution to a candidate was $10,000 to West Virginia Rep. Nick Rahall, now in his 18th term and a ranking member of the House transportation committee. – Jill Dunn (Continued on page 92) Text INFO to 50298 or visit ovdinfo.com