Hearings to examine how technological advances are driving transportation innovation.

could be used across different transportation ecosystems, and how to ensure industry has the flexibility to deploy such technologies voluntarily, and in adherence with common sense principles. Over the past decade, we've seen a rise in innovative technologies that require us to reimagine how our transportation networks operate. Technology loc- like autonomous vehicles, or AVs as we call them, a solution to mobility and safety challenges our roadways have faced for decades. AVs will provide mobility for seniors and those with disabilities, while increasing the safety of our roads by drastically reducing the number of crashes that are often caused by human error. In our trucking ecosystem, in addition to safety, AVs can better secure supply chains. while taking strain away from workers who often drive countless hours to meet deadlines. We've also seen the development of train inspection portals, which can analyze images of trains as they move throughout the country to better understand defects or other maintenance needs that a person may not be able to detect as easily or quickly. By taking the strain away from maintenance workers, scouring over every rail car and maintenance bay, Cars can get back on the track and continue delivering essential goods. There's also vehicle to everything, or V two X technologies, that can provide drivers with critical information as they travel, like where construction crews are stationed on highways or where dangerous conditions exist potentially preventing tragic accidents. I won't go into every technology that exists, of course. I don't want to steal the thunder of our esteemed panelists. But these are only a few of the vast suite of technologies, uh, contributing to safer and more efficient roads and tracks that may be discussed today. Many of which were only uh, a a pipe dream short time ago. Um, they were they were of course uh referenced years ago in in the Jetsons or or Star Trek, but um, now many of those things are upon us. The technology ecosystem especially within transportation is fast and uh and and uh expanding and it requires flexibility. The federal government has done well in the past establishing pilot projects or exemptions to test the effectiveness of certain technologies however we're often slow at the federal level when it comes to expanding proven technologies past the pilot program stage. So to fully realize the benefits of these innovations, we'll need to provide certainty to the private sector and develop pathways to commercialization, especially for proven technologies. Where we've seen success, we've also seen stagnation. Enacted legislation and promulgated rules have mandated technology too nascent in its life cycle or set rules with limited to no flexibility. For instance, over half a decade ago, regulations were effectuated that would require truck drivers to deploy warning triangles whenever they stopped their truck on the side of the road. And for a time, this rule made sense to ensure the safety of other road users and the drivers themselves. As technology advanced, however, alternative solutions were developed with the very same, if not greater, effectiveness. If there are avenues that could allow for industry to provide the same or greater level of efficacy, while increasing safety, then I believe Congress should remove the red tape, prohibiting this sort of innovation. I'm glad to hear of the recent waiver issued by the Department of Transportation to allow for cab-mounted warning beacons in certain instances, eliminating the need for a driver to get out of the vehicle. especially in unsafe situations like low visibility. But this is just one rule that's limiting the ingenuity of our private sector. Our adversaries won't wait for us to tie our shoes. If the technologies that will transform our transportation ecosystem are locked behind outdated rules, or tied up in red tape, other countries will develop these solutions first. And the job revolution in manufacturing capacity will occur overseas rather than here in Michigan or Indiana. Indiana is the most manufacturing-intensive state in the country and known as the Crossroads of America. My state's ready to deliver solutions to meet the manufacturing capacity needs. I'm sure many of my colleagues want the same opportunities for their state as well. So as Congress continues to contemplate legislation, it's imperative that we protect the innovative opportunities that will bolster our supply chains, increase safety, and deliver other workable transportation solutions to meet the needs of our economy. We've experienced we have an experience panel covering several different modes of the transportation economy today. I'm looking forward to your testimony to better learn how we can work to advance technological innovation in our transportation ecosystem to secure american leadership in in the industry and to insure our private sector has the flexibility it needs to develop and deploy these transformative technologies thank you again for being here today all of you and i now recognize ranking member peters for his opening remarks

well thank you uh chairman young and uh thank you to our esteemed witnesses uh for being uh here today Today we're gonna be uh hearing from witnesses uh across sectors about how technology is transforming our transportation system from our vehicles uh to our roads uh to our railroads. Uh and I have long advocated for harnessing uh technological innovation to combat the challenges we face uh in the transportation sector from unsafe roads, harmful environmental impacts to freight and infrastructure challenges that raise prices for everyday Americans. Our prime example uh is autonomous vehicles. For years I have said that Congress uh cannot continue to stand on the sidelines when it comes to these AVs. I believe we must pass a federal AV framework to harness the safety benefits of this technology, ensure that it is deployed responsibly, and cement US leadership in the development, manufacturing and deployment on our roads. But autonomous vehicles are only one piece of the technological puzzle. When I first came to the Senate, I helped push for positive train control technology that is now deployed across the rail system to prevent collisions and high-speed train derailments. Last Congress, after the East Palestine derailment, we saw firsthand the importance of wayside detection technology, and this committee authored the Railway Safety Act in response. On our roadways, both cities and states have leveraged federal funds to deploy ai and connected vehicle technology to prevent accidents before they happen and to get first responders to the scene a whole lot faster. We've also seen passenger and commercial vehicle deploy advanced driver assistance systems to help keep both drivers uh and the public safe. But there's so much uh more to do uh as we talk today about the opportunities and challenges posed uh by transportation uh technology. and the role Congress should play in driving that innovation. I wanna hear, I wanna hear from our witnesses on four basic questions. First, how can we harness technology for economic growth? Technology should not just increase efficiency, it should also increase the affordability for Americans. Second, how can this technology support and not replace our workforce? Technology has the potential to improve, and productivity for American workers, including America's truck drivers, if we play our cards right. But technology should also create good paying American jobs, which I believe we must develop and manufacture here at home, here in the United States. And third, how do we ensure emerging t- uh transportation technology doesn't compromise Americans' privacy or US national security? So, for example, today's vehicle technologies have advanced sensor suites that collect and analyze a huge amount of data, which would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. That's why I've pushed to keep Chinese vehicles and vehicle technologies out of the United States. And I want to hear from our witnesses today about protecting data exploitation by our adversaries, as well as here at home. And fourth and most importantly, How can transportation technology be harnessed to save lives? Every year, forty thousand Americans die on our highways, and nearly one thousand die on our railroads. And these aren't just numbers, they're families that will never be whole again. We must take action, and we know that technology is certainly part of that solution. I believe it'll require government, industry, labor and advocates coming together. to address safety crisis and to ensure that technology is deployed on our transportation system in a way that benefits all Americans. I look forward to contributing to this effort through our discussion uh here today. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Well, thank you uh, Senator Peters. I'd now like to uh introduce our witnesses for today for this hearing, the need for speed. Again, the catchy title we have. Our first witness is Mister Ian Jeffries. Mister Jeffries is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of American Railroads. He's led AAR since January of twenty nineteen. He has over a decade of experience in transportation policy, including roles at federal agencies and the Senate Senate Commerce Committee. Mister Jeffries.

Good morning, Chairman Young, Ranking Member Peters, other members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. Today's hearing comes at an important moment for American transportation. Next year, believe it or not, Freight Railroads will mark their two hundredth anniversary.

Rol-

An industry grounded in history, but being rapidly transformed by innovation. The modern rail network increasingly relies on AI-assisted inspections, machine vision, predictive analytics, advanced sensors, and real-time data. These tools help identify risks earlier and improve safety across the one hundred and forty thousand mile network and enhance service reliability. And the results are clear. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, twenty twenty-five was the safest year on record across key measures, including derailment rate, equipment and track-caused accidents, and, importantly, employee injuries. This progress reflects sustained investment, employee expertise, and continuous innovation. And that leads to my first point. Technology is driving record safety gains and will be essential to the next leap forward. The future of rail safety depends on detecting issues before they become failures. And we are seeing this across the industry. For example, at BNSF, systems collect real time tracked data during regular service, while AI-enabled tools identify defects earlier than traditional methods. And together with continuous real temperature monitoring, they enable a fully data-driven inspection model. CSX uses advanced detection technology that combines GPS, cameras, radar, and LIDAR to monitor work zones to automatically stop equipment movement when risks are identified. Norfolk Southern deploys AI-powered imaging portals that scan rail cars at track speed and flag defects in near real time. Technology now identifies seventy per se seventy five percent of mechanical defects on that railroad. Union Pacific uses machine vision and AI to analyze large data sets, detect patterns, and predict maintenance needs months in advance, allowing more targeted prevented action. Other railroads are advancing similar innovations. CN uses the automated inspection systems and ground penetrating radar while CPKC applies optical technology to detect early stage defects across the industry technology is expanding both the reach and precision of inspections and these tools support not replace railroad employees giving them better information to improve safety and operations which leads to my second point when policymakers consider technology I ask that they take a mode neutral approach to transportation technology Advanced tools are reshaping freight movement across not only rail, but trucking, maritime, and logistics writ large. And rail should not be treated differently simply because it's an established industry or because innovative changes challenge legacy assumptions. Federal policies should encourage innovation based on measurable outcomes, not restrict through outdated frameworks or preferences. Third, rail regulatory, excuse me, rail needs a regulatory system to keep pace with innovation. Much of today's regulatory structure was developed five decades ago and does not reflect modern technologies or operating practices. Railroads now have more advanced ways to meet safety goals, yet regulations often prevent those methods from being used to satisfy requirements. At the same time, we're seeing legislator proposals that could lock in legacy practices or double down on legacy practices, risking slowing down progress at a time when innovation is thriving. If we want continued safety improvements, affordability, and supply chain resilience, policy must enable investment and support development and deployment of new technologies, not discourage them. Let data guide decisions and safety outcomes, not rigid inputs. Freight Rail operates one of the world's most interconnected systems and invests roughly twenty-three billion dollars annually in infrastructure, equipment, and technology. And the question is whether policy will support that progress. And this is not just about transportation. It's about American competitiveness. Rail moves about forty percent of long-haul freight and supports critical industries across the economy. These technologies being deployed today will determine how effectively we continue to do so in the future. And so if we want a rail system that is safer, stronger, and ready for the next century, we must allow innovation to lead the way. The choices made here will determine whether progress accelerates or stalls. And let's make sure it accelerates. Thank you and I look forward to your questions.

Thank you, Mister Jeffries. Our second witness uh is Mister Chris Spear, President and CEO of the American Trucking Association. Uh, he has extensive experience in transportation and public policy, having held senior positions at Hyundai Motor Company, Honeywell International, and served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy at the US Department of Labor. Mister Spear, you're recognized for five minutes.

Let me thank you for letting Ian go first. I really appreciate that. Chairman Young, Ranking Member Peters, members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today about how Congress can keep America's trucking industry safe, competitive and innovative. Trucking moves the vast majority of our nation's freight, connects manufacturers to markets, keeps store shelves stocked, and delivers essential goods to communities in every state. Our industry is already investing billions in technology to create a safer more modern freight network. Innovation-driven solutions not only improve outcomes, but also help lower prices paid by consumers and businesses alike. We need Congress's support to continue building a stronger supply chain. First, Congress should repeal the twelve percent federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks trailers and tractors. The century-old tax punishes the purchase of the very vehicles that come with the latest technologies. Adding tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of new equipment discourages fleet turnover and keeps older equipment on the road longer. Congress' is a has a ready solution in Chairman Young's modern Clean and Safe Trucks Act, which would remove this outdated barrier and accelerate deployment. of safer, cleaner, and more efficient equipment nationwide. Second, Congress should solidify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's role as the primary authority over motor vehicle safety standards. Trucking is a national industry and vehicle standards must remain national as well. When states or courts impose equipment standards beyond federal law, it creates a fragmented regulatory landscape that drives uncertainty for manufacturers, motor carriers, and the supply chain. Congress should reaffirm that when NHTSA acts, federal standards take precedence. That clarity is essential if companies are going to invest confidently in new technologies and deploy them at scale. Third, Congress should establish and implement a federal framework for autonomous commercial vehicles. These systems hold real promise to enhance safety, improve productivity, and strengthen America's economic competitiveness, but only if deployment is governed by a clear national strategy. The Build America Two-Fifty Act would provide this guidance, preventing a patchwork of state rules from stifling innovation. Fourth, Congress should support technology upgrades and operational improvements at federal agencies, to combat the rise of cargo theft and supply chain fraud. Criminal networks are exploiting outdated systems, weak identity controls, and fragmented reporting structures to steal freight, impersonate legitimate carriers, and undermine trust in the supply chain. Congress can help close those gaps by supporting agency modernization, stronger registration integrity, better data sharing, and advance fraud detection tools. Chairman Young's Safer Transport Act would provide important tools to help DOT detect and deter fraud, while the combating organized retail crime act would enhance and coordinate the response to organized supply chain crime. Fifth, Congress should continue promoting proven technologies while refraining from mandating technologies that have not yet matured or demonstrated effectiveness in real-world trucking operations. Congress and regulators should distinguish between rules that are ready for broad deployment and those that are still requiring development, testing, and refinement. Sixth, Congress should support a resilient national approach to positioning navigation and timing, without disrupting the existing technologies and services that keep freight moving. Policymakers should reject proposals such as next-nav's petition that would repurpose the lower ninety nine hundred megahertz band in ways that risk harmful interference to the millions of incumbent devices and systems already operating there, including technologies that support logistics, transportation, and critical infrastructure. Together, these six steps would send a clear signal. Congress is ready to embrace technologies today and tomorrow, and help the trucking industry deliver even greater safety, resilience, and economic strength for the American people. Look forward to discussing these issues with the subcommittee and answering your questions.

Thank you, Mister Spearer, our next witness is Miss Laura Chase, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, also known as ITS America. Ms. Chase has led ITS America since August of twenty twenty one. She has two decades of experience developing and implementing policy, including in roles at US Telecom, the American Trucking Association, Justice Department and the White House. Uh, Ms. Chase, uh, you're recognized for five minutes.

Chairman Young, Ranking Member Peters, members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on technological advances are strengthening our nation's transportation system. This discussion comes at an important moment, as Congress considers the next surface transportation reauthorization and the future direction of our transportation system. ITS America brings together the full innovation ecosystem, public agencies, private companies, and research institutions to advance a vision of a better future, transformed by technology and innovation, one that is safe, smart, and connected. Our focus is not on supporting deployment of technology for technology's sake, but on ensuring that innovation translates into real-world outcomes for the traveling public. Our transportation system has evolved. It is no longer just concrete, asphalt, and steel. Today, transportation is increasingly defined by a combination of physical infrastructure and digital capabilities. Sensors, software, communication networks, and data systems are now embedded throughout the transportation network. creating a digital layer that allows agencies and operators to understand conditions in real time and respond more effectively. This evolution is already delivering measurable results. These developments point to a broader shift. Digital technologies must be treated as core transportation elements. They are fundamental to how the system operates, how it performs, and how it delivers outcomes for the American public. You can't manage what you don't understand, and digital infrastructure fundamentally improves our ability to understand our transportation system. Treating technology as a core element means prioritizing it throughout entire project life cycles from planning and building to operating and maintaining, and funding it at meaningful levels and in the same way, dedicated way that we do our traditional physical assets. Across the country, technology applications are improving safety. From smart signals and pedestrian detection systems in Bellevue, Washington, delivering a forty percent reduction in near-miss conflicts at intersections, to digital alerting systems in Illinois, increasing driver reaction distance and reducing harsh braking, to real-time detection technology in Indiana, keeping workers safe in work zones. The impact on safety is real. Technologies are also improving lives and reducing costs. In Detroit, travel reliability was improved by thirty percent from advanced traffic management systems using real-time data to optimize signal timing. and reduce congestion. Tools that provide real-time truck parking information, streamline waystation operations, and improve logistics planning also allow goods to get to your door more efficiently. Digital twins, sensors, and AI-enabled inspection systems for roads and bridges provide engineers with predictive intelligence to better maintain our infrastructure, saving agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. State and local transportation agencies are deploying these solutions today, But they are often doing so in fragmented ways that limit their full impact. To understand why that matters, it's helpful to consider a broader example. Think about the stand-alone computer. On its own it delivers real value, processing information, storing data, improving productivity. But its full potential was realized when it became connected. The internet transformed individual machines into a network that enables communication, coordination and shared intelligence at scale. Our transportation system is now at a similar inflection point. Intelligent technologies are already delivering meaningful benefits at individual intersections, along individual corridors, and throughout individual states. But when those systems are connected through national interoperable digital infrastructure, they become something more powerful, a coordinated responsive network that can operate as a system. Without that integration, we risk a future where deployment remains uneven and fragmented. limiting the safety, mobility, and economic benefits these technologies can deliver. Addressing that challenge is essential to unlocking the full value of innovation. Federal leadership plays a critical role. A clear national approach to transportation technology will provide direction, reduce fragmentation, and give public agencies and private partners alike greater confidence to invest. Establishing consistent national frameworks for areas such as automated vehicles data privacy, and system interoperability can help ensure that innovation is deployed safely and at scale across the country, just as providing funding flexibility and incurring outcomes-based approaches can help agencies deploy solutions that evolve over time, and deliver measurable results. America has an opportunity to lead the world in transportation system modernization. Digital solutions, both in infrastructure and in vehicles, are poised to provide safety and operational benefits that can unlock the next chapter of America's transportation evolution. By aligning policy, funding, and deployment strategies, this Congress can deliver to the American people the full safety efficiency and mobility benefits that these technologies offer. Thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to the questions.

Thank you, Miss Chase. Our final witness is Mister Cole Skendalia. Uh, Mister Skendalia is the Deputy Director of the Department of Political and Legislative Action. at the international brotherhood of teamsters a union that represents over a million workers across numerous industries in the united states and canada uh welcome mister you are now recognized for five minutes

mmm of

important topic teamsters represent one point three million hardworking people in the united states canada and puerto rico

including hundreds of thousands of employees in the rail uh and trucking industries. For our entire history, we've evolved alongside new transportation technologies. Our namesake refers to the man who once drove horse-drawn wagons across the country, and the first ever transcontinental shipment of goods by truck was conducted by a team of teamster drivers in nineteen twelve. At the core of our mission, we believe that the tool available to the American worker to best navigate the impacts of technological change is a collective bargain agreement. Every day we use these tools to negotiate the terms of new technological deployments in a manner that ultimately benefits both our members and our employers. We do not oppose innovation. We welcome the op adoption of technologies like automatic emergency braking and electronic logging devices in trucking and the deployment of positive train control in the railroad industry. We will continue to work with Congress, regulators and our employers on technologies which improve working conditions and increase safety on the job. Today, autonomous vehicles present enormous challenges. Today, the federal government has failed to advance an autonomous vehicles framework, and the sole unique requirement to operate an autonomous vehicle in this country, is to inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of crashes. Continuing to permit the unfettered and unregulation unfettered and unregulated operation of autonomous vehicles is a no-win situation for the country. We continue to call Congress to create a binding framework that prioritizes safety the workforce, and goes beyond weak self-certification regimes. We also urge members to consider the economic impasse of mass deployment of unregulated autonomous vehicles on both our members and your constituents. Driving a truck is the single most common occupation for men in the United States without a college degree and a top ten occupation overall in most states. More generally, increasingly connected transportation technologies also invite risk by bad actors and foreign adversaries. Teamsters believe strongly that connected vehicles and components from China must not be imported into the United States, that Chinese companies who open shop here should never receive a penny of federal transportation dollars, and Congress must prohibit any scenario in which a person outside this country can operate or manipulate a vehicle on our roads. In the railroad industry, we're proud to represent the brotherhood of locomotive engineers and train men and the brotherhood of maintenance and way employees. As two of the country's oldest unions, our rail members have to extraordinary technological change. However, it is essential that Congress and the Federal Railroad Administration appreciate that tools are supplemental to our work, not a replacement. Track geometry measurement systems, also known as ATI, automated track inspection, use advanced sensors, lasers, and machine vision to identify track defects that may not be visible to the human eye. However, these systems are only capable of identifying certain regulatory defects, not all, which must be evaluated under current regulation. We don't oppose this technology. In fact, we've called for it to be mandatory. But combining this technology with human visual inspections, conducted on a twice-weekly basis as currently prescribed in the regulations, is the equation for optimal safety outcomes. Locomotive engineers have also seen massive changes within the last fifteen years, including the use of PTC, as well as energy management systems like trip optimizer. Again, these technologies have value if used properly. Increasingly, however, we are seeing usage which takes away a substantial amount of decision making from crews for up to ninety-five percent of trip time. These extensive periods of time risk de-skilling of engineers, who may in turn be unprepared when asked to reassert control in a scenario uh where the technology fails or an emergency presents itself. Minimum time spent in manual operations can combat these effects. Further, the BLET continues to sound the alarm on the use of remote control locomotives. which are generally operated by an engineer who is not physically present in the cab. These operations carry risk already when operating in a yard environment, but are increasingly being used on main line track and rail sidings, which invites unacceptable dangers. Across all modes, including those subject to this subcommittee and the full committee, the Teamsters union continues to support strong prescriptive regulations, where warranted. Innovation, regulation, and the workforce need not be in conflict with each other. And we commit to working with the committee and the subcommittee to that effect. Appreciate the opportunity to testify today and look forward to questions.

Thank you, Mr. Scandalia. Before we dive into member questions, I'd like to recognize uh the ranking member of this committee, my colleague, Senator Cantwell.

Thank you.

Senator Cantwell?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be brief. I I look forward to uh the questions that our colleagues are asking, and I'm going to submit a statement for the record. But I was just visited by the city of Bellevue, and uh they had some very interesting technology success. using ai related to uh responding to emergencies and law enforcement and so we'll share that with the committee and i do think it is something uh if we can improve on our transportation infrastructure in that way it's something to consider thank you mister chairman

thank you i'll begin uh with with miss chase uh thank you for your testimony miss chase i i appreciate you discussing how our transportation system has evolved over time and and that we should be treating technology as a core transportation infrastructure in the united states uh it's not just the conventional stuff uh it's data and and all the rest of it you mentioned in your uh written testimony uh and i think you just alluded to it that we have a need for federal leadership to scale these technologies technologies that will reduce travel times lower crash rates improve asset management on our infrastructure projects. What happens if the federal government doesn't develop national leadership? What signal might it send to the private sector? And what happens to our globally competitive position, especially as China looks to surge ahead in the deployment of some of these critical technologies?

Thank you, Senator Young, for the question. Um, it's a a very important question uh at this moment in time. So what What would happen if we don't have federal leadership is we will continue to see fragmented uneven uneven deployments across the country that really struggle to deliver the system-wide benefits that we know they can to the American public. On the private sector side, uh right now you have a situation where the private sector is actually asking for that unified national marketplace. Um and if we don't create that federal leadership and don't create um that national approach, is not going to invest their significant capital into our own transportation system. If you think about it from a private sector company, it's a rational decision to go to a market where you have a a unified approach and a larger market share. And so the exact outcome that we do not want to see happen is for our companies that are developing technologies right here in America to then go deploy those technologies overseas uh at at our global competitors, because they have a larger marketplace, that can be addressed there. Um, so it's really critical that we ensure that we have federal leadership from Congress and and from USDOT that can create, as I call it, national approaches to national challenges, um, and show those federal frameworks and approaches and strategies so that the private sector sees it's worth it to invest here and that there is a, uh, a long-term ROI and then the public sector similarly, um, can have confidence in deploying those technologies.

well thank you um yeah you know in my my reference to say china um is is not just uh you know i'm i'm i'm not trying to get people excited i'm not trying to provoke them i'm not trying to leverage a geopolitical competition into uh this this narrow subset of policy this could impact our our rate over time of of growth which in turn allows us to fund uh our our way of life including our military so that is that's the long game we need to be using this moment in american history to optimize our system at every level including ensuring that our laws and rules uh uh allow for the integration of the best in class technology so that we can out compete anyone and um that is what i was alluding to miss chase when we discuss the integration adoption of of of these technologies it is important that we contemplate ways to secure this infrastructure as well from all kinds of threats. And your testimony discusses the tangential benefits of federal leadership in unlocking a scalable marketplace for advanced tech uh in in transportation infrastructures uh sectors. But one of these benefits is increased cyber security. Can you elaborate a bit on how this leadership can build stronger cyber safeguards, and separately um, how we can ensure our cyber security technologies like fire walls or IOT modules, and the underlying uh connectivity, the powers cloud software tools are actually met. In ten words or less.

Few more than ten. Uh, so, Senator, if we're establishing leadership right here at home in these technologies, then we're actually also developing the most innovative cyber tools and security methods right here at home. So that federal leadership is incredibly important um in ensuring that we secure these technologies which we um absolutely it's a priority for our members um as well um and very quickly um right now uh what agencies and companies are doing to to do that and secure these technologies um is uh following the existing NIST guidelines cease the protocols um zero trust architecture secure by design principles um and following all of those best in class practices uh when it comes to cyber security But we agree with you it is incredibly important that we create the marketplace for those cyber tools to also be developed right here in America.

Well, by way of follow-up after this hearing, uh, if you don't uh, I have an opportunity to unpack the cyber security um, best practices that you just alluded to. Uh, and if you see a role for Congress in ensuring that we're doing what we need to do, uh, uh, uh, please, uh, after this hearing let me know let my staff know and and we'll get to work on it mister peters

thank you uh thank you mister chairman um mister spear uh i know uh many of us uh share a commitment to to moving the ball forward on a on a framework for autonomous vehicles uh including autonomous uh commercial uh vehicles so my question for you is do you believe that a legislative av framework should include commercial vehicles Uh, and if so, could you expand on why this is important for your members and how the trucking industry would uh certainly benefit from guidance uh from Congress?

Well, quickly, absolutely. We would welcome that. I think inclusion with passenger vehicles is essential, but I'd go so far, I'm not competitive, but I would go so far to say trucks are business to business, whereas cars are business to consumer. If you're buying a car, you're gonna pick the things that you want on that car. If you don't want things that drive technology, you know, you're you're gonna come up short on that. Businesses to businesses will design systems around moving freight more efficiently more safely more environmentally friendly these are all things that can be developed faster through our OEMs which we only have a half dozen compared to a couple dozen auto manufacturers so you know we have a lot more ability to put technology platforms in place, move freight more efficiently, more safely, move more environmentally friendly So, yeah, I think uh having trucks equal with passenger vehicles, if not leading this platform, would be more appropriate in my opinion.

Very good, Mister Scandalia, you uh uh represent a lot of truck drivers, uh and as you heard in my opening comments, uh the the the views of our uh the men and women who are employed uh in these uh industries are incredibly important to get their viewpoint. So, I'd like to get your perspective uh from your members. Uh, you mentioned in your opening testimony some some ideas related to what you'd like to see but it for the committee i would love to have you expand on what you think needs to be done in a national av framework uh that addresses the concerns that we have of uh the men and women who work uh in the these uh industries

absolutely appreciate the question i think we're thinking about this in in three planks one is uh robust pre-market standards at NHTSA uh figuring out what has to be on the vehicle to make it safe before it hits the road. The second piece is substantial oversight tools at Federal Motor Carrier Administration to make sure that once there are deployments uh of these vehicles in a meaningful sense that Federal Motor Carrier has an idea of how they're functioning and how they're operating and also has the ability to severably take action in enforcement uh on unsafe autonomous vehicle deployments. Uh and then in as much as we do see displacement of workers that we develop um an approach to address workforce concerns that may present themselves down the road. Uh both as that relates to workers whose jobs may change, uh for example a a a mechanic uh who works on a diesel engine is not going to be prepared uh to work inherently on an autonomous vehicle, at least out of the gate. Uh and similarly uh if there are to be displacements of drivers, um what does the future look like for them? I think it's important that Congress gets in front of this now, instead of waiting uh until it's too late.

Very good, Miss Chase. Um, I I believe there are many vehicle technologies uh in addition to autonomous vehicles that uh certainly have the ability to save lives and as regulators, we must do what we can to harness uh that potential. Uh, that's why I introduced uh the Vehicle Safety Research Act uh with uh Chair Young uh to codify NHTSA's parts program to accelerate uh advanced driver assistance systems uh their research uh and their development. It's also why last week uh I introduced the Vehicle Safety Equipment Testing Act with Senator Fischer uh to speed the testing of vehicle safety technology so that they can be perfected uh perfected and deployed uh quickly. The sooner they're deployed, the more lives that are saved. And that's why I also thought to protect auto safety spectrum from the deployment of connected vehicle technology and why I and Chair Young uh have pushed together the uh Department of Transportation to lead the way on the deployment of of CV two X. So if you could give this committee some examples of current CV two X deployments, and tell the committee uh why you believe the big uh what what uh what are the biggest barriers uh to broader deployment of these uh technologies.

Thank you, Senator, uh for the question and for your ongoing um support. Um so there are several CVX deployments in the country right now that are growing. Um Atlanta, Georgia has uh actually the largest current deployment in the country all throughout the metro area, extending now to the Port of Savannah and actually giving um freight signal priority, which has been uh very successful. Maricopa County, Arizona has a large deployment. Salt Lake City and Utah is coordinating with Colorado and Wyoming. And um Houston, Texas, those those last three are all funded by US DOT grants. Um and there are several in your home state of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Detroit. I'm actually gonna be uh seeing the Detroit uh uh deployment uh this week. So um some of the uh examples of of what this is providing uh are transit signal priority, emergency vehicle preemption, freight priority and support, uh pedestrian and cyclist detection and alerting for safety, work zone alerting, weather warnings, and and newer is um VDX tolling. Um and so there's uh actually a huge range of applications that are are being um leveraged as a part of these deployments. Um we're also seeing some network-based solutions being included now uh in these deployments. Um the biggest barrier I would say is actually consistent across all technology areas. um, and it's consistent with sort of my core message in this testimony, which is that we need to treat, start treating technology as a core element of our transportation system and infrastructure, because that directly ties into remai- making sure that fed- federal transportation funding levels remain stable, and that it's clearly prioritized that these technologies, um, should be deployed and scaled throughout the system. So ensuring that we have consistent, dedicated funding for these projects um ensuring that we are incorporating technology um and integrating it into the full life cycle of projects those are some of the key barriers to both um c b to x deployments but also uh broader technology deployments across the country

Thank you for the answer thank you Mister Chairman. Senator Moreno you're now recognized.

Thank you Mister Speer. Let's dig into a little bit of uh what you talked about in your opening statement. How much um exactly of the things that uh american consumers buy do they get through trucks

uh just over eighty percent of the communities in the united states depend on trucks for their day-to-day needs so you know food to fuel you name it

so groceries basic essentials construction goods you name it right it hits the entire economy

it's a grocery store shelf issue

exactly and if costs for transportation companies rise dramatically what is the impact on household goods

Well, I it definitely translates down no different than theft. Um, you know, the price of fuel, inflation, all those things get transformed in the prices we pay. And we're the link between that, from the goods to the fact uh of when they're delivered and bought. Um, what you pay is reflected uh in all those factors. So, yeah, prices definitely go up. We see that. We pass on some of those costs, but not all of them.

But our but our goal our goal should be to try to make it less expensive.

And

for transportation to exist in America. Would you agree?

Always.

Alright. So, are you familiar with the advanced truck rule that we got rid of last year? So that would have mandated an electric V electric semis. How many electric semis were sold this year out of the total? I will I will give you the answer.

No problem.

It's point two percent.

Yeah, very small.

So, but just so that we're clear, because it's numbers can be confusing. Not two percent. Point two percent. So of all the semis sold in the United States this year, point two percent were electric. What would the advanced car truck rule have required us to have been selling in America had it not been repealed?

Well, it would have transformed us come twenty, thirty, ten percent every year.

No, what would be the number? Like, so we're we're at point two percent. We got rid of the rule. What would the percentage required by law have been to have been uh sold as in terms of electric summis?

Well, starting at twenty, thirty, ten percent, it would have been about three and a half million. Trucks.

So so a five thousand percent increase in electric V would that have cost consumers

Right.

money?

It's it was three and a half times more than a brand new diesel, which by the way emits, you know, the same amount of emissions that that's, you know, sixty trucks in nineteen eighty eight emitted. So we've come that far. So to push us toward an electric platform with infrastructure that doesn't exist would have been horrendous in terms of cost and capability.

Is it hyperbolic to say it would have been catastrophic for our economy?

It would have imploded our economy.

It would have imploded our economy. Uh, there wasn't a single solitary Democrat that voted to get rid of that rule. Uh, just wanna point that out, it's extremely important that we remember where we've been, so we know where we're going. Um, I want to, uh, absolutely give props to our Chairman, uh, for the, uh, uh, bill that he has to get rid of the federal excise tax. Can you talk about, again, a little bit more detail what that means? Uh, what's the average age of the semi on the road today?

Uh, twenty ten. Like twenty

Like that. So, fifteen, sixteen year old truck is the average,

Absolutely.

average,

That's correct.

right? Not the oldest one, the average.

In California as well.

Right. So, if you really wanna improve fuel economy and safety, you want people driving a newer fleet. Is that accurate?

Right.

Absolutely. You wanna incentivize the procurement of brand new equipment. This would do it. This is twenty four thousand dollars per tractor, sixty four hundred dollars per trailer. This is money that should go in the hands of drivers that are operating their own equipment to fleets. They're replacing their equipment.

But, but just beyond, but just beyond that, it incentivizes people to buy newer summis. So if, if the average age went from two thousand ten to two thousand thirteen or fourteen, you're talking about dramatically better fuel economy, dramatically better safety. And this law was one that was passed a few years ago. FET, was it passed a few years ago?