The turnout at the Chehalis, WA, community forum might not have been as large as Sherrie Bond, an OOIDA member, could hope for, but Bond stated that the information discussed was definitely quality enough to make up for that.
The forum was hosted by U.S. Representative Brian Baird, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Mrs. Bond and her husband, Bob, organized the two hour forum which brought together 50 lawmakers and truckers.
One idea proposed at the panel called for the introduction of an emergency fund to which truckers could apply and potentially receive a small business loan. This is in light of the fact that many truckers attempting to make their trucks more fuel efficient can't qualify for loans because of their credit ratings.
As Bond said, "They (truckers) have been facing a touch time, but they need the opportunity to borrow money," and make things more manageable.
The forum also called for a look at HB1307 and at fuel taxes related to passenger vehicles. As Bond put it, "trucks have no choice in their consumption of fuel....truckers need a break right away."
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