1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 264
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pride
 1-4     in recognizing the Texas trucking industry and the Texas Motor
 1-5     Transportation Association on the occasion of State Trucking and
 1-6     Moving Day, February 24, 1999; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The Texas trucking industry is committed to
 1-8     improving highway safety and road courtesy, and the Texas Motor
 1-9     Transportation Association offers a Safety Certification Program
1-10     for safety professionals, as well as a variety of educational
1-11     programs directed toward the trucking industry and the motoring
1-12     public; and
1-13           WHEREAS, In Texas, there are over 30,000 motor carriers
1-14     registered with the Motor Carrier Division of the Texas Department
1-15     of Transportation, and approximately 80 percent of these motor
1-16     carriers operate 10 trucks or less; the motor carrier industry
1-17     employs over 620,000 people in Texas; and
1-18           WHEREAS, A motor carrier spends approximately $15,300 per
1-19     truck in regulatory compliance per year, and trucks pay a large
1-20     share of the nation's regulatory burden by attempting to comply
1-21     with the many safety and environmental regulations; and
1-22           WHEREAS, In Texas, trucks transport nearly 60 percent of
1-23     all manufactured commodities and deliver to every community in
1-24     the state; 72 percent of the state's communities rely solely on
 2-1     trucking to deliver their goods; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, The trucking industry in Texas pays over $17.5
 2-3     billion in annual salaries, and the state's truck operators pay
 2-4     over $1.7 billion annually in state and federal highway taxes and
 2-5     fees; a single operator of a typical 18-wheeler in Texas pays an
 2-6     annual combined state and federal tax bill of $10,197; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, The trucking industry's impact on the Texas economy
 2-8     is powerful due to the increased demand for trucking; since 1980,
 2-9     the truck miles traveled in the state have increased 37.5 percent,
2-10     reaching 14.6 billion miles annually; now, therefore, be it
2-11           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-12     76th Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the Texas trucking
2-13     industry and the Texas Motor Transportation Association and
2-14     encourage all Texans to recognize February 24, 1999, as State
2-15     Trucking and Moving Day; and, be it further
2-16           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
2-17     honor of our state's trucking industry.
2-18                                                              Armbrister
2-19                                  ______________________________________
2-20                                          President of the Senate
2-21                                       I hereby certify that the above
2-22                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
2-23                                  on February 22, 1999.
2-24                                  ______________________________________
2-25                                          Secretary of the Senate
2-26                                  ______________________________________
2-27                                           Member, Texas Senate