The American Truck Dealers (ATD) welcomed nearly 100 truck dealer leaders, state association executives and board members to Washington, D.C., last month for a busy day of industry and economic discussion before heading to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators during its annual fly-in.
With a focus on showcasing the importance of truck dealer operations on the American economy and advocating for the channel in upcoming legislative sessions, ATD President David Bell says the June 22-23 fly-in was a great success. Far beyond connecting truck dealers with their representatives, the event also showed attendees the value of engagement with ATD and the importance of advocacy in shaping policy.
ATD Chairman Kevin Holmes of Advantage Truck Group speaks during the 2026 ATD Legislative Fly-in last month in Washington, D.C.American Truck Dealers
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“Our going-home message [to the members] was advocacy doesn’t begin or stop here. It’s continuous,” Bell tells TPS. “The men and women who are truck dealers know relationships matter. I believe it’s profoundly understood that when they do back to their districts or their respective states, they go to their members of Congress and say, ‘Hey, why don’t you come down to my dealership and see what being a truck dealer is all about.’”
Meeting legislators and staffers at the fly-in helps with that but Bell notes most Capitol Hill meetings are short and pointed. This year, ATD’s focus in more than 70 congressional office meetings were on three main areas: the repeal of Federal Excise Tax (FET), the surface transportation reauthorization bill and the PART Act, which would address catalytic converter and emissions control device theft.
Repealing FET has been priority No. 1 for truck dealers for many years and Bell believes progress is being made in Washington in making legislators aware of its necessity. He says ATD briefed its members on how to discuss the topic before meeting with congressional offices to ensure dealers delivered clear messaging Congress could understand.
And ATD does have key supporters in Congress.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) spoke to attendees on the first day of the fly-in and shared his support for an FET repeal. A former auto dealer, Moreno is acutely aware of why a repeal is warranted and how hard it will be to acquire it. Bell says Moreno conveyed that knowledge to the dealers so they could maximize their meetings the following day.
“It’s great that the truck dealers were able to hear from a member of Congress about what resonates with them,” he says. “From there, it’s really about message delivery and once you tell a story, being able to get [legislators] to sponsor and support an issue.”
Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) speaks during the 2026 ATD Legislative Fly-in last month in Washington, D.C.American Truck Dealers
“Our members loved him,” Bell says.
ATD also used the fly-in to talk market conditions, hosting an economic discussion panel featuring NADA/ATD Economist Patrick Manzi and the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Economist Bob Costello, before welcoming ATA President and CEO Chris Spear for a closing keynote address on the first day.
Right to Repair, another issue ATD is following with great interest, wasn’t a major part of the fly-in agenda but Bell says ATD did distribute messaging to Capitol Hill in the aftermath of the EPA’s Freedom to Fix directive urging legislators to keep prior language developed in the House’s Ways and Means Committee.
Bell reiterated the NADA/ATD statement that the association was pleased the EPA guidance does not impact prior industry MOUs.
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Looking ahead, Bell says ATD is optimistic for the months ahead and hopeful Congress will heed its messaging in their lawmaking discussions. He also hopes the many ATD Emerging Leaders who attended the event will remain committed to the organization and motivate their contemporaries to become equally active.
“One of the things that is on my list is to connect with the dealer principals who have a lot of these emerging leaders that are part of their staff or work in their stores and continue to express the value of joining and attending,” he says. “They are the future of the truck industry from the dealer viewpoint and engaging them and keeping them activated is paramount.”
