Amid a roar of impeachment and candidacy news last week, the Georgia Commission on Freight and Logistics released its final report. The General Assembly created the commission last year to study the freight and logistics network in the state, “find ways to move freight more efficiently, and to spur economic growth and job creation.”
With an eye towards “untying Atlanta,” the group was headed by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-9 Dawsonville) and Sen. Brandon Beach (R- 21 Alpharetta) – both members of the General Assembly who have dedicated years to finding transportation solutions.
Their report is an extensive explainer on the situation of logistics in the state and includes a handful of recommendations – all possibly implementable – for the legislature going forward.
“In 2018 the logistics industry logged 181,000 direct industry jobs; $60.7 billion in economic output; $33.5 billion in state gross domestic product; and more than $2.7 billion in state and local tax revenue,” noted the report. “Our state exceeds the national average in most industry categories for employment; the industry employment as a whole grew by 30 percent between 2010 and 2017.”
The report issued five recommendations, focused on both the logistics problem issue but also economic growth.
1) Workforce development: The report noted that truck driver shortages is a big problem for companies like Kia and Shaw Industries. These companies, and others like them that require massive amounts of square footage, are often located in areas of the state outside of metro Atlanta and truck driver development would boost the companies and potentially the employment of residents in these areas.
2) Truck parking: The federal government mandates that trucks must stop and rest when electronic driver logs indicate it is time to do so. There are currently only 3,556 spaces dedicated for this purpose. Not nearly enough for the amount of freight moving across the state, this shortage leads to trucks parked in unauthorized lots or on interstate on and off ramps.
3) Freight rail investment: Pretty self-explanatory. More rail means more trains which means less trucks which means less traffic. A popular stance apparently.
4) Bridge the Funding Gap: A fancy, commission way of saying that there is a big hole in infrastructure investment and maintenance costs – more than $100 billion over the next thirty years. The commission recommends more public private partnerships and urges the General Assembly to explore other avenues to lessen the gap.
5) Extend the Commission: It’s a big problem, and a big opportunity. The commission would like to continue its work and identifying and finding further solutions.
The commission was supported in some of its work and mission by the Georgia Transportation Alliance, an offshoot of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce that supports increased investment in infrastructure and in finding solutions to the traffic woes of metro Atlanta.
“We commend Co-Chairmen Representative Kevin Tanner and Senator Brandon Beach along with the other members of the Commission for the release of a report that provides an in-depth look into the needs of the freight and logistics industry in our state,” said the Alliance. “The Georgia Transportation Alliance believes infrastructure to support freight and logistics should be a priority given Georgia has the fastest growing port in the country, and over 80% of the cargo coming in will travel by truck on Georgia’s highway system.”
