Secretary Slater Announces BTS Sessions to Promote Reporting of Trucking Industry Financial Information

Contact BTS 17-00 Dave Smallen 202-366-5568

Tuesday, November 14, 2000 -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has scheduled outreach sessions in four locations in December to provide information to large trucking companies on the requirements for reporting financial and operating statistics to the government.

"Information is the basis of a 21^st Century transportation system that is intelligent in nature," Secretary Slater said. "We are acting on the direction of Vice President Gore, who said that in this Information Age, the key strategic resource is not land or capital -- it is knowledge."

"The sessions will continue the work of the BTS to increase the knowledge base for transportation decision-makers in the public and private sectors," Dr. Ashish Sen, BTS Director, said. "BTS' Office of Motor Carrier Information will not only collect this information but will make it readily accessible."

Representatives of trucking companies with annual revenue of at least $3 million are invited to attend the sessions. These companies are required to file annual financial and operating statistics reports, while companies with at least $10 million must file quarterly reports in addition to the yearly filing.

BTS has scheduled eight half-day sessions in four regions. They will be held:

Friday, Dec. 1 in Washington, D.C.,
Monday, Dec. 4 in Chicago,
Wednesday, Dec. 6 in Dallas, and,
Friday, Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.

The sessions will explain who must file, which forms must be filed, the deadlines, how the reported data are used and by whom, how motor carrier companies can get annual and quarterly reports, how the data can be used for specific purposes, and how historical data can be purchased.

Trucking company representatives who wish to attend should contact Russell B. Capelle, Jr., assistant BTS director for motor carrier information, at (202) 366-5685 or at  russ.capelle@bts.gov by Nov. 21. Additional information may also be obtained at www.bts.gov/mcs.