American Trucking Associations (ATA) Chief Economist Bob Costello received an appointment from US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to the Advisory Council on Transportation Statistics (ACTS), which advises the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
“I am very honored to be asked to serve in this capacity,” said Costello. “Data is going to become even more critical, not just for freight, but for all modes of transportation in the future. I look forward to working with BTS on this exciting venture.”
The Department of Transportation hopes the 10 new members of ACTS will help the Department coordinate its data and eventually make recommendations to BTS on how to increase the relevance and quality of its data.
Other members of ACTS, created by the SAFETEA-LU highway bill of 2005, include experts from state departments of transportation, higher education, and other transportation groups.
Costello joined ATA in 1997 and manages ATA’s collection, analysis, and dissemination of trucking economic information. This includes monthly trucking economic indicators, motor carrier financial and operating data, an annual freight transportation forecast, driver wage studies, weekly diesel fuel price and economic reports, and a yearly trucking almanac. He also conducts economic analyses of proposed regulations and legislation affecting the trucking industry.