ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association in the U.S. has resumed its campaign to get fuel surcharge legislation introduced in Congress. But this time the plan takes a bit of a curve.

Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of OOIDA, said the new approach is a bit different in that the group will not push for a mandatory fuel surcharge like in its previous proposal cut from the Highway Bill earlier this year.

A proposed U.S. bill would require surcharges passed straight to drivers

Spencer said the new legislation, known as the Fairness In Trucking Transactions Act, or FITT, would require that if a surcharge is assessed and is paid by the shipper, then that surcharge must be passed through in its entirety to the person who paid for the fuel.

“On most shipments, a fuel surcharge is already collected,” Spencer said. “In most instances it doesn’t get through to the person who pays for the fuel.”

In addition, the legislation would require an accounting of any and all fees paid by the shipper to all parties involved in the transaction. Spencer said this would shed light on transactions and allow everybody to see exactly who gets the money and where it went.

“It puts a stop to the shell game that’s played by a lot of the middle men in the process,” he said. “You have truckers basically being beat and hammered, big time. And right now it’s all hidden. Everybody would like to know who’s getting the money.”

Spencer doesn’t anticipate much difficulty in getting support for this new bill when Congress resumes Oct. 17.

— from Landline, OOIDA’s official publication