OOIDA asks Congress to act on top trucking issues
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has written U.S. Congress reminding them of key issues facing the trucking industry that must be addressed once the Covid-19 crisis passes.
“Without any sort of work-from-home option, truckers are manning the front lines of the industry as they always have done,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA president and CEO. “They certainly welcome the public praise from all who have noticed their role in the pandemic response. But they will need more than words to stay afloat in an uncertain future.”
As the crisis passes, OOIDA wants Congress to prioritize the following:
- H.R. 6104, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, should be passed to address the shortage of parking for trucks. This bipartisan legislation would provide dedicated funding for projects that expand truck parking capacity.
- Congress must support the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) efforts to modernize and improve hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. Truckers shouldn’t just get temporary relief when the nation needs their help responding to an emergency.
- Congress must take steps to address the persistent problem of excessive detention time, which reduces driver wages, slows the movement of freight and has been linked to increased crash rates. Many drivers spend countless unpaid on-duty hours being detained due to the inefficiency of others within the supply chain.
- Congress must repeal the overtime exemption for employee drivers in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The average truck driver works 60-70 hours per week, which is rarely, if ever, reflected in their compensation.
- Congress must waive the 2020 payment of the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) to provide immediate tax relief to owner-operators, many of which are struggling to keep their businesses operational during and after the crisis.
“These aren’t necessarily the only issues in trucking that need to change to bring improvements,” added Spencer. “But memes and applause don’t pay bills or reduce the overregulation that keep them from making a living. These are things that Congress can move quickly on to help truck drivers.” The complete letter can be read here.
Have your say
This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.
This needs to happen in Canada as soon as possible with a number of trucking companies face huge fines for short changed drivers. The insurance issue is huge in Ontario Canada. If these issues are not addressed many truck drivers will quit the industry after this disaster is over. Right now I tell people that being a truck driver is a gamble and is often comes with bad working conditions and poor health care.
Paying overtime is the first step. And the second is the prohibition of salaries per mile, which is discriminatory, and forcing drivers to work under pressure, since salaries depend on speed and time, which is limited by law !!!
The working conditions of truck drivers should not differ from the working conditions of all other workers, even if it will be very disadvantageous for companies !!! Drivers work no easier than others, and bear more responsibility for the loads and lives of others.