Buttigieg to testify on DOT policies

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will testify in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

The hearing, titled “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs,” is scheduled for 10 a.m. Eastern.

A live broadcast of the hearing will be available below.

It is expected to tackle a variety of issues, including implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supply chain issues and electric vehicle infrastructure policies.

Last week, Buttigieg was in South Dakota to announce efforts to increase the amount of truck parking.

During an event Sept. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D., Buttigieg highlighted the importance of truck parking.

“I want to concentrate in particular on what new truck parking means for drivers and for everybody who counts on this highway,” he said during a news conference. “I know that truck parking is an issue that most Americans probably don’t think about every day, but it’s a vitally important one.”

Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President and CEO Todd Spencer also was present at the Sioux Falls event.

In an interview with Land Line Now’s Scott Thompson, Buttigieg further discussed efforts to address the nation’s truck parking crisis.

Improving the truck parking situation is part of an overall effort to improve driver retention.

Buttigieg told Land Line Now in July that the DOT is making driver retention a priority.

“Retention tells you what the people who are living the reality of being a truck driver in America today actually think about the sustainability, the viability and overall quality of their job,” Buttigieg said on Land Line Now. “If they’re being compensated well, have a good quality of life and feel safe, then you’re going to see those retention numbers improve. There are a lot of ingredients that go into that, but if we see the needle move on that then we know we’re doing the right thing. If we don’t, then we know we have more work cut out for us.” LL

Land Line’s Tyson Fisher contributed to this report.