First House transportation committee hearing of 2025 addresses multiple trucking issues
The 119th Congress held its first Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, and trucking issues ranging from truck parking to electric vehicles to truck weights were addressed.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard from stakeholders during its “America Builds: The State of the Nation’s Transportation System” hearing. A wide range of topics were discussed, including trucking issues.
Truck parking
An issue plaguing the trucking industry for years continues to cause problems into 2025: truck parking.
In her opening statement, Sarah Galica, Home Depot’s vice president of transportation, was quick to point out that motor carriers hired by the retailer continue to raise concerns over the shortage of truck parking.
“The Home Depot’s dedicated network of reputable carriers servicing our stores and customers has highlighted to us that truck parking and congestion are the most significant infrastructure issues their industry is facing,” Galic said. “The critical shortage of truck parking negatively impacts drivers, safety and the supply chain.”
Galica recommended that Congress appropriate more funding for truck parking.
That’s exactly what Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., has been trying to do with his Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, and that is exactly what he brought up when it was his time to ask questions.
“The drivers, like I said, are in a no-win situation,” Bost said. “I’ve worked ever since I’ve been here, to try to direct money toward parking for trucks.”
One issue with truck parking is the lack of direct funding. Although parking projects are eligible for federal grants, they oftentimes lose to other projects that a state might prioritize over parking. Bost asked Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry if that is true.
“I’ve got a bridge that you all took over and won’t replace, and so I’ve got to choose between replacing a bridge or giving truckers more parking,” Landry said. “That’s correct.”
Galica reiterated the safety issues that come with a lack of truck parking. She also called for some sort of “national technology” that would allow truckers to find an available parking spot and reserve it.
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., tied truck parking to the need for tort reform. Collins, who has considerable trucking experience, suggested that parking was not an issue 10-15 years ago because shippers and receivers would let truckers park at their facilities. He said as the country grew more litigious, letting truckers park at a facility became a liability. Federal and state tort reform, Collins suggested, is therefore needed.
Electric trucks
State and federal regulations expediting the adoption of electric trucks were also a topic of discussion.
Galica told the committee that Home Depot is “aware of existing and pending state and federal regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions by mandating use of battery-electric trucks.” On the federal side, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule last year that will effectively require 25% of sleeper cab tractors to be zero-emission by 2032. Meanwhile, California has implemented a suite of even stricter emission rules, including Advanced Clean Trucks rules that have been adopted by 10 other states. The day before the hearing, California pulled the plug on Advanced Clean Fleets.
In written testimony, Galica explained to committee members the many concerns the trucking industry has over those emission regulations.
“While our carriers are also committed to reducing carbon emissions, there are legitimate concerns about the feasibility of electric trucks as it relates to charging stations and the associated strain on the nation’s electric grid, as well as the readiness and availability of technological upgrades needed to adapt battery-electric vehicles to satisfy deliveries to our stores and to our customers,” Galica said.
Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, expressed his disapproval of President Joe Biden’s new truck emission standards while indicating that President-elect Donald Trump will reverse them. Galica echoed some of Taylor’s concerns by pointing out that an electric truck costs nearly four times as much as a diesel truck. On top of the added upfront cost, electric trucks are also heavier, thereby leaving less room for cargo. She called for the committee to collaborate with the trucking industry to “come up with good, solid solutions” for diesel alternatives that are cost-effective and feasible to implement.
Calls for heavier trucks
Some lawmakers and stakeholders suggested that trucks be allowed to haul heavier loads, a move many in the trucking industry oppose.
Collins asked Galica whether Home Depot “cubes out or weighs out first.” Galica said weighing out is often a problem. Collins then asked whether “shippers would push more weight to make cheaper freight rates or more efficient hauling.” Galica suggested more weight would be cheaper and take more trucks off the road.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., also called for heavier trucks when discussing emergency exemptions that apply to all states rather than only those impacted by the emergency. Johnson mentioned his MOVE Act, which would lengthen the span of overweight exemptions in times of emergency from four months to nine months. Johnson also sponsored the SHIP IT Act, which calls for a pilot program for heavier trucks.
Last August, a coalition of stakeholders ranging from local governments to trucking groups asked House leaders to reject the SHIP IT Act. In a separate letter, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association urged committee members to reject the bill, claiming heavier trucks benefit large carriers only while hurting small-business trucking companies.
Trucking workforce
There appeared to be a general consensus that more needs to be done to encourage future generations to get into the trades, including trucking and construction.
Galica asked Congress to look into making Pell Grants available for CDL schools. She also suggested allowing GI bills to pay for trade schools, including truck driving schools.
Seth Schulgen, vice president of Williams Brothers Construction Co. speaking on behalf of the Associated General Contractors of America, said he would like to shut down the stigma that construction and other trade jobs are male-dominated. He mentioned he has several female truck drivers, whom he considers his best drivers.
Last October, Women In Trucking published a report revealing women make up 9.5% of professional drivers. That’s down from 12.1% year-to-year and the lowest rate since 2019.
Schulgen also called for vocational programs to return to junior high and high schools. He said Americans need to change their mindset that construction is a dirty job. The same can be said about driving a truck.
Funding, permitting and environmental reviews
A recurring theme throughout the hearing was a dire need to streamline permitting and environmental reviews while finding more efficient funding.
All of the witnesses expressed frustration over extremely long delays caused by the permitting and environmental review process. Nearly every Republican on the committee shared those frustrations.
Schulgen pointed out that Texas found a way to reduce permitting delays from 36 months to 16 months and suggested the federal government follow suit.
It was also suggested that the buying power of funding offered through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is weakening each passing year. With the delays caused by bureaucratic red tape, projects awarded money years ago are still pending. Since receiving funding, the costs of those projects have increased significantly.
Addressing Highway Trust Fund solvency, several suggestions were offered, including increasing the federal fuel tax, electric vehicle user fees, a national registration fee for all vehicles and a vehicle miles traveled tax for passenger vehicles and/or commercial vehicles. The federal fuel tax has remained unchanged since 1993. LL