Easy street

In January, Sean Duffy was sworn in as the 20th secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Senate voted 77-22 on Jan. 28 to approve President Donald Trump’s nomination of the former congressman.

Duffy does not have an extensive background in transportation. He was in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, primarily serving on the Financial Services Committee.

However, he has been a popular choice on both sides of the aisle as well as in the trucking industry.

During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, Duffy said he would prioritize infrastructure, innovation and safety.

“President Trump is a builder,” Duffy wrote in his submitted testimony. “He has told me that this department is a top priority for him, and he wants to invest in rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. He asked me to focus on big, durable projects that connect our country and people. If confirmed, I will work to reduce the red tape that slows critical infrastructure projects, ensuring funds are spent efficiently.”

Although innovation is among his priorities, Duffy said that safety will always be the focus.

“Safety is paramount,” he wrote. “Every year, 40,000 lives are lost in roadway accidents. This hits close to home – my wife survived a deadly head-on car crash, which profoundly shaped her life. If confirmed, I will prioritize road safety, ensuring lives and families aren’t forever changed by preventable accidents.”

Duffy’s comments appeared to resonate with both Republicans and Democrats, as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation advanced his nomination with a 28-0 vote.

Support from trucking industry

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents small-business truckers, said that Duffy was “well-suited” to lead the Department of Transportation.

“OOIDA and the 150,000 small-business truckers we represent congratulate Secretary Sean Duffy on his confirmation to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “We look forward to continue working with him in advancing the priorities of small-business truckers across America, including expanding truck parking, fighting freight fraud and rolling back burdensome, unnecessary regulations.”

Duffy gained the favor of many truck drivers when he supported OOIDA’s request for qualified small-business truckers to be exempt from the electronic logging device mandate. While serving in Congress, Duffy was one of 25 representatives who signed a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in support of OOIDA’s petition.

“This was a commonsense petition that would have addressed the most burdensome regulation ever issued for the trucking industry,” OOIDA wrote in a recent letter to Senate leadership. “With this request, Mr. Duffy recognized that regulations should not be one-size-fits-all, and more importantly, that Congress and federal regulators should provide relief to small businesses when regulations have significant costs with little-to-no benefits.”

Following his nomination, Duffy’s team reached out to OOIDA to better understand the needs of small-business truckers and professional drivers. OOIDA said that Duffy’s interest in learning what will benefit small-business truckers is a good sign.

“On too many issues, our members’ viewpoint is disregarded in favor of larger carriers seeking to maximize their bottom line or ‘safety advocates’ with little experience in driving truck,” OOIDA wrote. “We appreciate that Mr. Duffy and his team have solicited our input because, in order for any trucking or transportation policy to be successful, it must have the buy-in from those who will have to comply with the rules.”

The American Trucking Associations also supported Duffy’s confirmation.

“(The) strong, bipartisan vote in favor of his nomination is an endorsement of his qualifications and experience for this position,” ATA President Chris Spear said in a statement. “It also reflects his commitment to unite stakeholders around commonsense policies to make our transportation network safer and more efficient.” LL