Lawmakers loved truckers in 2020 – Don’t let them forget in 2021

It was a little more than a year ago when appreciation for truck drivers could be heard all over. Politicians were recognizing truck drivers in speeches and social media posts. They were labeling truckers as “essential workers” and even “heroes.”

Many truck drivers reported to Land Line that they would often receive a thumbs-up from drivers of passenger vehicles while hauling crucial freight needed by hospitals and grocery stores. Some members of the public even went as far as creating signs of appreciation that truckers could see as they rolled by.

The show of support made sense, of course. In the beginning stages of a pandemic and statewide shutdowns, the nation faced more questions than answers.

How dangerous is the virus? Will hospitals be able to get the medical equipment they need? Can the public find hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment? Will the local grocery store run out of milk, eggs and other essentials?

As always, truck drivers served as the stabilizing force.

No matter what else is going on in the world, you’re still there hauling the goods everyone needs from point A to point B. Without fully knowing the health risks, truckers kept the nation moving and sacrificed for the good of everyone else.

To anyone who pays attention, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. Truckers have always been making sacrifices, whether it’s driving in nasty weather or missing time with family, for the well-being of others.

Sadly, it’s also not a surprise that the displays of appreciation for truck drivers have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. The social media posts from politicians have dwindled. The signs can no longer be found, and, far too often, the drivers of passenger vehicles have replaced their thumbs-up with another finger.

As the nation gradually returns to normal, the gratitude toward truckers has drifted back into the rearview mirror.

OOIDA President Todd Spencer saw it coming.

Check out this excerpt from a letter he wrote to congressional leaders in April 2020.

“It won’t be long before COVID-19 is a distant memory for many Americans,” he wrote. “Eventually, the media will move on to the next big story. The public will turn its attention to the return of baseball, concerts, dining out and commuting to work. But truckers will still be hauling freight across the country, away from their families and the comforts of home, while saddled with excessive taxes, regulatory burdens, poor working conditions, low wages, and a forgotten appreciation from the American people.”

While the general public may suffer from short memories, our lawmakers can’t be allowed to do so.

As of press time, the next highway bill had not been unveiled, but it was expected to happen in late May or early June. Will it be full of provisions – such as funding for truck parking – aimed at helping the nation’s highway heroes, or will it be stacked with measures that could put those heroes out of business, such as an increase to motor carriers’ minimum insurance requirement?

Reach out to your lawmakers and remind them of their own words. If they recognized truck drivers in 2020, they should be doing their best to take care of them in 2021 and beyond. LL