OOIDA persists in message to regulators, lawmakers

One of the qualities that has kept the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association going for more than 50 years is persistence.

And a great example of that persistence is a broker rule that took effect early in 2026. Mind you, the requirement was originally mandated by Congress in 2012.

The rule gives the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration the ability to suspend the operating authority of brokers and freight forwarders when their minimum financial security falls below $75,000 and remains below that level for seven days.

OOIDA has advocated for the provision for years to help level the playing field between truckers and brokers. The rule finally took effect on Jan. 16.

“OOIDA welcomes FMCSA’s final rule on Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility,” Association President Todd Spencer said. “This is a step forward that helps make sure truckers get paid what they’re owed on time in cases of theft, damage and insolvency.”

No doubt, OOIDA remained vocal on the issue for years – as it does with an abundance of trucking-related issues.

Over recent months, OOIDA submitted official comments to FMCSA regarding studies on warning devices and crash risk and wrote to members of Congress about truckers’ right to repair.

No to special exemptions for AVs

Regulators shouldn’t grant special exemptions for autonomous vehicles just to fast-track an unproven technology.

This was OOIDA’s recent message to FMCSA regarding warning devices for stopped commercial motor vehicles.

In late December, FMCSA issued a notice that sought comments about the agency’s study regarding these warning devices. Current regulations require truck drivers to place warning devices in a specific manner whenever a commercial motor vehicle is stopped on the shoulder of a highway.

However, these regulations don’t work for autonomous trucking companies that hope to operate without a human on board.

That hurdle has generated significant interest in the longstanding trucking regulation, prompting petitions and studies to determine if technology can find a way to warn the public about a stopped truck without needing a human to deploy physical triangles.

In formal comments to the agency, OOIDA President Todd Spencer wrote that FMCSA must determine whether autonomous vehicle technology can achieve safety results equivalent to a professional driver before granting any warning device exemptions or waivers.

“The U.S. Department of Transportation should implement mandatory, comprehensive data transparency from autonomous vehicle (AV) manufacturers as part of any pending regulatory framework,” Spencer wrote in comments filed on Jan. 22. “This will help educate consumers, trucking industry stakeholders and regulators about the actual reliability and safety performance of AVs. Without improving data transparency, FMCSA should not amend regulations just to appease AV developers.”

OOIDA critical of approach

In another study, FMCSA wants to know how a truck driver’s work schedule relates to crash risk.

In formal comments filed on Jan. 16, OOIDA told the agency that it is approaching the issue incorrectly.

“As proposed, we do not believe the Information Collection Request (ICR) will achieve FMCSA’s objectives of answering questions related to driver schedules and how these factors impact overall driver performance and fatigue,” Spencer wrote. “Hours-of-service logs do not reveal anything about fatigue, simply how many hours a driver was on-duty. Additionally, crash rates tend to increase during certain times of day, which may have absolutely no connection with how long a trucker has been on duty. In order for a more accurate analysis, the ICR should incorporate control groups for comparison, which are notably absent from the proposal.”

The information will be collected from 60 motor carriers, and all of the data will be collected electronically.

OOIDA said that the data is unlikely to produce any meaningful results.

“The ICR is overly reliant on telematics systems for participating carriers,” OOIDA wrote. “This creates an inherent bias that will result in a non-representative carrier study population.”

REPAIR Act must apply to truckers

OOIDA also ensures that lawmakers hear about truckers’ needs.

On Jan. 9, OOIDA wrote to lawmakers in the House about the REPAIR Act, which aims to ensure that consumers have access to data relating to their motor vehicles, including critical information regarding maintenance, service and repairs.

“OOIDA members are the safest drivers in the trucking industry and have the most experience maintaining and repairing their own equipment,” Spencer wrote. “It is critical that truckers have the necessary capabilities to work on their own vehicles, or when needed, work with trusted independent repair shops in their communities or while on the road.”

Specifically, OOIDA asked House Energy & Commerce Committee members to include heavy-duty trucks and commercial motor vehicles in the REPAIR Act, which was introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla.

“We strongly oppose any provision that would exempt heavy-duty vehicles from HR1566 and will vocally and vigorously oppose the overall legislation if any such exemption is ultimately included,” OOIDA wrote. “While there have been attempts to provide a right to repair through previous memorandums of understanding, Congress must act decisively to give small-business truckers a clear and unambiguous right to this information. Without having these rights enshrined in law, truckers and the repair shops they rely on have little recourse to obtain the information.”

In addition to helping truckers reduce costs, OOIDA said that giving them the ability to repair their equipment will reduce downtime and keep the supply chain moving. LL