‘Pro-trucking’ and ‘pro-trucker’ aren’t always the same

Editor’s note: On March 26, Lewie Pugh delivered these words to the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee during a hearing about the next highway bill.

During this Congress, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure have the opportunity to pass the most pro-trucker highway bill in history. But you must understand that ‘pro-trucker’ and ‘pro-trucking’ are not always synonymous these days. In fact, many of the policies being touted as good for the trucking industry are primarily designed to fatten the wallets and cover the asses of trucking executives, corporate shareholders, shippers, brokers, and trial lawyers. Most of these proposals prioritize profits over safety by doubling down on many of the problems that have made careers behind the wheel of a commercial motor vehicle less appealing and sustainable, and our roads less safe.

For example, continued acceptance of the widely debunked driver shortage myth has unfortunately convinced many of you that diluting credentialing standards, resisting enhanced driver training, lowering CDL age requirements and hiring more cheap foreign drivers is somehow good for trucking.

Some shippers, large carriers and specific industries continue to claim increasing truck size and weight is good for trucking. Make no mistake, these are losing propositions for truckers and highway safety. I want to especially caution new members of the committee about supporting these controversial proposals – one vote to increase today’s limits will have every group that wants special treatment expecting you to support its specific carve-out for the rest of your tenure.

As conversations about what to include in the next highway bill continue after this hearing, other organizations, including several comprised of advocates who have never operated a commercial motor vehicle, will propose a dizzying list of unproven and unworkable regulations.

Some large carriers will legitimize these proposals with their support, not because of their supposed commitment to improving safety but because excessive regulations drive up costs for their small-business competitors.

Trial lawyers looking to increase their own bottom lines will even tell you today’s minimum liability insurance requirements for motor carriers are insufficient, despite federal research indicating the current level covers damages in 99% of crashes involving trucks. Without a doubt, any increase to these requirements will have dire consequences for small-business truckers. Not only will their premiums skyrocket, the lack of capacity in the truck insurance market will inevitably lead to fewer providers offering coverage, further escalating costs and limiting availability. Large carriers, including many who are self-insured, will again sit this battle out, as they know driving our members out of business is good for their market share.

In contrast to these problematic policies, OOIDA is sharing our vision for a highway bill that supports American workers, enhances supply chain efficiency and improves highway safety from the ground up by focusing on the most important element of trucking – the millions of hard-working men and women across the country who make their living on the road.

Our goal is to shape federal policies in a manner that makes trucking a more attractive, sustainable and safe career for professional drivers. To this end, we’re working with members of this committee on key policies that will help develop the next generation of safe drivers, while simultaneously keeping today’s experienced drivers behind the wheel.

Our priorities include such policies as truck parking expansion, restroom access for truck drivers, enhanced driver training requirements, strengthened broker transparency regulations, hours-of-service flexibility and more. OOIDA also opposes such efforts as increased truck size and weight limits, increases to motor carriers’ minimum liability insurance and lowering the interstate driving age to 18. We believe this is a blueprint for members of the committee who share our goal of passing the most pro-trucker surface transportation reauthorization in history. LL