Trucking History – February 2023
Feb. 13, 1987
The sports drama movie “Over the Top” is released. Starring Sylvester Stallone as the main character, Lincoln Hawk, the movie is about a long-haul truck driver who tries to win back his estranged son, Michael, while becoming a champion arm wrestler. The movie grossed $5.1 million over President’s Day weekend, while total earnings for the movie were $11.5 million in the U.S. and Canada.
February 2014
OOIDA’s Government Affairs office in Washington, D.C., celebrates its 10-year anniversary.
The fully staffed office was created to be the operating base of the Association’s fight on Capitol Hill for the rights of all truckers. It remains dedicated to helping small business truckers and professional drivers participate in the legislative and regulatory process.
OOIDA maintains a grassroots advocacy effort that alerts members whenever developments necessitate a call for action.
With increased visibility, OOIDA has a greater opportunity to educate lawmakers on issues important to truckers and a greater opportunity to impact what happens in Washington, DC.
More information about how OOIDA members can get involved is available at FightingForTruckers.com.
Feb. 13, 2019
The OOIDA Foundation begins offering online Food and Drug Administration-compliant training for motor carriers and drivers who transport food.
The Foundation course meets all the training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act.
The course includes an hour-long training module, test, certificate of completion, card to keep in the
truck cab and templates of written procedures and checklists for
dry van trailers, reefers, flatbeds, liquid bulk tankers and hopper bottoms.
Feb. 5, 2021
OOIDA President Todd Spencer is named chairman of FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee driver panel.
“We applaud the creation of the panel,” Spencer told Land Line in January 2021. “It’s long overdue. Input from the people on the frontlines is crucial to highway safety and efficiency in moving goods and people. Hearing directly from those most impacted by the traffic environment and rules and regulations can certainly be a tremendous benefit to FMCSA and also lawmakers.”
The 25 members serve as a subcommittee established to provide feedback to FMCSA on issues facing commercial motor vehicle drivers. Those members were selected from all sectors of the commercial motor vehicle industry, including tractor-trailer drivers, straight-truck drivers, motor coach drivers, hazardous material drivers and agriculture haulers.
“It may be an eye-opening educational opportunity for lawmakers,” Spencer said.
In January 2021, FMCSA acting Administrator Meera Joshi said, “We know that many of the solutions to the challenges we face don’t come from Washington – they come from the hard-working men and women who are behind the wheel all over our nation. This new subcommittee to MCSAC will further help us hear from America’s commercial drivers.” LL