Trucking History – June 2025
June 26, 1956
The Federal Aid Highway Act was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This legislation authorized the building of highways nationwide and was the biggest public works project in U.S. history when it became law. It provided $25 billion for 41,000 miles of the Interstate Highway System, allowing for construction of the nation’s network of highways over a 10-year period. Ninety percent of the construction funds for the project were covered by a Highway Trust Fund, while states were required to pay the remaining 10%. Construction began quickly, providing thousands of jobs and promoting growth of businesses like restaurants and hotels.
June 2010
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma in Tulsa granted bankruptcy trustee Patrick J. Malloy’s motion to consolidate Arrow Truck Leasing and Arrow Truck Real Estate with Arrow Trucking Co. Several months earlier, the parent company, Megan Corp., was also consolidated into the bankruptcy estate. The move came several months after Tulsa-based Arrow Trucking abruptly shut down on Dec. 22, 2009, stranding drivers across the country under loads and without fuel and stiffing more than 1,000 drivers and employees of wages owed.
June 2017
OOIDA President Todd Spencer represented the Association during a three-day public meeting in Washington, D.C., on “matters relevant to the modernization” of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During the 2017 negotiations to modernize NAFTA, OOIDA pressed for long-haul trucking to be addressed, writing, “We hope that NAFTA 2.0 will keep our highways safe from trucks and drivers that do not meet our regulatory standards.”
June 2023
The United States ended its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for non-U.S. travelers entering the country at the Canada or Mexico borders. This followed vaccine requirements for federal employees, federal contractors and international air travelers being lifted on May 12, 2023. “Our administration’s vaccination requirements helped ensure the safety of workers in critical workforces, including those in the healthcare and education sectors, protecting themselves and the populations they serve and strengthening their ability to provide services without disruptions to operations,” the White House said in June 2023. The announcement marked the end of over three years of vaccine restrictions at the country’s borders. Throughout the mandate, OOIDA argued that truck drivers should be exempt from vaccine requirements. LL