OOIDA continues push for truck parking in infrastructure package

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is pleased that the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure package does not include any measures to increase motor carriers’ minimum insurance requirement. Next up, OOIDA wants funding for truck parking added to the bill.

“As the Senate begins debating the infrastructure bill, OOIDA is pushing for a $1 billion amendment to expand truck parking capacity,” said Jay Grimes, OOIDA’s director of federal affairs. “With all the money going toward DOT and agencies like FHWA and FMCSA in this legislation, senators must find a place to include dedicated funding for truck parking. If you have not contacted your senators about adding truck parking funding to the bill, we urge you to do so as soon as possible.”

Last week, OOIDA reached out to its more than 150,000 members, asking them to contact their lawmakers about the need for truck parking.

“Let them know that the parking shortage is a highway safety crisis and a daily challenge for truckers,” OOIDA wrote.

The Association provided a link for truckers to contact their lawmakers here.

Senators came to agreement last week on an infrastructure bill that incorporated the Senate version of the highway bill.

OOIDA has favored the Senate version of the highway bill over the House version, which includes a measure to increase truckers’ minimum insurance from $750,000 to $2 million. The Association adamantly opposes the House version because of the insurance increase, as well as because of several “anti-trucker” provisions. The bright spot in the House version, OOIDA said, is that it includes $1 billion toward the expansion of truck parking capacity.

Now, the Association would like to see the truck parking provision added to the Senate package, which appears to have a better chance of becoming law.

Other trucking provisions in the infrastructure package

Although OOIDA favors the Senate bill over the House version, it doesn’t mean the Association supports all of the provisions.

OOIDA opposes measures that create automatic emergency braking systems requirements for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, as well as a provision that could lead to an underride guard mandate. Other measures that OOIDA opposes in the bill include a congestion relief program, a vehicle miles traveled tax pilot program, an apprenticeship pilot program, and the diversion of Highway Trust Fund dollars to nonroad projects.

OOIDA also supports measures in the Senate bill that would create a truck leasing task force, expand the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee to include small-business motor carriers, and to improve the National Consumer Complaint Database. LL