OOIDA: White House needs small-business truckers in industry groups

The White House team picked to help lead the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic includes representatives from corporate trucking fleets but no owner-operators or small-business truckers.

“We’re extremely disappointed the White House has ignored small trucking businesses in favor of publicly traded mega carriers, who certainly won’t use their positions to address your needs,” the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wrote in an update to its 160,000 members. “Hell, most don’t even know what the needs of owner-operators or professional drivers are under normal circumstances, let alone during a national crisis.”

On April 14, President Donald Trump announced the formation of his Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, a collection of businesses and industry associations who will work with the White House to help the nation emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.

In a news release the Trump White House said “these bipartisan groups of American leaders will work together with the White House to chart the path forward toward a future of unparalleled American prosperity.” Read the full list here.

“Unfortunately, the White House failed to include a representative of owner-operators and small-business truckers,” OOIDA wrote. “Instead, corporate executives from the nation’s largest trucking companies have been selected to represent our entire industry.”

Although the transportation working group includes representatives from, FedEx, UPS, JB Hunt, YRC, and the American Trucking Associations, OOIDA points out that 96% of registered motor carriers are small businesses, rather than mega fleets.

The Association asks its members to keep sending feedback to Questions@OOIDA.com. OOIDA and Land Line are collaborating on a continually updated resources page for truckers during the COVID-19 outbreak.