Safety groups call out more than a dozen trucking bills

The Truck Safety Coalition recently called out 13 bills in Congress, saying they fail to make safety the highest priority.

In a letter sent to Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the coalition referred to the bills as “Anti-Truck Safety Legislation.”

“Safety must always be the highest priority in all legislation involving large trucks,” the Truck Safety Coalition wrote. “(We) categorically reject the legislative proposals below for failing this common-sense litmus test and needlessly sacrificing the safety of all roadway users.”

The groups, which signed on to the letter, include the Truck Safety Coalition, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, Parents Against Tired Truckers, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Center for Auto Safety, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Kids and Car Safety, League of American Bicyclists, Safety Research & Strategies and Stopdistractions.org.

Young drivers

The truck safety groups oppose three bills that would change current rules on driver age. Currently, a CDL holder must be at least 21 years old to drive interstate, while 18 is the minimum age to operate within a single state.

The DRIVE-SAFE Act (HR5563) would take steps toward allowing 18-year-olds to operate in interstate commerce. The Ceasing Age-Based Trucking Act (HR6691) would redefine port-of-entry requirements, lowering the minimum age to 18. The ROUTE Act (HR6642) wouldn’t lower the long-haul driving age to 18, but it would allow intrastate drivers to cross state lines within a 150-air-mile radius.

All three bills are opposed by the Truck Safety Coalition.

“Teen trucking is unsafe, unsound and reckless,” the groups wrote. “Commercial motor vehicle drivers between the ages of 19-20 are six times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also opposes efforts to allow drivers as young as 18 to haul loads across the country. However, OOIDA supports the ROUTE Act as it resolves a common complaint that current intrastate drivers can operate across the entire state of Texas but can’t drive a few miles from Kansas City, Kan., to Kansas City, Mo.

“A 150 air-mile operating radius gives drivers the chance to build skills in familiar conditions, receive the training they need, and stay closer to home while gaining experience,” Association President Todd Spencer said.

Other bills opposed

The Truck Safety Coalition opposes nine other bills covering topics ranging from autonomous vehicles to overweight trucks.

• America Drives Act, HR4661, proposes superseding state laws requiring human safety operators in autonomous trucks.
• Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act, S1798, aims to prescribe standards for autonomous vehicles.
• DRIVE Act, S1696/HR2819, would prevent the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from imposing a speed-limiter mandate on commercial motor vehicles.
• LICENSE Act, S191/HR623, makes changes to qualifications related to administering a CDL test.
• Safe Routes Act, S1063/HR2166, allows overweight covered logging trucks to operate in interstate commerce.
• Agricultural & Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act, HR1487, would allow overweight trucks hauling certain agricultural products.
• Season Agricultural CDL Modernization Act, S2909, would allow certain trucks to be exempt from gross combined weight requirements.
• VARIANCE Act, S2108/HR2920, would allow bulk good carriers to have a 10% axle variance.
• HELP Act, HR4500, would create hours-of-service exemptions for livestock and other agricultural haulers.
• HAULS Act, S3552, would modify agricultural exemptions regarding hours-of-service requirements.

OOIDA generally opposes efforts to increase truck size and weight. However, OOIDA supports the DRIVE Act, saying that roads are safest when all the vehicles are traveling at the same general speed. The Association argues that speed limiters create dangerous speed differentials between cars and trucks.

OOIDA’s stance on many of these trucking bills and others can be found at FightingForTruckers.com. LL