Truck parking issues at the center of next ‘Live From Exit 24’

October 19, 2021

SJ Munoz

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“Live From Exit 24” addresses the ongoing truck parking crisis on the Oct. 20 show.

Host Mike Matousek, OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh and Bryce Mongeon, OOIDA director of legislative affairs will provide an update on where things stand, but want to hear from you – those most directly impacted.

Share your thoughts by calling 317-67-OOIDA (317-676-6432) at 7 p.m. Central time on Oct. 20, to be a part of the next “Live From Exit 24.”

Every other Wednesday, OOIDA’s live, hourlong internet talk show brings insightful discussions on the regulatory and legislative issues that matter to truckers.

Listeners can tune in to the show on the “Live From Exit 24” website, OOIDA Facebook page, OOIDA’s YouTube channel, iHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts.

Past episodes are archived on the show’s website.

On the Oct. 6 episode of “Live From Exit 24,” Matousek, Dale Watkins, manager of OOIDA’s Business Services Department and Anne Reinke, president and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association dove into broker-related issues.

One major issue the Business Services Department is hearing about lately is with deliveries, Watkins said.

“The carrier gets to the appointment time and goes to check in and get unloaded and the receiver says, ‘You’re not supposed to be here for three or four more days,’” Watkins said. “So then they try to get a hold of the broker and a lot of times the broker doesn’t answer the phone until the end of the day. I don’t know if it’s miscommunication or what’s going on.”

Clearly defining agent versus broker is a step in the right direction, Reinke said.

“There are some that could be illegally brokering freight, and there’s not really guidance on what a bona fide agent actually is,” Reinke said. “We are happy that there’s this call to provide guidance. That was a win for us.”

Properly utilizing the National Consumer Complaint Database, another infrastructure proposal, would be another positive, Reinke said.

The transparency component (49 CFR § 371.3) and how it relates to this issue spotlighted additional problems the Business Services Department is hearing.

“There’s a lot more than finding out how much a broker’s making off a load,” Watkins said.  “We’ve got a major broker out there who gets a clean bill of lading and gets paid on that load. All of a sudden a freight claim shows up, and this broker refuses to give any information out, just withholds the money, and our member still doesn’t know what the claim is about.”

Maintaining relationships is crucial for TIA, Reinke said.

“In the current marketplace we need every relationship with every motor carrier and every driver there is out there,” Reinke said. “We are so appreciative and try to develop good, working relationships. I would hope that would always be the case. The owner-operators have the overwhelming demand on freight. The better we work with each other, the better it is for all of us.”

‘Live From Exit 24’ survey

“Live From Exit 24” launched as a way to expand OOIDA’s communication with members and to hear directly from drivers across the industry.

OOIDA wants truck drivers to fill out a survey to let the Association know how they are liking the show so far. The survey can be found here. LL