Who does Rep. Dusty Johnson really work for?

When you look at the sheer number of trucking-related bills that, if passed, would benefit actual truck drivers, it’s pretty cool what’s going on. That is until you look at a lawmaker like Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D. The at-large representative, meaning he represents the whole state, is really doing truckers a disservice.

Johnson’s latest slap in the face of truckers is the introduction of the MOVE Act. It’s a bill that is attempting to lengthen the time of overweight exemptions in times of emergency from four months to nine months.

This is actually the second bill he’s introduced to increase truck weights. The SHIP IT Act was introduced by Johnson in January 2023. That bill does basically the same thing with overweight loads and even calls for a pilot program on overweight trucks. It’s waiting on a vote in the House. But that apparently wasn’t good enough for Johnson. He doubled down on his efforts with the MOVE Act.

At first blush, it seems altruistic. There’s an emergency, and states need more time to move essential goods. Uh, news flash: There’s nothing keeping them from renewing the four-month exemption as long as a federal emergency declaration is still in place.

Johnson is using the COVID-19 pandemic onset that happened four – FOUR – years ago as justification for the bill. Little late to the party with that excuse, I’d say. Ol’ Dusty has been kicking it around the halls of Congress since he won election in 2018. So he was there in 2020 when all hell broke loose. Where were his genius bills then?

And this leads one to ponder, why introduce them now?

Much like the “green” argument or “safety” arguments lawmakers will trot out when introducing suspect legislation, the new “emergency” argument is the new roll of wrapping paper they are grabbing.

Overweight trucks are a danger. They lengthen stopping times. They are hard on already deteriorated highways.

They are also an economic fist to the chin of truckers. Trucking operations that specialize in overweight and oversize loads have invested time and equipment into perfecting their operations. They are paid well for their expertise.

A bill like this would erode that niche market by allowing any trailer that isn’t already cubed out to be loaded up to weights over 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. And, guess what, shippers and receivers are not going to reward hauling that extra weight with better rates. So truckers would take on the wear and tear on their equipment, along with the risk on the roadways, for no benefit to themselves.

All that’s bad enough, but Johnson has ignored repeated calls to sign on as a co-sponsor to the DRIVE Act. That’s the bill that would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from mandating speed limiters.

One would assume that means Johnson is cool with trucks being limited to 60 mph or so, on rural South Dakota interstates with 80 mph speed limits.

More weight, fewer miles, less money. That’s what Johnson is setting up his trucking constituents to face.

The one thing we can give Johnson props for is signing on to the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act.

I guess if you’re playing baseball in the majors, batting .333 is considered a banner year. But not for truckers.

So why in a state with a large population of truck drivers has the at-large representative turned his back on them on a pair of key issues?

Who is singing this guy’s praises? (Checks notes.) Oh yeah, the American Trucking Associations.

Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, is quoted in the MOVE Act press release singing Johnson’s praises. That explains the move on overweight trucks. ATA wants them, and he’s trying to deliver.

ATA is also wishy-washy at best on speed limiters, and we all know the vast majority of the mega fleets want them. Johnson not signing on to the DRIVE Act makes sense if he’s just shilling for ATA.

Truck parking? It’s one piece of legislation that truckers and fleets agree on. But you have to wonder if Johnson would have been a supporter without ATA’s seal of approval.

The election isn’t far off. And there’s still time to get Johnson to see the light and sign on to the DRIVE Act. Pulling back the MOVE Act will be a long shot, but if it becomes toxic enough, it could become essentially dead on arrival.

Go to FightingForTruckers.com. Or better yet, if you just want to ring up Johnson’s office, call 202-225-2801. Be nice to the poor staffer answering the phone. Staffers are just doing their job, after all. It’s Johnson’s anti-trucker policies that are the issue.

Lawmakers work for you. Remind Rep. Dusty Johnson of that. LL