Congress will soon get to work on the next highway bill, and truck drivers will be well represented.
Before that process begins, OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh will have the opportunity to ask lawmakers to create policies that will benefit the nation’s truck drivers.
At 10 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 26, Pugh will testify on behalf of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association in front of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee. The hearing is titled, “America Builds: How Trucking Supports American Communities.”
While reminding lawmakers how important truck drivers are to the overall economy, Pugh is expected to advocate for truck parking funding while opposing efforts to increase motor carriers’ minimum liability insurance.
Witnesses at the hearing will be:
- John Elliott, Truckload Carriers Association
- Lewie Pugh, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
- Ryan Lindsey, Shippers Coalition
- Dan Glessing, American Farm Bureau Federation
- Cole Scandaglia, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
The hearing should provide lawmakers a good guide for what trucking industry stakeholders want in the next highway bill. Pugh will focus his time on policies that are pro-trucker.
Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act
In February, Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., reintroduced a bill that would dedicate $755 million to the expansion of truck parking.
Bost first introduced the bill in 2020, but the lawmaker who grew up working in his family’s trucking business, is hopeful that truck parking funding will be included in a larger highway bill package.
HR1659 already has 28 co-sponsors.
“By expanding access to parking options for truckers, we are making our roads safer for all commuters and ensuring that goods and supplies are shipped to market in the most efficient way possible,” Bost said. “This is a matter of public safety for everyone, and I’m committed to do all I can to drive this legislation over the finish line.”
The lack of truck parking has been among the top concerns for truck drivers for years.
OOIDA, which helped Bost draft the original bill, contends that the lack of truck parking is a safety issue for truck drivers and the general public.
Minimum insurance
Once again, OOIDA will push back against any efforts to increase motor carriers’ minimum liability insurance.
The Fair Compensation for Truck Crash Victims Act would increase a motor carrier’s minimum liability insurance from $750,000 to $5 million.
OOIDA argues that an increase is unnecessary as the most recent study found that current minimum insurance levels adequately cover damages in 99.4% of cases.
Although an increase to $5 million is unlikely, proponents of the measure could attempt to include a more modest increase in a highway bill.
The House version of the 2021 highway bill included a provision to raise the minimum insurance to $2 million. However, the Senate version – which ultimately became law – did not include an insurance increase. LL
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