A member of Congress’ first Trucking Caucus touted bills for English proficiency and under-21 truck drivers during her testimony at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., used her five minutes to garner support for Connor’s Law and the ROUTE Act – two bills with significant interest to the trucking industry.
Connor’s Law
In May, Hageman became a co-sponsor of Connor’s Law, which would ensure that truck drivers can read and speak English before receiving a CDL.
Introduced by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, the bill would essentially codify into law President Donald Trump’s executive order that requires CDL holders to communicate English well enough to operate safely.
“Ensuring that we are limiting the issuance of CDLs to individuals who are properly vetted, trained and prepared to respond in high-risk situations is critical to maintaining safety on our roadways,” Hageman told the T&I committee. “One such prerequisite that should always remain uniform among CDL holders is the ability to be proficient in the English language … Being able to read, write and speak English proficiently is a fundamental safety matter that impacts everyone who travels on our roadways.”
Hageman said it is important that the executive order is made into law to ensure that a future administration can’t ignore the longstanding regulation.
Connor’s Law refers to Connor Dzion, who died at the age of 18 in a crash involving a tractor-trailer. A separate accident caused Dzion to be stuck in traffic for about an hour when a truck driver crashed into a line of stopped vehicles. The truck driver was said to be unable to read English and reportedly passed signs set up by Florida law enforcement warning of the crash ahead.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports Connor’s Law, saying that basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions and interacting with law enforcement.
As of Jan. 14, Connor’s Law, or HR3608, had 18 co-sponsors.
ROUTE Act
In December, Hageman introduced the ROUTE Act, which would allow under-21 truck drivers to gain experience in the industry without placing them in dangerous situations thousands of miles from home.
The Responsible Opportunity for Under-21 Trucking Engagement (ROUTE) Act would allow under-21 drivers to operate interstate within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location. Current regulations allow CDL holders ages 18-20 to operate intrastate, but they can’t drive across state lines.
Critics of the current regulation often point out that an 18-year-old is allowed to operate hundreds of miles across one state but unable to drive 10 miles across a state line.
“These prohibitions can oftentimes make little sense as an 18-to-20-year-old driver in Wyoming can make a treacherous multi-hundred-mile trip across Wyoming in varying terrain but is forbidden from hauling a shipment just a few miles across our six different state lines,” Hageman told the committee.”
OOIDA supports the ROUTE Act, saying it is a common-sense way to allow young drivers to gain experience without having a teenager from Florida operate a commercial motor vehicle in the mountains of Colorado during winter.
Trucking Caucus
Taylor and Hageman helped launch Congress’ first Trucking Caucus in December.
Taylor and Hageman are joined on the bipartisan Trucking Caucus by Reps. Shomari Figures, D-Ala.; Pat Harrigan, R-N.C.; and Mary Miller, R-Ill.
The lawmakers said they hope to use the platform to improve highway safety and provide support for the nation’s truck drivers.
“American truckers are the backbone of our supply chain,” Hageman said in December. “Challenges, such as burdensome regulations, an increase in illegal CDL holders and safety concerns, impact communities across the nation. By launching the Congressional Trucking Caucus, we will continue supporting the trucking industry by advancing policies that promote road safety, a reliable supply chain and a thriving trucking workforce.” LL
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