Legislative issues on the federal level can heat up and flame out in the blink of an eye. However, there are several bills – some with several different versions in both chambers, others as stand-alone bills – of interest to truckers.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association keeps close tabs on these issues on a daily basis. The following is a snapshot of some of the biggest pieces of legislation that could affect your lives on the road.
BROKER REFORM |
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The “Motor Carrier Protection Act of 2010,” introduced in the Senate by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-ME, seeks to significantly increase the regulatory oversight of brokers and freight forwarders in the trucking industry.
Key provisions in Senate bill 3483 include:
- Increase the broker bond from $10,000 to $100,000 and expand that bond requirement to freight forwarders.
- Increase requirements and disclosures for any person or company seeking to obtain broker or freight forwarder authority.
- Establish significant penalties for violations of broker regulations, including unlimited liability for freight charges for conducting brokerage activities without a license or bond.
- Create a requirement for brokers and freight forwarders to renew their operating authority annually and require FMCSA to revoke operating authority that is not renewed annually. Revenue generated from the renewal fees will be dedicated to FMCSA’s oversight and enforcement of broker regulations.
- Establish strict guidelines on companies that provide brokers with surety bonds and on how they administer bonds.
- Clarify that trucking companies must have a broker’s or freight forwarder’s license and an appropriate bond in addition to their motor carrier operating authority to arrange freight for another carrier for compensation.
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HIGHWAY BILL |
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The reauthorization of the highway bill is an event that comes around every five or six years. Among other things, the bill establishes the nation’s surface transportation policies – including highway infrastructure investment priorities and how to pay for them. The bill also provides changes to existing highway safety and trucking safety regulations. |
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PARKING |
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For months now, OOIDA members and other truckers have been diligently contacting their lawmakers to support HR2156 and S971, known as “Jason’s Law” bills, for more safe parking options for truckers when they stop to rest.
Rep. Paul Tonko, D-NY, introduced the bill in the House in late April after meeting with slain trucker Jason Rivenburg’s widow, Hope, and their three small children. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, introduced his “Jason’s Law” bill in May.
Rivenburg of Fultonham, NY, was fatally shot twice in the head on March 5 after he parked in an unlit lot of an abandoned gas station in St. Matthews, SC. He was killed for the $7 he had on him while waiting for his appointment time at the nearby Food Lion distribution center the following morning.
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DISTRACTED DRIVING
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In addition to state efforts, three Congressional bills addressing distracted driving are at the center of the federal debate. Two of those bills are Senate and House companion pieces known as “Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers Act” or the “ALERT Drivers Act” (S.1536 /H.R.3535) which were introduced in the Senate by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and in the House by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY).
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CLIMATE CHANGE |
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A cap-and-trade system would establish carbon emission limits for several business sectors and is expected to cause sharp increases in fuel and diesel prices. A credit system would allow businesses that operate above limits to purchase credits and would allow businesses with leftover credits to sell on the open market.
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TRUCK SIZE AND WEIGHT
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Some large shippers and the American Trucking Associations have made increasing the allowable vehicle weight from 80,000 pounds on 5-axles to 97,000 pounds on 6-axles one of their top priorities for next year’s reauthorization of the federal highway bill. The ATA and large shippers are also pursuing a much less public campaign to allow longer combination vehicles (double trailers, triples, etc.), or “LCVs,” to operate on more of the Interstate Highway System. OOIDA opposes such measures.
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