(Grain Valley, Mo., March 16, 2010) – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) stood alongside Hope Rivenburg and U.S. Reps Paul Tonko (NY-D) and Erik Paulsen (R-MN) today asking for more support for “Jason’s Law” from other members of Congress.

“Jason’s Law” was introduced by Congressman Tonko when the case of a murdered truck driver drew attention to the nationwide shortage of safe parking for long-haul truckers. Just a year ago, Hope Rivenburg was days away from delivering twins when her husband, Jason Rivenburg, was murdered during an attempted robbery while parked at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina. The bills, HR. 2156 and S. 971, would create a grant program to expand truck parking and make improvements to existing rest areas.

 “When long-haul drivers are unable to find a safe place to park, they are forced to either violate hours-of-service regulations or park their truck in illegal or unsafe locations,” said OOIDA Associate Director of Government Affairs Melissa Theriault Rohan.  “This presents a safety risk not only to the driver, but to the rest of the motoring public as well.”

“On behalf of the people who make sacrifices in their jobs by being away from their families for days and weeks at a time, we are thankful to Congressmen Tonko and Paulsen. Their leadership on this issue has been an inspiration and we look forward to getting more support from other members of Congress,” she added.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has more than 156,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo., area.