The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of new initiatives, pilot programs, and regulatory updates designed to improve the lives of America’s truck drivers. The actions deliver on President Trump’s Executive Order on Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers.

 

The package includes $275 million to expand truck parking as well as initiatives to remove one-size-fits-all mandates, modernize driver resources, slash red tape, and crack down on bad actors. A more detailed breakdown on the package can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OOIDA President Todd Spencer discusses trucking issues with USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy in Austin, TX (May 20, 2025)

 

 “OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we proudly represent welcome these transformational actions from President Trump and Secretary Duffy. These steps not only improve the daily lives of truckers across America, but also enhance safety for everyone on the road. For years, truckers have urged Washington to address the severe shortage of truck parking, eliminate the dangers posed by a national speed limiter mandate, and give drivers greater control over their hours-of-service. We thank President Trump and Secretary Duffy for listening to the men and women behind the wheel who keep America’s economy moving.” — Todd Spencer, President and CEO, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

“Truckers keep America running. While the country sleeps, truckers grind through the night to help keep shelves stocked, families fed, and businesses humming. It’s a job that requires grit and dedication. But for too long Washington, DC has made work harder for truckers. That ends today. Thanks to President Trump, we’re getting Washington out of your trucks and your business,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.

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OOIDA has been advocating for these changes for years in the halls of Congress and through official regulatory comments and letters across multiple presidential administrations with an added urgency in recent months. You are more than welcome to utilize the below commentary and additional information in your reporting on individual announcements.

• OOIDA on Speed Limiters
• • “No one understands road safety better than America’s truck drivers. The road is our office, and like everyone else, we want to get home safely. That’s why we trust the men and women who navigate rain, sleet, snow, and ice every single day. More than 16,000 truckers have made it clear to the Department: a national speed limiter mandate would be unsafe. Forcing trucks to drive below the flow of traffic only creates more dangerous interactions between vehicles. It turns our highways into obstacle courses, especially for passenger vehicles. The  unintended consequences of this regulation would be deadly.”– Todd Spencer, President and CEO, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
• April 2025: Truckers to DOT: Stop speed limiter proposal
• January 2025: OOIDA leads industry coalition asking President Trump to withdraw USDOT speed limiter rulemaking
• More OOIDA Resources on Speed Limiters 

 

• OOIDA on Truck Parking
• • “Most folks probably don’t realize that 70% of American freight is transported by truck, yet incredibly there is only 1 parking spot for every 11 trucks on the road. When truck drivers don’t have a designated place to park, they end up parking on the side of the road, near exit ramps, or elsewhere.” — Todd Spencer, President and CEO, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

• May 2023: NTSB calls for more truck parking capacity and funding
• More OOIDA Resources on Truck Parking

• OOIDA on Hours-Of-Service Reforms
  • “For years, our members have told lawmakers and FMCSA that existing hours-of-service rules are not sensible for today’s trucking industry. Hours-of-service regulations that dictate a truck driver’s work schedule are overly complex, provide little flexibility, and in no way reflect the physical capabilities or limitations of individual drivers. They effectively force truckers to be on the road when they are tired, during busy travel times, during hazardous weather and road conditions, or when they simply are not feeling well.” – Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

• March 2025: OOIDA Testimony in U.S. House of Representatives (p. 7)
• September 2022: It’s time for more hours-of-service flexibility, OOIDA says

 

• OOIDA on DataQ
  • “The current Requests for Data Review (RDRs) process, or DataQ, is broken. This system is supposed to provide carriers and drivers a fair way to challenge potentially incorrect citations or FMCSA data. Unfortunately, determinations are not made in a timely or consistent manner, and too often a determination is made by the same person who issued the initial violation, which creates an inherent conflict of interest. This is problematic because unmerited violations and inaccurate information on an owner-operator or professional driver’s safety record can negatively affect their employment or increase their insurance costs, among other consequences.” – Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

• March 2025: OOIDA Testimony in U.S. House of Representatives (p. 8)
• November 2023: DataQs process broken, OOIDA says 

 

• OOIDA on the National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB)
  • “FMCSA’s National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB) has proven to be an ineffective tool for motor carriers and drivers to report coercion and unsafe practices committed by motor carriers, unscrupulous activities conducted by brokers, and cases of freight fraud. Typically, truckers do not receive a satisfactory response when they call the NCCDB hotline or submit their problem via the online portal – if they receive one at all. The lack of response from FMCSA discourages truckers from using the NCCDB to submit cases, which also contributes to a lack of understanding of the scope of the problems our members face with motor carriers and brokers.” – Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

• June 2025: Complaint database needs overhaul, trucking groups tell FMCSA 
• March 2025: OOIDA Testimony in U.S. House of Representatives (p. 9)

 

• OOIDA on Double-Brokering
  • “OOIDA members who have been victimized by freight fraud are most often targeted by scammers posing as legitimate brokers. This practice occurs in two distinct ways. First, many small trucking businesses fall victim to ‘double brokering’. This is when criminals pose as motor carriers to acquire loads from brokers, then pose as brokers looking for truckers to complete hauls. When the freight is delivered, the legitimate broker issues a payment to the fraudulent actor, and the trucker who actually hauled the cargo is left high and dry.” – Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

• February 2025: OOIDA Testimony in U.S. Senate