Arizona Senator vows to repair the trucking trade by slicing purple tape in new marketing campaign advert

A former NASA astronaut and present United States Senator for the state of Arizona has launched a brand new marketing campaign advert specializing in how he would repair labor points inside the trucking trade.

Democrat Senator Mark Kelly is up for re-election in November, and a part of his pitch to his constituents entails fixing a number of points inside the trucking trade to be able to cut back prices for shoppers.

In a video that seems to have been filmed at a truck cease, Kelly argues that “authorities purple tape” has contributed to a scarcity of 80,000 truck drivers, which has in flip elevated prices for shoppers. He says slicing laws will carry the provision chain again on monitor and “assist our truckers and their households.”

The “driver scarcity” narrative that Kelly mentions has been pushed by teams just like the American Trucking Associations (ATA) for many years. Different teams just like the Proprietor-Operator Impartial Drivers Affiliation (OOIDA) have lengthy argued that “the actual drawback is excessive turnover and retention. Compensation has been falling for years and the circumstances haven’t improved. Trucking wants to determine the way to maintain drivers as a substitute of burning them out.”

In February 2022, Kelly and Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis launched the Licensing Particular person Industrial Examination-takers Now Safely and Effectively (LICENSE) Act.

The invoice seeks to ease provide chain points with by making everlasting just a few FMCSA waivers that have been issued in the course of the pandemic:

• Enable state and third-party examiners beforehand approved to manage the business driver’s license (CDL) abilities check to additionally administer the CDL data check with out having to finish the coaching course.
• Enable licensed drivers who’re accompanying business learner’s allow (CLP) holders to maneuver from the entrance seat of a truck cab to its sleeper berth.
• Enable states to manage driving abilities checks to candidates from different states.

The invoice was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation after it was launched in February.

Different trucking trade adjustments that Kelly has supported embrace the Truck Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program for 18 to 21 12 months olds, extra versatile Hours of Service guidelines, no enhance to federal minimal insurance coverage necessities for motor carriers, and elevated DOT spending on increasing truck parking availability.