Truckload Group Presses Congress on Key Trucking Points – Fleet Administration

Jim Ward, president of the Truckload Carriers Affiliation (TCA) just lately introduced HDT in control on the curiosity group’s newest lobbying push on Capitol Hill. As a part of the group’s annual Fall Enterprise Assembly and “Name on Washington,” held in September, Ward introduced greater than 80 TCA members to satisfy with their respective members of Congress.

The TCA members making the rounds on the Capitol centered on discussing key supply-chain points, together with truck parking, California’s AB5 laws; driver recruitment and retention; driver security, and TCA’s personal Younger Drivers Program. Some TCA members from Canada additionally took half by assembly with Canadian officers on the nation’s embassy.

Parking High of Thoughts for Truckers

“Truck parking is true now the highest challenge regarding drivers. Our concern It was well-received on the Hill and an enormous bipartisan dialogue,” mentioned Ward, who earlier than taking the reins at TCA earlier this yr had served as president and CEO of motor service D.M. Bowman Inc. “And in Secretary Buttigieg’s annual message to TCA, given by video, he mentioned the circumstances truck drivers work in and the compensation they obtain.”

As to what could also be executed to assist alleviate the parking scarcity, Ward suggested that one route could be by way of the appropriation course of.

“Consideration is being given to allocate sure funds to increasing truck parking,” he mentioned. He famous that it’s not a tough challenge to clarify of significance of because it’s “fairly apparent to anybody who travels by highway” and fixing this may additionally “assist deliver extra girls to truck driving.”

He mentioned TCA additionally has its eye on different workforce points affecting drivers and technicians, with recruitment and retention a “rising challenge for each.”

One other of those is searching for FMCSA to offer push notifications of data issued by the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Ward mentioned TCA additionally desires the power to submit hair-analysis outcomes of drug screening assessments.

Youthful Drivers Forward

Additionally on the entrance burner is the rollout of the DRIVE-Secure Act (packaged throughout the Infrastructure Funding Jobs Act, that may allow CDL holders 18- to 21-years previous to be licensed to cross state strains after finishing particular coaching. The coaching requires carriers to stick to rigorous coaching requirements that pair every younger driver with an skilled mentor-driver.

“We provide the [pilot] program to our members and transfer them by way of it rapidly,” says Ward. “It kicks off with hours of required coaching and contains apprenticeship alternatives. We see it getting legs, as 3,000 drivers have enrolled within the beta take a look at.”

Turning to a problem that’s nonetheless within the fingers of the FMCSA, Ward identified that the long-awaited and controversial rule on mandating velocity limiters on vans — in its present kind — is underneath assessment by the company. And he harassed it is going to be fairly the assessment.

“FMCSA acquired some 16,000 feedback on velocity limiters, and about adaptive cruise management,” he mentioned. “All that may take a very long time to get by way of. The company’s job is to scale back fatalities on the freeway. That’s our objective, too, and contains utilizing expertise when it may possibly make a distinction.”

AB5 Legislation Is Nonetheless a Huge Query Mark

“As for the place the trade is with California’s AB5 worker-classification regulation,” Ward suggested, “the preliminary injunction that had saved California from imposing it has been lifted. If that adjustments and/or if different states enact related guidelines, forcing fleets to transform owner-operators to firm drivers will put an incredible pressure on the availability chain.

“Past that thought, we do not know the place this challenge will go,” he continued. “However any regulation that builds momentum on the West Coast tends to maneuver East. You combat it the place it’s. As at all times, what’s important to us is to maintain security primary.”