There have been major problems affecting truckers. All sorts of issues that only they would get, such as double brokering, parking and even the limiter mandate. The scandal of situations that affect owner-operators have been brought to attention at a House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure hearing in Congress, just this past Wednesday. Of course, this is a positive development for trucking, because the whole intention is to get lawmakers on the outside respecting the struggle that folks in logistics have way moreso instead of totally not considering the efforts and sacrifices that need to be made in anticipation of the problems that arise in the future. Otherwise, how will the logistics, trucking, telematics and delivery industries significant improvements? It’s a necessity to recognize the very valid issues facing the industry and not choosing to shy away from them. Who knows what other problems could arise in this post-COVID world? It’s a valid thing to worry about these scenarios as they happen in the future to helpless truckers who themselves may not have enough support from the federal government and agencies in trucking. Congress should be hearing out leaders in the trucking industry on a more common basis. Otherwise, how will things get fixed?

What trucking issues in particular did Congress hear?

The focus for the hearing was aptly titled “Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges to Deliver for America,” and had reps come in from truck stops, fuel makers, Teamster Unions, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Transportation Intermediaries Association to speak about all the problems impacting many truckers and trucking affiliates.

The EPA hearings for the Phase 3 emissions regulations had been useful to inform operation all the relative environmental groups. Such a hearing had been imposing strict rules to ensure equality. The House Reps that can carry the Biden administration to task.

Rick Crawford, the Republican from Arkansas, is the Highways and Transit subcommittee chair and has himself showed how much he supports the singular duties of truck drivers, in our USA’s current economy. All while varied supply chain failures have happened during the pandemic. There are certain difficulties in particular that need to be made into a bigger priority as record-high fuel prices continue to impact the industry ridiculously. And yet the administration keeps promoting their own beliefs that outlawing diesel and ushering in electric trucks way too quickly was definitely a move that the market hadn’t been exactly prepared for. To even fantasize about electric trucks is as he called it “unrealistic.”

OOIDA Exec VP Lewie Pugh had brought in a new testimony that shows how the supply chain has had to improve their self-serving policies for the betterment of truckers being able to experience the issues at-hand. Pugh himself has had his own share of difficulty with detention time, speed limiters and truck parking as well.

Productivity in itself has been suffering since there’s been a lack of attention to parking, wages and inflation that has dented the industry since the ’70s.

A fraud epidemic that has been noticed in the supply chain has also been noticed among the community and if not properly addressed, could continue to waste about $800 million a year to correct without official protocol installment.

As a result, the TIA will have the government brought in on the 2012 MAP-21 infrastructure bill and the broker provisions that can easily “codify legal brokerages” with the institution of $10,000 penalty for illegal activity.

The regulations are indeed impacting trucking negatively and there had been public request for the FMCSA to enforce better penalties for brokers that get themselves into fraud-like double brokering, as well as actors creating collision scenes from overseas.

Additional speakers had spoken at length about how electrification had been negatively hit by truck stops and fuel makers. Truck stops themselves are not able to I.D. good business off of EV charging infrastructures alone.

Trucking needs to be respected. Let’s hope that Congress recognizes that.