Wide-reaching media reports point to slivers of the 2,700-page infrastructure package working its way through Washington, D.C. And like many industries that are holding their breath to find out how it will impact them, truckers also want to know.
Congressional leaders appear keenly aware that supply chains hiccups and the rising cost of goods and materials continue to be affected by the pervasive driver shortage. And with trucking organizations such as American Trucking Associations warning the crisis could exceed 160,000, action on 18-year-olds entering interstate transportation may be on the table. Reports highlight bipartisan support for the federal pilot program that tested reducing the age of truckers to 18 moving forward. Should this provision survive the legislative and reconciliation process, the freight industry could see its ranks swell as younger Americans embark on trucking careers.
In terms of improved driving conditions, some remain unhappy with the number of taxpayer dollars that will fund road and bridge repairs. Many of the country’s highways and bridges are either in disrepair or suffer prolonged construction with lane reductions. According to information coming out of the nation’s Capital, the following amounts will tackle these hard infrastructure items.
- Approximately $110 billion in additional funding will reportedly go to roads, bridges, and other major projects.
- Upwards of $40 billion is expected to go directly toward bridge repair and replacement.
- More than $17.5 billion goes to undisclosed “major projects.”
- The proposed Safe Streets for All program gets $11 billion to reduce car accidents, fatalities, and improve overall road safety.
- More than $66 billion is expected to fund Amtrak modernization, expanded service, and reduce freight backlogs.
- Airport and port infrastructure will reportedly receive $50 billion.
Other provisions that regional truckers may be watching closely include dispatching hours-of-service limitations for drivers hauling livestock. There has been significant pushback by lawmakers who argue that lowering on-duty hours reduces driver fatigue and leads to fewer accidents. Although moving forward with a comprehensive infrastructure enjoys bipartisan support, there appears less agreement on how to pay for the package.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has repeatedly gone on the record advocating for raising national fuel taxes. This funding mechanism has not been leveraged in decades.
“There are several different models, in the short to medium term that could include revisiting the gas tax, adjusting it, and or connecting it to inflation,” Buttigieg reportedly said during his confirmation hearings.
The White House indicated the fuel tax hike was not a viable option. Other funding pathways the DOT secretary proposed to pay for infrastructure include mileage taxes that would exacerbate inflation and independent driver earnings and some in D.C. propose more tolls, calling them “user fees.” What truck drivers are unlikely to see are improvements such as more safe places to park and a clear message about how infrastructure costs will affect their bottom line.
Sources: atr.org, overdriveonline.com, trucker.com
Democrats love spending $$ on ridiculous things. I’m a over the road truck driver & yes I agree that these roads & bridges need repair & I also know that there is a shortage of places to park which is one cause of accidents. Rest areas, truckstops, etc get filled up quick and that leaves no room for others to park . Walmart don’t allow trucks to park in their lot (but trucks do anyway and get told by either Walmart or law enforcement that they have to leave). There needs to be places to park. A lot of truck weigh stations also don’t allow overnight parking. So in my opinion this bill is stupid & uncalled for.
Biden is a fucking assshole
Need more truck parking areas
It’s fascinating to me that with this vaccine push, we truckers, who travel interstate, and live and eat among the traveling public, are not the first ones being harassed by the vaxxers. Are they afraid we’ll strike or quit? We could use that power, if we all agreed.
You are a billion percent right but these coward truck drivers will not back us we could own this country we could stop this BS and we can actually make the difference but tell that to the steering wheel holders and seat warmers
You need a leader to make that happen. And there isn’t one.
We would need to form a union
Yes,you are right. The truck driver does have alot of power. If we would stick together. We wouldn’t be a rolling ATM. Fuel taxes are to high. The broker company’s are ripping off the truck driver. You would know this if you were an owner operator. It’s a big scam. The company driver wouldn’t know about this. If we stood together, this would stop. John Chapman 17 years otr experience.
Detours
No kidding. With no regard to revamping the HOS/ELD. So all of this is intentional to remove diesel trucks… electric, self-driven, is only future Buttigieg wants. BE SURE TO VOTE – no matter how you feel about how elections are run… just check the block – because that is all that they are doing… checking enough blocks to win.
Its the penny in a pool. At first glance, it seems very close to the edge of the deep end… and, with negligible movements toward the center… the penny is at the center of the pool.
VOTE THEM OUT NOW… if you give a d* about your job, your career, the cost of inflation… feeding your family, moving freely in a free society.
It all starts here. Your choice.
Why don’t they do the research to see exactly how many of those accidents are truck drivers faults!!!
Oh Sharon, do a little research before posting an assumption that trucks are to blame. The NHTSA does the research AND they post the results. When it comes to crashes, large trucks are not the problem. In fact, 2020 more people were killed in crashes than 2019 despite 430 billion less miles traveled, and in 2020 there was an estimated 2% decrease in fatalities in crashes involving large trucks. It’s simply a numbers game. Of all vehicle miles traveled, trucks represent 9% of that number, AND represent 4% of all registered vehicles. So let’s make it simple: when 4-wheelers make up 96% of all vehicles registered in the US it is laughable to think that trucks are going to make up the bulk of traffic fatalities.
Amen to that. Auto drivers don’t have a clue about trucking and driving a truck, period.
I can’t help but notice how the supposed truck driver shortage claim keeps coming up. This claim is only half true. Yes there is a driver shortage for what they want to pay the drivers. That is what they are NOT saying. The driver shortage follows the basic rules of economics of supply and demand . If these companies paid the drivers what they are worth, the shortage wouldn’t exist. I personally had several OTR gigs where I have made 3000 plus per week. If company drivers knew what some of these loads actually paid, they would revolt. Then there are the brokers who are breaking it off in the back sides of the drivers by charging inappropriate commissions. It’s a mess and a after 26 years of driving, I’m done with the nonsense. Best of luck to you that are still out there.
Lets do it. Lets start something going, we need to change things, we are everywhere, cover alot ofr territory, meet a lot of people, lets get started. Who will join me? who will help?
I would be more than willing to get a campaign going for truck drivers. We all need unity as drivers. People have no idea the sacrifices we make to supply this country with everything needed to live and survive on this earth. The endless hours of driving and being away from our loved ones, eating crappy truck stop food and most of all struggling to find parking after a long drive shift. We need to demand the respect we deserve as professional drivers.
Kelly G. from Kansas
Get rid of all stupid demoncrats of any kind all government offices
You need a leader to make that happen. And there isn’t one.
Says who? We can do this if we all stick together and communicate a plan of action. We need unity as truck drivers to deliver a message to everybody that it is possible to shut down the transportation industry if we are willing to take the right action.
We the United States of America is no longer operating as the REPUBLIC it is so just like those that came before, you HAVE to hit um where it hurts… STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! Taxation without representation!
As if inflation and gas price is going up weren’t enough now they want to tax the fuel even more, brilliant. We’re paying for democrats incompetence and stupidity as they approve them selves to be over and over and over again. I can never figure out why people continue to vote Democrat and all they do is destroy everything around them and that’s a fact. We really don’t need this infrastructure bill because there’s so much money, trillions of dollars being wasted that we will have to pay for for generations to come. Everything will have to balance out and I could take a couple of years or more. The cost of living with inflation and higher taxes along with higher fuel prices, or salaries will not be able to keep up but yet all the Democrats in office including the clown in the White House are comfortably numb because they are financially set for life and will continue to get paid with our tax dollars along with the best medical care available. It’s not right because it’s a little people like you and I continue to pay our government that literally is extorting money but calling it taxes. Truckers will need a union formed for OTR drivers. There are unions but they seem to be for individual companies or the film business. What would it take to form a union for OTR drivers so they can be protected and have a comfortable retirement in the future? If anyone knows of an attorney that can structure that, That can help keep prices down