Highway bill: The good news and the bad news

The whole thing just makes me sick to see these idiots making rules or decisions on my livelihood. I will be writing my states reps that's a definite. I hope everybody that this could effect does the same.

 

And what the heck is ...

• Create new authority for congestion pricing. ????

 

If it's like what London does, they charge you £15 to drive into the city between 0700-2200. Maybe they charge more for trucks. It's a money grab.

 

I don't like the auto breaking requirement.

 

Lol, panic, whine... look.... it has to pass the senate. Dems could write a republican wet dream bill, and not one republican will vote for it. Don't get your panties all bunched.

 

Appears the CPAP manufacturers still greasing the palms, what a pile of BS just to milk truck drivers.

 

On the liability, from 750k to 2M is a hell of a jump. I take it as the opening offer. A wish list if you will.

Why does the liability need to go up? Our congress critters, assuming they can take some time away from all the ####tail parties and get the lobbyist #### out of their mouth, need to have the case for a liability increase laid out for them and evaluate the merits of the case. If it does in fact need to go up, then phasing up to say 1M (a 33% increase) over a few years seems more reasonable. Going to 2M in one year is a 266% increase and is totally unreasonable. If in their infinite wisdom they decide 2M is the right number, then it should be phased in over like a decade.

If the sole reason for an increase is to make for more blockbuster trial lawyer awards, they ought to keep it where it's at. We need an opposing force to propose something that might put a bunch of trial lawyers out of business. Maybe a new windfall tax on jury awards exceeding a certain amount.

 

I sent letters to each of my reps, feel free to copy and paste to yours.

Dear Senator ___, I am writing to you for your help in rejecting the "Invest in America Act" due to several key elements that are very damaging to the trucking industry. I am an independent owner operator based in ____, I am a single truck and trailer operation with a spotless safety record with over 25 years experience in the industry. The Invest in America Act can very well put myself and many of my other owner operator friends right out of business. The thought of raising our minimum insurance from $750,000 to $2 million is a nail in the coffin for many small independent trucking companies when the real problem should be stopping the nuclear verdicts awarded against trucking companies in jury cases. We truckers are just simply doing our job, transporting goods and providing services for the country, paying our bills at home, taking care of our family, and sending our kids to college. What good is a highway bill when it does more to support the unbridled greed of trial lawyers than truckers? The last thing a trucker or the country needs is for their expenses to rise, and that's what this bill will do. If my bottom line gets effected by the Invest In America Act I will be transferring those new costs into my rates, therefore increasing the cost of transportation along to the shipper, who in return will have to increase the price of their product onto the consumer. There are other pieces of this legislature that are also bad for the trucking industry, speed limiters on commercial vehicles is a terrible idea. With the increase of truck traffic on the roads these days and the impatient motoring public behind us this is a recipe for disaster. We already have this problem on our roadways with fleets that are speed governed trying to pass one another taking almost 2-3 miles to do so, backing up traffic for miles behind them. The only good portion of the Invest in America Act I see is the creation of much more needed truck parking, hopefully with facilities. It's hard to believe that in this day and age this problem still exists, with many states closing much need rest areas. As for maintaining our bridges and roadways, I am 100% onboard with that, but I am sick and tired of having to worry about new ideas that take from my income when I am already paying enough into the system via fuel tax, IFTA, IRS 2290 Heavy Vehicle Tax, and income tax. I am asking you and Senator ____ to vehemently reject the Invest in America Act until the portions of it that will crush the independent trucker are removed. I also ask that you speak with your fellow members of Congress to also reject the Invest in America Act until it is refined, as it will have damaging effects on so many small businesses and trickle down effects to so many consumers.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response.

 

Im gonna use this...thank you for the time to do and post this.

 

You're welcome my friend. I hope many other members follow.