A statement from Todd Spencer, President and CEO of OOIDA, which represents small business truckers.
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The Lack Of Parking
Given how critical drivers are to our nation’s supply chain, it is extremely frustrating to see lawmakers continue to treat truckers as an afterthought. Despite the disappointing outcome, we want to thank Senators Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. for championing Amendment 2615, which would have helped increase truck parking capacity across the country. We will continue work with them to identify other opportunities to address the lack of parking.
Truckers are routinely expected to simply be thankful for more highway funding and accept the fact all their unique needs are ignored time and time again. Years of inaction on addressing the lack of truck parking has created a nationwide crisis that threatens the safety of millions of professional drivers, and increasingly the motoring public. By failing to include the Kelly/Lummis amendment, the Senate has missed yet another opportunity to enact meaningful policies that would immediately improve drivers’ lives and highway safety.
This should have been a bipartisan slam dunk. Instead, the continued lack of action has demonstrated to America’s truckers that, despite all their hard work keeping the country safe and supplied throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they largely remain an afterthought in the Senate. The lack of dedicated funding to address the truck parking crisis is a major reason OOIDA could not support the bill.
And we will continue to oppose surface transportation legislation that doesn’t prioritize the needs of professional drivers.
Fortunately, the legislation does not increase minimum insurance levels and will invest hundreds of billions for roads, highways, and bridges. We will continue to monitor as the bill now advances to the House of Representatives where further action is expected this fall.
