WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is applauding the inclusion of multiple pro-trucking provisions in the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee funding bill.
The subcommittee approved the bill in a vote Monday night, advancing it to the full House Appropriations Committee for consideration.
The bill would spend $200 million to expand truck parking, uphold the federal preemption determination of California’s meal and rest break rule, and protect the improvements ATA made to the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot program.
“The American Trucking Associations thanks the members of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee for prioritizing funding and policies that will support the essential work that truckers do to deliver the nation’s freight and keep our economy moving,” said Henry Hanscom, ATA senior vice president of legislative affairs. “The substantial investment for expanded parking capacity would help alleviate one of the biggest challenges that truck drivers face and improve the efficiency and safety of our roadways. In addition, language to expand workforce development and preserve national standards for meal and rest breaks will strengthen the overall supply chain. We are especially grateful to Congressman Womack for his decisive leadership ensuring these provisions that will benefit truck drivers were incorporated in the final bill.”
Dedicated Funding for Truck Parking
According the ATA, U.S. Congressman Steve Womack (R-Arkansas), the subcommittee chairman, was instrumental in securing the dedicated funding for truck parking, addressing one of the industry’s top concerns.
In an USDOT study, 98% of truck drivers regularly experience problems locating safe parking. An analysis by the American Transportation Research Institute found that the average driver sacrifices 56 minutes of drive time per day to ensure that they have a safe place to park for the night. This results in $6,813 in lost wages for truck drivers each year.
An infusion of truck parking funding would build on the progress that has been made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that ATA championed, which has already allocated funding to build roughly 2,000 truck parking spaces, according to ATA.
“The House transportation appropriations bill would also preserve the fix ATA secured last year to fortify the SDAP program,” ATA said. “Following lackluster participation, ATA was successful in removing extraneous and onerous program requirements that deterred motor carriers from joining the SDAP program, which will help get it back on track. Finally, the bill would protect former USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao’s federal preemption determination of California’s meal and rest break rule. If California’s rule were permitted to be implemented, it would create a patchwork of meal and rest break rules, undermining safety and the supply chain.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
