Bill aims to repeal entry

August 2, 2023

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Following decades of lobbying from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and other groups, an entry-level driver training rule finally took effect in February 2022.

Now, a group of lawmakers are attempting to get it removed.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., reintroduced the Trucking Workforce Improvement Act in July. HR4738 would repeal the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulation that requires a prospective driver to complete an entry-level driver training program before receiving a commercial driver’s license.

Proponents of the bill say the rule needs to be repealed because they believe there’s a shortage of truck drivers.

“The ongoing trucker shortage impedes our local farmers and manufacturers from doing business with their communities, driving prices up for consumers across the country,” Good said in a news release. “With rising inflation and a job shortage thanks to Bidenflation, the last thing Americans need is more regulatory overreach from bureaucrats in Washington. My bill will remove obstacles to entry for aspiring truck drivers, enable more opportunities for well-paid jobs and unleash the American economy.”

The bill was first introduced by Good in 2022 and reintroduced last month. As of Aug. 1, HR4738 was up to 14 co-sponsors.

In July, NBC News reported that truck drivers were coping with low rates because of overcapacity.

OOIDA President Todd Spencer told NBC that workers were lured to trucking based on promises from companies and social media influencers promoting the career as a way to get rich quick.

“Basically, the good times have come and gone,” Spencer said. “There’s a shakeout in the works right now, and it’s more than likely going to continue throughout this year.”

Spencer explained the “mythical driver shortage” in greater detail during a segment of NewsNation.

“When you talk about driver shortage, that’s one of those mythical topics that we’ve heard about for three decades,” Spencer said. “It’s perpetuated by companies whose real core issue is that there are plenty of drivers, but that they just can’t keep them.”

“Currently, too many new drivers enter the industry without the basic skills to safely operate a (commercial motor vehicle),” OOIDA wrote in comments filed last year. “While the (entry-level driver training) rulemaking that went into effect earlier this year is far from sufficient, the regulation does establish minimum qualifications for training instructors. If these standards are maintained and enforced, highway safety will undoubtedly improve.” LL

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Mark Schremmer, senior editor, joined Land Line in 2015. An award-winning journalist and former assistant news editor at The Topeka Capital-Journal, he brings fresh ideas, solid reporting skills, and more than two decades of journalism experience to our staff.

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