BY STAS MARGARONIS
With truckers playing a crucial role providing medical supplies and food for a nation under lockdown from the Covid-19 virus, drivers are coming under stress from long driving hours leading, in some cases to Covid-19 infection. This prompted the head of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) to demand President Trump take action:
“Once word spreads that drivers are testing positive, we could very well see a tremendous reduction in drivers willing to risk everything for the rest of us…We need a plan for them. We need help. Do it.”
In a letter dated April 3rd, Todd Spencer, President and CEO, OOIDA told President Trump:
” Small-business truckers and professional drivers are the vital link to it all, putting their lives on the line for the good of the nation.
Every day they are exposed to COVID-19 because of the critical service they provide for all of us. EVERY SINGLE DAY. They run in and out of the hot zones and without question they are exposed. They don’t have access to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or any practical means to know when they may be falling ill or any practical solution if they need treatment or self-isolation.
Access to testing must be available where they are, particularly on busy truck routes. And testing must show results in hours, not days. Along with that we need a strategy for treatment or quarantine that could take place at nearby motels.
Right now, professional drivers are busting their butts to care for the nation. Their hard work and personal sacrifice should not include their health or even their lives if at all possible or preventable. Once word spreads that drivers are testing positive, we could very well see a tremendous reduction in drivers willing to risk everything for the rest of us.
We need a plan for them. We need help. Do it.”
In addition, OOIDA urges Congress help truck drivers by taking the following actions:
* H.R. 6104, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, should be passed to address the shortage of parking for trucks. This bipartisan legislation would provide dedicated funding for projects that expand truck parking capacity.
* Congress must support the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) efforts to modernize and improve hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. Truckers shouldn’t just get temporary relief when the nation needs their help responding to an emergency.
* Congress must take steps to address the persistent problem of excessive detention time, which reduces driver wages, slows the movement of freight and has been linked to increased crash rates. Many drivers spend countless unpaid on-duty hours being detained due to the inefficiency of others within the supply chain.
* Congress must repeal the overtime exemption for employee drivers in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The average truck driver works 60-70 hours per week, which is rarely, if ever, reflected in their compensation.
* Congress must waive the 2020 payment of the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) to provide immediate tax relief to owner-operators, many of which are struggling to keep their businesses operational during and after the crisis.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association represents ”the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers” and currently has more than 160,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo. area.