WASHINGTON — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has issued a letter of support for Sean Duffy as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The letter was sent by OOIDA president and CEO Todd Spencer to Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell.
“The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is the largest trade association representing the views of small-business truckers and professional truck drivers,” Spencer said in the letter. “We have approximately 150,000 members located in all fifty states that collectively own and operate more than 240,000 individual heavy-duty trucks.
“We are writing to express our strong support for Sean Duffy to be confirmed to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Mr. Duffy’s previous support for small-business truckers indicates to us that he will bring the right perspective to the role and work to ensure that DOT’s actions reflect the priorities of America’s professional drivers.”
According to Spencer, during Duffy’s time as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Duffy demonstrated his interest in addressing regulatory burdens affecting small-business truckers. He signed a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration expressing his support for an OOIDA petition that would have provided relief to small-business truckers from the controversial Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. This was a common-sense petition that would have addressed the most burdensome regulation ever issued for the trucking industry.
“With this request, Mr. Duffy recognized that regulations should not be one-size-fits-all, and more importantly, that Congress and federal regulators should provide relief to small businesses when regulations have significant costs with little to no benefits,” Spencer said. “We believe this is the appropriate regulatory approach for the Secretary and DOT. Trucking is one of the most heavily regulated industries in America. While compliance with regulations has never been higher, many of these policies have not improved highway safety or efficiency. These ineffective rules have driven up costs for small-business truckers, pushing many safe and experienced operators out of the industry. It is absolutely critical that the Secretary recognize it is not just mega carriers, with huge back offices, support staff, and operating capital, that must comply with these regulations. A significant portion of our members are single-truck motor carriers, and the trucking industry more broadly is overwhelmingly made up of small businesses. About 50% of registered motor carriers operate a single truck, and 85% of carriers operate six trucks or fewer.”
Spencer noted that the men and women operating these small carriers are not only driving truck and managing the day-to-day operations of their business, they must also ensure they are compliant with all federal, state, and local regulations. If confirmed, OOIDA believes that Duffy would guide the department in reviewing overreaching regulations that do nothing to improve safety and make it more difficult for small-business truckers to thrive.
“Since his nomination, Mr. Duffy’s team has reached out to us to better understand the needs of small-business truckers and professional drivers,” Spencer said. “On too many issues, our members’ viewpoint is disregarded in favor of larger carriers seeking to maximize their bottom line or ‘safety advocates’ with little experience in driving truck. We appreciate that Mr. Duffy and his team have solicited our input because, in order for any trucking or transportation policy to be successful, it must have the buy-in from those who will have to comply with the rules.”
Spencer added that OOIDA is encouraged that Duffy has received bipartisan support among Senators for his confirmation. OOIDA focuses on policies that will improve the lives and working conditions of the men and women who make their living behind the wheel. These policies do not fall neatly along partisan lines, and OOIDA believes that the Secretary should fairly consider policies and proposals regardless of any apparent partisan implications.
“Given his demonstrated interest in issues affecting small-business truckers and professional drivers and outreach to better understand these issues, we believe that Mr. Duffy is well-suited to serve as DOT Secretary and ask that you vote to advance his nomination,” Spencer said.
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.
