We went to Washington to meet with members of the New York Congressional Delegation on May 3rd, on behalf of the Trucking Association of New York (TANY) and set up by the American Trucking Association (ATA). We discussed ATA’s legislative agenda and the impact to the New York Metro area:
- Infrastructure Funding- Fuel Tax Vs. Tolls. Increasing the fuel tax is by far the most efficient way to fund infrastructure maintenance and revitalization. Think of it as a user fee more so than a tax. The system to collect the revenue is already in place, the tax has not been raised since 1993. Anyone who operates in the Metro region is already beaten up by tolls. About 30% of tolling revenue goes to toll collection infrastructure NOT surface infrastructure. Tolls are contracted out to private companies who are unaccountable and toll revenue seems to get diverted to other non-road projects. We are not against tolls for new bridges and tunnels, but for existing infrastructure, no way!
- Driver Shortage- Currently there is a shortage of about 50,000 drivers. This will grow to 175,000 by 2024. There is a serious technician and dispatch shortage as well. One of the problems is that in order to have a CDL that enables you to drive interstate you must be 21 years old. This precludes 18-21-year olds from crossing state lines. By this point many would be drivers have made other career choices. 18-21-year old’s can be given a class B or C CDL which enables them to drive intrastate. Unfortunately, the inability to cross state lines is a deal breaker for many companies in this region. We discussed various pilot programs to allow 18-21-year olds to travel interstate.
- Redundant Background Checks- Driver’s must go through a security check assessment (STA) to obtain a Transportation Worker’s Identification Credential (TWIC) to access maritime ports or haul hazardous material. A similar requirement is needed for airport access and a similar requirement is needed to cross the border. Maritime ports, airports, federal buildings, and hazmat haulers are a vital part of the industry in this region. The background checks look for the same things and are handled by the same contractor. Driver’s should not have to take time off from work or pay for redundant checks when one robust federal background check will suffice.
- Clarify Preemption Under FAAA- California began imposing their own requirements for meal and rest breaks in 2014 and so far the local courts support this decision. The ATA, fearful we would get a patchwork of different state requirements wants to make sure the is one federal standard. Consider a driver having different meal and rest standards in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. If they leave New Jersey compliant but enter New York non-compliant, combined with the lack of truck parking we can see a very dangerous situation with vehicles on the road that should not be there.
There is certainly a great deal of cynicism when it comes to Congress but we had engaging and informative conversations with representatives and staff from both parties. We thank everyone from the congressional delegation for their time and the ATA for hosting us. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about the above listed issues.
Leave a Reply