Trucking Workforce Improvement Act May Increase Employment
It is not a surprise to anyone that truckers are slowly but surely becoming older on average: we often cite the statistic that every year, the average age goes up by about a month. This is in part due to how much regulation goes into preventing new drivers from entering the workforce, creating a barrier of entry into the trucking industry that’s height is one that few other industries have. One United States Representative wants to change that.
Details
On July 19th, Representative Bob Good (R-Virginia) introduced the “Trucking Workforce Improvement Act” into committee. Its purpose would be to remove the FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule that went into effect on February 7th, 2022. Here is Good’s commentary on the Bill’s introduction, unredacted and not bereft of partisanship:
“The ongoing trucker shortage impedes our local farmers and manufacturers from doing business with their communities, driving prices up for consumers across the country. 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.”
Conclusion
It goes without saying that the trucking industry was able to survive without this regulation for well over one hundred years before it was added in 2022, so removing it would not be the end of the trucking industry as we know it.
The real question to ask is: what are the odds this bill will become law? It is highly unlikely. This legislation leans inherently to the right, and though Republicans control a majority in the House and a plurality in the Senate, they do not have enough votes to override a presidential veto, which Joe Biden would most likely enforce in the name of public safety.
How do you feel about this bill and the ELDT rule? Do you believe that the trucking industry needs to put new drivers through the ringer, or is it an undue burden that stymies the national economy? Let us know in the comments below.
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