Some Good News For Trucking

At last there is some good news for truckers, particularly owner-operators. Senator Olympia Snowe, (R-Maine), and Senator Sherrod Brown, (D-Ohio) introduced a bill which requires by law that fuel surcharges to be passed on to the person that actually buys fuel.

The TRUCC (Truthful Reliable Understanding of Consumer Costs) Act should provide some relief for truckers that are being hurt by middlemen who don't pass on the full fuel surcharge revenue. It is likely that owner-operators and small trucking firms will the beneficiaries of this proposed legislation.

Senator Snowe has also proposed a six cent reduction in the diesel fuel tax which will make it the same as the federal tax on gasoline. While neither of these initiatives are earth shaking, progress always seems to be made in small steps and these are steps in the right direction. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has a report on this pending legislation.

It must be noted that this has just been introduced and often legislative actions move slow. A call or email to your elected representative is an important part of getting this passed as quickly as possible. This bill has not yet received a number, but TruckerToTrucker will pass it on as soon as it is available.

You can contact your Representative or Senator by clicking on these links –Representative or Senator