In The News

OOIDA members’ phone calls about ‘Jason’s law’ prompt action in DC

Since receiving a Call to Action late Wednesday about federal legislation titled “Jason’s Law” for safe truck parking, OOIDA members have been tirelessly pounding the phones to their lawmakers in Washington, DC.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed.

After receiving “tons of calls” from OOIDA members to support HR2156 for safe and secure truck parking, Rep. David Obey, D-WI, signed on as a co-sponsor to the bill.

Late Tuesday, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-NY, introduced the bill, which seeks $120 million for a six-year pilot program to address truck parking concerns nationwide. Click here to read Tonko’s bill. A total of nine lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors so far.

Besides issuing a Call to Action on Wednesday, OOIDA President Jim Johnston sent a letter of support to Tonko on “behalf of America’s small-business trucking professionals.” Click here to read Johnston’s letter.

“Every day the nationwide shortage of safe and secure truck parking threatens the well-being of Americans who make their living behind the wheel of commercial vehicles,” Johnston wrote in the letter. “If drivers are unable to find parking for their trucks, they will be forced to either operate illegally and unsafely or park their vehicles illegally and unsafely.”

OOIDA Director of Government Affairs Rod Nofziger said while the Association is “reaching out directly to lawmakers to ask them to support Jason’s Law,” OOIDA is also being contacted by lawmakers’ offices who are receiving “plenty of calls from truckers about the bill.”

Click here to read OOIDA’s Call to Action on Jason’s Law, named for slain New York trucker Jason Rivenburg, who was fatally shot on March 5 at an abandoned gas station where he was parked. Rivenburg drove for OOIDA member Frank VanderVeen of Delanson, NY.

On average, OOIDA members drive more than 115,000 miles per year and spend more than 240 nights per year away from home. Johnston said that “Jason’s law” will go a long way toward ensuring that adequate and safe truck parking is available for fatigued drivers as well as drivers seeking to comply with hours-of-service regulations.

In closing, Johnston thanked Tonko for supporting truckers in their fight for safe and secure parking.

“Thank you for your leadership on this important matter. We look forward to helping you make ‘Jason’s law’ the law of the land,” he said.

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