The U.S. Senate’s $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill announced last week contains numerous trucking-related provisions, such as requiring automatic emergency braking systems, improving underride guards, and establishing a CDL apprenticeship pilot program.
It also includes funds to create a women of trucking advisory board to encourage women to enter the trucking industry.
But, notably missing from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, however, is a provision to increase carriers’ liability insurance minimum from $750K to $2 million, a provision included in the House’s infrastructure bill passed earlier this summer. The Senate’s bill also does not explicitly earmark funding for expanding truck parking capacity – the House bill did.
Some notable trucking-related provisions contained in the Senate bill includes a measure to require a study of truck and bus crash causation, and:
- Establish a Truck Leasing Task Force to study truck leasing agreements, including lease-purchase agreements
- Require new commercial vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems
- Require improved rear underride guards on trailers and additional studies into side underride guards
- Require a proposed rulemaking to amend certain regulations for household goods haulers
- Require new emphasis on the inclusion of "small business motor carriers" in representation on the influential Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee
- Require a report from DOT analyzing the cost and effectiveness of electronic logging devices and detailing the processes used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to review ELDs and protect personally identifiable information obtained from ELDs, as well as detailing the process through which a carrier can dispute or appeal an ELD violation
- Require clarification of the distinction between brokers and bona fide carrier agents, and to take a close look at dispatch services and the penalties for illegal brokering
- Establish a CDL apprenticeship pilot program for under-21 CDL holder
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) plans for Senators to vote on the bill before the summer recess, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 9 but could be delayed, according to reports.
