ATA Presses Congress on Safety, Efficiency Priorities
Washington Agencies Shut Down Amid Congress’ Funding Impasse
Key Takeaways:
- ATA in an Oct. 8 letter detailed several matters for Congress such as boosting entry-level driver training as well as English-language proficiency requirements.
- Spear also advocated for Congress to direct FMCSA to begin a rulemaking requiring a standardized ELP test as requisite to the CDL process.
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American Trucking Associations is urging congressional leaders to prioritize policy proposals it argued are essential for improving safety and efficiency along freight corridors.
The federation’s president in an Oct. 8 letter detailed several matters for Congress such as boosting entry-level driver training as well as English-language proficiency requirements. The letter was issued at a time when the federal government was partially shut down due to partisan funding disagreements on Capitol Hill.
Addressing House SpeakerMike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), as well as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), ATA President Chris Spear explained, “As the largest national association representing the trucking industry, ATA and its members recognize the critical importance of a trained, qualified driver workforce and have identified several specific steps toward strengthening the processes and checks that ensure a commercial driver is fit to operate on our nation’s roadways.”
“ATA and its members — who work tirelessly to ensure safe operations over millions of miles traveled each year — have identified a set of strategies to address these challenges, in line with the industry’s commitment to reducing crashes and fatalities,” Spear added, pointing specifically to the need for Congress to codify an executive order by President Donald Trump about .
Spear also advocated for Congress to direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to begin a rulemaking requiring a standardized ELP test as requisite to the commercial driver license process.
Relatedly, he urged Congress to require standard driver’s licenses for one year prior to eligibility for a CDL. As Spear explained, “This would ensure drivers have sufficient baseline experience operating a motor vehicle before taking on the greater responsibility of driving a commercial truck.”
He added, “FMCSA should provide flexibility and exceptions for certain individuals seeking to enter the driving workforce, such as young drivers, those entering well-vetted carrier training programs, and underprivileged individuals who may lack the means to obtain a driver’s license, provided equal or greater training and safety protocols are in place.”
ATA also is asking Capitol Hill’s leadership to enhance federal and state oversight of CDL issuance as well as testing to guarantee qualified drivers join the industry. Spear pressed for an expedited removal of noncompliant training providers from FMCSA’s training provider registry. And, for Congress to enhance enforcement and penalties against illegal cabotage.
“Congress should also establish meaningful penalties — such as fines, disqualification or loss of operating authority — for carriers found to be repeatedly violating cabotage restrictions,” according to Spear. “Ensuring that only qualified, compliant operators move domestic freight protects highway safety and preserves the integrity of U.S. carrier operations.”
Copied on the letter were the members of the House of Representatives, the Senate and the leadership at the departments of Transportation and ϳԹland Security.
During this latest government shutdown, which was on its eighth day as of Oct. 8, senators focused on confirming President Donald Trump’s nominees as well as debating the massive annual Pentagon policy measure. The Republican-led House has recessed during the shutdown.
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“There are some things that I think there is interest on both sides in trying to address when it comes to health care in this country,” Thune said Oct. 8, adding, “But you can’t take the federal government hostage and expect to have a reasonable conversation on those issues.”
“The government needs to be funded. Federal employees need to go back to work,” the Senate leader went on. “Federal agencies and departments need to be open and providing the services that the American people expect.”
The transportation committees on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, have announced plans to update federal highway programs and policies. Policy directives for such programs expire in the fall of 2026.
