Women In Motion Stresses Need for Truck Parking to Lawmakers
[Stay on top of transportation news: .]
WASHINGTON — Members of ’ were on Capitol Hill on July 23 to elevate lawmakers’ awareness of the need to expand access to safe parking for the nation’s commercial drivers.
The group’s “Call on Washington,” attended by dozens of WIM members from around the country, included meetings with policymakers as well as their senior staff on the transportation committees.
Arizona-based truck driver Ina Daly was among those advocating on Capitol Hill for safety projects related to truck parking and other workforce benefits. An ATA America’s Road Team captain, Daly — who drives for XPO — has distinguished herself during a multidecade tenure as a national safety ambassador. In 2013, she became the first woman to win a title at the .
RELATED: House Panel Approves $200 Million for Truck Parking
“The Women In Motion conference within the ATA is, in my opinion, very much needed,” Daly told Transport Topics. “There are other women’s groups in trucking, but none has the backing of the American Trucking Associations and the access to our lawmakers here in [Washington] D.C.”
The group, she noted, “can address things that are important to women, like safe truck parking, training. All the things that are going to help women feel comfortable coming into the trucking industry and give them an easier path forward than those of us of my generation.”
MORE ON DALY: Ina Daly Honored at NTDC for Career Accomplishments
Gina Jones, also a captain on America’s Road Team, amplified the industry’s contributions with lawmakers alongside Daly.
At a reception at the U.S. Capitol, Jones stressed the importance of a unified message from trucking. “We’re all one family together, so let’s all stay together and work it all out with the people that we need to help us,” she said. The Arizona-based driver with Werner Enterprises represented her firm and the industry this summer at an event at the White House.
Vontyna Durham, president of Memphis, Tenn.-based Xcelente Trucking and Logistics Training Services, met with representatives of the Volunteer State delegation. She is confident the WIM’s Call on Washington advocacy forum will produce lasting results. Reflecting on the one-on-one talks with policymakers, she said, “We’re better together, and we’re stronger in numbers.”
In addition to pressing for greater access to parking, WIM members shared concerns related to workforce training, recruitment and retention as well as Biden-era guidance that they argue has disturbed the independent contractor model.
A group of Women In Motion Council members meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa.). (Karen Foote/American Trucking Associations)
At the Capitol Hill reception, several lawmakers addressed the group.
Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), who sits on the House transportation panel, listed the potential benefits associated with truck parking legislation he has advanced. “The truck parking problem has [gotten] so serious, and I don’t need to tell people in this room that fact, but it’s not safe for you as drivers,” he said. In March, Bost and Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) introduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act to assist state agencies by facilitating funds for maintaining and expanding parking operations.
Relatedly, a fiscal 2026 House funding bill would provide $200 million for such projects. The measure awaits consideration on the floor of the chamber.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) also addressed the group to tout a House committee’s recent approval of his Modern Worker Empowerment Act. The legislation would establish a test for determining whether a worker is classified as an independent contractor or an employee.
Tim Haynes of Penske Transportation Solutions discusses how AI is being applied to fleet management, from predictive maintenance to route optimization.Tune in above or by going to .
“Thank you everyone for all of your advocacy in continuing to emphasize how very important this legislation is to your livelihood and to our entire economy for that matter,” he said.
The annual Washington “fly-in” approach to advocacy is a tool ATA applies for WIM and other members of the federation. The Call on Washington connects stakeholders from diverse backgrounds with Washington’s decision-makers with the goal of informing and helping to shape transportation legislation. WIM explained the meetings offer a prominent venue to “engage directly with policymakers about the most pressing challenges facing your business and the industry. It’s a unique opportunity to represent your company, share your expertise and shape the future of trucking through impactful conversations.”
XPO ranks No. 5 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America. Werner ranks No. 18 on the for-hire TT100 and No. 32 on the TT Top 100 logistics companies list.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing belowor go here for more info:
