This new year will be a big one for politics. As the country’s Presidential candidates address everything from foreign policy to inflation, the trucking industry will continue to wait and see how their concerns will be addressed.
Here’s a look at some major topics to keep an eye on.
President Biden’s Trucking Action Plan and Infrastructure Bill
With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, President Biden’s administration has committed to solving trucking-related issues. This act sets aside a significant amount of money for the purpose of maintaining and upgrading roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure elements in order to improve the transportation network’s overall effectiveness. Notably, neither President Obama nor President Trump were able to pass an infrastructure bill despite many tries.
As a component of the larger infrastructure project, the Trucking Action Plan concentrates on projects like enhancing truck parking facilities and purchasing cutting-edge technologies to expedite logistics.
The Legacy of Former President Trump
When considering President Trump’s legacy, the trucking industry can be reassured that when disaster struck, as with the unexpected COVID pandemic, President Trump passed emergency relief to help bail out the struggling industry.
The Trump administration also relaxed some Hours of Service regulations. Most importantly, President Trump also greatly favors expansion of fossil fuels over alternatives such as the future electrification of trucking. Another Trump term could rollback clean air standards and other health/environmental regulations.
Vivek Ramaswamy and Other Candidates
One good sign that truck drivers and trucking companies will be seen and heard is that some candidates are already speaking to truck drivers. Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican primary candidate, has already spoken to the Iowa 80 truckstop and outlined his proposals for the industry.
Ramaswamy also supports a 75% reduction in the number of federal employees, a move that may have consequences for the regulatory agencies in charge of the trucking sector.
Whichever Republican ends up running against President Biden, the 2024 election year will undoubtedly have ramifications for truck drivers and companies.