Trucking is one of the most regulated industries in the country. With its use of public roads, its concerns for public safety, and the massive effect on the entire economy, this makes sense.

If you don’t think politics matters for trucking, take a look at the massive effect of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980. This law, signed by President Carter, deregulated the trucking industry. This largely created the shipping world we live in today. The law allowed anyone to enter the interstate trucking industry. Competition boomed, shipping became more accessible, but driver wages cratered – now half of what wages were before the bill.

Politics is often not about what works best for everyone, instead laws are better for some and worse for others. Some winners, some losers.

With President Biden stepping out of the 2024 race, the candidates are set as former President Trump against Vice President Harris. Let’s take a look at their records to see what issues trucking companies and truck drivers should keep an eye on in the upcoming political race.

The Biden-Harris Administration

Breaking with past traditions, the White House frequently labeled its accomplishments as part of the “Biden-Harris Administration.” This will make it difficult for Harris to distance herself from the successes and failures of the past 4 years as she makes her case to the American public.

The major law of Biden’s presidency was passing the first Infrastructure Law in many years. While the bill itself was bipartisan, this is something that former Presidents Trump and Obama both attempted and failed to get done.

Using public funds for infrastructure is a win for all trucking stakeholders. Our public roads are important for safety and all transportation. Additionally, money was allocated for more parking, another big win for trucking.

Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the Trucking Action Plan from the Biden-Harris Administration. The Trucking Action Plan includes the following:

• Outreach to veterans for truck drivers

• Pilot programs for truck drivers as young as 18 years old

• “Listening sessions” with drivers, industry leaders, unions, and other trucking advocates

• Research dedicated to unpaid driving and detention time

• Identifying “underrepresented communities” for recruitment in trucking jobs

• Investigation of predatory lease arrangements

Many of Biden’s infrastructure projects have stalled, however, due to issues regarding the speed of funding.

President Biden has also boasted that he is the most pro-union President in years. This may make some drivers or union leaders happy while larger industry organizations such as the American Trucking Associations were not as pleased. This will depend on whom you favor in such negotiations.

A Note on JD Vance

Former President Trump’s pick for Vice President in the 2024 is JD Vance. Vance is only in his second year as a Senator from Ohio, but he does have his name attached to some trucking legislation.

Vance was a co-sponsor of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. This bill called for building more safe truck driver parking as well as renovations to existing trucking spots. He also co-sponsored the DRIVE Act, which would ban the FMCSA from implementing any rules for speed limiters on heavy duty trucks.

Former President Trump

As President, Donald Trump issued statements of support for truck drivers and the industry several times. When it comes to actual policy, President Trump’s record concentrates on two key issues: deregulation and trade. Regarding deregulation, President Trump oversaw the following:

• Repeal of various emissions and “clean fuel” regulations

• More flexibility for drivers with the Hours of Service Regulations

• Executive orders to “cut red tape” to accelerate existing infrastructure projects

• Adjustment of rules allowing new CDL trainees to account for previous experience

As the global pandemic hit, the Trump Administration was critical in approving $700 million worth of loans for the trucking company Yellow, which later went through the largest bankruptcy ever for a trucking company. Yellow announced plans to layoff 30,000 workers with major criticism from the Teamsters union.

Regarding trade, a major concern for former President Trump, trucking has a large stake in this topic as trucking hauls about three-quarters of the trade from our previous-NAFTA partners.

Trump has announced that his economic agenda look to impose even more severe tariffs on countries like China. Supporters of the former President argue that this would bring manufacturing home to America with greater wages for American manufacturing workers. Opponents argue that this results in a costly increase in goods for the middle class consumer.

Trump also voiced support for more tax cuts, further lowering the corporate tax rate. The American Trucking Association, which represents larger trucking firms, announced that 51% of ATA members invested back into their employees as a result of the previous Trump tax cuts. It’s unclear what combination of new hiring, wages, or other investments that comprises.

Finally, a major focus of former President Trump is a future crackdown on immigration into the United States. Whether through a limitation of new immigrants or the deportation of some, such a restriction could lower the total amount of people in the labor pool of potential truck drivers. This might drive wages upwards in a move that could potentially be seen as positive for drivers but negative for the companies spending more on labor.

Whatever happens, we hope all Americans are united, peaceful, and keep on trucking.