(Grain Valley, Mo., Mar. 3, 2011) – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) expressed outrage on behalf of professional truckers at today’s announcement by the White House to open up U.S. highways to Mexican trucks.
“Simply unbelievable,” said Todd Spencer, Executive Vice President of OOIDA. “For all the president’s talk of helping small businesses survive, his administration is sure doing their best to destroy small trucking companies and the drivers they employ.”

For the past several months, the Department of Transportation has embarked on a series of regulatory actions that will have a profound impact on small businesses and professional drivers in the trucking industry.  Among other things, those actions include major revisions to hours-of-service rules for truck drivers, mandating expensive and intrusive electronic tracking technologies and banning the practical use of communications devices. 

Spencer added: “Small business truckers are in the midst of dealing with an avalanche of regulatory rulemakings from the administration.  They are also struggling to survive in a very difficult economy.  This announcement is tantamount to rubbing salt in wounds already inflicted.”  

The majority of trucking companies based in the U.S.  are small businesses. As many as 93% of all motor carriers have fewer than 20 trucks in their fleets and 78% of motor carriers have fleets of six or fewer trucks.  Owner-operator fleets averaging slightly more than one truck represent nearly half the total number of heavy-duty commercial trucks operated in the U.S.  Those trucking companies and truck drivers must contend with ever-increasing safety, homeland security and environmental regulations that dramatically affect their costs of operation as well as their ability to make a living at their chosen profession.

Mexico first imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports close to two years ago. OOIDA contends the legality of the original tariffs should have been challenged. Spencer noted, “The administration’s failure to challenge those tariffs has jeopardized the livelihoods of millions of truckers and other Americans.”

“Mexico’s economic bullying tactics should not be tolerated. The onus is on Mexico to raise the safety, security and environmental standards for their trucking industry,” added Spencer. “We should not allow ourselves to be harassed into lowering our standards.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has more than 152,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the Greater Kansas City, Mo., area.