Trump and Trucks - how does it look like? - Part 2

Jan 06, 2017 in News, Regulations and road rules, Trucking Industry

As the day when Donald Trump will officially enter the White House (20 January) approaches it is impossible not to ask oneself what changes in the trucking industry will take place in the following months. Bobtail.insure has already followed how his presidency might affect the laws enforced my Obama’s administration with regards to safety. These are a few more key factors to keep in mind.

 

Photo: iStock


Regulations such as speed and weight limitations are about to be addressed as well. Experts say that truckers will most probably push for weight limit increase on trucks to more than 90,000 pounds and an estimate length from 28 feet to 33 feet for individual trailers in double-trailer combinations.


When it comes to the infrastructural budget experts say that there will be a higher percentage of governmental infrastructure spending. What is more, Donald Trump has already proposed a bigger budget for road and bridges improvement. However, 158 000 independent drivers and small companies were skeptical whether the infrastructure investments will increase, as Washington post reported.


A recent campaign that President Trump released revealed that a privatization of highways might take place in order to attract more corporate investment. This was not welcomed positively. According to Todd Spencer, an executive vice president at the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association believes the private sector cannot serve the public properly giving as an example the Indiana Toll Road.


Another raised question is whether Trump is going to create more jobs in the industry. There are approximately 3.4 million truck drivers in the USA and 7.1 million people working in jobs related to trucking activity, according to a 2015 report from the ATA. What is more, truck driver is considered one of the most common jobs in the States. It is also interesting to follow if wages will increase as a lot of drivers voted for Trump. The median salary for tractor-trailer drivers up to date is around $40,260, according to the Labor Department.

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