Trump's VP Pick Supports Trucking Priorities

Former President Donald Trump, a vocal supporter of the trucking industry, particularly owner-operators, has chosen a running mate who supports two major legislative priorities for truck drivers.

Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance, named by Trump as his pick for vice president at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, is a co-sponsor of the Truck Parking Improvement Act, which allocates $755 million in grants over the next three years to expand truck parking. 

He also co-sponsors the DRIVE Act, which aims to prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from requiring trucks to be equipped with speed limiting devices, a rule set for May 2025. Both bills are significant lobbying efforts by the Owner-Operator Independent Truck Drivers Association (OOIDA).

OOIDA spokesman George O’Connor stated, “We’re a non-partisan organization, but unabashedly pro-trucker. We’ll work with anyone and everyone who supports our members’ priorities, regardless of party affiliation. There’s no question that it’s helpful to have someone advising the President with a proven pro-trucker legislative record.”

Vance, known for his populist conservatism that sometimes diverges from traditional Republican viewpoints, supports a Rail Safety Bill that Democrats have been advocating for following the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Vance’s home state. 

Simultaneously, he seeks to repeal tax incentives for electric vehicles, including those for commercial trucks.

Trump garnered populist support among owner-operators in May 2020 when he responded to a weeks-long rally along Constitution Avenue in Washington, where drivers protested against brokers allegedly gouging them on rates and taking advantage in the spot market. 

Brokers countered the allegations, stating that the market conditions during the pandemic’s early stages did not support the existing carrier capacity.