Trucking Groups Weighing In on Surcharge Bills

With two diesel fuel surcharge bills working their way through the Congress, trucking groups are beginning to support the version in the Senate, fuel analyst OPISNet reported Thursday.

A Senate bill providing for payment of a diesel fuel surcharge to drivers has drawn the support of the Truckload Carriers Association and the Owner-Operator Independ-ent Drivers Association, OPISNet reported.

The measure, sponsored by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.), calls for a surcharge to be enforced when the price of diesel fuel rises above $1.15 per gallon, if one is not already in effect.

On Monday, March 25 the national average price of diesel fuel stood at $1.281 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy. That marked the seventh week the price was above $1.15 per gallon.

A similar bill has been advanced in the House. However, because it would require trucking companies using owner-operators to pay the surcharge to drivers even if the customer refused to pay the surcharge to the company, it is not supported by TCA.

The Senate bill contains an exemption freeing carriers from the obligation to pay drivers the surcharge if they cannot collect it from their shippers.

he National Association of Small Trucking Companies has said that it does not support either version of the bill because they believe it makes the carrier the “bad guy in the middle,” OPISNet reported.

And an American Trucking Associations spokesman told Transport Topics, “we're precluded from taking a position on any of the bills as we have members on each side of the issue."

Executive Vice President of OOIDA Todd Spencer said that his group has no specific problem with piece of legislation.

Last year, the OOIDA pushed for Congress to pass the version of the bill currently in the House. That bill did pass the House by a voice vote, but because of time, did not get introduced into the Senate, Spencer said in a telephone interview.

The OOIDA's Web site is encouraging its members to contact their representatives in the House and Senate seeking support of the bill. Both the Senate and House version of the surcharge bill are called, "Motor Carrier Fuel Cost Equity Act."