FMCSA encourages industry participants to provide their input on the current methods related to the transparency of towing fees for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) owners. The focus is on whether owners are adequately informed about the associated costs and fees before their vehicle is towed.

On February 7, the FMCSA conveyed robust support for protections for truckers against steep towing fees in their comments on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule aimed at eliminating junk fees.

In correspondence, the FMCSA underscored that predatory towing fees significantly inflate expenses for CMV owners and operators. They backed the proposed prohibition on concealed and deceptive fees and urged the FTC to take further action to limit unnecessary and excessive mandatory fees that burden truckers.

“When a truck driver’s vehicle is towed, they can’t earn a living until they get it back — leaving them vulnerable to predatory junk fees from towing companies,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We support FTC’s efforts to stand up for truckers by acting to ban junk fees and prevent predatory towing fees that can cause significant financial harm.”

To share your comments on this matter, click here.

Source: The Trucker

The post FMCSA Extends Comment Period on Towing Fee Practices appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has officially announced that the next meeting of the Truck Leasing Task Force is scheduled for March 21 at the annual truck show. The meeting will occur from 10 a.m. to noon and then 1 to 3 p.m. eastern time.

The Truck Leasing Task Force was established by Congress to put an end to predatory lease-purchase arrangements within the trucking industry. These agreements involve a carrier leasing a truck to a driver while retaining control over the majority of the operation, including the driver’s ability to pay off the loan.

In many cases, truckers entering into these agreements find themselves making substantial payments and maintenance fees without ever gaining ownership of the truck. Some drivers have reported owing money to the motor carrier at the end of a pay period.

Earlier this year, members of the task force raised questions about whether the lease-purchase model should be discontinued.

“I keep on the table, ‘Why we should try to save this model?’ I think it’s an important question for us to analyze,” said Paul Cullen Jr., a task force member and attorney for The Cullen Law Firm. “Why should it be saved? I think we should keep that on the table for our potential recommendation at the end.”

The meeting at MATS will be both in-person and accessible online. Online participants must register by March 14, and the FMCSA will provide the registration link. On-site attendees are not required to register in advance, but those wishing to speak are encouraged to do so.

A public comment period is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3 p.m. eastern on March 21.

“A public comment period … will allow drivers and lessees of CMVs to tell their personal experiences with leases and to present any supporting information they would like to share to assist TLTF in making recommendations on such agreements,” FMCSA wrote.

Additionally, the FMCSA has requested truckers to submit lease-purchase documents for review. Details about the requested documents and questions can be found on the FMCSA website. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports this effort but has requested an extension to the comment period, which is currently open until March 18.

“We request the public comment period be extended for 30 days in order to provide the Truck Leasing Task Force as much data as possible,” OOIDA wrote. “This will give drivers and other members of the public sufficient time to collect and submit leasing information.”

Source: Land Line

The post Have a Story About Predatory Lease-Purchase Agreements? Get Ready to Share It appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

On Feb. 16, the FMCSA initiated a 30-day comment period to gather lease-purchase agreements. The Truck Leasing Task Force, established by Congress, has been scrutinizing the terms, conditions, and fairness of prevalent truck leasing arrangements. In order to comprehensively assess the landscape of lease-purchase agreements in the trucking industry, the FMCSA is encouraging truckers to submit their agreements for evaluation.

OOIDA has expressed concerns to the agency, asserting that a 30-day period is inadequate and urging an additional month for submission.

“We request the public comment period be extended for 30 days in order to provide the Truck Leasing Task Force as much data as possible,” OOIDA wrote. “This will give drivers and other members of the public sufficient time to collect and submit leasing information.”

Furthermore, extending the comment period by another month would allow truckers attending the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., to actively participate. The Truck Leasing Task Force intends to convene its next meeting during this event later this month.

OOIDA is a supporter of the Truck Leasing Task Force and remains optimistic that insights provided by truck drivers can contribute to mitigating the predatory nature of many such agreements. Instances have been reported where truck drivers work full pay periods but end up owing money to the carrier, with the driver seldom owning the truck at the conclusion of these arrangements.

“We feel requesting information from commercial motor vehicle drivers will assist (the task force) in reviewing such leases to identify terms and conditions that may be unfair to drivers,” OOIDA wrote.

For those interested in commenting, a comprehensive list of questions and required documents from the FMCSA can be found here. Additionally, guidelines on maintaining the privacy of the information submitted are available. Commenters are advised to clearly designate any confidential commercial or financial information and mark each page accordingly.

Submissions containing confidential business information should be directed to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Analysis Division, Office of Policy, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Public comments that do not contain confidential business information will be accessible on Regulations.gov. Comments will be accepted until March 18.

Source: Land Line

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