On Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the members of a new task force meant to protect truckers from unfair truck leasing agreements.
In a May 1 announcement, the FMCSA listed nine people who will serve on the agency’s Truck Leasing Task Force (TLTF). The TLTF will examine the financial impacts of lease agreements on owner-operators in order to help drivers better understand the impacts of the agreements before entering into them.
“Truck leasing is an important step that many owner-operators in the trucking industry take to get started in the business. Leases that contain terms that are inequitable to drivers may discourage safe drivers from continuing to work in the industry,” the FMCSA noted.
“At a time when our country needs truck drivers more than ever, we must do everything we can to support the men and women who work in this vital industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Truck Leasing Task Force is taking a hard look at leasing agreements as part of our effort to ensure every truck driver in this country has good working conditions and can make a good living.”
“The Truck Leasing Task Force addresses one of trucking’s great challenges. Leasing can have a major impact on people choosing trucking as their career, and protecting drivers is of the utmost importance,” says FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “FMCSA is committed to addressing issues that may impact the recruitment and retention of drivers in the trucking industry.”