Bill seeks ban on predatory lease-purchase programs for commercial vehicle drivers

A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would put the brakes on certain predatory lease-purchase agreements in the trucking industry.

On September 17, 2025, Rep. Julia Brownley introduced the Predatory Truck Leasing Prevention Act of 2025, or H.R.5423.

The bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to create regulations to prohibit predatory commercial vehicle lease-purchase programs.

The bill also requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish a process by which drivers may be granted relief from their lease-purchase program if the the Secretary finds that the terms of the lease-purchase agreement violated regulations.

The bill defines a predatory lease-purchase program as:

“The term ‘predatory commercial motor vehicle lease-purchase agreement program’ means the framework of motor carrier-driver relationship, including the lease-purchase agreement, the contract for the driver’s work for the motor carrier, and the motor carrier’s practices in implementing the contracts that are not provided in the contract, including the motor carrier’s recruitment practices, operational practices, and tax and finance practices, whereby the motor carrier controls the work, compensation, and debts of the driver, and the driver accrues no equity or is forced to give up equity accrued in the contracted truck.“

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for consideration.

Trucking groups including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) endorse the bill.

“OOIDA and truckers across America applaud Representative Brownley for taking on the predatory lease-purchase schemes that have fleeced truck drivers for decades,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “These scams dangle the promise of ownership but leave drivers broke, trapped in debt, and kicked to the curb with nothing to show for it. These schemes represent the worst in trucking and the Predatory Truck Leasing Prevention Act would put a stop to this practice once and for all.”

In January 2025, A committee assembled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) submitted a final report suggesting truck lease-purchase programs “cause widespread harm” and should not be permitted.