All Posts

How the U.S. Studied Truck Parking While Closing Rest Areas — and What FOPT Proposes Instead In 2009, truck driver Jason Rivenburg  was murdered after being forced to park in an unsafe location because no legal, safe rest area was available. His death exposed a fundamental contradiction in federal trucking policy: drivers are strictly regulated for fatigue, yet the infrastructure required to comply safely has never been guaranteed. In response, Congress enacted what became kn

Farmersville, Ohio — January 5, 2026  — The Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT) has formally submitted a Petition for Rulemaking to the U.S. Department of Labor pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 553(e), requesting that the Department initiate rulemaking to recognize commercial truck driving as a skilled trade within federal workforce development and Registered Apprenticeship frameworks. Commercial truck driving is a safety-critical, federally cr

FREIGHT OPERATIONS PROTECTION & TRANSPARENCY ACT (FOPT Act) A BILL To reform freight operations in the United States by strengthening transparency, protecting commercial drivers and small carriers, modernizing regulatory standards, enforcing operational accountability, eliminating predatory practices, and restoring integrity to the national supply chain. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, TITLE I — B

How the U.S. Studied Truck Parking While Closing Rest Areas — and What FOPT Proposes Instead In 2009, truck driver Jason Rivenburg was murdered after being forced to park in an unsafe location because no legal, safe rest area was available. His death exposed a fundamental contradiction in federal trucking policy: drivers are strictly regulated for fatigue, yet the infrastructure required to comply safely has never been guaranteed. In response, Congress enacted what became kno

On January 10, 2026, the Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT) formally submitted a Petition for Rulemaking to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) seeking new federal safety standards governing rate confirmations and Bills of Lading used in interstate trucking. The petition was submitted in accordance with 49 CFR § 389.31 and 5 U.S.C. § 553(e) and has been officially received through Regulations.gov . This filing establishes an administrative record a

For years, truck drivers and small carriers have shared the same experience in private conversations and industry forums: one day they are booking loads without issue, and the next day freight access suddenly disappears across multiple brokers at once. No explanation. No warning. No appeal. At the center of these stories is a private, broker-only platform known as Carrier411 . What Carrier411 Is and How It Is Used Carrier411 is a subscription-based database accessible almost

People keep saying broker transparency will fix trucking. Nope. You can know exactly what a broker makes and still haul freight below your own break-even . Transparency doesn’t stop bad decisions. Knowing your numbers does. This spreadsheet is built to remove excuses and reduce every load to one question: Do the miles on this load clear your break-even after revenue and expenses are accounted for? If yes, take it. If no, don’t. That’s the fix. What You Enter (and Where) You o

How the Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act would squeeze small carriers, consolidate freight, and create downstream incentives that favor rail Executive summary • H.R. 6884 (the “Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act”) proposes a new civil penalty for freight brokers that contract with carriers labeled “unsafe” under a simple violation-count test. [1] • The bill’s definition of “unsafe” is blunt: three or more DOT violations in the prior five years (either

The Trucker Longevity Program Getting Healthier Without “Working Out” Truckers don’t need another fitness app, gym membership, or guilt trip. What they need is a way to move more, hurt less, and lose weight without adding time to a day that already doesn’t belong to them. This system is built around one idea: Use the job itself to fix the damage the job causes. No gym. No schedules. No excuses. The Rule That Makes This Work If you’re already doing something for the job, sta

Detention is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented costs in trucking. Carriers are routinely told that detention is “policy-based,” “capped,” or “subject to customer approval,” as if time, equipment, and labor suddenly lose value once a truck stops moving. They do not. When a carrier is held beyond reasonable free time, detention becomes a compensable service , supported by long-standing principles of contract and restitution law. Appointment times, internal polici

Truck drivers of America have, for generations, sacrificed their time, health, and families to build and sustain this nation. Without truck drivers, there is no supply chain. Without truck drivers, there is no America. For decades, corporations, government agencies, and industry regulators have profited from this labor while failing to recognize its value. Recognition as a skilled trade has been repeatedly requested, yet the profession continues to be labeled “unskilled

FREIGHT OPERATIONS PROTECTION & TRANSPARENCY ACT FOPT BUSINESS ACUMEN CERTIFICATION PROGRAM Six to Nine Month Mandatory Curriculum Section 401. Establishment of Program The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shall establish and administer a mandatory Business Acumen Certification Program for motor carriers, designed to ensure minimum demonstrated competency in financial management, contractual literacy, regulatory compliance, safety economics, and risk manage

FREIGHT OPERATIONS PROTECTION & TRANSPARENCY ACT   NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL TRUCKING APPRENTICESHIP     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE This section may be cited as the “Freight Operations Protection & Transparency Act – Professional Trucking Apprenticeship Program” (hereinafter referred to as the “FOPT Apprenticeship Program”).   SECTION 2. PURPOSE & FINDINGS (a)    PURPOSE The purpose of this Act is to: 1.       Establish trucking as a recognized skilled trade 2.       Reduce commercia

Who Raises the Money, Who Controls It, and Who Answers for It? Money doesn’t lie. People do. Systems lie the least. When someone says they are “for truckers” and asks for money, they are making an implicit promise. Not a legal one necessarily, but a moral and operational one. The only way to evaluate whether that promise means anything is to look at how the money is raised, where it legally lives, and who has authority over it . Everything else is branding. The Illusion of a

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The trucking industry stands at a breaking point — not because of one problem, but because of an entire system built on imbalance, secrecy, and outdated assumptions. Broker transparency laws, including 49 CFR 371.3 , 49 U.S.C. 13708 , and the waiver provisions of 49 U.S.C. 14101(b) , were intended to protect carriers, ensure honest billing, and level the economic playing field. Instead, decades of weak enforcement, deceptive contract practices, and a structu

The trucking industry runs on long hours, tight schedules, and constant pressure. What it usually doesn’t run on is long-term financial planning. Whether you’re a company driver or an owner-operator, the truth is the same: the earlier you start saving for retirement, the easier the road ahead becomes. This guide breaks down the best retirement-building options for both categories of drivers, using simple language and practical steps anyone can follow. Why Truckers Need a St

Part 1: Department of Transportation and Intermodal Infrastructure Abstract This report examines the statutory foundation for federal transportation governance contained in Title 49 of the United States Code. Part 1 focuses on Subtitle I, which establishes the Department of Transportation (DOT), and Subtitle III, which coordinates national infrastructure and intermodal freight programs. Together these subtitles define the scope of authority that supports all subsequent truc

Abstract Predatory contracting in trucking has turned the promise of independence into a system of debt and control. This white paper analyzes the evolution of 1099 misclassification and carrier-controlled lease-purchase programs from 2015 through 2025, drawing on public enforcement data, court filings, and federal task-force reports. It demonstrates how opaque contracts and fragmented regulation allow payroll-evasion models to persist, transferring risk to drivers while shie

By: Federation of Professional Truckers 1. Introduction — The Two Faces of Advocacy For a century, trucking has been built on a paradox. Truckers haul the nation’s economy yet remain the least-protected participants within it. Every decade since deregulation has promised that new “advocacy” groups, industry associations, and safety alliances would elevate the people behind the wheel. Instead, each wave of representation has tilted the table further toward those already hold

Introduction Since deregulation, the trucking industry has been sold the idea of “free markets, open access, and fair competition.”What’s...