OOIDA to Washington: “This Bill Isn’t Beautiful for Truckers”

Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Draws Fire from Trucking Advocates

As the U.S. House steers toward a showdown over the controversial budget reconciliation package dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the trucking world isn’t riding along quietly. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), one of the industry’s most vocal watchdogs, is sounding the alarm.

In a pointed letter sent Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), OOIDA laid out strong objections to the bill, which passed out of the House Budget Committee by a razor-thin 17-16 vote. With a scheduled Rules Committee meeting set for the early hours of Wednesday morning, OOIDA's message is clear: as written, the bill is a bad deal for truckers.

New Taxes, Old Frustrations

OOIDA minced no words in its assessment: “This package surprisingly looks far from beautiful.” The organization accuses lawmakers of neglecting the longstanding concerns of small-business truckers — and even worse, adding to their burdens.

Chief among those burdens is a proposed $100 annual fee to access a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website. The site would allow users — particularly brokers and shippers — to confirm whether a motor carrier is compliant with FMCSA regulations. While the bill frames the move as a transparency measure, OOIDA sees it as a thinly veiled attempt to shield brokers from liability while saddling small carriers with more unnecessary costs.

“The DOT already publishes this information,” OOIDA noted. “Our members pay countless taxes and fees. Congress should be cutting, not creating, new taxes.”

Loss of Tax Deductions: A Punch Below the Belt

Another provision under fire is the bill’s decision to make permanent parts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) — including the elimination of the per diem deduction for employee drivers.

“This has hit our members hard,” OOIDA wrote. “Many received surprise tax bills in the thousands. Rather than making it permanent, Congress should be restoring the daily meal expense deduction for employee drivers.”

Overtime Pay: A Long-Ignored Battle

Perhaps the most glaring omission, according to OOIDA, is the bill’s failure to repeal the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime exemption for truck drivers. While the package proposes to exempt overtime wages from taxation, it does nothing to require motor carriers to pay overtime in the first place.

“This bill guarantees a tax break for workers who get overtime — except for drivers, who are often denied it altogether,” OOIDA said. “Truckers continue to be treated as second-class citizens in the labor force.”

What Comes Next?

If the One Big Beautiful Bill clears the House Rules Committee and wins a floor vote, it will head to the Senate, where OOIDA and other industry groups will continue lobbying for changes. While the bill’s future is still uncertain, one thing is clear: OOIDA is not backing down.

As the legislative process unfolds, Safety Lane Magazine will be monitoring every twist and turn — because when lawmakers write bills that impact the highway, truckers deserve a seat at the table.

📣 Voice Your Opinion Are you a trucker concerned about the new $100 FMCSA website fee or the lost per diem deductions? We want to hear your story. Email us at info@cellexconsultinggroup.com or tag us @CellExConsultingGroup across social media platforms.

🛑 Safety Lane stands with the small fleets and drivers who keep America moving — and demand fairness in Washington.

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