PRO act passes the House, moves on to the Senate

[Mike]

For those of you familiar with AB5 in California, the Pro Act is the Federal version of it. Last night, the Pro Act passed the house and has moved on to the Senate. This was mostly a party line vote in the House, which leads many to believe that it won't make it through the Senate. That said, there were 5 Republican votes for the Pro Act, so it's not truly Dead On Arrival in the Senate.

Keeping this in the transportation world, what does this mean? If it were to pass....

Lease-Purchase: Each carrier that has lease purchase drivers may or may not provide options for truck purchasing, though they would not be bound to this. Virtually every lease purchase deal has an option available for the truck owner to cancel the lease purchase deal at any given time without any specific cause for lease termination. Even if you did have an option to buy the truck, unlike AB5, you would now have nowhere to take the truck to lease to another carrier. You would have to get your own authority because...

Leased To Carrier: This now becomes a thing of the past. For an owner operator leased to a carrier, you only option outside of starting your own authority would be to find a carrier that is willing to lease your truck from you, and hire you as an employee to drive it. At this point, you are no longer a business, merely a w2 employee with some sort of responsibility to a truck and maybe a trailer still.

What about the single truck carrier hauling dedicated to just one, maybe a couple brokers with dedicated freight? This could knock that out as well.

Dispatching services, from the way I am reading this, would be done as well.

This also puts an end to the many contracted delivery services out here that truck drivers probably don't pay much attention to. Delivery services for Amazon and others.

Again, the odds of this passing the Senate, at this time, are slim. Slim, but possible. That said, even if it gets shot down, it's not dead. We will see this again.

I'm posting this in the news area, not the politics, so those who need to be concerned about this can discuss ideas and options going forward if this becomes a reality.

If this affects your business, what would be your plan going forward?

With that, I will leave you with Biden's thoughts on the matter.



As an FYI, plan on warnings and thread bans if you try to turn this into a Political party bashing thread. Stick to the topic.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I'd just go back to being a company goob. It's easier.

 

[Mike]

I'd just go back to being a company goob. It's easier.

Most will have no other choice than that. Problem is, most despise that way of life, me included.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Most will have no other choice than that. Problem is, most despise that way of life, me included.

I do too but it is what it is. I'm not ready for full authority yet. Mostly financially. Still digging out from starting this.

Unless this crap wouldn't go into effect for several years. I do intend to have FO eventually.

 

[mndriver]

For now...

 

[Mike]

I do too but it is what it is.

Actually, not exactly.

I know this will fall on deaf ears for the most part, because it has every other time we have tried to push anything from this forum.

This is the time that the industry needs to become vocal. Not on social media, but in the face of their elected servants. That is, if it is worth fighting for to the individual.

If there is anything we have learned in the past few years, protesting is the only way to be heard.

this most likely fails, but people still need to be vocal where it matters in order to get their servants on record, and make sure they aren't around after the next election cycle if their interests are not your interests.

 

[Fast Freddy]

It seems to me the biggest Trucking companies are part of lobbying groups that are lobbying to take out the little guy.

 

[Mike]

It seems to me the biggest Trucking companies are part of lobbying groups that are lobbying to take out the little guy.

Have you seen any indication of this? These big trucking companies are largely dependent on their leased on trucks, and lease purchase programs. I haven't heard of any large trucking company that is in favor of this.

 

[Mike]

It seems to me the biggest Trucking companies are part of lobbying groups that are lobbying to take out the little guy.

I think where you will see the biggest support for this among the trucking industry is from many company drivers who are seeing the idea of becoming unionized and thinking they will make so much more money as a result.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Actually, not exactly.

I know this will fall on deaf ears for the most part, because it has every other time we have tried to push anything from this forum.

This is the time that the industry needs to become vocal. Not on social media, but in the face of their elected servants. That is, if it is worth fighting for to the individual.

If there is anything we have learned in the past few years, protesting is the only way to be heard.

this most likely fails, but people still need to be vocal where it matters in order to get their servants on record, and make sure they aren't around after the next election cycle if their interests are not your interests.

I have no fight in me.

 

[Fast Freddy]

Have you seen any indication of this? These big trucking companies are largely dependent on their leased on trucks, and lease purchase programs. I haven't heard of any large trucking company that is in favor of this.

Specifically to this legislation I haven’t. But my understanding is that when big companies push for the higher insurance they know the little guy can’t compete. Same as ELD mandates and such. Big companies can afford it while for guys like Electric Chicken it makes for a big expense.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Specifically to this legislation I haven’t. But my understanding is that when big companies push for the higher insurance they know the little guy can’t compete. Same as ELD mandates and such. Big companies can afford it while for guys like Electric Chicken it makes for a big expense.

The megas are self insured which makes it even worse.

As a lease op, I only have to cover my bobtail, and with it being an old paid off jalopy it's just $50/mo for liability. Compared to 10-12k a year that's a bargain.

That's why my gross revenue is adequate for now.

 

[Mike]

The megas are self insured which makes it even worse.

As a lease op, I only have to cover my bobtail, and with it being an old paid off jalopy it's just $50/mo for liability. Compared to 10-12k a year that's a bargain.

That's why my gross revenue is adequate for now.

Good opportunity for another thread. Lets keep this one on the rails for a while.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Good opportunity for another thread. Lets keep this one on the rails for a while.

I was trying to tie it into why I'd have to go back to company for a while.

 

[Mike]

The Unions are looking to push for an end to the Filibuster in order to get this legislation through.

AFL-CIO to explore taking a stance on eliminating filibuster

Two of organized labor's highest priorities for the Biden administration, the PRO Act and the Raise the Wage Act, are both unlikely to garner the 60 votes needed for passage in the Senate.

www.politico.com

The AFL-CIO's executive board will meet next week to determine its position on eliminating the filibuster, the labor federation's president, Richard Trumka, told POLITICO Thursday.

Two of organized labor's highest priorities in Congress — boosting the minimum wage to $15 an hour and legislation containing a long list of union priorities known as the PRO Act — are unlikely to garner the 60 votes needed for passage in the Senate.

 

[mndriver]

Actually, not exactly.

I know this will fall on deaf ears for the most part, because it has every other time we have tried to push anything from this forum.

This is the time that the industry needs to become vocal. Not on social media, but in the face of their elected servants. That is, if it is worth fighting for to the individual.

If there is anything we have learned in the past few years, protesting is the only way to be heard.

this most likely fails, but people still need to be vocal where it matters in order to get their servants on record, and make sure they aren't around after the next election cycle if their interests are not your interests.

Klobuchar and Smith have already made it clear discussing it with them it will fall on deaf ears.

Even on the HR1 issues.