Washington, D.C. — The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has cleared a slate of legislative measures designed to address critical supply chain bottlenecks and driver safety on the nation's highways. The committee's approval represents a necessary step toward resolving chronic operational roadblocks that professional truck drivers face daily, moving several targeted bills closer to a full floor vote.

Chief among the approved measures is the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, crafted to fund new secure capacity via competitive federal grants. Federal data underscores the severity of the shortage, revealing a national ratio of one legal parking space for every eleven active drivers. This deficit forces operators to spend nearly an hour each day hunting for a lawful place to rest, directly impacting compliance with FMCSA regulations and cutting into driver pay.

The legislative package also addresses commercial licensing hurdles through the LICENSE Act, which seeks to make permanent specific Department of Transportation waivers. These rules permit certified skills test examiners to administer both CDL knowledge and driving tests to applicants regardless of their home state or training background. Additional provisions in the package target equipment weights, granting a 10 percent tolerance for stinger-steered auto haulers and dry bulk carriers, alongside a 2,000-pound weight exemption for hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks to match existing rules for battery-electric and natural gas alternatives.

What This Means for Drivers

For the average OTR truck driver and owner-operator, these bills address daily frustrations that have persisted for years without federal relief. The ongoing parking crunch forces nearly 70 percent of drivers to violate federal hours-of-service rules simply because they cannot find a legal slot to shut down for the night. Streamlining CDL testing rules helps trucking companies hiring new talent get qualified applicants behind the wheel faster, easing the chronic driver shortage that strains fleets across the country. Meanwhile, adjusted weight tolerances for specialized equipment mean fewer wasted miles and less regulatory friction for specialized haulers navigating state lines.

Industry Reaction

Industry stakeholders have long pointed to the staggering statistic that 98 percent of drivers regularly struggle to find safe parking. With finding a space remaining the single largest non-employer grievance reported by leased owner-operators and company drivers, advocacy groups continue pressing lawmakers to push the parking legislation across the finish line. The bipartisan backing from representatives including Mike Bost, Angie Craig, and Brian Babin highlights growing legislative recognition that infrastructure deficits directly threaten highway safety and supply chain efficiency.

Key Points

• The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a multi-bill package focused on safety and supply chain efficiency.
• The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act creates a competitive grant program to build new parking facilities and ease the 11-to-1 driver-to-space ratio.
• The LICENSE Act permanently extends DOT waivers allowing third-party examiners to administer CDL tests across state lines.
• Weight tolerance adjustments provide operational relief for dry bulk carriers, stinger-steered auto transporters, and hydrogen fuel vehicles.

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