WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tom Weakley of the OOIDA Foundation delivered a blunt message to a federal committee on Wednesday, Jan. 18, calling standard mileage-based compensation a direct threat to highway safety and driver livelihoods. Speaking before the National Academies of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board, Weakley pulled no punches about how current pay structures force OTR truck drivers into dangerous situations just to cover basic living expenses. The hearing brought together experts from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Department of Labor, and various industry stakeholders to examine how carrier pay models intersect with rigid hours-of-service rules. According to Weakley, paying truckers solely by the mile forces them to rush, violate rules, and risk safety because unpaid hours leave them scrambling to make mortgage and car payments.

Federal regulators launched this deep dive into driver compensation as part of a mandate written into the 2021 infrastructure law. Congress ordered the FMCSA to direct the Transportation Research Board to study how different pay methods impact driver retention and overall fleet safety. FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson emphasized that building a sustainable work environment is essential for keeping experienced CDL-A drivers behind the wheel. Right now, the industry standard relies heavily on mileage pay while exempting motor carriers from paying overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This structure means professional drivers routinely perform essential tasks like pre-trip inspections, fueling, and securement without seeing a dime of compensation.

The financial penalty extends straight to loading docks, where the industry standard gives shippers and receivers a generous two-hour window before detention pay even kicks in. Weakley pointed out the absurdity of this setup by asking committee members how many salaried professionals would tolerate working two hours for free before their shift officially started. To prove that hourly pay models solve these systemic problems, Weakley highlighted a Louisiana trucking company that switched from mileage pay to hourly pay. That single operational shift allowed drivers to maintain a normal family life, dropped the carrier's turnover rate from 75 percent down to 17 percent, and dramatically reduced the number of highway crashes.

What This Means for Drivers

For independent owner-operators and company drivers alike, the federal spotlight on compensation methods validates years of frustration regarding unpaid detention time and hidden labor. When trucking companies refuse to pay for hours spent waiting at shippers and receivers, drivers feel immense pressure to violate hours-of-service limits to make up for lost miles. Fleet managers and safety directors are taking notice as data increasingly shows that hourly pay structures naturally curb reckless driving behaviors and reduce turnover. CDL-A driver retention directly correlates with fair pay, meaning carriers that continue to lean exclusively on outdated mileage rates will struggle to recruit quality talent in an evolving labor market.

Industry Reaction

Advocacy groups and government regulators have reached a rare consensus that fundamental reforms are long overdue for how transport workers are paid. While motor carriers face stiff economic pressures from shippers and rising operational costs, federal officials are making it clear that safety performance and driver pay are inextricably linked. The ongoing Transportation Research Board studies are laying the groundwork for future policy shifts that could permanently alter how trucking companies compensate their drivers for all on-duty hours.

Key Points

• Tom Weakley of the OOIDA Foundation told federal regulators that pay-by-the-mile systems actively compromise road safety.
• The Transportation Research Board hearing was mandated by the 2021 infrastructure law to study driver pay and retention.
• A Louisiana carrier that switched from mileage pay to hourly pay saw its turnover plummet from 75% to 17%.
• Current Fair Labor Standards Act exemptions allow carriers to avoid paying overtime to most OTR truck drivers.

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