Truck Topics

NATIONAL CALL-TO-ACTION: Fuel surcharge

On March 10, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, also known simply as “The Highway Bill.”

Section 4137 of that bill says that all motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders running truckload freight MUST implement fuel surcharges and they MUST pass 100 percent of those surcharges through to the person who actually pays for the fuel.

With diesel prices at historic highs and climbing even higher, now is the time to write the fuel surcharge legislation into law. Some truckers are currently receiving some surcharge money, but most are either getting back a fraction of what they actually pay for fuel or nothing at all.

Section 4137 of H.R. 3 will:

Help truckers survive spikes in prices at the pumps.
Level the playing field for small business truckers.
Use the standard industry benchmark price ($1.15/gallon).
Cost the government no money to implement or enforce.

The next step is to have the Senate Commerce Committee include the fuel surcharge provision in its version of the highway bill.

Please write and call both of your senators as soon as possible to urge them to support the fuel surcharge legislation in Section 4137 of H.R. 3. Even if they are not members of the Senate Commerce Committee, they can help to influence the senators who are. We need their support. Remember, you are their constituent and you are a valuable asset to their state.

If you are not sure who your senators are, simply phone the OOIDA Membership Department and they’ll look up the information for you. The toll-free number is 1-800-444-5791. You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and be connected to the senators’ offices after providing the operator with your zip code.

SAMPLE  PHONE  MESSAGE:

“I am from Hometown, State, and I am a small business trucker. We need to have fuel surcharge legislation passed to survive spikes in diesel fuel prices. I ask that Senator _______ tell his/her colleagues on the Commerce Committee to include Section 4137 from the House highway bill (H.R. 3) in the committee’s part of the Senate highway bill.”

Please write and call your senators as soon as possible. A sample letter is attached. Feel free to cut and paste, use exact same wording, personalize and add your own thoughts or write something completely different – just let them know that truckers from their home state and across the nation need the fuel surcharge passed into law.

You can visit www.congress.org or www.senate.gov to find out who your senators are, where to send letters and how to get a fax to them.

TO ENSURE YOUR LETTER GETS TO YOUR SENATORS IN A TIMELY MANNER,
FAX IT TO THEM AND THEN DROP IT IN THE MAIL.

SAMPLE LETTER:

March --, 2005

The Honorable ______________
XXX Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator ___________,

As a small business trucker and a constituent of yours, I ask that you tell your colleagues on the Commerce Committee to include the truckload fuel surcharge provision from Section 4137 of H.R.3 in their part of the Senate highway bill. I do not have the ability to raise my rates or establish a fuel surcharge when the price of fuel jumps. Without the ability to pass along higher fuel costs through a surcharge, tens of thousands of small business truckers like myself have gone out of business during the last few years.

Fuel is by far my largest cost of doing business. On average, fuel purchases amount to about 30 to 40 percent of my operating expenses. The average cost of diesel at the pump in our state is significantly higher than a year ago at this time. With strong demand, tight supplies and the rising cost of crude oil, the Department of Energy predicts that diesel prices will only continue to rise.

The fuel surcharge legislation I am asking you to support will help to maintain a reliable, competitive, and safe trucking industry without any cost to the federal government. It will simply give all truckers the ability to collect a fuel surcharge to cover increased fuel costs. It is the same mechanism that is used by airlines, railroads, steamship lines, hotels, and even taxicabs to recover higher fuel costs.

Without the fuel surcharge legislation being written into law, the livelihoods of many hardworking people from our state and the rest of the country will continue to fall victim to unstable and escalating fuel prices. Please ask that the truckload fuel surcharge language from Section 4137 of H.R.3 be included in the Commerce Committee’s part of the highway bill.

Thank you,

(Sign and provide your address)

If you have questions, do not hesitate to call the association at 1-800-444--5791.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE CAPITOL HILL TAKE NOTICE.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR TRUCKERS THROUGHOUT AMERICA.

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