We wanted to compile a list of some of the current bills and regulation changes that are being considered or reviewed right now that might have an effect on truckers in 2022. It should be noted that these bills have not passed at the time of this blog post but have been introduced or discussed by policy makers.

Some States Considering Right Lane Only Driving

After Virginia saw the giant pile up from jackknifed trucks that left motorists stranded for over 24 hours during a snowstorm, a bill was quickly introduced to state legislature for approval. The idea behind the bill would be to make any commercial motor vehicle drive in the right-hand lane of any Virginia highway during a snowstorm. The claim by the bill’s creator was to supposedly keep CMVs away from hazardous drivers that might lose control and crash into their big rig.

New Mexico also saw Senate Bill 174 get introduced that would force all truck drivers to drive in the right-hand lane only outside of city limits. The only exception would be if they were passing somebody or approaching a vehicle pulled over in the emergency lane to avoid a possible accident. The claim for this bill is that the steep terrain of New Mexico’s highways can often back up traffic for miles if two trucks are in both available lanes.

The right lane legislation is also getting the attention of several state-based trucking associations that claim this legislation will add challenges for the industry. The restrictive language and also putting trucks in the right lane only could make highway on and off-ramps much more dangerous for regular vehicles.

Truck Driver Appreciation Day Proposed

Robert Myers Jr. is a current Alaska state senator that was once a commercial truck driver before he joined the senate. He has a lot of driving experience that took him all over Alaska which has made him a proponent for drivers everywhere.

He currently introduced Senate Bill 150 for approval to make the 2nd Monday of September be Truck Driver Appreciation Day. He believes that after what drivers sacrificed and went through while driving during the pandemic warrants this recognition for all drivers.

Wisconsin To Offer A Possible Truck Driver Training Scholarship?

Assembly Bill 941 was recently introduced in Wisconsin that is aimed at helping with the current driver shortages the US has recently seen.

The idea would be that the Wisconsin DOT would offer scholarships to aspiring truck drivers that would cover 50% of their tuition costs.

It would also offer flexibility to trucking companies in Wisconsin that trained drivers themselves by allowing the DOT to reimburse for those costs. As this bill was recently introduced, it is hard to gauge how receptive it will be to passing.