NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann wrote the agency that regulates truck drivers and asked them to look at some new rules they recently put into place.
"This week, I led a letter, 34 other members of Congress signed on to it, it's basically to the administrator of FMCSA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It's regarding these new ELDT regulations. This agency implemented these regulations earlier this year. They require new drivers can only take a CDL exam once they've been trained by a specially certified entry level training provider."
The issue with that is particularly across the Big First, that can delay the ability to train and hire those drivers and cause additional cost for trucking companies.
"Of course, we all want safe drivers, but the requirement has forced many small businesses to utilize third party providers," Mann said. "That's costing thousands of dollars, taking weeks to complete, and is yet another problem in helping people employ drivers and yet another issue to be added to the supply chain."
Supply chain issues are just one of the larger problems that continue to drive inflation up to 40-year-highs.
"The cost of everything is up," Mann said. "Even when I see numbers that are printed, I think those are low. When I talk to Kansans about what they are actually paying, so far as percent increases. Tell our ag producers that are paying 200, 300, 400% increase in the price of fertilizer. The cost of everything is going up."
Before the ELDT regulations took effect, states implemented the requirements to obtain a CDL. These are new federal regulations.