trucking

Federal Highway Bill Targets 'Predatory' Truck Lease-Purchase Schemes

Lawmakers have embedded provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act designed to eliminate what they characterize as exploitative commercial truck leasing arrangements. The proposed legislation would direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish federal regulations banning predatory lease-purchase programs within two years of enactment. The bill specifically defines illegal arrangements as those in which motor carriers control driver compensation, work assignments, and debt obligations while drivers accumulate no equity or forfeit accrued vehicle ownership stakes. Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, endorsed the measure, stating it addresses schemes that have harmed small business truckers for decades. The regulatory framework would apply to all motor carriers operating under federal jurisdiction, establishing oversight to prevent arrangements that leave drivers financially trapped with no asset ownership.