FMCSA Opens Applications for Truck Leasing Task Force

In April 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration opened applications for its Truck Leasing Task Force, a panel created to examine how commercial truck lease agreements affect drivers. The task force was mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was part of the administration's Trucking Action Plan.

FMCSA said it would set up the task force in consultation with the US Department of Labor. The agency's release was dated April 7, 2022. Land Line Media reported the announcement a day earlier, on April 6.

What the panel would study

According to FMCSA, the task force would:

• Explore predatory truck leasing arrangements, in coordination with the Labor Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• Evaluate common lease agreements and their terms, and identify ones that may be inequitable
• Review agreements available to drayage drivers at ports
• Study how leasing agreements affect drivers' net compensation
• Examine leasing and financing arrangements among motor carriers, entry-level drivers, driver training providers and others
• Assess resources that help drivers review the financial impact of lease agreements

The task force would have up to 10 members representing labor organizations, motor carriers, consumer protection groups, legal professionals, owner-operators and other relevant businesses. It would report its findings to FMCSA and the Labor Department. Its charter ran through February 11, 2024.

"America's truck drivers need and deserve fair leasing agreements, and this work will help ensure that leasing is above board," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release.

FMCSA Acting Administrator Robin Hutcheson said the task force "will be instrumental in expanding our understanding of the financial impacts of truck leasing." She also encouraged interested people to apply.

FMCSA said it encouraged diverse and non-traditional representatives, especially women and people of color, to apply. Applications were open through May 6, 2022.

What it means for drivers and fleets

Predatory lease-purchase arrangements were one of the panel's named focus areas, along with how lease payments affect drivers' net pay.

The task force was a study panel, not a rulemaking, so it did not change any lease terms by itself. But owner-operators, carriers that offer leasing programs and driver advocates had a direct opportunity to shape its work by applying for a seat. Fleets with lease-purchase programs had reason to review their agreements with the panel's focus areas in mind, particularly how lease payments affect drivers' take-home pay.