Jason’s Law
Recently out on the road I passed a truck with a sign posted on his truck that read, “I support Jason’s Law.” Working so close to the trucking industry, I was a little embarrassed that I was not familiar with this law. A quick Google search informed me that “Jason’s Law” is and initiative to provide increased safety for our hard working truck drivers while out on the road. The bill was passed by the Senate on March 13, 2012 by a 74 to 22 vote.
For anyone unfamiliar, here is a run down of how the bill got its start and where it hopes to go:
1.) It was created to honor Jason Riverburg, who was tragically robbed and murdered in March 2009 while staging for a delivery he was running early for. Corporate policy made it impossible for him to park and wait to unload at the delivering location, so instead he stopped at an abandoned gas station twelve miles away; one he had heard another driver recently use.
2.) The law aims to provide increased protection and safety for drivers who must stop in order to comply with JIT requirements or hours of service laws by requiring companies to allow drivers to stage inside safe facilities for up to twelve (12) hours before or after pickup/delivery.
3.) The law proposes to create off highway “bullpens”, granting drivers a safe location to stage in the event a company is unable to comply with the requirement to allow on-sight staging.
4.) Additionally, the law hopes to increase the availability and security of public rest stops.
5.) After the law passed in March 2012, the Department of Transportation is now in the process of surveying the currently available parking facilities within each State to see if they are adequate for accommodating driver need.
6.) This law is supported by the following organizations:
- American Trucking Association (ATA)
- Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA)
- National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO)
- American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA)
- Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA)
To learn more about Jason’s Law visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jasons-Law-HB-2156-SAFE-PARKING-FOR-TRUCKERS/192353475073, follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JasonsLaw or their website at http://jhlrivenburg.com/cgi/wp/.