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National association supports towing reform in Missouri

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association expressed support for two proposals in Missouri that would create consumer protections in connection with non-consensual tows of commercial motor vehicles. OOIDA sent letters as well as testified at a recent hearing in connection with the bills.

Missouri Senator Lincoln Hough and Missouri Representative Nate Tate introduced SB323 and HR749 respectively.

Both bills, which are very similar, would provide small-business truckers a means of contesting unreasonable towing charges.

If passed, HR749 would create a new task force within the Missouri Department of Transportation. The task force would make recommendations for consumer protections that MoDOT should consider enacting related to non-consensual tows. The Senate version, SB323, would create an advisory committee of industry stakeholders to make recommendations for regulations in connection with non-consensual towing of commercial motor vehicles.

Mike Matousek, Manager of Government Affairs for OOIDA, testified at a state Senate transportation hearing in Jefferson City earlier this week, sharing with lawmakers concerns about non-consensual towing.

“Small-business truckers keep getting stuck with towing bills that are arbitrarily inflated by thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars,” said Matousek. “The impact on them is financially devastating, there’s no meaningful recourse in Missouri and the problem continues to get worse. We appreciate the Missouri legislature’s interest in this issue and we look forward to continuing to work with them to find reasonable solutions.”

OOIDA would like to see the bills signed into law and expressed support in the following letters to both state lawmakers.
Letter to Rep. Tate
Letter to Sen. Hough