A bill to give truckers relief from high fuel prices will get a hearing in the House today.

The House Subcommittee on Ground Transportation is meeting on a bill to establish a mandatory fuel surcharge for truckload carriers.
The surcharge in the “Motor Carrier Fuel Cost Equity Act of 2000” would be triggered by “sudden and exorbitant increases” in prices, said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-WV, when he introduced the measure.
The money would have to be passed through to the trucker, broker or freight forwarder who actually provides the service, and it would not affect surcharges that already are in place.
Rahall, who was supported by Rep. Roy Blunt, R-MO, said the bill would not solve the fuel crisis, but it is a fair and reasonable approach that would bring relief to independent truckers.
The bill is strongly supported by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn., which has been pushing for this kind of relief ever since the fuel crisis hit this winter.