Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Road Fix: Mobile Phone App Opens Direct Digital Complaint Line to Congress

Stuck in traffic? Have a cell phone? Here’s your chance to turn your wasted breath into a digital complaint that could actually get something done. Building America’s Future, a bipartisan coalition dedicated to reinvestment in infrastructure, today introduced a new mobile phone app that gives motorists a direct link to their elected representatives.

Oliver Patton
Oliver PattonFormer Washington Editor
July 30, 2013
3 min to read


Stuck in traffic? Have a cell phone? Here’s your chance to turn your wasted breath into a digital complaint that could actually get something done.

Building America’s Future, a bipartisan coalition dedicated to reinvestment in infrastructure, today introduced a new mobile phone app that gives motorists a direct link to their elected representatives.

Ad Loading...

With the “I’m Stuck” app, available for free at www.bafture.org, travelers can instantly tell their Senators and Representatives that they are jammed up and something needs to be done about it.

“Usually commuters think traffic is like weather – it is something that happens to them and they have no control over it,” said Ed Rendell, the former governor of Pennsylvania and co-chair of Building America’s Future.

“But that isn’t the case at all. The policies we put in place, or the lack of a coherent long-term infrastructure plan, directly impacts the daily experience of Americans trying to get around their communities,” he said in a statement.

Ad Loading...

The app gives the public a tool to voice their frustration to Congress, he said. “It is called ‘I’m Stuck,’ but the truth is America is stuck until Washington takes action.”

The app opens with a safety warning: don’t text while you’re driving.

The user can either enter his name, address and contact information, which automatically loads the names of his Senators and Representatives, or enter the addressees manually.

It offers standard messages for a variety of situations, from being stuck on the highway to waiting for a bus or on an airport tarmac.

For example: “Dear member – I’m stuck in traffic wasting time, fuel and money. All around me are trucks, commuters and families delayed and frustrated. Please pay attention to America’s ailing and inadequate infrastructure. It’s important. It’s your decision. It’s past time.”

Ad Loading...

Or you can write your own message, and include a photograph of the situation.

The app becomes available at a critical point in the ongoing debate over investment in infrastructure.

The current federal highway program expires in a little over a year. It initiates significant reforms at the Department of Transportation but in terms of funding it is a stopgap measure.

The Highway Trust Fund, a principle source of revenue for U.S. roads, bridges and mass transit, has been flirting with insolvency for the past seven years as the intake from fuel taxes has remained stagnant while needs have increased.

Congress and the White House are facing a tough political decision.

Ad Loading...

The choice is to eliminate all highway and mass transit spending in 2015, raise the tax on motor fuels by about 10 cents per gallon or transfer about $15 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund, Kim Cawley of the Congressional Budget Office recently told Congress.

The “I’m Stuck” app is designed to give citizens a way to directly weigh in on that decision. “(It) will empower citizens to tell their Member of Congress that it is time to reinvest in America,” Building America’s Future said.

 

More Fleet Management

TEN disaster prep.
Fleet ManagementMay 1, 2026

How Fleets Can Avoid Equipment Blind Spots in Disaster Response

When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.

Read More →
Illustration of cybersecurity images with "The Cyber Stop" text
Fleet Managementby Ben WilkensApril 30, 2026

AI Security Risks for Trucking Fleets: What to Know About Deepfakes and Agentic AI

As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.

Read More →
Mobile tablet showing Motus screen against highway background with Motus logo

FMCSA’s Motus System Is Coming. What Fleets Need to Know Now

The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
CargoNet 2026 Qi report.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 24, 2026

Cargo Theft Incidents Fall in Q1, but Organized Crime and Impersonation Drive New Risks

CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.

Read More →
Graphic with light bulbs, HDT Truck Fleet Innovators logo, and the word Nominations
Fleet ManagementApril 24, 2026

Nominations Open for HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026

Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.

Read More →
Illustration with trojan horse and lock with inside of cargo container in background
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 23, 2026

New Trojan Driver Cargo Theft Scam Bypasses Carrier Vetting Systems

Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ATA Truck Tonnage Index March 2026.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 22, 2026

March Truck Tonnage Posts Strongest Annual Gain Since 2022

A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.

Read More →
Toll road.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsApril 22, 2026

Ohio Turnpike Targets $5.2 Million in Unpaid Tolls from Trucking Firms

More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.

Read More →
Illustration with ATRI logo and square blocks spelling out "research"
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeApril 20, 2026

'Beyond Compliance,' Regulations, Driver Coaching on ATRI’s 2026 Research List

The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Brian Antonellis, senior vice president, fleet operations, Fleet Advantage.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsApril 17, 2026

Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis on the Growing Need to Replace Old Trucks

Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis says it's time for fleets to get back to the fundamentals of good maintenance practices. And that includes replacing older, inefficient equipment.

Read More →