📦 DOT Wants Your Input on America’s Next-Gen Freight Strategy: Should Truckers Speak Up?

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

Introduction – The freight future is coming, ready or not

The Department of Transportation (DOT) just put out a call to the public — yes, you — asking for ideas on how to shape the next 25+ years of America’s freight strategy. And this isn’t just about clean ports or fancy autonomous trucks. They’re saying U.S. freight tonnage is expected to grow 50% by 2050, and if we don’t rethink the way freight flows now, we’ll all be stuck in congestion, chaos, and confusion later.

So, they’re asking for feedback on how to upgrade our freight infrastructure, tech, policies, and investments.

But here’s the question: will the people who actually drive the trucks and move the freight — real truckers — show up to speak?

Or will the big corporations dominate the conversation again?

Let’s break it down with real talk.

Key Points – What exactly is the DOT doing?

📦 50% growth coming – Between population growth, e-commerce, and increasing imports/exports, freight is expected to jump by HALF in the next 25 years. That means more pressure on roads, rails, and ports.

📊 Freight strategy update – The DOT is revising its National Multimodal Freight Network, basically the game plan for how to invest in highways, intermodal hubs, border crossings, tech, and regulations.

💡 Focus areas include –

Smarter technology (think automated weigh stations, truck platooning, etc.)

Investment in aging infrastructure (some bridges are older than your dispatcher)

Resilience to supply chain shocks (like pandemics and port slowdowns)

Climate concerns (emissions, electric vehicles, sustainability)

🗳️ Comment period is open – You can submit your thoughts online. It doesn’t have to be perfect or formal — just real. DOT wants to hear from drivers, fleet owners, warehouse workers, and anyone who plays a role in moving America’s goods.

What Could Go Right – If truckers speak up

This is one of the rare moments where government actually asks what drivers think. If enough truckers drop in even a few sentences, this could lead to:

More truck parking funding (we know it's a crisis)

Upgrades to high-traffic freight corridors (better roads = fewer breakdowns)

Driver-first tech adoption (so automation works with you, not against you)

Policies that actually understand life behind the wheel

Instead of tech bros and out-of-touch lobbyists calling all the shots, this is a chance for folks who actually know the road to speak up.

What Could Go Wrong – If we stay silent

Let’s be real: the suits will show up. The Amazon execs. The logistics consultants. The clean energy think tanks. They’ll write long, boring papers that sound smart but have zero clue what it’s like to sleep in a truck or hit a closed scale house with 7 minutes left on your clock.

If drivers don’t speak up, you’ll wake up in 10 years and wonder:

Why rest stops disappeared

Why your lane got taken over by autonomous fleets

Why electric mandates hit small fleets the hardest

Why nobody fixed the potholes on the same stretch of I-80 since ‘03

It ain’t about politics — it’s about being part of the decision before it’s made for you.

How to Leave a Comment – It’s easier than you think

You don’t need legal language or a degree. Just go to the DOT’s comment site (or I can drop the link for you). Say:

Who you are: “I’ve been a driver for 12 years”

What needs fixing: “Truck parking in the Midwest is a joke”

What you'd suggest: “Use freight corridor funding to build rest areas and safer ramps”

Be respectful, but don’t sugarcoat it

Even a short paragraph makes an impact. Imagine if 10,000 truckers chimed in instead of 30 lawyers.

The Bottom Line – You’ve got a seat at the table. Don’t waste it.

This isn’t just some government PR stunt. The DOT really is planning how we’ll move freight for the next 25 years — and they’re looking for feedback now.

If we want that plan to include driver realities, not just automated fantasies and buzzwords, then we’ve gotta speak up. Whether you’re a company driver, O/O, fleet owner, or just someone who's sick of getting rerouted by broken infrastructure — your voice matters.

💬 What would YOU fix in the freight world? Tell me here and I’ll help you shape it into a strong DOT comment.

👉 For real talk about the trucking life (no corporate fluff), check out LifeAsATrucker.com
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