As has been the case the last few presidential election cycles, Donald Trump remains the large favorite of about 3 in every 4 readers in Overdrive's mostly owner-operator audience. Polling conducted here at OverdriveOnline.com since Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into the race shows the Democratic candidate garnering support of just 19% of owner-operators.
The trucking money in the election, as we examined two weeks ago, is heavily tilted toward the Republican Party, too, with trucking associations and big players in the business spending more than four times as much on GOP campaigns as those of Democrats. As the 2024 election cycle has come into focus, Overdrive previously reported each party’s respective vice-presidential running mate's record when it comes to trucking issues. See Trump VP pick J.D. Vance’s record around transport issues here, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ VP pick Tim Walz’s record here.
[Related: Will you vote? Resources on registration, early voting, absentee ballots and more]
But what about the presidential candidates themselves? Most elections are filled with uncertainty when it comes trucking-related issues, seldom big talking points on the campaign trail or in presidential debates. Yet the 2024 election, like 2020's to an extent, is a little different given the fact that there has been a Trump administration before, and Kamala Harris is Vice President in the current administration.
Actions, ultimately, speak louder than words. IStarting next week with former President Trump, we'll lay out each candidate's record to provide some insight into each of their administrations' attention to issues of owner-operator concern, from independent contractor status tests to hours of service, fraud and transparency in brokered freight markets, tax policy, speed limiters, diesel emissions and more.
Keep tuned for that, and for now, review the vice presidential picks at the following links:
Kamala Harris' VP Pick Tim Walz supported FET repeal, formal rulemaking process for apnea screening
Where Trump's VP Pick J.D. Vance stands on speed limiters, brokering fraud, parking
