Legislative Priorities

OTA advocates and advances issues at the Ohio Statehouse on behalf of the trucking industry. We take your problems and find solutions, that is what we do best.

The legislative agenda is directed and monitored by our Legislative Committee. The committee membership is open to all current members of the association and meets monthly by conference call.

Below is a list of priorities we are currently working on at the Ohio Statehouse.

Continued Funding of CDL Student Aid Program
To date, OTA has secured over $15 million for the Commercial Truck Driver Student Aid Program, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Higher Education and many supporters in the General Assembly.  OTA will continue to advocate for this funding in the next operating budget in the 137^th General Assembly.

• Status: OTA has made this Program a priority of every budget since the Program’s inception. Historically, scholarships have been 100% claimed within several weeks of the funding becoming available.  With a new Governor’s administration in 2027, OTA will work to protect and expand this very successful program.

Sales Tax Exemption for Forklifts
Ohio currently exempts sales and use tax for forklifts purchased for manufacturing yet does not extend this tax exemption for those in the logistics industry like our neighboring state of Indiana. This puts Ohio’s logistics industry, as well as Ohio-based forklift manufacturers and retailers, at a competitive disadvantage.

• Status: OTA advocated hard to include this in the most recent version of the state operating budget, HB 96, but was ultimately denied due to the desire of the legislature to pass an income tax reduction.  In fact, over $100 million in existing sales tax exemptions were removed from current law to help fund the income tax reduction.   OTA remains diligent in advocating for our members on this issue.

Fuel Tax Parity
During the 2019 transportation funding bill the legislature increased the revenue for roads in the form of a fuel tax increase, something the Ohio Trucking Association supported, but they increased the diesel tax by 8.5 cents more than gasoline. This is the first time in Ohio’s history that the fuel tax has been bifurcated. While we advocated for paying our fair share, trucking now pays well over 50% of the taxes and fees for Ohio’s roads, while only operating 10% of the total vehicle miles. The Ohio Trucking Association is resolute in our policy that we will not support any increase or indexing of the diesel tax until the gasoline tax rate is raised to match diesel tax.

• Status: No efforts have been made to raise the gas tax in the 136^th General Assembly to date.  OTA remains engaged on this issue on multiple fronts to advocate for our position.

Limits to Third Party Litigation Financing
Protecting the industry from lawsuit abuse remains a priority for the Ohio Trucking Association. We created the Lawsuit Abuse Task Force within the Association to develop a comprehensive proposal that will increase transparency and create a better legal climate for trucking companies in Ohio.  Limits to third-party litigation financing are an important component of protecting trucking companies from nuclear verdicts and settlements, and unnecessarily prolonged court cases.

• Status: HB 105 and SB 10 have been introduced in the 136^th General Assembly by Rep. Meredith Craig and Senator Steve Wilson, respectively.  While starting off as identical companion bills, both bills have gone through extensive changes.  OTA is supportive of HB 105, which requires registration on part of the financing entity, bans foreign money from being spent on cases in Ohio’s courts, and requires the third-party financer to disclose to the Attorney General of Ohio the amount money that was financed to the plaintiff. However, this disclosure requirement is only in effect after the case has been settled.  While passing this legislation is a step in the right direction, OTA remains committed to leading the way on additional meaningful tort reform that will move the needle for Ohio’s transportation and logistics industries.

Bathroom Access for Truck Drivers
Having access to a bathroom when being detained at a shipper or receiver is just plain common decency. Drivers should be allow access to a public bathroom just as any other person would be able to. Developers and economic developers should be mindful when designing large warehouses or distribution centers that bathrooms for those servicing the docks be part of the construction plans.

• Status: A bill is currently being developed with interested parties to guarantee access to a bathroom for truck drivers as long as that bathroom is available to the public or located on the loading dock. There is indemnity language in the bill that protects the property owner and facility size, as well as certain restrictions on access.

Updated Spring, 2026