IFDA Praises Senate Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation

The DRIVE-Safe Act pilot program included in the bill is a first step in helping to address our nation’s growing truck driver shortage

MCLEAN, Va., August 10, 2021 — Mark S. Allen, President and CEO of the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), issued this statement following the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure legislation:

“Investing in America’s future is critical for the foodservice distribution industry, and modernizing our infrastructure for 21st-century commerce would help the supply chain more efficiently move goods and materials to America’s foodservice operators and restaurants across the country,” Allen said. “We are particularly pleased to see the inclusion of the DRIVE-Safe Act pilot program, which is a good first step in helping to address our nation’s growing truck driver shortage.  Foodservice distributors pay, on average, in excess of $70,000 annually plus benefits for professional drivers, which is a great bridge to America’s middle class.” 

IFDA has long advocated for policy change, primarily through the DRIVE-Safe Act, to attract and retain the next generation of professional drivers by enhancing training requirements and removing archaic and arbitrary age restrictions placed on 18-20-year-olds with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).  

The driver shortage is particularly straining on the foodservice distribution industry, which delivers hundreds of thousands of perishable products each day. An estimated 15,000+ driver positions are currently open in the foodservice distribution industry, according to an IFDA member survey released this summer.
 
About the International Foodservice Distributors Association
The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) is the premier trade organization representing the $303 billion foodservice distribution industry. This industry ensures a safe and efficient supply of food and products to more than one million restaurants and foodservice outlets in the U.S. every day. For more information, visit www.ifdaonline.org.