What the One Big Beautiful Bill Means for the Trucking Industry

Equipment deductions and estate tax exemption are a few benefits, but ineligiblity for overtime remains.

President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law over the weekend, and it will inevitably have a far-reaching impact on the business world, including the trucking industry.

While many organizations have praised the legislation as a way to supercharge the trucking economy, others have pointed out that some provisions aren’t necessarily going to have a positive impact.

In this guide, we’ll explain some of the benefits and downsides of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) when it comes to the trucking industry.

How the Bill Is Good for Trucking

Given the tax alleviation and growth-focused elements of the OBBB, there are a lot of elements of the new laws that will make life easier for those in the trucking industry. Here’s a list of some of the benefits that trucking businesses will see as a result of its passing.

  • Equipment deductions – The bill restores the 100% bonus depreciation, which some trucks and trailers are eligible for, lessening and even eliminating the cost of new vehicles.
  • Passthrough deductions – The bill increases the 199A Passthrough Deduction from 20% to 23%, so companies designated as “passthrough” will pay less.
  • Estate Tax exemption – Family trucking businesses will pay fewer taxes when passing the operation on to children with the updates to the Estate Tax.

Suffice to say, the majority of the benefits for trucking companies are related to tax exemptions, as many of these financial regulations have made it so businesses in the industry get hit with high rates that they can’t afford in 2025.

How the Bill Is Bad for Trucking

While all those tax exemptions sounds like a big boon for the trucking industry, there are some downsides that will have an impact on businesses of all sizes.

For starters, the “no tax on overtime” provision does not include truckers, a big hit to the industry. Because of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, truckers are ineligible for overtime in general, which means they won’t get to enjoy the benefits of this part of the OBBB.

 

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On top of that, trucking companies that have been shifting towards environmentally friendly measures, like electric vehicles, are going to be hit hard, as the tax exemptions for any green technology are going away.

Response from Trucking Industry

As you can imagine, the trucking industry was abuzz with their responses to the passing of the bill, with the American Trucking Association representing one of the more vocal supporters of its passing.

“The American Trucking Associations thanks Republicans in Congress and President Trump for moving this comprehensive tax reform package across the finish line. Today’s vote provides much-needed certainty for the trucking industry — the backbone of our economy — to grow and thrive.” – Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Association

Yes, the OBBB will cut healthcare for millions and inject a lot more funding into ICE. But for trucking companies, it appears that the bill will offer a bit of assistance for an industry in need.

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Written by:
Conor is the Lead Writer for Tech.co. For the last six years, he’s covered everything from tech news and product reviews to digital marketing trends and business tech innovations. He's written guest posts for the likes of Forbes, Chase, WeWork, and many others, covering tech trends, business resources, and everything in between. He's also participated in events for SXSW, Tech in Motion, and General Assembly, to name a few. He also cannot pronounce the word "colloquially" correctly. You can email Conor at conor@tech.co.
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