Deregulation's effect on labor in the trucking industry

Abstract

After forty-five year of considerable government regulation in the trucking industry, Congress passed to Motor Carrier Act of 1980. The Motor Carrier Act was a major step toward deregulation of the trucking industry. Provisions in the act allowed for greater competition and exposure to market forces. From its beginning the Motor Carrier Act has been extremely controversial. Opponents of the act have claimed that deregulation has placed considerable strains on labor in the industry. This thesis will examine if deregulation has had an effect on employment and wages in the trucking industry.