Missouri & Illinois Truck Drivers May Get a Mammoth Tax Break

It's been tried before, but this time it just might work. There is an effort to give truck drivers in Illinois and Missouri a huge tax break that could include just about every driver who works over-the-road full time.

I first saw CDL Life share the news that a bill has been reintroduced in Congress in an effort to give those whose life is spent delivering goods across America some relief. The details are on Congressman Pat Ryan's website. It's called the "Strengthening Supply Chains through Truck Driver Incentives Act". It proposes the following:

• Create a new refundable tax credit of up to $7,500 for truck drivers holding a valid Class A CDL who drive at least 1,900 hours in the year.
• Create a new refundable tax credit of up to $10,000 for new truck drivers or individuals enrolled in a registered trucking apprenticeship.
• Allow new truck drivers to be eligible for the credit if they did not drive a commercial truck in the previous year or drive for at least 1,420 hours in the current year. They may receive a proportion of the credit if they drive less than 1,420 hours in the year, but drove at least an average of 40 hours a week upon starting to drive.

That could be a big relief for CDL drivers who at least work 40 hours per week and most of those breaks are scheduled to last at least two years. The question now is will it pass?

I tend to be skeptical whenever Congress promises to do something, but I really hope this bill makes it to the finish line and gets implemented. Missouri and Illinois are especially home to thousands of drivers who deserve this break. Our lives would not be the same without the work they do.