TenFour DC History
TenFour DC was born from a group of drivers that protested and lobbied Congress in 2017 to change the hours-of-service rules. The new rules were creating Driver stress because they were unable to stop their clock when tired. These hours-of-service changes also created additional stress due to the lack of available parking when their clock was running out.
After multiple protests in 2017 that often ended up in an intergroup rivalry due to lack of results, a small group of drivers got together to problem solve and set out to create an event that all trucking advocacy groups could come to with their message and hopefully work together, peacefully and in a non-protest mode.
After the year of focused protests, TenFour DC was founded in 2018. The U.S. Park Service awarded TenFour DC a permit on the National Mall. This permit meant TenFour DC could test its plan to engage Drivers, the Public, and Government officials to share and educate one another about the difficulties Drivers face every day with regulations and sharing the road with the public (private vehicles).
The results of the first year were beyond everyone’s expectations. The TenFour DC organizers realized that they could build TenFour DC into a premier trucking event. The stage is The National Mall with its thousands of visitors per day. Drivers get the prestige of parking on The Mall, sharing with the public, and sightseeing the Nation’s Capital. The event focuses solely on the Driver and his/her needs and concerns. TenFour DC is to be The DRIVERS BRAND and is organized and run by Drivers for Drivers, this is their event. All Organizers of TenFour DC volunteer their time and receive no monetary compensation. Many have contributed funds to keep it going.
In 2021 TenFour DC converted to a 501(c)3 to seek sponsors to help grow the event to maximum capacity and meet its mission to educate the public as well as the drivers to help find solutions that work for everyone while lifting the Drivers up thanking them for their sacrifices in support of our American economy.
Below is a year-by-year accounting of event results:
2018:
The effort to get groups to come together started when ELD or ME joined with the United States Transportation Alliance to help assist drivers and the public with how to make public comments regarding the proposed hours of service changes to allow flexibility in the drivers day.
Representative Joe Delorenzo from the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration attended and visited amongst the driver groups listening to their concerns. A very positive step in building understanding between groups.
An event highlight was our Saturday BBQ. Dan Davidson of Davidson Trucking won the event banner signed by all attendees for believing in TenFour and bringing four of his trucks and drivers. The event banner is awarded to a driver or organization that was a top contributor to the event's success.
2019:
We continued to encourage the public and drivers to make public comments. After FMCSA heard the drivers' problems with the current hour of service requirements and in record time set out to change the requirement to aid drivers with more, flexible hours of service requirement.
Comments made in 2018 directly resulted in the questions asked of the drivers in 2019 as to which and how each proposed change would affect them.
Once again we were honored to have Joe DeLorenzo from the FMCSA with us to discuss how said changes would add to the flexibility drivers needed. Mr. Delorenzo went so far as to grab a piece of poster board and start drawing his example out as it would appear in a log book allowing the drivers to gather around and visualize what he was trying to explain. There is no replacement for the kind of respect and admiration that comes from these types of interactions.
Also 2019 saw the addition of the People’s Choice Traveling Award. The People's Choice Award considers those who do more than is asked or expected to do while helping the Driving Community. Fred Bowerman was the first recipient of People’s Choice. Fred was honored for his tireless effort to promote the efforts of the TenFour DC Event 24/7.
Artie Daniels was awarded the signed Banner for his years of service and what he represents though his gained experience.
2020:
We were encouraged to see some results of our effort when the FMCSA adopted a split sleeper birth amendment to the hour of service rule to help drivers gain flexibility in their day, as well as the FMCSA, recruited 25 drivers to serve on the MESAC subcommittee which was another goal of the drivers to have a say in how purposed laws could and would affect them. We feel in larger part that creating TenFour DC directly helped lawmakers to understand and relate to the drivers' concerns and we are proud to be doing our part to honor Professional Drivers and hopefully make our roads safer for all who use them.
FMCSA Acting Director, Wiley Deck attended and announce the FMCSA was recruiting 25 drivers to serve on MESAC subcommittee which was another goal of the drivers to have a say in how purposed laws could and would affect them.
The 2020 awards Peoples Choice Award went to Arline Bennet and this years signed Banner went to Todd Graham. Todd brought the largest food donation and Arline was honored for all her years for advocating for drivers.
It was announced the People’s Choice Award would now and forever after be known as the Arline Bennet award.