Colorado could become the 40th state to pass legislation protecting truckers against having to assume full liability for accidents, regardless of who is at fault.
The Colorado Senate’s Transportation Committee on Feb. 25 passed an anti-indemnification bill, sending the measure to the full Senate for a vote. The House had passed the measure Feb. 12.
The bill would make it illegal for shippers to force truckers to choose between hauling a load and signing a contract that makes them fully liable.
This marks the third time in a decade that Colorado truckers have tried to persuade lawmakers to pass such protection for truckers.
“Every state around us has passed this measure,” said Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. “We look like a little island out here, which is not good when you’re in my business. We don’t want to be the island here.”
Despite easy adoption in neighboring states — such as Wyoming, where last year a similar bill passed unanimously — such legislation has faced stiff opposition in Colorado from the oil and gas industry, Fulton said.
