In the leadup to President Donald Trump taking office, I wrote an article asking, "How Nimble Is Your Supply Chain?" He has now been president for four weeks. Let's recap the actions that have most directly affected supply...more
2/19/2025
/ China ,
Export Controls ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
National Security ,
Retaliatory Tariffs ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Trade Wars ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
The global bulk chemical shipping industry relies on chemical transportation depots to be responsive to market demands by temporarily holding trailers and containers of chemical products en route to their final destinations...more
1/24/2025
/ Chemicals ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EPCRA ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Trump Administration
In January 2025, the Trump Administration will take office, and it is anticipated that President-Elect Donald J. Trump's second term will lead to significant regulatory changes generally. In his first term, President Trump...more
This post is part of a series of 20 articles leading up the official start of President-Elect Donald Trump's term on Jan. 20, 2025. But when it comes to trade, his second term already began – not with an inauguration, but...more
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 29, 2024, signed California Assembly Bill 98 (AB 98) into law. This bill, which is part of California's ongoing efforts to regulate warehousing and trucking activity to reduce emissions...more
10/14/2024
/ CARB ,
Charging Stations ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Solar Panels ,
Trucking Industry ,
Warehouses ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
Chemical transport, tank cleaning and transportation depot operators breathed a sigh of relief in March 2024 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dropped provisions from a proposed rule when it issued its final...more
5/3/2024
/ Chemical Spills ,
Chemicals ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
Obama Administration ,
Refineries ,
Risk Management ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration
Topic Links Maritime trade is essential to America's economic viability and national security interests. The U.S. Marine Transportation System (MTS) – comprising an intricate system of ports, terminals, vessels, waterways and...more
3/21/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Coast Guard ,
Cyber Espionage ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Espionage ,
Executive Orders ,
Maritime Transport ,
Ports ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Vessels
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Nov. 16, 2023, issued a final rule that implements financial security requirements on brokers and freight forwarders. The rule, proposed earlier this year, should...more
Freight brokers are often sued for negligence when there is cargo damage or personal injury involving a motor carrier hired by the broker. Personal injury claims in particular can involve damages in the tens and hundreds of...more
5/1/2023
/ Brokers ,
Conflicts of Laws ,
Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) ,
Freight Forwarding ,
Motor Carriers ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Negligence ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Preemption ,
Shipping ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Split of Authority ,
State Law Claims
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Jan. 5, 2023, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement financial security requirements on brokers and freight forwarders. The proposed changes to...more
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has requested public comment on an application for exemption submitted by The Trucking Alliance that would allow trucking companies to use hair testing in addition to...more
10/4/2022
/ Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Testing ,
Exemptions ,
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) ,
FMCSA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Pre-Employment Health Screenings ,
Proposed Guidance ,
Public Comment ,
Statutory Authority ,
Trucking Industry
The U.S. Supreme Court recently denied the California Trucking Association's (CTA) petition for certiorari related to a case involving federal preemption of California Assembly Bill 5 (AB-5), a law that changed the legal...more
8/5/2022
/ ABC Test ,
Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Dynamex ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Definition ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
Motor Carriers ,
New Legislation ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Ports ,
Preemption ,
Protests ,
State Funding ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Incentives ,
TRO ,
Trucking Industry
Cargo congestion has reached historic proportions during the COVID-19 pandemic as the demand for imports by U.S. consumers and businesses has skyrocketed combined with an increase in operational disruptions. The effect has...more
Daily life has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many expect that some of these changes will become part of the "new normal" when the pandemic is over. The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has gotten a head start on this...more
In December 2020 when this blog series was planned, national attention had turned from developing a COVID-19 vaccine to distributing it. The expectation was that this blog would focus on the successes and logistical...more
The Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) states that its mission "is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are...more
As noted in Part 1 and Part 2, during the presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden called for "Sparking the second great railroad revolution." Biden pledged to "make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest...more
As noted in Part 1, during the presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden called for "Sparking the second great railroad revolution." Biden pledged to "make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system...more
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) historically has been less prone to large shifts in policy between presidential administrations. Although President Donald Trump and President-Elect Joe Biden each nominated a...more
During the presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden called for "Sparking the second great railroad revolution." Biden pledged to "make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system in the world – for...more
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently requested public comments on petitions for rulemaking backed by owner-operator/small-fleet groups to address the transparency of brokerage rates. The petitions...more
12/10/2020
/ Brokers ,
FMCSA ,
Independent Drivers Guild ,
Motor Carriers ,
Owner-Operators ,
Public Comment ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Transaction Monitoring ,
Transportation Brokerage ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trucking Industry ,
Trucking Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requested public comments on petitions for rulemaking backed by owner-operator/small-fleet groups to address the transparency of broker rates. The notice is in response...more
9/22/2020
/ Brokers ,
Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Contract Rates ,
FMCSA ,
Independent Drivers Guild ,
Motor Carriers ,
Owner-Operators ,
Public Comment ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Transaction Monitoring ,
Transportation Brokerage ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trucking Industry ,
Trucking Regulations
A proposed high-speed passenger railroad between Dallas and Houston has successfully convinced the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) that it has jurisdiction over the proposed Texas rail line. While STB jurisdiction...more
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a final rule exempting vessel operating common carriers (VOCCs) from publishing "essential terms" of service contracts. The final rule took effect on its publication date of...more
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published its long-awaited final rule on changes to hours of service requirements in a move intended to increase flexibility for truck drivers and motor carriers....more