Recent headlines about President Trump’s Executive Order on “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers” (“EO”) raised questions across the trucking industry and in the media....more
The U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking public comment on opportunities to reform transportation regulations. The comment period ends next week. This effort is part of President Trump’s “Ten for One” regulatory...more
Our expectations for a new regulatory policy from the Trump Administration are quickly taking shape. The White House wasted no time kicking off changes to our regulatory environment and compliance enforcement posture....more
3/4/2025
/ Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Deregulation ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Federal Highway Administration ,
Federal Railroad Administration ,
International Trade ,
Logistics ,
NHTSA ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Policy ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
Artificial intelligence is under close examination in many industries including the transportation, logistics, warehousing, and supply chain services sectors. The quest for innovation, competitiveness, and organizational...more
1/14/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Business Operations ,
Compliance ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Logistics ,
Machine Learning ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Warehouses
Payment and collection practices are under renewed scrutiny in the transportation business. Legitimate providers and shippers are suffering from the growth of unlawful double brokering, insolvent service providers, and other...more
1/14/2025
/ Brokers ,
Compliance ,
Contract Terms ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
FMCSA ,
Freight Forwarding ,
Insolvency ,
Joint and Several Liability ,
Payment Systems ,
Proposed Rules ,
Risk Management ,
Tariffs ,
Trucking Industry
The regulatory environment is top of mind these days coupled with speculation over potential change. Any attention paid to our obligations for safe and lawful operation is positive as we strive for compliance by our companies...more
12/2/2024
/ Commerce Clause ,
Commodities ,
Compliance ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
FMCSA ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
FSMA ,
Hazardous Substances ,
IFTA ,
Interstate Commerce ,
Motor Carriers ,
PHMSA ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
Transportation Brokerage ,
Transportation Industry
Traditionally, the bill of lading (“BOL”) is a basic transportation contract between shipper and carrier. It’s importance under today’s laws is established in the first sentence of the Carmack Amendment at 49 USC § 14706....more
We are now in the era of freedom of contract in the logistics arena. While contracts provide many protections to contracting parties, they can also be used offensively, to affirmatively protect legal rights. There are many...more
11/4/2024
/ Air Cargo ,
Audits ,
Brokers ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Maritime Commission ,
Logistics ,
National Security ,
Shipping ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Small Business ,
Supply Chain ,
Transportation Industry
Environmental regulations, including those under the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) jurisdiction, present a complex compliance challenge for vehicle fleet managers and operations departments across the country....more
Highly regulated operational sectors often have bountiful, and sometimes conflicting, defined terms that make all the difference in legal matters. The domestic and international transportation and logistics sector is no...more
The U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking input from industry stakeholders on the role of artificial intelligence in the supply chain. The DOT’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Infrastructure is one of many federal...more
7/12/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Common Carriers ,
Compliance ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Forced Labor ,
National Security ,
Nuclear Power ,
Supply Chain ,
Trucking Industry ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Vessels
Double brokering has emerged as a hot topic in this era of supply chain fraud, hostage loads, and cargo theft. The term “double brokerage” is used sweepingly as a reference to a wide range of operational practices where the...more
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) is accepting comments through December 4, 2023 regarding forty-six (46) topics for proposed updates to the Hazardous...more
Federal regulators—as well as the marketplace itself—have been scrutinizing the role of certain types of “transportation intermediaries” in the industry. One point of focus has been the role of longstanding models such as...more
Supply chain disruption is a global pandemic era challenge that will continue to grow in impact for the near-term future. The scope of supply chain challenges extends from low supply and lack of transportation capacity to the...more
One of the most important stories in the transportation space over the last few years has been the explosive growth of last mile residential delivery. The global pandemic has only further fueled demand for this localized and...more
8/18/2021
/ Actual Delivery ,
Commerce Clause ,
Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Compliance ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Exclusive Jurisdiction ,
Federal Maritime Commission ,
FMCSA ,
Jurisdiction ,
Surface Transportation Board ,
Trucking Industry ,
TSA
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a searchable online portal for all guidance documents issued by the DOT and its nine operating administrations. ...more
Both the speed of business disruption and depth of uncertainty created by COVID-19 have been unparalleled in our experience. Developments over the past week alone have emerged at an exponential rate and have impacted every...more
3/20/2020
/ Boycotts ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Emergency Response ,
Misclassification ,
State of Emergency ,
Supply Chain ,
Trade Secrets ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trucking Industry ,
TSA
The transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat) is an subject that holds significant safety implications for carriers, shippers, intermediaries and the general public. Compliance programs and their requirements vary widely...more
8/30/2019
/ Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Oil & Gas ,
PHMSA ,
Safety Precautions ,
Supply Chain ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trucking Industry
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published recommendations from the 2016 FAST Act Household Goods Working Group on February 27, 2019. The Working Group was a Federal Advisory Committee created by...more
Safety hazards presented by the air transportation of lithium ion batteries are once again the subject of regulatory action in the United States. The U.S. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)...more
4/25/2019
/ Air Cargo ,
Air Carriers ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
ICAO ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Lithium Batteries ,
Manufacturers ,
PHMSA ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Supply Chain ,
Warning Labels
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (“ANPRM”) on Thursday, September 27, 2018, to address broker and freight forwarder financial responsibility...more
Air transportation of lithium ion batteries recently garnered significant attention due to events following reports of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s batteries overheating, catching fire, and even exploding. See Samsung Recalls...more
10/20/2016
/ Air Carriers ,
Criminal Penalties ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Lithium Batteries ,
Mobile Devices ,
PHMSA ,
Product Recalls ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Samsung ,
Shipping