Welcome to The On-Ramp, the newsletter published by Venable's Autonomous and Connected Mobility Team. The On-Ramp explores legal and policy developments in the world of autonomous vehicles, smart infrastructure, emerging...more
New guidance from the Biden Administration mandates that freight forwarders are responsible for complying with trade sanctions and export compliance. On December 11, 2023, the Biden Administration released a 10-page sanctions...more
The transportation and logistics industry has been widely anticipating a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court as to whether or not it will accept for review two very significant cases involving the scope of the Federal...more
Dozens of ships anchored outside of America’s busiest ports, steadily spiking freight rates, and frustrated consumers inheriting both the paralyzing delays and the exorbitant price increases: these have been the painful...more
The international forwarding community was not immune from headlines, advisories, and rulemaking dealing with U.S. export controls and economic sanctions in 2020 despite never-ending attention due the global COVID-19...more
On August 14, 2019, the Department of Transportation announced proposed changes that have been in the works for the last couple of years – changes which will hopefully empower (rather than constrain) commercial drivers for...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In Sellars v. CRST Expedited, Inc. Case No. C15-117-LTS (July 15, 2019), the Northern District of Iowa held that employer responses to sexual harassment complaints need not deter harassment by other...more
Since the Sperl v. C.H. Robinson decision in 2011, freight brokers have been fighting liability for the actions of motor carriers and their drivers. In Sperl, an Illinois Appellate Court affirmed an eight-figure judgment...more
California Senate Bill No. 1402 (the “Act”) was recently signed into law by Governor Brown, further entrenching motor carriers, brokers and shippers into the on-going California independent contractor (IC) vs. employee...more
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
On January 5, 2018, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) published a Final Rule setting the fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement (“UCR”). The January 5, 2018 Final Rule (the “Final...more
The removal of CSA scores from public view may not eliminate the ability for an injured party to sue based on the negligent selection of a motor carrier, but it changes the analysis. The FMCSA still allows public access to...more
Freight carriers of all modes – rail, truck, water, air and pipeline – are all in the business of moving cargo for compensation and thus share many similar goals. Furthermore, cargo is often moved in multiple modes in its...more
Introduction: Carmack Boundaries and the Blurring of Unloading Functions - Under the Carmack Amendment, a carrier is liable for the actual loss of goods which “arrive” damaged 49 U.S.C. §4706(a)(1). But when does that...more
Shippers who are used to doing business with motor carriers often present freight brokers with a shipper-carrier agreement (often described as a “Motor Carrier Agreement”) of one kind or another to serve as the basis of a...more