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The National Industrial Transportation League joined dozens of other trade groups to sign on to a letter to the Senate Finance Committee as it considers the surface transportation reauthorization bill. Among the letter’s requests are that the committee consider broad mechanisms for funding the bill, rather than putting the burden on the freight transportation industry. The full letter may be found here.

The National Industrial Transportation League filed comments on October 31st in response to the proposed interpretive rule on port demurrage and detention practices issued by the Federal Maritime Commission.

In September, the FMC issued final recommendations in its Fact Finding Investigation, which included a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on use of an interpretive rule to address detention and demurrage practices.

National Industrial Transportation League Executive Director Jennifer Hedrick issued the following statement today in response to the Surface Transportation Board’s release of a report on review processes and methodologies:

“The National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) welcomes the release of the report from the STB’s Rate Reform Task Force. We are pleased to see that the report offers recommendations for modifying the current rate review methodologies and processes, including decreasing the costs and complexities of bringing a rate case before the board.

Members of NITL thank the STB staff for their work on the report and Chairman Begeman for her commitment to rate reform. We look forward to analyzing the report and providing further comment upon review.”

The National Industrial Transportation League has joined with 19 other organizations in co-signing a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao urging the Transportation Department to include a recommendation to change the national twin trailer standard from 28 feet to 33 feet as part of any infrastructure policy proposals it submits to Congress.

The letter notes that freight traffic has grown exponentially in recent years and is expected to continue doing so—DOT, in fact, is forecasting a 45 percent increase in freight volume by 2045. This increase will further stretch already-thin freight capacity and workforce levels and result in more highway congestion, greater fuel consumption, and higher freight transportation costs.

“The case for a policy change is clear,” states the letter. “Twin 33-foot trailers would immediately improve the efficiency and safety of truck operations across the nation’s congested freight network and benefit taxpayers and travelers. A new national standard for twin 33-foot trailers will add instant capacity while reducing congestion and improving the safety and efficiency of the roadways.”

The letter was submitted by Americans for Modern Transportation, a coalition of freight shippers, carriers, and interest groups that advocates for laws and regulations to streamline the delivery of products and consumer goods. NITL is a coalition member.

The National Industrial Transportation League congratulates Louis Sola and Daniel Maffei on their confirmations to the Federal Maritime Commission, the principal U.S. agency responsible for regulating the international ocean transportation system for the benefit of U.S. exporters, importers, and consumers.

We welcome Commissioner Sola in his new role at the FMC and are pleased to see the return of Commissioner Maffei to the agency. Their confirmations will allow the commission to more broadly consider issues that affect our nation’s shippers, including efficient port operations and reasonable terminal/carrier cargo handling practices.

NITL members look forward to working with Commissioners Sola and Maffei and other members of the FMC to ensure that our nation’s ocean freight transportation system remains efficient and strong.

This week, NITL joined with more than 75 other associations in sponsoring an ad in Politico thanking the U.S. Senate for confirming Patrick Fuchs and Martin Oberman to long-vacant seats on the Surface Transportation Board.

The STB has been operating for more than a year with just two of its five seats filled, hampering the agency’s ability to address ongoing freight rail issues and advance overdue regulatory reforms. In April 2018, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the nomination of Fuchs, a senior staff member of the committee; four months later, the committee also approved Oberman, a former chairman of Chicago’s commuter rail system, Metra. The full Senate approved Fuchs and Oberman on January 2 by voice vote.

The ad thanking the Senate was prepared by the Rail Customer Coalition, a group of associations representing manufacturing, farming, and other sectors of the economy. RCC members (including NITL) are major users of freight rail, accounting for more than half of the total volume of cargo shipped by rail and generating more than three quarters of the revenues collected by the railroads.