Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) fanned longstanding Jones Act flames this week by offering an amendment to Puerto Rico economic stabilization legislation that would exempt Puerto Rico from the U.S.-flag shipping requirements of the cabotage law. READ MORE

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said June 7 that the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program has received 585 applications from across the country totaling $9.3 billion in requested funding.

The funding requests represent 18 times more than the $500 million that will be awarded. READ MORE

Thirteen Los Angeles and Long Beach seaport terminal operators that are members of the West Coast Marine Terminal Operators Agreement (WCMTOA) have disclosed how they’ll address verified gross mass (VGM) guidelines scheduled to go into effect on July 1. READ MORE

Are you transporting dangerous hazardous materials in tank cars? In particular, TIH/PIH commodities? If so, this webinar offered by AllTranstek and FTR | Transportation Intelligence is designed to educate you on the importance of “nondestructive testing” (NDT) and its vital role in tank car safety. NDT is required for tank cars after construction, qualification, and maintenance, with the goal of ensuring that hazardous commodities are traveling in safe vessels. But like all tank car related matters, NDT poses its own unique challenges. READ MORE

The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will hold a public meeting June 14 to gain input from interested parties concerning proposals submitted to the United Nations Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. READ MORE

The Canadian Trucking Alliance hailed May 30 the journey of the first Canadian commercial truck in years to complete an in-transit run between Canada and the United States. READ MORE

Beginning June 6, the Port of Oakland’s largest marine terminal, Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), will make appointments mandatory for most containerized import pick-ups. The requirement means harbor truckers usually won’t be able to drive off loaded boxes without a reservation. READ MORE

American values outweigh economic expediency, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske said June 1 in imposing a detention order on imported stevia extracts produced by a Chinese company, PureCircle Ltd. Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute. READ MORE

A coalition of Great Lakes trade and transport stakeholders filed suit this week in Washington D.C. challenging a U.S. Coast Guard decision to increase pilotage rates on the Great Lakes by 58 percent over two years.

Some of the key players in the coalition include the U.S. Great Lakes Shipping Association, the Shipping  Federation of Canada, the American Great Lakes Ports Association and Montreal-based Fednav International. READ MORE

Concerned about a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on aviation security, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) called on the House this week to act without delay on Senate-passed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation. READ MORE