The Global Shippers Forum, of which NITL is a member, says it wants to put a stop to the imposition of container shipping surcharges by 2020. READ MORE

In a long-anticipated decision on the League’s request for new competitive switching rules, this week the Surface Transportation Board (STB) granted the League’s petition in part and proposed new rules which, if adopted, would allow shippers served by one railroad to gain access to a second.  The Board also overturned its current reciprocal switching rules which have never been applied to provide a shipper with competitive access to a second railroad.  Both actions are at least a partial victory for the League and its industry partners. READ MORE

A random inspection of more than 6,100 commercial vehicles on U.S. and Canadian roads resulted in 12.4 percent being put out of service for brake violations, almost as many as were removed for all other causes combined. READ MORE

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is seeking input on the levels and structure of insurance needed by railroads that transport hazardous materials. READ MORE

Canada’s Ministry of Transport is accelerating the phase-out of DOT-111 tank cars for crude oil transportation, setting November 1 as the new deadline to remove them from service. READ MORE

The National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) commends the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for issuing a decision on NITL’s proposal on competitive switching. The STB has proposed a substantial revision of its reciprocal switching rules, under which rail shippers can seek to obtain single-line pricing from railroads that do not directly serve their facilities. The STB’s proposal is in response to the Petition for Rulemaking filed by The National Industrial Transportation League on July 7, 2011. READ MORE

The Surface Transportation Board today proposed new regulations to improve the availability of reciprocal switching.  The proposed rules allow a shipper served by only one railroad to gain access to a second railroad, if the shipper makes certain showings.  Today’s action is an outgrowth of a petition for rulemaking submitted by The National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) in July of 2011, which the Board is granting in part. READ MORE

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) announced a proposed rule today that would permit shippers without access to other transportation options to request that their freight be moved to a competing rail line if another Class I railroad is reasonably accessible. The proposed reform, referred to as competitive switching, was envisioned by the Staggers Rail Act more than three decades ago, but it has never been allowed at the STB. READ MORE

Freight rail industry leaders asked the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to recall its proposed rule mandating two-person crews, saying the agency has offered no data to support its position and that rail safety has improved over time even as crew sizes have decreased. READ MORE

Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) hailed this week a Congressional Budget Office assessment that confirms the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016 is fully paid for and even saves taxpayers $6 million over 10 years. READ MORE