U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal

Proposed bill would reduce restrictions for tankers

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to ease regulatory restrictions on haulers of dry goods such as flour and grain.

Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., introduced this week the Variance Act, a bill that allows for a 10 percent shift in weight variance along the axles of trucks carrying dry-bulk cargo without an increase in the overall federal gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit.

The bill primarily affects tank truck carriers, which the bills’...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/proposed-bill-reduces-restrictions-for-tankers

Florida port official fears Trump’s funding freeze

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing infrastructure funding authorized by Congress is putting billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of jobs and tens of thousands of projects at risk, according to Democrats in Congress.

The head of a major American seaport agreed.

“Our entire industry is very alarmed and concerned about the pause on grant funding,” Paul Anderson, president and CEO of Port Tampa Bay, told lawmakers at a House Transportation and Infrastructure maritime...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/florida-port-official-fears-trumps-funding-freeze

Lawmakers look to bolster ranks of young truck-driver program

WASHINGTON — A proposal aimed at lowering barriers to the Biden administration’s under-21 truck driver apprenticeship pilot program has strong support from the nation’s big-carrier lobby.

The DRIVE Safe Integrity Act, introduced Wednesday by Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, would potentially remove a requirement in the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program for drivers ages 18-20 that participating carriers also join the U.S. Department of Labor’s registered...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/lawmakers-look-to-bolster-ranks-in-young-truck-driver-program

Regulator wants more ‘enforcement capacity’ against container lines

The Federal Maritime Commission asked lawmakers to boost its budget to help enforce Shipping Act regulations governing detention and demurrage practices as the agency intensifies its oversight of container lines.

Testifying on his agency’s FY2022 budget before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei said it is seeking $30.8 million — $1 million more than authorized for FY2021 — to bolster resources dedicated to the agency’s Bureau of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/regulator-wants-more-enforcement-capacity-against-container-lines

Vessel group rejects allegations of threats against US exporters

U.S. exporters should not fear payback from container lines if they complain to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) about excessive cargo fees or canceled contracts, according to the carriers’ representative in Washington.

“I categorically reject the idea that shippers are being threatened with retaliation for bringing complaints — I don’t buy that,” John Butler, president and CEO of the World Shipping Council, which represents most of the world’s container ship fleet, told lawmakers.

Testifying...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/vessel-group-rejects-allegations-of-threats-against-us-exporters