Insights - January 2016 - (Page 2)

Download the Mobile App The Intermodal Insights mobile app is available in the Google Play Store and in the App Store. Download to your mobile device today! Cover image © depositphoto.com Intermodal Insights is published monthly by the Intermodal Association of North America for the benefit of its members. Intermodal Insights is a registered trademark of the Intermodal Association of North America. All rights reserved. Perry Trunick, Editor Send press releases and letters to the editor to insights@intermodal.org. Must be received by the 10th of the month to be considered for inclusion in the next issue. Maggie Miller, Advertising Sales 301-982-3400, ext. 350 advertising@intermodal.org Joanne F. Casey, President & CEO INTERMODAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 1100 Calverton, MD 20705-4048 301-982-3400 * Fax: 301-982-4815 www.intermodal.org 2 Intermodal Insights | January 2016 Federal Update Five-Year Transportation Bill Passed The big news as 2015 came to a close was in two funding bills approved by federal lawmakers and signed by President Barack Obama. The first was the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. FAST, a fully funded, five-year transportation bill, is seen as a major step for the industry. [For additional details see exclusive article on page 5.] The bill provides $281 billion in Highway Trust Fund Contract Authority, a significant boost from current spending levels. It also creates a national, multimodal freight policy and provides $10.8 billion over the course of five years to support freight infrastructure projects. Following on its heels was an omnibus bill to fund government spending for 2016. Contained in the bill was a mandate for FMCSA to expand a review of a suspended hours-of-service restart rule for motor carriers before that rule may be reinstated. This has the effect of putting the restart rule on hold for months while the review is conducted. Missing from the bill was a provision allowing 33-foot double trailer combinations. Bill Would Eliminate Risk of Port Slowdowns In a continuing effort to mitigate the effects of port slowdowns, such as those that occurred during late 2014 into early 2015, Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at creating safeguards to prevent future events. The Ensuring Continued Operations and No Other Major Incidents, Closures, or Slowdowns Act was introduced on Nov. 5, 2015 and has seven cosponsors. The ECONOMICS Act identifies a set of "triggers," including a labor dispute at four or more port facilities, a labor dispute in which the number of af- fected employees at ports totals 6,000 or more, or a drop in U.S. exports of 15 percent or more in one month, or five percent or more in two consecutive months. These "triggers" result in the convening of a board and a report to the White House and the public on whether there should be a judicial injunction. The bill leaves room for the director of the bureau of transportation statistics to develop additional conditions under which a board of inquiry can be appointed. Driver Coercion Rule Finalized FMCSA published a final driver coercion rule on Nov. 30, prohibiting motor carriers, shippers, receivers and transportation intermediaries, as well as anyone who operates a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, from coercing drivers to violate Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Specifically, the rule sets penalties for entities that attempt to coerce drivers into violating hours-of-service limits, commercial driver's license regulations, Federal Update - continued on page 13 http://www.depositphoto.com http://www.cushingtrans.com http://www.intermodal.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - January 2016

Bill Would Eliminate Risk of Port Slowdowns
Driver Coercion Rule Finalized
Five-Year Transportation Bill Passed
Broome and George Join IANA Board
IANA Names New 2016 Officers
IANA Welcomes New General Counsel
Sustainability News
FAST Act Moves Freight Forward
Nominations Sought for Silver Kingpin Award
Legislation and Regulation Top the Intermodal Stories of 2015
Freight Reports
Port News
People in the News
Welcome New Members
In Brief
2015 Article Index by Subject
Intermodal Calendar

Insights - January 2016