U.S. HOUSE BLOCKS RAIL STRIKE Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to block a nationwide rail strike by imposing a labor contract weeks before a threatened labor stoppage would impact the economy. The resolution, H.J. Res. 100, seeks to prevent a freight shutdown estimated to cost the U.S. [...]
US MARITIME ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $39 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN SUPPLY CHAIN The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $39 million in grants to fund 12 marine highway projects throughout the Nation under America's Marine Highway Program (AMHP). This grant money was earmarked to boost services on the nation's [...]
TENTATIVE RAIL LABOR AGREEMENTS REACHED PREVENTING STRIKE ACTION All twelve U.S. rail labor unions and the six Class 1 railroads have reached tentative labor agreements in the early morning hours of September 15, 2022. Union members must vote to ratify the agreements for them to take effect however, the [...]
U.S. RAIL EMBARGOES ARE IN EFFECT TODAY Several Class 1 railroads updated their freight embargoes to exceed those recommended by the American Association of Railroads (AAR). Instructions by the AAR to all Class 1 railroads included securing HAZMAT and security-sensitive commodities in preparation for the possibility of a nationwide [...]
U.S. RAIL SERVICE EMBARGOES AND LABOR NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE The two largest rail unions representing roughly 90,000 U.S. rail workers (SMART-TD, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen) and representatives for the Class 1 Railroads remain deadlocked over contract renewals while President Biden's July executive order that prescribed a "cooling off" period [...]
HOURS OF SERVICE EXEMPTION EXTENDED FOR CARRIERS, TRUCKERS On August 31, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) extended its Emergency Declaration exempting motor carriers and drivers that provide direct support to the national COVID-19 emergency from maximum driving time requirements. Enacted in March 2020 due to the [...]
THREE RAIL WORKER UNIONS REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS Three of the twelve rail worker labor unions currently negotiating with various Class 1 and Shortline Railroads reached tentative agreements that, if ratified by members, will increase worker pay, improve benefits, and receive more paid time off. Leaders at these three unions [...]
3 REASONS U.S. CHASSIS MANUFACTURING ISN'T MEETING DEMAND As chassis shortages continue to create inland ramp delays resulting in bottlenecks for North American supply chains, chassis manufacturers are racing to meet growing U.S. demand.  Access to new equipment has been limited after the United States began levying anti-dumping penalties on [...]
Bottlenecks at all major rail facilities in Chicago, Columbus, and Los Angeles have caused delays in picking up and delivering containers. Chicago's rail facilities in particular are severely congested due to dwelling containers and a lack of available chassis. To alleviate congestion, some vendors have begun closing facilities for multiple [...]
Terminal operators at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are worried that longer rail container dwell times at their facilities will jeopardize their ability to accommodate import volumes during what is expected to be an early peak season this summer. Rail Power Challenges The longer containers sit at [...]
