Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025:
Trump issues regulatory freeze to begin second term
In a move that has become fairly routine for incoming presidential administrations, President Donald Trump in one of the first acts of his second term issued a “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” halting in-progress regulations at federal agencies to give the new administration time to review the rulemakings.
Under the order, agencies must:
- Not propose or issue any rules, including sending a rule to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), until a department or agency head appointed or designated by Trump reviews and approves the rule.
- Immediately withdraw any rules that have been sent to the OFR but not published in the Federal Register, so that they can be reviewed and approved.
- Consider postponing for 60 days from the date of the order the effective date for any rules that have been published in the Federal Register but not yet taken effect. During this period, agencies should also consider opening a comment period to allow interested parties to provide comments about issues of fact, law, and policy, and consider reevaluating pending petitions involving such rules. Following the 60-day postponement, no further action needs to be taken for those rules that raise no substantial questions of fact, law, or policy. For rules that do raise substantial questions of fact, law, or policy, agencies should notify and take further appropriate action in consultation with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget Director.
For the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, rules -- whether proposed or final -- that the agency planned to publish but has yet to do so in recent months or in the next two months include:
- An advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to enhance the safety of women truck drivers and trainees and address the negative impacts of workplace sexual harassment. This rule was just last week was sent to the White House's OMB for approval.
- A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement several provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that relate to the FMCSA's Unified Registration System (URS), as well as update and codify the agency's procedures for granting, suspending, and revoking registration. Many of the proposed provisions codify existing FMCSA practices, while others improve on existing processes and procedures.
- An NPRM to amend certain Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to ensure the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS)-equipped commercial vehicles.
- An NPRM proposing changes to the drug and alcohol use and testing rules by increasing the availability of driver violation information in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse to keep unsafe drivers off the road.
- A final rule from FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require and/or standardize equipment performance for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on heavy trucks.
[Related: Regulatory update: AEBs, speed limiters, more expected in 2025]
Truck tonnage down for second consecutive month
Trucking activity in the United States contracted in December, according to the American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, the second decrease in as many months.
"For the first time since March and April, truck tonnage contracted for two consecutive months," said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. "Tonnage fell 1.8% in November, bringing the two-month total decrease to 2.9%, pushing tonnage to its lowest level since January 2024.”
Costello noted that “Sluggishness in factory output continues to weigh on freight volumes, but another drag on the index has been fleet growth at private carriers, which is holding back how much freight is flowing to for-hire carriers."
In December, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 111.3 compared with 112.6 in November. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, was down 3.2% from the same month last year.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 108.8 in December, 0.9% below November.
Pitt Ohio opens express lane to Texas border
Pitt Ohio (CCJ Top 250, No. 45) has launched a new LTL Express Lane to six key cross-border cities in Texas.
The strategic initiative will involve the consolidation of freight at the company’s Cincinnati terminal, with shipments efficiently routed to Laredo, El Paso, McAllen, Brownsville, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio. For the final mile delivery to these border cities, Pitt Ohio will collaborate with their partner to the South, Averitt Express (No. 24).
“This operational setup brings significant improvements over the traditional hub and spoke system utilized by many national carriers,” said Geoff Muessig, Pitt Ohio’s EVP and Chief Marketing Officer. “By consolidating freight at a single terminal and dispatching directly to the destination cities, we reduce handling, thereby minimizing the risk of damages, shortages, or lost freight. Our streamlined approach ensures faster transit times, offering superior service levels compared to most national carriers.”
Titanium Transportation Group expands into Texas
Titanium Transportation Group Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 192) announced last week a new logistics office in Irving, Texas, marking the opening of the company’s ninth U.S. operation since 2019, consistent with its plan to strengthen its penetration of the U.S. market.
“The addition of the Irving office to our footprint reinforces Titanium’s commitment to an asset-light, technology-focused business model,” said Ted Daniel, CEO, Titanium Transportation Group. “Located in Dallas County, just a short distance from the Mexican border, our new location offers unparalleled access to key supply chain corridors. Brokerage services continue to be a key driver of our business and as more businesses embrace nearshoring strategies to optimize costs and reduce supply chain risks in the near term, Titanium is well-positioned to support customers’ logistics needs.”
Titanium services Canada and the U.S. with trucking and brokerage services, operating with approximately 850 power units, 3,000 trailers and 1,300 employees and independent owner operators.
