Washington — Today, American Trucking Associations’ Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference hailed the Federal Maritime Commission decision upholding a previous ruling that ocean carriers violated federal law by requiring trucking companies to use specific intermodal chassis providers when moving containers.
“The FMC has now confirmed that the actions of these ocean carriers are a clear violation of federal law and must stop,” said IMCC Executive Director Jonathan Eisen. “IMCC and ATA have been fighting this conduct by foreign-owned ocean carriers for more than a decade, so this ruling has been a long time coming.”
IMCC filed its complaint against the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association, Consolidated Chassis Management and the world’s largest ocean carriers with the FMC in 2020, alleging, among other things, that they have denied motor carriers the ability to choose their provider when obtaining this essential equipment, leading to unjust and unreasonable prices for trucking companies. Yesterday’s action by the full FMC upholds the 2023 decision of an FMC administrative law judge that this conduct violated the Shipping Act.
“With details to be finalized by the ALJ, hard-working American trucking companies will now be able to choose their chassis providers, rather than being taken advantage of by a cartel of overseas shipping lines,” Eisen said. “By affirming motor carriers’ right to chassis choice, the FMC has taken action to reduce supply chain delays and cut costs for motor carriers and consumers.”