The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act – passed by the Senate on March 25 – includes language requested by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to clarify state authority to issue special permits for increased truck weight. Under either a “major disaster” or “emergency,” such as the COVID-19 emergency, states can issue special permits for heavier trucks to deliver relief supplies. States already have this authority on state roads, but the new language provides them the authority to increase truck weights on interstate highways. (NGFA’s understanding is ... Read More
Transportation
NGFA, ag groups, request expansion of hours-of-service exemption for all agricultural haulers during COVID-19 pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2020 -- In a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and 53 other agricultural groups today urged that the agency grant relief from federal drive time rules for all truck drivers hauling agricultural goods. “As trucking capacity and the availability of drivers tightens due to COVID-19, neither surge nor normal trucking capacity may be adequately available to provide the required just-in-time deliveries to animal feeding operations, food processing and manufacturing plants, distribution ... Read More
Inland waterways receive key funding in Army Corps Work Plan
By Bobby Frederick, Director of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy The NGFA’s quest to jump start construction on the dilapidated locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River System under the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) received some positive momentum this month, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released its 2020 Work Plan. The Work Plan revealed that NESP would receive $4.5 million to conduct additional pre-construction engineering and design (PED) work, which is a necessary step before a lock and dam project can be constructed (known as a ... Read More
NGFA provides recommendations for National Freight Strategic Plan
By Max Fisher, Vice President of Economics and Government Relations The NGFA this week submitted extensive comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as it begins formulating a National Freight Strategic Plan. NGFA urged the agency to provide additional resources to states with increasing grain transportation demand, particularly for rural roads and bridges. In comments submitted Feb. 10 to DOT, NGFA outlined several additional regulatory and legislative policy recommendations that would increase efficiency and capacity for the most prevalent agricultural transportation ... Read More
FMCSA delays compliance date for truck driver training
By Max Fisher, Vice President, Economics and Government Relations The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is delaying the compliance date for its new commercial driver’s license (CDL) training requirements for two years – to Feb. 7, 2022. FMSCA said the delay will provide additional time to complete development of the CDL’s Training Provider Registry (TPR). The TPR will allow training providers to self-certify that they meet the training requirements and will provide the electronic interface that will receive and store entry-level ... Read More
NGFA generally supports STB proposal to increase reporting of data on RR waybill sampling
By Randy Gordon, President and CEO The NGFA on Jan. 28 submitted a statement to the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) generally commending the agency for proposing to require railroads to report more waybill data on carload freight traffic that is subject to the STB oversight and rate regulation. The STB proposed to change the frequency of waybill reporting by railroads to one for every five carloads moved. That would be a significant increase in reporting for movements of less than 15 cars; current regulations require reporting of only one of every 12 carloads for shipments of ... Read More
DOT offering grants for infrastructure investments, including rural
Applications are due Feb. 25 for the latest round of more than $900 million in Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grants being provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The grant program was authorized under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-94) to help rebuild America’s aging infrastructure. INFRA utilizes selection criteria that promote projects with national and regional economic vitality goals by leveraging federal funds to attract state, local and private sector funds on projects promoting innovative technology, ... Read More
New year, new WRDA: House subcommittee takes another step to update nation’s water infrastructure policy
By Bobby Frederick, Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy Congressional efforts to enact a biennial Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) continued this week as the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment conducted a hearing to discuss proposals for a 2020 reauthorization of the law. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, R.D. James – who in that capacity heads the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) – and the chief of engineers and commanding general for the Corps, Lieutenant General Todd Semonite, testified ... Read More
NGFA industry group selects CargoDocs to deliver digital barge documentation solution
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 8, 2020 – The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) announced Jan. 8 a partnership with essDOCS, a company that enables paperless trade, to implement a project that will digitize barge trading documents, such as bills of lading, so that they may be transmitted electronically – a huge cost savings to the industry. The industry group directing and funding this project includes representatives from NGFA and the following member companies: Bunge North America, Inc.; Cargill, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland Company; CGB Enterprises, Inc.; CHS Inc.; The Gavilon Group; Louis ... Read More
NGFA testifies at STB hearing on rail revenue adequacy
During a Dec. 12-13 public hearing at the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), the NGFA urged the agency to move forward with several rail revenue adequacy recommendations developed by the STB’s Rate Reform Task Force. Sharon Clark, senior vice president for transportation and regulatory affairs at Perdue Agribusiness in Salisbury, Md, testified on behalf of NGFA on Dec. 13 in her capacity as a member of NGFA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Her testimony supplemented written testimony NGFA submitted to the STB on Nov. 26. “It is vitally important that the Board restore ... Read More
National Grain and Feed Association
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