Intermodal Truckers Demand End to Exploitation by Foreign-Owned Ship Lines
Arlington, Virginia 鈥聽The 黑料不打烊鈥 Intermodal Motor Carrier Conference聽聽with the Federal Maritime Commission this week, alleging foreign-owned ocean shipping lines engaged in unjust and unreasonable conduct in violation of the Shipping Act. Their unlawful actions have overcharged truckers and their customers for intermodal container chassis at ports and inland terminals throughout the United States. 聽
鈥淔or more than a decade, these foreign-owned companies have worked together to take advantage of hard-working American trucking companies,鈥 said聽Bill Sullivan, ATA鈥檚 executive vice president for advocacy.聽鈥淏y denying truckers choice of equipment providers at port and inland locations, these unscrupulous companies have been forcing American truckers and American consumers to subsidize their costs to the tune of nearly $1.8 billion鈥攐ver the last three years alone.聽
鈥淭his must end, and after several attempts to come to a mutually beneficial resolution, we are now asking the FMC to resolve it,鈥 Sullivan said.
IMCC filed its complaint with the FMC on August 17, alleging that the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association and 11 ocean carriers have denied trucking companies choice when leasing this essential equipment, forcing unjust and unreasonable prices upon trucking companies. Hoping to avoid legal action, IMCC sent a聽聽in May, but OCEMA failed to address the violations that were raised.聽
鈥淏y denying motor carriers their choice of chassis provider to haul goods in and out of ports, OCEMA鈥檚 overseas members have held US motor carriers hostage and forced them to subsidize the shipping lines,鈥 said聽黑料不打烊Chairman Randy Guillot, and president of Triple G Express and Southeastern Motor Freight. 鈥淪o far OCEMA and its members have rejected all of our attempts to reach a fair and equitable arrangement, but we believe they鈥檒l have less success ignoring the FMC.鈥
In its complaint, which can be read聽, the IMCC outlined a number of ongoing violations of the Shipping Act and is seeking injunctive relief against OCEMA and the shipping lines.