FREIGHT Act

Facilitating Relief for Efficient Intermodal Gateways to Handle Transportation Act or the FREIGHT Act

This bill makes multiple changes to address the efficiency of ports and the intermodal shipping of cargo.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) must undertake actions related to data-sharing and communication, including by supporting efforts to standardize terms used in port operations. Additionally, DOT must collect and publish information about the performance of recipients that received grants to improve port infrastructure.

Further, DOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics must publish data about the dwell time of marine shipping containers and chassis (i.e., the quantity of time such equipment is subject to maintenance versus in use). The bill also requires a study on best practices for operating a chassis pool to optimize supply chains.

In addition, the bill modifies duties and authorities of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), including by

• providing statutory authority for an office that offers mediation and related services to resolve issues under the FMC's jurisdiction;
• allowing the FMC to order refunds in certain enforcement proceedings; and
• authorizing the FMC to expand data-sharing between port operators, shippers, and other stakeholders to facilitate efficient freight operations if the FMC determines port congestion constitutes an emergency.

Other matters addressed in the bill include (1) expanding prohibitions for certain retaliatory or discriminatory conduct; (2) making permanent a COVID-19 waiver that modified training and testing procedures for commercial driver's licenses; and (3) increasing the number of members on the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council.