Slated to be heard via videoconference on Oct. 28, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is holding a listening session on three current petitions regarding broker transparency.
Two of the petitions, from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), allege a lack of broker transparency and want the FMCSA to strengthen broker reporting requirements, while the third has been submitted by the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) which represents brokers.
On its website, FMCSA announced it “would like to hear from members of the public on their views on the regulation of property carrier brokers in general and on three pending petitions concerning specific property carrier broker regulation issues.”
TIA is requesting that FMCSA “eliminate outdated regulation that no longer applies in the current marketplace” and also wants guidance on “what constitutes a legitimate ‘dispatch service’ to remove ‘unethical and unscrupulous actors from the marketplace’ and eliminate an administrative burden on FMCSA to enforce outdated and unnecessary regulations.”
FMCSA said, “Given that the TIA petition expresses a different perspective than those expressed in the OOIDA and SBTC petitions, FMCSA would like to hear from members of the public on their views on the regulation of property carrier brokers in general and on the three petitions specifically.” The comment period for the OOIDA and SBTC petitions ends Oct. 19.
The videoconference is 90 minutes, from 1:00-2:30 and written comments should be submitted at least seven business days before Oct. 28.
Problems between owner-operators and brokers have been brewing in recent years and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated those issues. Brokers have alleged price gouging and lack of communication by brokers.
