Increase intermodal infrastructure investment, streamline permitting, and strengthen federal multimodal freight programs.

• Prioritize federal investments in intermodal freight infrastructure through discretionary grant and formula programs.
• Streamline environmental permitting reviews to cut delays and cost escalation.
• Reauthorize freight and intermodal infrastructure funding to reflect the 50% rise in construction costs since 2020.
• Support the USDOT Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy and expand the FLOW data initiative.
• Finalize designation of the National Multimodal Freight Network with strong emphasis on intermodal infrastructure assets.

Why It Matters

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), provided over $567 billion, lost buying power due to inflation. Freight and intermodal infrastructure must keep pace with demand to sustain U.S. competitiveness.

Impact

• Faster project delivery and reduced cost overruns.
• Improved freight fluidity and economic resilience.
• Stronger multimodal planning and data transparency.

Strengthen efforts to deter, investigate, and swiftly prosecute freight fraud and cargo theft.

• Enact federal measures to identify, deter, and prosecute freight fraud and cargo theft.
• Support the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) (H.R. 2853 & S. 1404), to coordinate local, state and federal law enforcement to prosecute interstate and transnational theft.
• Support the Cargo Security Innovation Act (S. 3376) to deploy advanced law enforcement or cargo security technologies at intermodal hubs across the country.
• Support the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 880 & S. 337) to empower FMCSA to block and prosecute fraudulent carrier registrations.

Why It Matters

Cargo theft and fraud have surged, threatening worker safety, disrupting supply chains, and increasing costs for American businesses and consumers.

Impact

• Reduced delivery delays and financial losses.
• Enhanced safety for truck drivers, rail operators, and yard workers.
• Stronger federal, state, and local coordination against organized crime.

Preserve the independent contractor (IC) model that underpins the intermodal drayage workforce.

• Oppose mandates requiring employee driver- models in intermodal drayage.
• Support the Modern Worker Empowerment Act (H.R. 1319 & S. 2228) to preserve the IC model.

Why It Matters

Over 80% of drayage drivers are independent contractors by choice. Mandating employee status would disrupt operations, shrink the workforce and increase costs for truckers and consumers.

Impact

• Avoids higher costs for carriers and consumers.
• Preserves driver freedom to choose their own career path.
• Prevents workforce loss similar to California’s AB 5.

America needs more truck drivers. Allow younger, well-trained drivers to enter interstate commerce and support proven apprenticeship pathways.

• Allow 18- to 21-year-olds to drive interstate under rigorous training and safety standards.
• Support initiatives/legislation similar to the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program and the DRIVE Safe Integrity Act.

Why It Matters

Age restrictions limit entry into trucking; potential drivers choose other careers before 21.

Impact

• Expands the much-needed drayage workforce.
• Maintains safety through structured training and oversight.

Preserve existing federal truck size and weight standards to maintain safe standards.

Why It Matters

In 1991, Congress standardized federal truck size and weight limits to support safe, efficient intermodal operations. Increasing those limits would disrupt established equipment standards, introduce safety risks, and potentially shift freight from rail to trucking.

Impact

• Larger, heavier equipment could accelerate highway and bridge deterioration.
• Longer combination vehicles for over-the-road trucking widens the gap between trucks’ wear and tear on the nation’s highways and the amount trucks pay into the highway trust fund.
• Fuel consumption could rise significantly, undermining sustainability goals.

IANA supports national solutions to America’s truck parking challenges.

The Issue: Americans are dependent on truckers for the delivery of nearly every product on store shelves, but drivers can’t find safe and legal places to rest. Not only does the truck parking space shortage cause business challenges such as significant liability exposure and asset inefficiency, it is also a major safety concern. Reports show that 457 annual deaths and 41,000 annual crashes involving parked trucks on shoulders, ramps and roadsides.

Why It Matters

Potential Impact to Intermodal Freight Transportation:

While the majority of truckers in intermodal freight do not travel long distances that require parking for rest stops, this is a major issue that threatens the safety of all supply chain users.

Reject untested mandates that would slow rail operations and increase costs.

• Oppose mandates affecting but not limited to equipment, train consist and length, crew size, and operating practices.
• Ensure policies are grounded in data, safety analysis, and operational realities.

Why It Matters

Since 1980, the Staggers Act has delivered a proven, safe, and competitive rail network. New mandates lack demonstrated safety benefits and risk slowing operations.

Impact

• Avoids higher rail costs which could adversely affect intermodal’s ability to compete with over-the-road trucking.
• Preserves network velocity and service reliability.
• Prevents conflicting state regulations.