Cover Story Breakbulk & Project Cargo
The USDOT published a draft of its National Multimodal Freight Network one week before President Trump took office. Vincent Brnjas / Trans American Trucking Service the ports around the greater Houston area,” he said, adding that larger blades are being sent to Corpus Christi and Brownsville instead because the infrastructure there can accommodate them.
States stepping up
Independent of federal efforts to develop mapping for multimodal freight, the heavy-haul segment has made a push over the last decade for improved synchronization among state transportation departments when it comes to OS / OW transport requirements, as well as automated permitting systems for each state.
Permitting and regulations vary from state to state, and there are often additional, overlapping requirements set by county and municipal governments.
In 2018, SC & RA rolled out an initiative encouraging states to implement an automated system that would make the issuance of permits available electronically 24 hours a day, seven days a week— eliminating the need for human review in most cases.
At the time, there were 36 states with some level of automation. Since then, Alaska and Wyoming have joined the ranks, launching fully automated systems in 2024, while Connecticut and Oregon have systems in development,“ so we’ re down to a handful of states that don’ t have it yet,” Smith said.
According to a Journal of Commerce analysis of SC & RA data, only seven states, along with the District of Columbia, have indicated no interest in using an automated permitting system. The states are Alabama, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, South Carolina and Vermont.
www. joc. com
Should the Multimodal Freight Network move forward this spring, states would have a specific role to play in developing it. Each state would have at least 180 days to propose route additions of up to 30 % of the total mileage designated in that state.
Following the USDOT’ s April 2024 request for information, the department received 43 written responses from commenters including shippers and carriers, port authorities, state DOT representatives, metropolitan planning organizations, railroads, and community interest groups.
“ Uncertainty is the word of the day.”
Among them was the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials( AASHTO). On Feb. 25, the association submitted a letter to USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy urging the department to finalize the multimodal network map.
“ Our supply chains have been tested significantly in recent years, and we strongly advise that the completion of this framework will serve as a vital tool for improving freight transportation infrastructure,” the organization wrote.
Regardless of whether the Multimodal Freight Network moves forward, Smith said there are indications that efforts to meet the needs of heavy haulers will advance.“ I do think there’ s a sense that this administration will ultimately be more friendly to commerce and trade,” he said.
email: autumn @ autumngiusti. com
June 2025 | Journal of Commerce 9