<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order meant to provide temporary storage for containers piling up at West Coast ports and free up trucks to carry more goods. </div>

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order meant to provide temporary storage for containers piling up at West Coast ports and free up trucks to carry more goods.

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<div>An executive order signed by California’s governor aims to take pressure off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by directing state agencies to look for additional container storage space. The executive order comes as <a>marine terminals struggle to generate more interest</a> in the federal government’s call for around-the-clock operations to relieve the congestion. In the executive order signed Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom directed state agencies to find state-owned properties and other sites that can store containers that are sitting at California ports. “While goods movement and supply chain management challenges are largely within the purview of the federal...

An executive order signed by California’s governor aims to take pressure off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by directing state agencies to look for additional container storage space. The executive order comes as marine terminals struggle to generate more interest in the federal government’s call for around-the-clock operations to relieve the congestion. In the executive order signed Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom directed state agencies to find state-owned properties and other sites that can store containers that are sitting at California ports. “While goods movement and supply chain management challenges are largely within the purview of the federal government and industry, the state can take action to reduce the congestion in California's ports to ensure people in California and across the country and world can access goods and supplies,” the order states. The executive order also seeks to identify additional truck routes that would be exempt from the state’s gross vehicle weight limits. It's not clear how much that would help, given truckers have been frustrated with chassis scarcity and what they say are restrictive appointment requirements and poor service from terminals, rather than weight restrictions. Along with the short-term measures, Newsom said the state’s finance department will look to identify items for California’s next budget to address funding for port infrastructure, clean truck efforts, and workforce training. The executive order came a day after Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking that a long-term, local upgrade be included in the $17 billion set aside for port spending in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Specifically, Los Angeles wants to develop better access to 80 acres of nearby Terminal Island that would serve as overflow storage for containers. The $50 million project would add grade separation to allow access over rail tracks surrounding the site. The executive order reflects growing momentum for moving containers off congested marine terminals to nearby sites, with the nation’s top port leaders urging Biden to do just that and tap national defense funding if needed . While there may be an easing of trans-Pacific ocean pressures , key port metrics suggest cargo flow is only getting worse. There were 71 container ships at anchor and awaiting berth as of Wednesday, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. Container dwell times at marine terminals in Los Angeles-Long Beach reached a new high in September, at 5.94 days, roughly twice what terminal operators say they should be. Contact JOC at news@joc.com .

Port News

California’s Newsom directs state to find sites for container storage

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The investment will strengthen the Gemini hub’s position and increase capacity at the joint venture terminal by more than 30% to 4 million TEUs. </div>

The investment will strengthen the Gemini hub’s position and increase capacity at the joint venture terminal by more than 30% to 4 million TEUs.

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<div class="phx-topic">APM Terminals and Eurogate said Friday they will invest €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the modernization of the jointly controlled North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven in Germany, a strategic hub of partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in the Gemini Cooperation network. The investment will increase the capacity of the terminal, a 50:50 joint venture between APMT and Eurogate, from its current 3 million TEUs to 4 million TEUs. The upgrade will also transform Bremerhaven into an automated, zero-emission terminal, APMT owner Maersk said in a statement. “Bremerhaven has unique potential to grow as a strategic hub in the region and to support cargo flows into Germany as well as our ocean network,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said. “Our investments are intended to realize the full potential of the terminal, making (North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven) one of the most competitive terminals in Europe’s North Range,” he added. “We aim to future-proof the terminal over the long term, while strengthening the reliability and resilience of supply chains for the German economy.” No timeline was given for the completion of the modernization project. With the electrification of equipment and use of renewable electricity, the terminal is intended to operate with zero greenhouse gas emissions, the first of its kind in Germany. The planned upgrades remain subject to approval from German regulators. <h3>Long-term strategic importance of Bremerhaven </h3>Michael Blach, chairman of the management board at Eurogate, said the huge investment illustrated the conviction of both partners that Bremerhaven would hold a long-term position in global maritime trade. “With Maersk's announced investments in the port's superstructure, and the state and federal government's investments in the port infrastructure, Bremerhaven will be well-positioned for the future and its importance in the North Range will be strengthened,” Blach said in the statement. “Now it is up to the federal government to press ahead with the deepening of the Outer Weser and implement it quickly,” he added. The planning process for the deepening of the Outer Weser River is currently underway within the local government. The project is viewed as essential and will increase the depth of the Outer Weser to 13.5 meters, allowing larger and fully laden ships to reach Bremerhaven without tidal restrictions. Bremerhaven is one of the Northern Europe hubs in Gemini’s hub-and-spoke network that calls at ports where Maersk and partner Hapag-Lloyd have operational control of terminals. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

APM Terminals and Eurogate said Friday they will invest €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the modernization of the jointly controlled North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven in Germany, a strategic hub of partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in the Gemini Cooperation network. The investment will increase the capacity of the terminal, a 50:50 joint venture between APMT and Eurogate, from its current 3 million TEUs to 4 million TEUs. The upgrade will also transform Bremerhaven into an automated, zero-emission terminal, APMT owner Maersk said in a statement. “Bremerhaven has unique potential to grow as a strategic hub in the region and to support cargo flows into Germany as well as our ocean network,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said. “Our investments are intended to realize the full potential of the terminal, making (North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven) one of the most competitive terminals in Europe’s North Range,” he added. “We aim to future-proof the terminal over the long term, while strengthening the reliability and resilience of supply chains for the German economy.” No timeline was given for the completion of the modernization project. With the electrification of equipment and use of renewable electricity, the terminal is intended to operate with zero greenhouse gas emissions, the first of its kind in Germany. The planned upgrades remain subject to approval from German regulators. Long-term strategic importance of Bremerhaven Michael Blach, chairman of the management board at Eurogate, said the huge investment illustrated the conviction of both partners that Bremerhaven would hold a long-term position in global maritime trade. “With Maersk's announced investments in the port's superstructure, and the state and federal government's investments in the port infrastructure, Bremerhaven will be well-positioned for the future and its importance in the North Range will be strengthened,” Blach said in the statement. “Now it is up to the federal government to press ahead with the deepening of the Outer Weser and implement it quickly,” he added. The planning process for the deepening of the Outer Weser River is currently underway within the local government. The project is viewed as essential and will increase the depth of the Outer Weser to 13.5 meters, allowing larger and fully laden ships to reach Bremerhaven without tidal restrictions. Bremerhaven is one of the Northern Europe hubs in Gemini’s hub-and-spoke network that calls at ports where Maersk and partner Hapag-Lloyd have operational control of terminals. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Port infrastructure

Marine terminals

International ports

Maritime

Maersk, Eurogate plan $1.2 billion terminal upgrade at Bremerhaven

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Canceled renewable energy projects in the US totaled $35 billion in 2025 as more project funds left the country than came in amid the federal government’s shifting policies to prioritize fossil fuels. </div>

Canceled renewable energy projects in the US totaled $35 billion in 2025 as more project funds left the country than came in amid the federal government’s shifting policies to prioritize fossil fuels.

<div class="phx-topic">Demand for renewable energy project cargo in the US — including components linked to electric vehicle (EV), battery/storage, hydrogen and wind developments — could be setting up for a fall as project losses have begun to far outpace gains. Companies canceled nearly $35 billion in US renewable energy projects in 2025, and for the first time in three years there were more project investments leaving the US than coming in, according to a report published earlier this month by Washington, D.C.-based environmental policy research group E2. That comes as the Trump administration has initiated sweeping changes to the US energy landscape, shifting policies and funding to prioritize fossil fuels while downgrading support and resources for renewable energy projects. “Companies abandoned, closed or downsized nearly three dollars in clean energy investment for every one dollar announced, reversing the net flow of capital that had defined the post-2022 clean energy expansion,” the E2 report read, referencing $12.3 billion in new project announcements in 2025. Manufacturing facilities accounted for nearly all of the year’s losses, with $30.2 billion in abandoned projects. The bulk of the year’s cancellations came from EV and battery/storage projects, with over $21 billion lost in each segment. Figures in the analysis do not match the overall totals, as some projects are categorized into multiple sectors. Felix Schoeller, chief commercial officer for multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator AAL Shipping, told the Journal of Commerce that there’s been a noticeable shift in renewable energy project cargo activity for the US. AAL is a global transporter of components for wind energy projects, which have experienced widespread downsizing across offshore and onshore developments in the US and accounted for $1.3 billion in project losses in 2025, according to the E2 analysis. “The US government is placing greater emphasis on carbon-based power generation investments and broader oil and gas project developments rather than wind energy,” Scholler said, citing the delay and cancellation of a number of offshore wind projects, including some that were previously approved. “As a result, AAL has observed a significant reduction in wind cargo volumes in North America and an elevated demand for components for large-scale infrastructure and oil and gas projects.” Scholler cited AAL’s recent transport of over 2,500 battery energy storage system (BESS) units to the US from China in response to a surge in demand for high-capacity BESS components. BESS configurations are widely used as onsite power sources for oil and gas facilities. The Trump administration last year cut nearly $8 billion in funding for clean energy projects, issued directives aimed at deregulation and expanded leasing access for fossil fuels, and permanently reinstated a 100% tax write-off for qualifying oil and gas assets. <h3>Projects could shift overseas </h3>Some of the US renewable energy sector’s most consequential cancellations — and one of the largest withdrawal periods on record — came in December, when eight projects totaling $5.1 billion were put on the chopping block, according to the E2 analysis. South Korean manufacturer SK On scrapped a $2.8 billion EV/battery storage project in Tennessee, while Ford called off a $1.5 billion EV manufacturing plant in Ohio as the auto maker continues to scale back and restructure its EV facilities. December’s project losses were over 20 times as much as the month’s gains, which totaled $238 million for six new manufacturing projects. Announcements included a $170 million battery project for Desert Mountain Energy in New Mexico, a $26.7 million Toyo Solar facility in Texas and a Ford/Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) battery project for an unspecified dollar amount in Kentucky. US project reversals could usher in an eventual reallocation of clean energy projects and their subsequent cargo demands to other parts of the world. “Investment that does not move forward in the United States does not disappear — it is increasingly redirected to foreign markets and US competitors offering more predictable environments, clearer incentives and greater long-term certainty,” the E2 report stated. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at <a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com">autumn@autumngiusti.com</a>. </div>

Demand for renewable energy project cargo in the US — including components linked to electric vehicle (EV), battery/storage, hydrogen and wind developments — could be setting up for a fall as project losses have begun to far outpace gains. Companies canceled nearly $35 billion in US renewable energy projects in 2025, and for the first time in three years there were more project investments leaving the US than coming in, according to a report published earlier this month by Washington, D.C.-based environmental policy research group E2. That comes as the Trump administration has initiated sweeping changes to the US energy landscape, shifting policies and funding to prioritize fossil fuels while downgrading support and resources for renewable energy projects. “Companies abandoned, closed or downsized nearly three dollars in clean energy investment for every one dollar announced, reversing the net flow of capital that had defined the post-2022 clean energy expansion,” the E2 report read, referencing $12.3 billion in new project announcements in 2025. Manufacturing facilities accounted for nearly all of the year’s losses, with $30.2 billion in abandoned projects. The bulk of the year’s cancellations came from EV and battery/storage projects, with over $21 billion lost in each segment. Figures in the analysis do not match the overall totals, as some projects are categorized into multiple sectors. Felix Schoeller, chief commercial officer for multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator AAL Shipping, told the Journal of Commerce that there’s been a noticeable shift in renewable energy project cargo activity for the US. AAL is a global transporter of components for wind energy projects, which have experienced widespread downsizing across offshore and onshore developments in the US and accounted for $1.3 billion in project losses in 2025, according to the E2 analysis. “The US government is placing greater emphasis on carbon-based power generation investments and broader oil and gas project developments rather than wind energy,” Scholler said, citing the delay and cancellation of a number of offshore wind projects, including some that were previously approved. “As a result, AAL has observed a significant reduction in wind cargo volumes in North America and an elevated demand for components for large-scale infrastructure and oil and gas projects.” Scholler cited AAL’s recent transport of over 2,500 battery energy storage system (BESS) units to the US from China in response to a surge in demand for high-capacity BESS components. BESS configurations are widely used as onsite power sources for oil and gas facilities. The Trump administration last year cut nearly $8 billion in funding for clean energy projects, issued directives aimed at deregulation and expanded leasing access for fossil fuels, and permanently reinstated a 100% tax write-off for qualifying oil and gas assets. Projects could shift overseas Some of the US renewable energy sector’s most consequential cancellations — and one of the largest withdrawal periods on record — came in December, when eight projects totaling $5.1 billion were put on the chopping block, according to the E2 analysis. South Korean manufacturer SK On scrapped a $2.8 billion EV/battery storage project in Tennessee, while Ford called off a $1.5 billion EV manufacturing plant in Ohio as the auto maker continues to scale back and restructure its EV facilities. December’s project losses were over 20 times as much as the month’s gains, which totaled $238 million for six new manufacturing projects. Announcements included a $170 million battery project for Desert Mountain Energy in New Mexico, a $26.7 million Toyo Solar facility in Texas and a Ford/Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) battery project for an unspecified dollar amount in Kentucky. US project reversals could usher in an eventual reallocation of clean energy projects and their subsequent cargo demands to other parts of the world. “Investment that does not move forward in the United States does not disappear — it is increasingly redirected to foreign markets and US competitors offering more predictable environments, clearer incentives and greater long-term certainty,” the E2 report stated. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

Breakbulk carriers

Energy projects

Heavy-haul transport

Project cargo

Breakbulk News

Reversal in US clean energy investment signals shift in project cargo momentum

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Shippers would be wise to offload the pain of building AI proficiency to their logistics providers until the benefits become clearer.</div>

Shippers would be wise to offload the pain of building AI proficiency to their logistics providers until the benefits become clearer.

<div class="phx-topic">While the world braces itself for the true impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), shippers and logistics services providers (LSPs) face a decision on whether to jump in with both feet or wait watchfully from the sidelines. Key to that decision, though, is the reality that it takes less time than ever to build software, which shrinks the disadvantage that a company has playing catching up. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6169078_0.1.jpg"></img></div>“Time is compressing,” a software vendor to the freight brokerage industry told the Journal of Commerce at the Manifest supply chain technology conference in Las Vegas this week. “The development cycles are shortening.” A shipper at the conference wondered whether it needed to be on the bleeding edge of adopting AI in its organization, or whether it could hang back. Practically speaking, the speed of development in the technology world means that shippers, in particular, won’t necessarily face a penalty for feeling overwhelmed when it comes to how and where to adopt AI. They can also, in the meantime, shift some of that AI burden onto their service providers. That’s because LSPs face a different mandate than shippers. The main priorities of LSPs are to work with capacity providers and serve shippers. Any technology investment must touch one of those areas. So there is a clearer imperative for intermediaries to invest in AI because there are fewer priorities to juggle. Shippers, meanwhile, juggle an array of needs inside and outside of logistics and transportation. Other needs in the company may trump the need to build or buy AI capability tied to freight transportation or global trade. Additionally, the pace of change within AI technology circles disincentivizes the ultimate user of the technology from diving headlong into commitments that might be obsolete in months. Take for instance recent developments around coding developments from OpenAI and Anthropic that seem to be rapidly advancing how quickly products can be built. What advantage would a shipper have to be on the bleeding edge right now, when the location of that bleeding edge changes almost weekly? <h3>Playing catch-up faster </h3>The pace of being able to catch up also matters. With software and product development speeding up, the time it takes to adopt and incorporate products will shrink as well. So if a two-year head start in using a traditional software-as-a-service tool historically represented a major edge over a peer, a shipper that waited now can theoretically leapfrog in a way it couldn’t in previous software adoption cycles. This shouldn’t serve as an excuse for shippers, and especially LSPs, to wait things out. Rather, they should be researching and testing in a minimally disruptive way so they understand how things such as AI agents are affecting transportation and trade processes that matter to their businesses. Being informationally proactive but financially conservative is probably the best course to take in a technology environment this fast-moving. It would be hard to understate just how much AI dominated conversations at Manifest. The industry is wrestling with how AI will change the shape of current headcounts and future workforces, how it will be priced, and whether it will do the work of existing software. None of these issues are clear, especially as the large AI developers put the ability to build applications in the hands of non-technical people. That could change how and when software is bought, maintained, updated, and customized. It’s certainly an exciting and daunting future, but one where shippers may want to hang back, with eyes open, and let their LSPs suffer the heavy bruising. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

While the world braces itself for the true impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), shippers and logistics services providers (LSPs) face a decision on whether to jump in with both feet or wait watchfully from the sidelines. Key to that decision, though, is the reality that it takes less time than ever to build software, which shrinks the disadvantage that a company has playing catching up. “Time is compressing,” a software vendor to the freight brokerage industry told the Journal of Commerce at the Manifest supply chain technology conference in Las Vegas this week. “The development cycles are shortening.” A shipper at the conference wondered whether it needed to be on the bleeding edge of adopting AI in its organization, or whether it could hang back. Practically speaking, the speed of development in the technology world means that shippers, in particular, won’t necessarily face a penalty for feeling overwhelmed when it comes to how and where to adopt AI. They can also, in the meantime, shift some of that AI burden onto their service providers. That’s because LSPs face a different mandate than shippers. The main priorities of LSPs are to work with capacity providers and serve shippers. Any technology investment must touch one of those areas. So there is a clearer imperative for intermediaries to invest in AI because there are fewer priorities to juggle. Shippers, meanwhile, juggle an array of needs inside and outside of logistics and transportation. Other needs in the company may trump the need to build or buy AI capability tied to freight transportation or global trade. Additionally, the pace of change within AI technology circles disincentivizes the ultimate user of the technology from diving headlong into commitments that might be obsolete in months. Take for instance recent developments around coding developments from OpenAI and Anthropic that seem to be rapidly advancing how quickly products can be built. What advantage would a shipper have to be on the bleeding edge right now, when the location of that bleeding edge changes almost weekly? Playing catch-up faster The pace of being able to catch up also matters. With software and product development speeding up, the time it takes to adopt and incorporate products will shrink as well. So if a two-year head start in using a traditional software-as-a-service tool historically represented a major edge over a peer, a shipper that waited now can theoretically leapfrog in a way it couldn’t in previous software adoption cycles. This shouldn’t serve as an excuse for shippers, and especially LSPs, to wait things out. Rather, they should be researching and testing in a minimally disruptive way so they understand how things such as AI agents are affecting transportation and trade processes that matter to their businesses. Being informationally proactive but financially conservative is probably the best course to take in a technology environment this fast-moving. It would be hard to understate just how much AI dominated conversations at Manifest. The industry is wrestling with how AI will change the shape of current headcounts and future workforces, how it will be priced, and whether it will do the work of existing software. None of these issues are clear, especially as the large AI developers put the ability to build applications in the hands of non-technical people. That could change how and when software is bought, maintained, updated, and customized. It’s certainly an exciting and daunting future, but one where shippers may want to hang back, with eyes open, and let their LSPs suffer the heavy bruising. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Logistics Technology News

Supply chain

Rapid pace of AI development suggests shippers should be patient

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The product launched this week by Triumph, called Capacity Intelligence, allows brokers to identify lanes where it needs a deeper pool of reliable carriers.</div>

The product launched this week by Triumph, called Capacity Intelligence, allows brokers to identify lanes where it needs a deeper pool of reliable carriers.

<div class="phx-topic">Freight financial services and technology provider Triumph has unveiled a new product it says is aimed at allowing freight brokers to “turn transactional [truckload] capacity into relationships.” The product, called Capacity Intelligence, was launched this week and gives brokers a tool to identify lanes where it can strengthen existing carrier relationships or source capacity from Triumph’s network of vetted carriers. The goal of the product, Triumph said, is to create cost savings for brokers as they manage an environment where spot rates are increasing. “Capacity Intelligence delivers on the promise of combining predictive rates and service-level performance benchmarks with the Triumph network’s uniquely granular and reliable transaction data,” Dawn Favier, president of Triumph Intelligence, said in a statement. “This tool empowers freight brokers to move beyond reactive, transactional sourcing and build a resilient, high-quality strategic carrier network.” That carrier network includes thousands of carriers using Triumph for financial services, most notably factoring and quick-pay products. Capacity Intelligence was released five months after Triumph launched another product, Pricing and Performance Intelligence, to help brokers incorporate carrier-specific performance data and available capacity beyond their existing network into pricing decisions. Taken together, the tools can be seen as a load board of sorts in that they allow brokers to piece together, in real time, capacity availability and carrier performance metrics to assess the suitability for a specific load they need to move on behalf of shipper customers. Both tools are built on Triumph’s <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/triumph-acquires-broker-focused-pricing-technology-provider-greenscreensai-5951484">acquisitions of pricing intelligence provider Greenscreens.ai</a> and carrier performance measurement tool Isometric Technologies in early 2025 and late 2024, respectively. The enhancements to carrier pricing and performance information expanded Triumph’s reach from a freight financial service provider to one helping brokers with freight procurement decision-making. The tools also cloud the load board picture further, with the largest providers, DAT Freight &amp; Analytics and Truckstop.com, having themselves waded into financial services over the last year through acquisitions of factoring services companies. Additionally, carrier vetting platform Highway, a strategic partner of Triumph, unveiled a load board in the second half of 2025. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Freight financial services and technology provider Triumph has unveiled a new product it says is aimed at allowing freight brokers to “turn transactional [truckload] capacity into relationships.” The product, called Capacity Intelligence, was launched this week and gives brokers a tool to identify lanes where it can strengthen existing carrier relationships or source capacity from Triumph’s network of vetted carriers. The goal of the product, Triumph said, is to create cost savings for brokers as they manage an environment where spot rates are increasing. “Capacity Intelligence delivers on the promise of combining predictive rates and service-level performance benchmarks with the Triumph network’s uniquely granular and reliable transaction data,” Dawn Favier, president of Triumph Intelligence, said in a statement. “This tool empowers freight brokers to move beyond reactive, transactional sourcing and build a resilient, high-quality strategic carrier network.” That carrier network includes thousands of carriers using Triumph for financial services, most notably factoring and quick-pay products. Capacity Intelligence was released five months after Triumph launched another product, Pricing and Performance Intelligence, to help brokers incorporate carrier-specific performance data and available capacity beyond their existing network into pricing decisions. Taken together, the tools can be seen as a load board of sorts in that they allow brokers to piece together, in real time, capacity availability and carrier performance metrics to assess the suitability for a specific load they need to move on behalf of shipper customers. Both tools are built on Triumph’s acquisitions of pricing intelligence provider Greenscreens.ai and carrier performance measurement tool Isometric Technologies in early 2025 and late 2024, respectively. The enhancements to carrier pricing and performance information expanded Triumph’s reach from a freight financial service provider to one helping brokers with freight procurement decision-making. The tools also cloud the load board picture further, with the largest providers, DAT Freight & Analytics and Truckstop.com, having themselves waded into financial services over the last year through acquisitions of factoring services companies. Additionally, carrier vetting platform Highway, a strategic partner of Triumph, unveiled a load board in the second half of 2025. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Truck brokers

Truckload

New truckload capacity product provides another load board option for brokers

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The rule will likely mean a slow trickle of capacity exiting the trucking market, although the industry and analysts are split on the exact impact.</div>

The rule will likely mean a slow trickle of capacity exiting the trucking market, although the industry and analysts are split on the exact impact.

<div class="phx-topic">The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released its final rule on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), something that has the trucking industry split on its potential impact on capacity and pricing. The rule, released Wednesday, would limit future CDL eligibility to foreign nationals who hold H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 nonimmigrant status. It would eliminate other immigrants in the US on H-1B visas, as well as asylum seekers, those here on temporary protected status, and those part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals from Canada or Mexico program. The Interim Final Rule (IFR) would also require state agencies to check all applicants against federal databases to verify immigration status and perform in-person renewals every year. It also eliminates an employment authorization document as valid proof of lawful presence in the US. The rule is forward-looking and does not apply retroactively to existing licenses on day one. “With regard to drivers who currently hold an unexpired non-domiciled CLP [commercial learner’s permit] or CDL that was properly issued under pre-IFR rules, nothing in this final rule requires states to proactively revoke those licenses,” the rule states. “However, at the next license transaction following the effective date of this final rule, states are required to apply the new eligibility standards.” The FMCSA states that H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visa applicants undergo vetting that includes US consular assessment of English proficiency relevant to commercial driving safety, such as the ability to understand traffic signs and respond to official inquiries. <h3>Impact unclear </h3>The US Department of Transportation has estimated that up to 194,000 non-domiciled CDLs might be susceptible to not being renewed under the new rules, raising questions about the effect on capacity in the market. Some industry executives argue that enforcement activity — rather than the rule itself — <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/impact-of-non-domiciled-cdl-enforcement-splits-us-trucking-sector-6135184">could have a more immediate effect on capacity</a>. However, it is unclear how many non-domiciled CDL holders would ultimately be impacted, as enforcement would gradually occur over the lifespan of existing CDLs, which are valid for five years. There is also the risk of litigation. A truck driver named Jorge Rivera Lujan, along with multiple public interest groups, filed a lawsuit challenging an emergency rule covering the CDL issue last October. An appeals court issued an administrative stay and requested an update from the FMCSA to update the court on March 3, 2026. “Resolution of the court cases challenging the final rule will take a long time,” law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson &amp; Feary wrote in a December note to clients. “It is possible any challenge may ultimately end up at the Supreme Court.” Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released its final rule on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), something that has the trucking industry split on its potential impact on capacity and pricing. The rule, released Wednesday, would limit future CDL eligibility to foreign nationals who hold H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 nonimmigrant status. It would eliminate other immigrants in the US on H-1B visas, as well as asylum seekers, those here on temporary protected status, and those part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals from Canada or Mexico program. The Interim Final Rule (IFR) would also require state agencies to check all applicants against federal databases to verify immigration status and perform in-person renewals every year. It also eliminates an employment authorization document as valid proof of lawful presence in the US. The rule is forward-looking and does not apply retroactively to existing licenses on day one. “With regard to drivers who currently hold an unexpired non-domiciled CLP [commercial learner’s permit] or CDL that was properly issued under pre-IFR rules, nothing in this final rule requires states to proactively revoke those licenses,” the rule states. “However, at the next license transaction following the effective date of this final rule, states are required to apply the new eligibility standards.” The FMCSA states that H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visa applicants undergo vetting that includes US consular assessment of English proficiency relevant to commercial driving safety, such as the ability to understand traffic signs and respond to official inquiries. Impact unclear The US Department of Transportation has estimated that up to 194,000 non-domiciled CDLs might be susceptible to not being renewed under the new rules, raising questions about the effect on capacity in the market. Some industry executives argue that enforcement activity — rather than the rule itself — could have a more immediate effect on capacity . However, it is unclear how many non-domiciled CDL holders would ultimately be impacted, as enforcement would gradually occur over the lifespan of existing CDLs, which are valid for five years. There is also the risk of litigation. A truck driver named Jorge Rivera Lujan, along with multiple public interest groups, filed a lawsuit challenging an emergency rule covering the CDL issue last October. An appeals court issued an administrative stay and requested an update from the FMCSA to update the court on March 3, 2026. “Resolution of the court cases challenging the final rule will take a long time,” law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary wrote in a December note to clients. “It is possible any challenge may ultimately end up at the Supreme Court.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Trucking labor

Surface

USDOT releases interim final rule on non-domiciled CDL holders

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Monthly publication providing an editorial deep dive into global supply chain news

Journal of Commerce Magazine - Rectangle Box

Journal of Commerce Magazine

A premium access index of savings using domestic intermodal vs. OTR 

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Intermodal Savings Index

An in-depth analysis of transport trends in the multipurpose and heavy-lift fleet segment

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

An extensive dashboard of charts organized by trade lane, mode, and topic

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Gateway

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

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Intermodal Service Scorecard

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

The premier conference for the global container shipping and supply chain community

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The only editorially independent conference for the breakbulk & project cargo industry

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The latest port news from the Journal of Commerce spans the globe from North Carolina and Florida to Shanghai and Singapore. Port news includes port automation, terminal construction projects, the future of decarbonization and net-zero shipping, dredging, port hinterland connectivity, labor, disruption, port congestion and cargo flow.

Longshore labor

Drayage

Breakbulk ports

North American ports

Stay informed on port news worldwide with Journal of Commerce. From decarbonization to labor updates, get insights on global developments.

Port News | Journal of Commerce

The Journal of Commerce is the industry’s source for maritime news and analysis about ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, global shipping ports, shipping technology solutions and end-to-end connectivity. Coverage tracks the movement of containerized cargo — from origin to destination — handled by marine terminals in the US and abroad, depots, container ports, container lines, drayage, consignees and shippers, forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs) and off-dock warehousing providers, as well as pricing, capacity, volume and reliability on the trans-Pacific, Asia–Europe, North America–Caribbean, Central and South American and intra-Asia trades.

Discover comprehensive trucking news and trends with Journal of Commerce - from trucking LTL to regulation and trucking supply and demand.

Breakbulk News shipping | Journal of Commerce

Container shipping news and analysis of ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, technology and end-to-end connectivity.

Container Shipping News | Journal of Commerce

Container Shipping News

News and analysis of ocean containerized cargo movement, logistics, supply chains, technology, and end-to-end connectivity. Maritime news and analysis of containerized ocean cargo movement, breakbulk and roll-on and roll-off shipping from origin to destination.

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More News & Analysis

Maersk, Eurogate plan $1.2 billion terminal upgrade at Bremerhaven

Reversal in US clean energy investment signals shift in project cargo momentum

Rapid pace of AI development suggests shippers should be patient