The Intermodal Association of North America announced it will back the American Trucking Associations' motion for an injunction against the Concession Plans of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.


At a recent Board of Directors meeting, IANA leadership validated the association's support of efforts designed to improve the environment and air quality - including reasonable regulation of truck emissions. However the group also reinforced its position that it is contrary to Federal actions and public policy for States and localities to enact laws and regulations that impose unreasonable burdens and restraints on interstate and international commerce.

According to Ted Prince, Chairman of IANA, "The evolving patchwork of local, state and federal clean air regulations will only serve to increase costs, decrease efficiencies, and ultimately balkanize operations for all participants. At a time when the economy is struggling to recover, injecting uncertainty into the stability and performance of our global supply chain is just bad business."

IANA agrees in principle with ATA's arguments that if enacted, the concession plans would result in the unlawful regulation of the port trucking industry, violate the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994, violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and restrict the ability of the competitive marketplace to determine the way transportation services are delivered.

Joni Casey, IANA's President and CEO, observes, "Our diverse member companies transport the vast majority of the containerized cargo moving throughout North America and overseas, and much of this freight flows through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The potential for the concession plans to adversely impact transportation movements is too great for IANA to remain silent on this issue."

IANA represents the combined interests of intermodal freight transportation companies and their suppliers. Its more than 900 members include all segments of the intermodal transportation industry, including steamship lines, ports, marine terminal operators, railroads, motor carriers and intermodal drayage firms, third-party logistics providers, and industry equipment and service suppliers.