FMCSA Meeting

RE: FMCSA Meeting – Bulk Liquid / Chemical Carrier Reality

Jared,

Respect for stepping into this with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

I’ll keep this direct:

Drivers and carriers are strictly regulated and immediately enforced.
Brokers are loosely regulated and rarely enforced. That imbalance is where many of these problems begin.

1. Transparency Exists on Paper—Not in Practice

Under 49 CFR § 371.3, carriers should be able to see transaction details.

In reality:

• That right is waived in contracts
• Requests are ignored or delayed
• Carriers negotiate without knowing true rates

2. Bulk & Chemical Hauling Is Specialized—and Expensive

This is not general freight.

We operate in:

• Refineries
• Chemical plants
• Terminals

With:

• Hazmat compliance
• High insurance costs
• Strict facility requirements
• Time-sensitive, production-critical loads

The cost to operate in this space is high—and the compensation does not reflect that.

3. Rates, Accessorials, and Pay Are Not Standardized

There is no consistency on:

• Detention
• Layover
• Storage
• Hazmat differential

Rates change load-to-load—even with the same broker.

4. The Result

• Carriers absorb the risk
• Drivers are underpaid
• Payments are delayed or reduced
• Small carriers are being pushed out

5. What Needs to Happen

• Enforce existing transparency rules
• Stop contract waivers of federal protections
• Standardize accessorial pay structures
• Address enforcement imbalance between brokers and carriers
• Recognize bulk/chemical as a distinct, high-cost sector

Bottom line:

Carriers are not asking for more—they’re asking to be paid fairly for specialized, high-cost work in a system that currently lacks balance and enforcement.

Appreciate you bringing this forward.

I appreciate that. I really feel like this is the next step for me, making sure you all have a voice, especially those who haven’t been represented in Washington. I know it’s a long road, but I do believe progress can be made for small-town America and owner-operators who often get overlooked.

One thing that keeps coming up is the amount of hidden costs that never get recognized on the other side, especially detention. Most carriers are paid by the load, not by the hour, and that creates a real challenge when time gets eaten up sitting and waiting.

I understand there are always multiple sides to every situation, but what I keep seeing is just how tight margins really are. Too often, those costs end up falling back on the carriers, and that’s something that needs more attention.

When is this going to happen Jared?

Hey Bernard, thank you for the comments. I agree. One thing I’m really trying to focus on is how we can unify states more, especially when it comes to scale houses and regulations. These guys are limited on where they can go, not just because of weights, but because every state seems to have different rules and enforcement. It definitely hurts when you’re moving commodities across multiple states and trying to operate efficiently.

Again, that’s one of the goals I discussed with the FMCSA, figuring out how we can make this better for carriers moving into 2026. Right now, in a lot of ways, it still feels like the Wild West.

Hey Dean!

Again, this is a start. They’re ultimately responsible for safety on our roadways for everyone. But as government has expanded over the years, there are now multiple agencies, departments, and regulations all tied into trucking. The challenge for carriers, especially small fleets and owner-operators, is that it can feel disconnected and inconsistent from state to state and agency to agency.

The goal isn’t to point fingers. The goal is to figure out how we bring more unity, clarity, and common sense together in a way that still protects safety, but also makes it easier for good carriers to operate and stay compliant. Right now, too many trucking companies spend more time navigating red tape than focusing on safely and efficiently moving freight.

Again, this is just the beginning of the conversation, but I’m thankful they’re willing to listen and hear directly from the people actually living it every day out on the road.