Market Matters Blog           05/12 09:51

   Ag Groups Urge Congress to Act on Surface Transportation Reauthorization

   The National Grain and Feed Association joined with 38 other leading 
agricultural organizations asking Congress to prioritize the reauthorization of 
the nation's surface transportation programs.

Mary Kennedy
DTN Basis Analyst

   The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in a press release on April 
30 said it has joined with 38 other leading agricultural organizations in a 
unified call to Congress to prioritize the reauthorization of the nation's 
surface transportation programs.

   In a letter sent April 30, the groups emphasized the critical role that a 
modern, efficien, and well-funded transportation system plays in supporting 
U.S. agriculture and rural economies.

   "A strong transportation network is essential to the success of American 
agriculture," said NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert. "From farm inputs to 
grain exports, every link in the supply chain depends on reliable roads, 
bridges, and trucking policies that reflect today's realities. We're urging 
Congress to act decisively to keep rural America moving forward."

   Some of the key priorities listed in the letter are:

   -- On-time reauthorization: Congress must reauthorize surface transportation 
programs before the current law expires in September 2026 to avoid funding 
disruptions and project delays.

   -- Sustainable funding: The coalition supports equitable, long-term funding 
solutions for the Highway Trust Fund that include all vehicle types -- 
gasoline, diesel, electric and alternative fuels.

   -- First- and last-mile connectivity: Increased investment is needed in 
local roads and bridges that connect farms and agribusinesses to major 
highways, rail lines and waterways.

   -- Truck weight modernization: The group urges Congress to authorize a pilot 
program allowing six-axle trucks up to 91,000 lbs. on interstate highways and 
to establish a 10% axle weight variance for dry bulk haulers.

   -- Trucking flexibility: Proposed reforms include streamlining Commercial 
Driver's License (CDL) requirements and expanding hours-of-service exemptions 
for agricultural haulers.

   -- Protecting access to vehicles: The coalition opposes efforts to eliminate 
internal combustion engine vehicle sales and supports maintaining current motor 
carrier insurance requirements to prevent unnecessarily high insurance 
premiums, freight rates, and holding motor carriers and freight buyers harmless 
from excessive litigation costs.

   -- Streamlined project delivery: The letter advocates for simplifying 
environmental review processes and expanding rural access to federal 
infrastructure funds without undue regulatory burdens.

   "These commonsense reforms will enhance transportation efficiency, reduce 
costs, and improve safety across the agricultural supply chain," Seyfert added. 
"Congress has an opportunity to deliver a bipartisan win for farmers, 
agribusinesses, and consumers alike." Link to the letter that NGFA and 38 other 
Ag groups sent to Congress: 
https://www.ngfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/Final-Ag-Transportation-Working-Gro
up-Surface-Reauthorization-Letter.pdf.

   On April 2, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the 
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), delivered the following 
opening statement at a hearing titled "Constructing the Surface Transportation 
Reauthorization Bill: United States Secretary of Transportation's Perspective," 
at which U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy appeared before the 
Committee. Here is a link to the press release from the U.S. Senate Committee 
on Environment & Public Works website: 
https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases-democratic?ID=4DF0701
1-3C1B-4206-BDEC-9FB6FA672AEA.

   SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

   The Surface Transportation Reauthorization should not be confused with the 
Surface Transportation Board (STB), the federal agency that is charged with the 
economic regulation of various modes of surface transportation, primarily 
freight rail.

   The STB is the federal agency that is charged with the economic regulation 
of various modes of surface transportation, primarily freight rail. The STB 
exercises its statutory authority and resolves disputes in support of an 
efficient, competitive and economically viable surface transportation network 
that meets the needs of its users. For more about the Board, here is a link to 
their website: https://www.stb.gov/.

   Created on Jan. 1, 1996, by the ICC Termination Act of 1995, the STB is the 
successor to the former Interstate Commerce Commission (1887-1995) and was 
administratively aligned with the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1996 
to mid-December 2015. The STB Reauthorization Act of 2015 established the STB 
as a wholly independent federal agency on Dec. 18, 2015 
(https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/808).

   "While I understand and appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding efforts to 
advance a Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill through Congress, it is 
my hope that similar enthusiasm emerges for a Surface Transportation Board 
Reauthorization Bill," Robert Primus, STB board member, told DTN.

   "It has been a decade since the board's last reauthorization and considering 
the critical importance our national freight rail network is to the economic 
viability of the country, coupled with the Trump administration's push for 
greater domestic manufacturing, I believe the Board's reauthorization is 
imperative as we seek to bolster the nation's future economic success."

   Mary Kennedy can be reached at mary.kennedy@dtn.com

   Follow her on social platform X @MaryCKenn




(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.