TIA takes top industry issues to Capitol Hill

TIA President Chris Burroughs, shown at the Capital Ideas Conference in 2025, calls cargo theft an issue that "continues to be a plague on the industry." (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

Cargo theft was a leading concern as third-party logistics professionals gathered in Washington to urge lawmakers to address a range of transportation industry challenges.

Members of the Transportation Intermediaries Association used the group’s Policy Forum, held Sept. 14-16, to advocate legislation aimed at combating cargo theft while also discussing broker liability, freight broker transparency and other regulatory issues.

“This is one of the more important events that we do,” TIA President Chris Burroughs told Transport Topics. “This year, we had a very large number for us, 130 folks, to come to D.C. and participate in the democratic process, and do a little bit of walking the halls and advocating.”

Burroughs estimated members participated in about 160 congressional meetings during the two-day event, which he described as grassroots advocacy in action. He noted that several other trade associations were on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers during the same period.

“We really focused on three issues,” Burroughs said. “The first one being cargo theft and strategic theft. Obviously, that continues to be a plague on the industry.”

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has stepped up efforts in recent years to combat cargo theft as criminal schemes have become increasingly sophisticated. The agency has upgraded regulatory tools and digital platforms to address the issue, while lawmakers have introduced several bills aimed at disrupting cargo theft networks.

“There’s a lot of really good pieces of legislation that are out there,” Burroughs said. “The FMCSA, the administration, is doing a lot of positive things as well. But we’re getting down to the remaining days of this congressional session.”

Burroughs said TIA wanted to keep pressure on lawmakers as Congress approaches the end of its session and the political focus begins shifting toward the midterm elections. Still, he characterized the meetings as productive and said momentum could carry forward even if legislation does not advance this year.

The House has passed H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) — a major step to strengthen enforcement against organized cargo theft. TIA is proud to support this bipartisan effort and will continue working with lawmakers as CORCA advances to the Senate. pic.twitter.com/sd66VuYhOH

— TIA - Transportation Intermediaries Association (@tianetdotorg) May 12, 2026

Among the measures TIA members advocated were the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, Household Goods Protection Act, Dalilah’s Law and Safer Transport Act.

“So, a variety of pieces of legislation really trying to get at the heart of addressing cargo theft,” Burroughs said, “which still continues to impact our industry, and certainly impacts the day-to-day operations of brokerage, trucking companies, shippers and everybody in the supply chain.”

A tragic reminder at what’s at stake. Let’s pass Dalilah’s Law to keep unqualified dangerous drivers off our roads and protect American lives. https://t.co/dJfvSVpQZf

— Rep. David Rouzer (@RepDavidRouzer) August 12, 2026

Beyond cargo theft, TIA members focused on freight broker transparency, a policy that would allow motor carriers and shippers to review financial records tied to freight transactions maintained by brokers. FMCSA has been developing a regulatory proposal related to the issue.

“We don’t believe it’s the federal government’s job to step into private contract negotiations between two parties,” Burroughs said. “So we’re advocating on the Hill, educating on what the rule actually is and trying to dispel some of the myths that exist out there in terms of ‘broker transparency,’ or as we call it, ‘rate intrusion.’ ”

Broker liability also remained a major topic in the months following the Supreme Court’s decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II. The ruling found that freight brokers are not shielded by federal law from state-level negligent-hiring lawsuits.

TIA members used the forum to press lawmakers to establish a federal motor carrier safety selection standard that would provide greater clarity regarding carrier vetting and liability.

“It’s really pushing Congress for a federal motor carrier safety selection standard, something that we’ve been pushing for a number of years,” Burroughs said. “Providing clarity to the industry of what constitutes a safe carrier. We’re firm believers that the FMCSA’s job is to put this standard forward, to tell folks who is safe and who’s not safe.”

Burroughs argued the current carrier-selection system is fragmented and inconsistent, with many carriers remaining unrated. As a result, freight brokers often must rely on their own vetting processes without a clear federal benchmark.

He said TIA members generally have robust screening procedures in place but suggested some brokers conduct little carrier vetting, creating uneven standards across the industry.

“Something like cargo theft, obviously it’s completely bipartisan,” Burroughs said. “It’s just an issue of timing and getting something that’s going to move in this Congress.

“Rate intrusion, there’s no certain partisan politics on that. The Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard is probably the one that’s a little bit more partisan. But again, there was a lot of folks on both sides of the aisle that were like, ‘Hey, this is a problem.’ ”

The Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard Act proposes establishment of a national standard for shippers and freight brokers to follow when hiring trucking companies.