Legal Terminology

The Legal Terminology of The Transportation Policy (U.S Code 49)

(a) In General - To ensure the development, coordination, and preservation of a transportation system that meets the transportation needs of the United States, including the United States Postal Service and national defense, it is the policy of the United States Government to oversee the modes of transportation and

(1) in overseeing those modes -

(A) to recognize and preserve the inherent advantage of each mode of transportation;
(B) to promote safe, adequate, economical, and efficient transportation;
(C) to encourage sound economic conditions in transportation, including sound economic conditions among carriers;
(D) to encourage the establishment and maintenance of reasonable rates for transportation, without unreasonable discrimination or unfair or destructive competitive practices;
(E) to cooperate with each State and the officials of each State on transportation matters; and
(F) to encourage fair wages and working conditions in the transportation industry;

(2) in overseeing transportation by motor carrier, to promote competitive and efficient transportation services in order to -

(A) encourage fair competition, and reasonable rates for transportation by motor carriers of property;
(B) promote efficiency in the motor carrier transportation system and to require fair and expeditious decisions when required;
(C) meet the needs of shippers, receivers, passengers, and consumers;
(D) allow a variety of quality and price options to meet changing market demands and the diverse requirements of the shipping and traveling public;
(E) allow the most productive use of equipment and energy resources;
(F) enable efficient and well-managed carriers to earn adequate profits, attract capital, and maintain fair wages and working conditions;
(G) provide and maintain service to small communities and small shippers and intrastate bus services;
(H) provide and maintain commuter bus operations;
(I) improve and maintain a sound, safe, and competitive privately owned motor carrier system;
(J) promote greater participation by minorities in the motor carrier system;
(K) promote intermodal transportation;

(3) in overseeing transportation by motor carrier of passengers

(A) to cooperate with the States on transportation matters for the purpose of encouraging the States to exercise intrastate regulatory jurisdiction in accordance with the objectives of this part;
(B) to provide Federal procedures which ensure that intrastate regulation is exercised in accordance with this part; and
(C) to ensure that Federal reform initiatives enacted by section 31138 and the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982 are not nullified by State regulatory actions; and

(4) in overseeing transportation by water carrier, to encourage and promote service and price competition in the noncontiguous domestic trade.

(b) Administration To Carry Out Policy - This part shall be administered and enforced to carry out the policy of this section and to promote the public interest.

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Definitions

In this part, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Board. - The term ''Board'' means the Surface Transportation Board.

(2) Broker. - The term ''broker'' means a person, other than a motor carrier or an employee or agent of a motor carrier, that as a principal or agent sells, offers for sale, negotiates for, or holds itself out by solicitation, advertisement, or otherwise as selling, providing, or arranging for, transportation by motor carrier for compensation.

(3) Carrier. - The term ''carrier'' means a motor carrier, a water carrier, and a freight forwarder.

(4) Contract carriage. - The term ''contract carriage'' means -

(A) for transportation provided before January 1, 1996, service provided pursuant to a permit issued under section 10923, as in effect on December 31, 1995; and
(B) for transportation provided after December 31, 1995, service provided under an agreement entered into under section 14101(b).

(5) Control. - The term ''control'', when referring to a relationship between persons, includes actual control, legal control, and the power to exercise control, through or by -

(A) common directors, officers, stockholders, a voting trust, or a holding or investment company, or

(B) any other means.

(6) Foreign motor carrier. - The term ''foreign motor carrier'' means a person (including a motor carrier of property but excluding a motor private carrier) -

(A) (i) that is domiciled in a contiguous foreign country; or (ii) that is owned or controlled by persons of a contiguous foreign country; and
(B) in the case of a person that is not a motor carrier of property, that provides interstate transportation of property by motor vehicle under an agreement or contract entered into with a motor carrier of property (other than a motor private carrier or a motor carrier of property described in subparagraph (A)).

(7) Foreign motor private carrier. - The term ''foreign motor private carrier'' means a person (including a motor private carrier but excluding a motor carrier of property) -

(A) (i) that is domiciled in a contiguous foreign country; or (ii) that is owned or controlled by persons of a contiguous foreign country; and
(B) in the case of a person that is not a motor private carrier, that provides interstate transportation of property by motor vehicle under an agreement or contract entered into with a person (other than a motor carrier of property or a motor private carrier described in subparagraph (A)).

(8) Freight forwarder. - The term ''freight forwarder'' means a person holding itself out to the general public (other than as a pipeline, rail, motor, or water carrier) to provide transportation of property for compensation and in the ordinary course of its business -

(A) assembles and consolidates, or provides for assembling and consolidating, shipments and performs or provides for break-bulk and distribution operations of the shipments;
(B) assumes responsibility for the transportation from the place of receipt to the place of destination; and
(C) uses for any part of the transportation a carrier subject to jurisdiction under this subtitle. The term does not include a person using transportation of an air carrier subject to part A of subtitle VII.

(9) Highway. - The term ''highway'' means a road, highway, street, and way in a State.

(10) Household goods. - The term ''household goods'', as used in connection with transportation, means personal effects and property used or to be used in a dwelling, when a part of the equipment or supply of such dwelling, and similar property if the transportation of such effects or property is -

(A) arranged and paid for by the householder, except such term does not include property moving from a factory or store, other than property that the householder has purchased with the intent to use in his or her dwelling and is transported at the request of, and the transportation charges are paid to the carrier by, the householder; or
(B) arranged and paid for by another party.

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(11) Household goods freight forwarder. - The term ''household goods freight forwarder'' means a freight forwarder of one or more of the following items: household goods, unaccompanied baggage, or used automobiles.

(12) Motor carrier. - The term ''motor carrier'' means a person providing motor vehicle transportation for compensation.

(13) Motor private carrier. - The term ''motor private carrier'' means a person, other than a motor carrier, transporting property by motor vehicle when -

(A) the transportation is as provided in section 13501 of this title;
(B) the person is the owner, lessee, or bailee of the property being transported; and
(C) the property is being transported for sale, lease, rent, or bailment or to further a commercial enterprise.

(14) Motor vehicle. - The term ''motor vehicle'' means a vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used on a highway in transportation, or a combination determined by the Secretary, but does not include a vehicle, locomotive, or car operated only on a rail, or a trolley bus operated by electric power from a fixed overhead wire, and providing local passenger transportation similar to street-railway service.

(15) Noncontiguous domestic trade. - The term ''noncontiguous domestic trade'' means transportation subject to jurisdiction under chapter 135 involving traffic originating in or destined to Alaska, Hawaii, or a territory or possession of the United States.

(16) Person. - The term ''person'', in addition to its meaning under section 1 of title 1, includes a trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative of a person.

(17) Secretary. - The term ''Secretary'' means the Secretary of Transportation.

(18) State. - The term ''State'' means the 50 States of the United States and the District of Columbia.

(19) Transportation. - The term ''transportation'' includes -

(A) a motor vehicle, vessel, warehouse, wharf, pier, dock, yard, property, facility, instrumentality, or equipment of any kind related to the movement of passengers or property, or both, regardless of ownership or an agreement concerning use; and
(B) services related to that movement, including arranging for, receipt, delivery, elevation, transfer in transit, refrigeration, icing, ventilation, storage, handling, packing, unpacking, and interchange of passengers and property.

(21) Vessel. - The term ''vessel'' means a watercraft or other artificial contrivance that is used, is capable of being used, or is intended to be used, as a means of transportation by water.

(22) Water carrier. - The term ''water carrier'' means a person providing water transportation for compensation.