Trucking Industry Regulatory Reform Act of 1994

Signed August 26, 1994, the Act eliminated tariff filing for rates set by a single carrier or by interline carriers, keeping filing only for collectively set rates, household goods and noncontiguous domestic trade such as service to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Carriers had to keep their own tariffs, including rates, classifications, rules and practices, and provide them to shippers on request. The ICC kept jurisdiction over rate reasonableness disputes. Remaining provisions were reshaped by the ICC Termination Act of 1995.

TIRRA is the reason truck rates are private contract terms rather than public filings. Shippers and 3PLs can negotiate confidential rates and customize accessorial terms, but they must document them. For example, a 3PL negotiating a regional truckload program for a retail client records rates, fuel surcharge tables and detention terms in a contract, since there is no filed public tariff to rely on. Clear written terms also reduce billing disputes during freight audits, because carriers otherwise bill from their own rules tariffs.

• Contract RateFreight price locked in for a set term
• Fuel SurchargePercentage fee that tracks fuel prices
• Carrier Invoice AuditChecking carrier invoices for errors

• Negotiated Rates Act of 19931993 · Ended the trucking undercharge claims crisis
• Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 19941994, effective 1995 · Preempts state rules on trucking prices and routes
• ICC Termination Act of 19951995, effective 1996 · Abolished the ICC and created the STB

1. The Trucking Industry Regulatory Reform Act of 1994: Understanding the Fine Print, FindLaw corporate.findlaw.com
2. ICC proposal implementing TIRRA licensing changes, Federal Register, August 19, 1994 govinfo.gov