Freight Pulse & Law Update: Hormuz Transits Grind Lower, Court Backs FMC on Detention Fees, DOT Targets Driver Safety
Freight operators face simultaneous pressure from maritime disruption, detention-fee litigation, and stricter roadside enforcement. Protect margins by documenting exceptions, validating carrier compliance, and keeping shipment data visible from port to final mile.
Why are Strait of Hormuz transits falling?
Commercial crossings remain in the single digits after tanker attacks and the expiration of the U.S.-Iran memorandum. Carriers are avoiding the chokepoint and absorbing costly Cape of Good Hope diversions, adding time, fuel, and war-risk exposure.
Recalculate landed cost, inventory buffers, and customer promises.
Confirm alternate routing before cargo reaches the port.
What did the D.C. Circuit decide on detention fees?
On July 8, 2026, the D.C. Circuit upheld the FMC in Evergreen Shipping Agency v. FMC. The court found detention fees charged during a three-day port closure unreasonable because the trucker had no practical ability to return equipment.
The ruling reinforces a clear standard: detention and demurrage must promote freight fluidity. Carriers bear the burden of proving that disputed fees serve a compensatory purpose. Read the case report.
What would FMCSA’s English-proficiency proposal change?
FMCSA proposes codifying English language proficiency violations as an immediate out-of-service condition, with a limited U.S.-Mexico border-zone exception. Comments are due October 9, 2026, under Docket FMCSA-2026-0826.
Audit driver qualification files and dispatch procedures.
Prepare for consistent federal and state enforcement.
Review Lanta’s CVSA brake inspection update.
The takeaway: treat compliance evidence and real-time exceptions as operating assets, not administrative afterthoughts.
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