Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act
Congress seeks 10% cargo-value penalties for freight brokers that hire trucking firms with repeat safety violations
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- Freight brokers could face a civil penalty if they hire a trucking company with a recent pattern of safety violations.
- The penalty would equal 10% of the value of the cargo covered by the broker’s contract with that trucking company.
- A trucking company would count as “unsafe” if, in the past 5 years, it had 3 or more Transportation Department violations, or it employs a driver with 3 or more such violations.
- Money from these penalties would go into the Highway Trust Fund, and the Transportation Department could use it for safety-related road and infrastructure projects.
- After a fatal crash involving a broker’s contracted carrier, federal truck-safety officials could investigate the broker and may impose extra operating requirements if the broker showed an extreme disregard for safety.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
How this policy affects specific groups of people
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
6 articles
Bill would fine brokers 10% of any load hauled by an 'unsafe carrier'
Coverage of H.R. 6884 detailing the proposed 10% civil penalty for brokers contracting with carriers with 3+ DOT violations in 5 years and expanded FMCSA authority after fatal crashes.
New legislation could upend truck broker margins
Explains the Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act’s 10% penalty structure, operational impacts on brokers, and contrasts it with alternative broker “fitness” proposals.
The Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act: Good Hearts, Bad Outcomes
Opinion/analysis arguing the bill is well-intentioned but flawed in practice; discusses breadth of “DOT violations,” compliance burden, and enforcement uncertainty.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.