Title 49, TransportationRelease 119-110
§14302 Pooling and Division of Transportation or Earnings
Title 49 › SUBTITLE IV — INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION › PART B — MOTOR CARRIERS, WATER CARRIERS, BROKERS, AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS › CHAPTER 143 — FINANCE › § 14302
Summary
Carriers that move people or goods under the rules in chapter 135 must get the Board’s OK before they join together to pool or split traffic, services, or any part of their earnings. The Board can approve such agreements if the carriers agree and the Board finds the deal will improve public service or save money and will not unduly hurt competition. A motor carrier of property must file the agreement with the Board at least 50 days before it starts. The Board will decide whether the deal is of major transportation importance or likely to unduly restrain competition. If neither is true, the Board can approve the deal without a hearing before it starts. If either is true, the Board will pause the deal, hold a hearing, and then decide what part, if any, to approve if all carriers agree. Agreements for household goods get special treatment: they are presumed OK if they match ICC-approved practices from before January 1, 1996, and the Board must make the approval process easier for these carriers. The Board can set conditions, allow reasonable payments between carriers, start cases on its own, and approvals can exempt carriers from antitrust and other laws as needed. Existing agreements in effect on January 1, 1996, stay in force until the Board says otherwise. Definitions: “household goods” — meaning under section 10102(11) as of December 31, 1995; “transportation” — meaning the kind under ICC rules in effect December 31, 1995.
Full Legal Text
Title 49, §14302
Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Approval Required.—
A carrier providing transportation subject to jurisdiction under subchapter I of chapter 135 may not agree or combine with another such carrier to pool or divide traffic or services or any part of their earnings without the approval of the Board under this section.
(b)Standards for Approval.—
The Board may approve and authorize an agreement or combination between or among motor carriers of passengers, or between a motor carrier of passengers and a rail carrier of passengers if the carriers involved assent to the pooling or division and the Board finds that a pooling or division of traffic, services, or earnings—
(1)will be in the interest of better service to the public or of economy of operation; and
(2)will not unreasonably restrain competition.
(c)Procedure.—
(1)Application.—
Any motor carrier of property may apply to the Board for approval of an agreement or combination with another such carrier to pool or divide traffic or any services or any part of their earnings by filing such agreement or combination with the Board not less than 50 days before its effective date.
(2)Determination of importance and restraint on competition.—
Prior to the effective date of the agreement or combination, the Board shall determine whether the agreement or combination is of major transportation importance and whether there is substantial likelihood that the agreement or combination will unduly restrain competition. If the Board determines that neither of these 2 factors exists, it shall, prior to such effective date and without a hearing, approve and authorize the agreement or combination, under such rules and regulations as the Board may issue, and for such consideration between such carriers and upon such terms and conditions as shall be found by the Board to be just and reasonable.
(3)Hearing.—
If the Board determines either that the agreement or combination is of major transportation importance or that there is substantial likelihood that the agreement or combination will unduly restrain competition, the Board shall hold a hearing concerning whether the agreement or combination will be in the interest of better service to the public or of economy in operation and whether it will unduly restrain competition and shall suspend operation of such agreement or combination pending such hearing and final decision thereon. After such hearing, the Board shall indicate to what extent it finds that the agreement or combination will be in the interest of better service to the public or of economy in operation and will not unduly restrain competition and if assented to by all the carriers involved, shall to that extent, approve and authorize the agreement or combination, under such rules and regulations as the Board may issue, and for such consideration between such carriers and upon such terms and conditions as shall be found by the Board to be just and reasonable.
(4)Special rules for household goods carriers.—
In the case of an application for Board approval of an agreement or combination between a motor carrier providing transportation of household goods and its agents to pool or divide traffic or services or any part of their earnings, such agreement or combination shall be presumed to be in the interest of better service to the public and of economy in operation and not to restrain competition unduly if the practices proposed to be carried out under such agreement or combination are the same as or similar to practices carried out under agreements and combinations between motor carriers providing transportation of household goods to pool or divide traffic or service of any part of their earnings approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission before January 1, 1996.
(5)Streamlining and simplifying.—
The Board shall streamline, simplify, and expedite, to the maximum extent practicable, the process (including any paperwork) for submission and approval of applications under this section for agreements and combinations between motor carriers providing transportation of household goods and their agents.
(d)Conditions.—
The Board may impose conditions governing the pooling or division and may approve and authorize payment of a reasonable consideration between the carriers.
(e)Initiation of Proceeding.—
The Board may begin a proceeding under this section on its own initiative or on application.
(f)Effect of Approval.—
A carrier may participate in an arrangement approved by or exempted by the Board under this section without the approval of any other Federal, State, or municipal body. A carrier participating in an approved or exempted arrangement is exempt from the antitrust laws and from all other law, including State and municipal law, as necessary to let that person carry out the arrangement.
(g)Continuation of Existing Agreements.—
Any agreements in operation under the provisions of this title on January 1, 1996, that are succeeded by this section shall remain in effect until further order of the Board.
(h)Definitions.—
In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1)Household goods.—
The term “household goods” has the meaning such term had under section 10102(11) of this title, as in effect on December 31, 1995.
(2)Transportation.—
The term “transportation” means transportation that would be subject to the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission under subchapter II of chapter 105 of this title, as in effect on December 31, 1995, if such subchapter were still in effect.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(37)(A), (B)This sets out the
Effective Date
of 49:14302. Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(37)(C), (D)This amends 49:14302(h)(1) and (2) for clarity and consistency.
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 10102(11) of this title, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), was omitted and a new section 10102 enacted in the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 20, 1995, 109 Stat. 804, 806, effective Jan. 1, 1996. Subchapter II of chapter 105 of this title, referred to in subsec. (h)(2), was omitted in the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 804, effective Jan. 1, 1996.
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 11341 and 11342 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).
Amendments
1996—Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(37)(A), substituted “January 1, 1996” for “the
Effective Date
of this section”. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(37)(B), substituted “January 1, 1996,” for “the
Effective Date
of this section”. Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(37)(C), substituted “December 31, 1995” for “the day before the
Effective Date
of this section”. Subsec. (h)(2). Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(37)(D), substituted “December 31, 1995” for “the day before such
Effective Date
”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title. Abolition of Interstate Commerce Commission Interstate Commerce Commission abolished by section 101 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
49 U.S.C. § 14302
Title 49, Transportation
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110