More than two dozen retail and shipper organizations, including the National Industrial Transportation League and the National Retail Federation, have urged congressional leaders to advance legislation that repeals the antitrust immunity that ocean liner carriers have enjoyed since 1916.

The National Industrial Transportation League expressed “profound disappointment” over an investigation by the Federal Maritime Commission into numerous U.S. importer and exporter complaints of “perceived malpractices” by ocean carriers that caused supply-chain service disruptions and rate and surcharge increases from in 2009 and 2010.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Freight capacity in 2011, especially in trucking, will be constricted by a combination of federal legislative and regulatory policy and recession-related private-sector curbs on investment.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Competitive pricing and reliable service remain in the forefront as shippers optimize their supply chains, executives with three large retail firms said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The future of federal transportation policy is a major question as the Republican Party prepares to take control of the House of Representatives, the National Industrial Transportation League’s president said.

When transport industry leaders gather Nov. 14-16 for the annual TransComp/Intermodal Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., they will be probing for solutions to wide-ranging regulatory, commercial and policy issues, including the Compliance, Safety and Accountability program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and infrastructure funding.