100-Year-Old Law Explains Why There Are So Many Trucks on the Highway

A powerful lobby is more in interested in protecting its monopoly than lessening congestion and pollution.

1 minute read

August 11, 2017, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Goods Movement

Miune / Shutterstock

"For many Americans, the experience of driving on a coastal highway like Interstate 5 in California can be a nightmare of dodging massive trucks hauling cargo between US cities," reports Erik Olsen.

According to Olsen, only 2 percent of domestic freight moving among the Lower 48 states moves by sea, despite the fact that about half the population lives near the coast.

The reason so much freight moves on the nation's roadways is the subject of Olsen's article, and credit goes to the Jones Act. The Jones Act, passed shortly after World War I, "preserves a monopoly for US-built, owned and operated ships to transport goods between US ports."

According to Olsen, the law was designed to protect American shipbuilding and "ensure that the US had ample ships to conduct international trade." The law didn't manage to protect the industry, however, and now "there are some 171 privately-owned US flagged ships today. Just 93 of them are Jones Act-eligible."

Thus, the consequences of the Jones Act in 2017 include higher costs for consumer goods as well as more freight on trucks. The latter, according to Olsen, "significantly increasing highways congestion, intensifying air pollution and further degrading the country’s infrastructure."

Olsen provides additional details about the consequences of the Jones Act, and discusses the business interests that have made the law virtually impossible to overturn.

Monday, August 7, 2017 in Quartz

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.