understand our mission
Why Trucking Was Regulated in 1935
No myths. No politics. Just the record.
If you want to understand why trucking was brought under federal regulation, you don’t need hot takes or modern arguments.
You need the original evidence.
The Motor Carrier Act of 1935 wasn’t passed because politicians wanted control.
It was passed because Congress was flooded with proof that unregulated trucking was eating itself alive.
This isn’t opinion. It’s documented history.
The Government Didn’t Guess — It Studied the Industry for Decades
Long before trucking was regulated, the federal government was already tracking transportation markets.
The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was required by law to report directly to Congress every single year. Those reports are the starting point.
What the ICC was warning about as early as the 1910s:
Cut-throat rate wars
Prices below cost
Bankrupt carriers
Unsafe cost-cutting
Hidden and deceptive pricing
Wages collapsing
Small operators being wiped out
By the late 1920s, ICC reports were blunt:
Motor carriers were destabilizing both rail and trucking markets because there were no pricing guardrails and no transparency.
Congress Didn’t Act on a Whim — They Held Years of Hearings
Because the warnings kept piling up, Congress opened formal hearings.
From 1931 to 1934:
The House and Senate held extensive hearings on trucking regulation
Witnesses testified under oath
This included:
ICC commissioners
Economists
Trucking companies
Shippers
Labor reps
Safety experts
These weren’t show hearings.
The conclusion was consistent:
Transportation does not behave like a normal free market.
Unregulated competition was driving prices below cost, killing safety, destroying wages, and forcing consolidation.
The ICC Ran the Numbers — and the Results Were Clear
At the same time, the ICC’s Bureau of Transport Economics ran detailed economic studies.
They analyzed:
Real operating costs
Pricing behavior
Long-term sustainability
Their findings:
Without published rates and transparency:
Prices fall below cost
Safety collapses
Driver pay collapses
Strong operators fail
Big players consolidate power
That pattern looks familiar for a reason.
Congress Put It All in Writing
In 1935, Congress didn’t just vote.
They documented exactly why they acted.
Two key reports explain it in plain language:
House Report No. 1645 (1935)
Senate Report No. 482 (1935)
These reports summarize:
ICC data
Hearing testimony
Economic studies
The risks of doing nothing
This is the legislative record behind the Motor Carrier Act.
Want to See the Proof Yourself? Here’s Where to Find It
Anyone can pull these documents. No gatekeepers.
1. ICC Annual Reports to Congress (1915–1935)
Search:
“Interstate Commerce Commission Annual Report” + year
Available free at:
Google Books
HathiTrust
Library of Congress
Look for sections on:
Rate wars
Instability
Safety
Cost-cutting
2. Congressional Hearings (1931–1934)
Search for:
“Regulation of Motor Vehicles Engaged in Interstate Commerce”
“Motor Carrier Regulation Hearings”
Committees:
House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce
Available at:
Library of Congress
HeinOnline
University law libraries
3. Official House & Senate Reports (1935)
Specifically:
House Report No. 1645
Senate Report No. 482
These explain why regulation was necessary — in Congress’s own words.
4. ICC Economic & Cost Studies
Search for ICC Bureau of Transport Economics studies from the early 1930s.
These are archived in:
University libraries
Administrative law collections
The Bottom Line for Drivers
Trucking wasn’t regulated because someone wanted power.
It was regulated because unregulated trucking was destroying drivers, carriers, and safety — exactly as the evidence predicted.
That evidence already exists.
We don’t need to reinvent the history.
We just need to surface it.