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Committee debates whether ride‑share firms should need motor‑carrier licenses to transport rail crews
Summary
Sen. Wendy DeBoer introduced LB1158 to address whether transportation network companies should obtain motor‑carrier licenses to transport railroad crews; supporters asked for parity and regulatory clarity while Uber, Union Pacific and BNSF warned the change could be duplicative, impractical or unnecessary while PSC proceedings are ongoing.
Sen. Wendy DeBoer told the committee LB1158 responds to questions raised in a Public Service Commission docket about whether transportation network companies (TNCs) should be brought under motor‑carrier licensing when they carry rail crews. "We might be able to just wait and see what happens in the Public Service Commission docket," DeBoer said, but she introduced the bill to begin discussion about parity and safety standards.
Industry witnesses urged consistent rules. Andrew Faust of SmartTD described 2019 changes that shifted rail crew carriers from certificate to license regimes and said TNCs should obtain comparable licensing and comply with rules that apply to motor carriers for railroad employees. Andrew Beck of RailCrew Express detailed contract requirements for carrier vendors — stringent background checks, DOT physicals, designated vehicles, cameras and annual inspections — and warned that unregulated TNC competition could undercut contract carriers.
Uber's Kristen Hassebrooke testified in opposition, arguing the legislature deliberately created a separate regulatory scheme for TNCs in 2015 because TNCs operate via online platforms and different functional rules. She said requiring TNCs to obtain additional motor‑carrier licenses would force drivers to meet two incompatible frameworks and would not add safety benefits. Doug Svatus of Union Pacific said UP uses TNCs on a limited, complementary basis in locations where a standard pickup/drop‑off is sufficient, and that rides are centrally dispatched (often Uber XL) through the Harriman dispatch center; he described TNC use as supplemental to traditional carriers, not a replacement.
Jeff Davis of BNSF argued federal oversight and new inspection technologies have driven major safety gains and expressed skepticism that state licensing changes would materially improve safety. Committee members probed enforceability, rural coverage, and whether railroads can choose transportation options; witnesses emphasized ongoing PSC work and suggested further coordination with the PSC might address many concerns.
No committee vote was recorded; senators indicated the PSC docket and further stakeholder work will inform any future legislation.
