American Trucking Associations, Inc., Petitioner v. City of Los Angeles, California, et al. (569 U.S. 641)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 13, 2013 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 569 U.S. 641 · 133 S. Ct. 2096
- Decided
- June 13, 2013
- Term
- October Term 2012
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Kagan
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice KAGAN delivered the opinion of the Court. In this case, we consider whether federal law preempts certain provisions of an agreement that trucking companies must sign before they can transport cargo at the Port of Los Angeles. We hold that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) expressly preempts two of the contract's provisions, which require such a company to develop an off-street parking plan and display designated placards on its vehicles. We decline to decide in the case's present, pre-enforcement posture whether, under Castle v. Hayes Freight Lines, Inc., 348 U.S. 61, 75 S.Ct. 191, 99 L.Ed. 68 (1954), federal law governing licenses for interstate motor carriers prevents the Port from using the agreement's penalty clause to punish violations of other, non-preempted provisions. I A The Port of Los Angeles, a division of the City of Los Angeles, is the largest port in the country. The Port owns marine terminal facilities, which it leases to "terminal operators" (such as shipping lines and stevedoring companies) that load cargo onto and unload it from docking ships. Short-haul trucks, called "drayage trucks," move the cargo into and out of the Port. The trucking companies providing those drayage services are all federally licensed motor carriers. Before the events giving rise to this case, they contracted with terminal operators to…
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