Transportation (Freight)

HB 472, the "Commercial Vehicle and Cargo Protection Act," introduces new regulations for commercial motor vehicles and their cargo. The bill prohibits the immobilization of commercial motor vehicles using devices like boots, making such actions a misdemeanor. It also requires towing companies performing nonconsensual or government-initiated tows to promptly return commercial cargo to its owner or their designee. Furthermore, if a towed trailer contains commercial cargo, the tower must allow it to be exchanged for a different trailer of equal or better condition.

HB 232 appropriates $16.39 million from North Carolina's disaster relief fund to repair hurricane-damaged short-line railroads. The bill directly provides $14 million to Blue Ridge Southern Railroad for line restoration and $2.39 million to Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for track repairs, facility fixes, and lost revenue following Hurricane Helene. These funds are allocated through the Department of Transportation's Rail Division using the Freight Rail & Rail Safety Improvement Fund. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and focuses solely on direct financial assistance for specific rail infrastructure recovery.

HB 201 restricts the use of long trailers on specific segments of U.S. Route 25/70 in Madison County, North Carolina. It prohibits motor vehicle combinations exceeding 48 feet total length or trailers over 30 feet in length on two defined route sections: from NC Highway 213 north to NC Highway 208, and from NC Highway 208 west to the Tennessee border. This directly affects commercial truck drivers and logistics companies operating heavy vehicles in that corridor. The law takes effect December 1, 2025, with penalties matching existing traffic violation fines under state law.