### Trucker Firm Wins MSHA Jurisdiction Fight
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) lacks authority over KC Transport, a trucking company hauling coal from mines, siding with the firm after a Supreme Court remand.
In a win for transport operators, the court held MSHA’s reach doesn’t extend to general freight haulers just because they carry mine products.
**The Spark:** KC Transport, Inc., a Kansas-based trucking outfit, got hit with MSHA citations for safety violations while hauling coal on public highways. MSHA claimed jurisdiction under the Mine Act, arguing the company’s work involved “work of preparing the coal for transport” from mine sites. KC fought back, saying they’re just truckers, not miners—federal courts and the Review Commission initially split on the issue, landing it at the Supreme Court.
**The Core Question:** Does MSHA regulate truckers hauling coal from mine property to customers, or is that OSHA’s turf? The Mine Act covers “miners” and mine operators, but trucking on highways? That’s the gray area courts have wrestled with.
**The Ruling:** On remand from the Supreme Court, the D.C. Circuit ruled MSHA overreached. Truckers like KC aren’t “engaged in” mine work once off mine property—their highway hauls fall under OSHA, not MSHA’s stricter mine-safety rules. Why it matters: MSHA’s dual-role duties (safety + production) don’t apply to pure transport; courts demanded a clear “mine operator” tie-in, which KC lacked.
**Industry Impact:** Huge relief for fleet owners and logistics pros hauling aggregates, coal, or minerals. No more dual MSHA/OSHA headaches, lower compliance costs, and clearer lines—stick to highways, dodge mine regs. But watch: if you’re loading/unloading at the pit, MSHA might still bite.
**Bottom Line:** Highway truckers hauling mine products aren’t MSHA’s problem—OSHA rules the road.
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10844556/secretary-of-labor-v-kc-transport-inc/
Fellow truckers: Ever faced overlapping MSHA/OSHA regs on a coal run? Share your story.