49 U.S.C. § 13503 — Exempt motor vehicle transportation in terminal areas

(a) Transportation by carriers. (1) In general. Neither the Secretary nor the Board has jurisdiction, under this subchapter, over motor vehicle transportation provided in a terminal area when that transportation (A) is a transfer, collection, or delivery, (B) is provided by a rail carrier regulated under chapter 105, a water carrier regulated under subchapter II of this chapter, or a freight forwarder regulated under subchapter III of this chapter, and (C) is incidental to transportation or service that carrier or freight forwarder provides under chapter 105 or subchapter II or III. (2) Applicability of other provisions. Transportation that's exempt under paragraph (1) is instead regulated under whichever of those other laws applies — chapter 105 for a rail carrier, subchapter II for a water carrier, or subchapter III for a freight forwarder. (b) Transportation by agent. (1) In general. Except as paragraph (2) provides, neither the Secretary nor the Board has jurisdiction, under this subchapter, over motor vehicle transportation provided in a terminal area when that transportation (A) is a transfer, collection, or delivery, and (B) is provided by someone acting as an agent, or under some other arrangement, for a rail carrier regulated under chapter 105, a motor carrier regulated under this subchapter, a water carrier regulated under subchapter II, or a freight forwarder regulated under subchapter III. (2) Treatment of transportation by principal. Transportation exempt under paragraph (1) is treated as if the carrier or freight forwarder it was done for had provided it directly, and is regulated under whichever law applies to that carrier or forwarder — chapter 105 for a rail carrier, this subchapter for a motor carrier, subchapter II for a water carrier, or subchapter III for a freight forwarder.