The structure and behavior of the U.S. surface freight transportation industries are undergoing dramatic change as a result of the decrease in federal government economic regulation of these industries. In particular, legislative and administrative changes in the approach to regulating intramodal and intermodal mergers have helped facilitate a restructuring of the U.S. rail system and the establishment of railroad-owned multimodal transportation firms. Additionally, the exemption of trucking mergers from Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) regulation may lead to larger combinations in that industry.