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WASHINGTON — Allowing the freight industry to rely on twin 33-foot trailers nationwide would enhance productivity, safety and environmental efficiency, FedEx Corp.’s chief executive told a House transportation panel Feb. 1.

On his final full day as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Scott Darling said his biggest regret of his 2½ years in charge was not being able to fully implement the Unified Registration System.

A new coalition of shippers and retailers led by UPS Inc., FedEx Corp. and Amazon.com plans to call on members of Congress to support the nationwide access of twin 33-foot trailers, a move likely to ignite a contentious debate among lawmakers during the 115th Congress.

For several top North American container ports 2016 was a record-setting year, and industry analysts are cautiously optimistic that 2017 will be even better despite the uncertainty in Washington that comes with a new presidential administration.

Americans for Modern Transportation, a new coalition of shippers and retailers led by FedEx Corp. and Amazon.com intends to press congressional lawmakers this year to approve nationwide access of twin 33-foot trailers.

Nontraditional bank lending to trucking companies picked up moderately in the second half of 2016 as fleets sought to survive during a sluggish freight market, according to lenders with exposure in transportation financing.

American households were more upbeat last year on average than at any time since 2007, according to figures in the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index released Jan. 5.