Aggregate truckers must be paid within 15 days under newly signed Act 224-2026

Anyone who hires a trucker to haul sand, stone or gravel in Puerto Rico now has a clock running: 15 days to pay. Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed Act 224-2026, which sets that maximum payment window for aggregate haulers and brings the rules for this activity on public roads under a single legal framework ¹².

What changed and why it matters

The measure comes from Senate Bill 1140, authored by Senator Héctor J. Sánchez Álvarez ¹³. It adds the rules for hauling aggregates, for commercial and industrial purposes, on public roads to Puerto Rico's Public Service Act ¹⁴. It does so through a new Article 73-A ¹³.

According to the summary issued from La Fortaleza, the purpose is to make it easier to enforce permit, rate and obligation requirements under the Transportation and Other Public Services Bureau (NTSP, by its Spanish initials), and to balance carrier availability with demand ¹³. El Vocero reports that this is an industry that plays an important role in construction and public works across the Island ².

The governor put it this way: "With this law we bring together in a single legal framework the provisions governing an important activity" ¹³. She added: "We want those who work in this industry to have clear rules" ¹³.

Key facts of Act 224-2026

• Payment deadline: the cargo owner must hire transport at the rates authorized by the NTSP and pay the carrier within 15 days ¹⁴.
• Overweight loads: whoever hires the service is responsible for any excess load they authorize ¹².
• Penalties: administrative fines and interest apply when payment terms are not met ¹⁴. The sources consulted do not specify amounts or the interest rate ⁴.
• NTSP powers: it may issue permits and provisional authorizations, keep a registry of carriers, supervise the activity and set "just and reasonable" rates ¹².
• Due process: the law sets grounds and procedural guarantees for denying, suspending or revoking permits ¹³.
• Publicly funded works: cargo will be distributed by numerical turn, or rotation, among authorized concessionaires, under NTSP regulations ¹².
• Exclusion: it does not apply to activity carried out with heavy vehicles owned by the government or the municipalities ¹².

El Vocero's account does not say when the law takes effect, and the other sources do not specify it either ²⁴. That will depend on the final text of the law and the regulations the NTSP adopts.

What it means for you

If you are a trucker or own a dump truck, the law gives you, for the first time, a clear statutory window to get paid: 15 days. If a contractor, quarry or project owes you, delay now carries administrative fines and interest ¹⁴. You also have due process guarantees if the NTSP seeks to deny, suspend or revoke your permit ¹³.

If you are a contractor, developer or cargo owner, responsibility for overweight loads falls on you when you authorize them ¹². That means it is no longer enough to claim the excess was the driver's decision. You will also have to pay the rates authorized by the NTSP, not ones negotiated under the table ¹⁴.

If you work on public-money projects, get ready for numerical rotation: cargo will not be assigned at discretion, but by turn among authorized concessionaires ¹². For the general public the effect is indirect but real. Clearer payment rules aim to stabilize a sector that construction and infrastructure work depend on ².

How to / Checklist

1. Confirm your permit is current. Every aggregate hauler must operate under NTSP authorization; the NTSP issues permits and provisional authorizations and keeps the registry ¹². Contact the NTSP to verify your status.
2. Check your rate. Compare what you charge with the rate authorized by the NTSP, which is the one the law requires ¹⁴.
3. Document every trip. Keep invoices, weigh tickets and delivery dates. The 15-day window runs against payment, and you will need evidence if you have to file a claim ¹⁴.
4. If you are owed money, note the due date. Once 15 days pass, the client is exposed to fines and interest ¹⁴. File your claim with the NTSP in writing.
5. If you hire, do not authorize overweight. Responsibility for excess cargo you authorize is yours ¹².
6. Read the text of the law. Look up Act 224-2026 and Article 73-A of the Public Service Act to confirm the effective date and details, because the press reports do not include the full text ⁴.

What's next

The next step is rulemaking. The law relies on the NTSP to set rates, keep the registry and establish how rotation will work on public works ¹². Still unknown are the fine amounts and the interest rate for late payment, details the sources did not disclose ⁴. It also remains to be seen when the law takes effect and whether the NTSP will open a public hearing process for its regulations ². A key question is whether the sector, which has long complained about late payments, sees real change in practice, or whether implementation stays on paper.

Sources

1. Foro Noticioso, "Gobernadora firma ley que consolida la regulación del transporte de agregados y establece protecciones para los transportadores" (November 5, 2026), La Fortaleza: https://foronoticioso.com/gobernadora-firma-ley-que-consolida-la-regulacion-del-transporte-de-agregados-y-establece-protecciones-para-los-transportadores/
2. El Vocero, "Gobernadora firma ley que establece nuevas protecciones para transportadores de agregados" (November 5, 2026): https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/gobernadora-firma-ley-que-establece-nuevas-protecciones-para-transportadores-de-agregados/article_0b53d62e-d60d-4ff9-8d9c-e99f8cd50faf.html
3. El Sol de Puerto Rico, "Gobernadora firma ley que consolida la regulación del transporte de agregados" (November 5, 2026): https://periodicoelsolpr.com/gobernadora-firma-ley-que-consolida-la-regulacion-del-transporte-de-agregados/
4. Agencia EFE via Ey Boricua, "Nueva ley exige pagar en 15 días a los transportadores de agregados" (November 5, 2026): https://eyboricua.com/ley-transporte-agregados-pago-15-dias-puerto-rico