FALL MEETING COMMENTS
Thanks to all that supported and attended the NCLTL Annual Fall Meeting at the Four Seasons Convention Center in Greensboro September 26. Our keynote speaker, Charlotte Mayor and Gubernatorial Candidate Pat McCrory did not disappoint. He launched into a 45 minute presentation with his plans and vision for the future of NC infrastructure. His plan is for every county and metro area of NC to have a 50 year land use plan. He stated that he would reform the NC DOT by not allowing politics to be run by money or personal gain for individuals and this would also be true with the NC Turnpike Authority. Rather, if elected he promised to appoint persons based on talent. The Mayor also promised to stop the raiding of the Highway Trust fund for non-transportation needs. Hurrah! He also has a formula for new roads: safety, congestion, economic development needs and environment. Problems that exist include high NC taxes and an almost broke state budget for roads. The Mayor said that existing infrastructure was one of the big reasons why NC is having trouble attracting new business. We also thank Coach Neil Bradley, Foothills Trucking for a great presentation on teamwork and accountability using several sports related analogies. Bill Bennett, newly promoted Director of Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Affairs for the NC Ports Authority, commented on the new TWIC card which will have to be presented eventually to do business with all US Ports. Jack Holmes, President of UPS Freight, had an excellent power point presentation on doing business today with audience participation. His presentation was highly enjoyed. One timely comment he made was that a 5 minute delay per truck costs $100 million to UPS annually! Special thanks are also in order to Bill Vaughn and cosponsor Lorillard Tobacco Co.
NCLTL WINTER MEETING
The NCLTL Winter Meeting and Luncheon will be held Friday March 20, at the University Hilton in Charlotte. If your company wishes to be a supporter with a presentation, or a table display, please contact the League office. Suggestions are always welcome.
NEW NCLTL BANNER COMMENTS NEEDED
As most of you that have attended a recent meeting have noticed, the NCLTL banner is outdated due to the League name change. The Board of Governors is seeking comments and suggestions as to how a new League banner should look. If you have ideas concerning a new League banner please submit those to the League office via fax 704.394.4962 or email at
nctl@clickcom.com We need our artistic minds to assist us with some catchy ideas. Send us a sketch! Remember we are no longer just “NC” but have members in other states including VA, SC, TN and GA.
THIRD PARTY BILLINGS
A member recently sent in a legal opinion by a respected attorney in regard to payment liability for a designated third party payer of freight as noted on a specific bill of lading. Many of our members often use brokers and other third parties for services that include payment of freight charges. Be careful and know your players well. A court decision actually caused Sears to pay a freight bill twice even though it had previously paid a broker. The court ordered Sears to also pay the carrier that had never received payment and since the carrier performed the service, it was entitled to its freight charges. So be careful who you are dealing with!
REPORTING IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT
With the economic crisis that our workers and businesses face daily, it can be difficult to report to you items that can be accurate tomorrow, next week or next year. Some of the items in the bulletin will probably be outdated by the time some of you get them. While few citizens are responsible for the terrible state of affairs, we must work together for the future of our economy and nation. I will personally do what I can to assist anyone in the League and in our industry. May God bless us all.
TOP TRUCK FREIGHT BROKERS BASED ON REVENUE FOR 2007
Selected Brokers
CH Robinson $7,315 million
Landstar System 2,450
NYK Logistics 812
Transplace 735
Universal Truckload Services 680
Total Quality Logistics 420
Freightquote 400
PLS Logistics 345
Hub Group 315
Allen Lund Logistics 310
Werner Brokerage 135 |
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NEW TECHOLOGIES TO HELP ALERT TIRED TRUCKERS?
NTSB says new technologies could help alert tired truckers. The National Transportation Safety Board has stated that the government should consider moving forward toward mandating the use of new technologies to alert tired truckers. One technology in the early states of development is a dashboard-mounted camera that tracks a driver’s eye and eyelid movements that could alert a driver who appears to be falling asleep.
WILL SHIPPERS TURN TO BARGES?
Excerpts from an article in the Virginia Port Intermodal News Update. David Host, President T. Parker Host is a Norfolk shipping agent who plans to float a barge of steel cargo containers 75 miles up the James River from Hampton Roads to Richmond Nov. 3. The barge will carry up to 60 of the 40 foot long boxes on most of its trips. Although the first voyage will lose money, Host thinks he could eventually move more than 30,000 containers a week between the two ports if he is successful. There are pluses, savings on diesel fuel and elimination of trucks from I-64.
TWIC CARD AT HAMPTON ROADS
The Port of Hampton Roads will commence using TWIC on January 13, 2009. Carriers and other individuals need to make the application immediately or time will run out. Wait time for new applications could be as long as 90 days. Non TWIC card holders will not be granted access to the terminals. Nationwide implementation will be required by April 9.
NEW NC TRUCKING ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN
Tommy West, an owner of transportation and logistics provider West Brothers Companies, was chosen by the general membership of the NCTA as Chairman. Mr. West will serve until the annual convention next summer. The President of the NCTA is also an NCLTL member Charlie Diehl. The NCTA was founded in 1929.
CONTAINER SHIP ORDERS HAVE “HIT THE FLOOR”
Only 179 containerships were contracted in the first eight months of 2008 down 49 per cent for the year, according to Clarkson, a London based shipbroker. Annual global container trade has dropped below the double-digit level this year for the first time since 2001. This has triggered a slide in ocean freight rates and a decline in ship charter rates which are off about 20 percent year to date.
LESS ROADS AND MORE MASS TRANSIT AND LESS URBAN SPRAWL
Few drivers, especially truckers can get through the Charlotte area without highway delays which can be caused by many reasons: inadequate numbers of interstate lanes, road construction, lack of road construction, you name it. The area lost a lot of funding from Raleigh due to a light rail line that runs 9 miles from uptown to Pineville, servicing less than fraction of a percent of its commuters. It now costs taxpayers four times the cost of a ticket for a single train rider. A Charlotte Observer reporter(s) has taken some of the key highway issues and made the following comments:
Shelby bypass in Cleveland County: drivers coming from I-26 east on Highway 74 are treated to a beautiful and well-built road that saves time, that is until they get to go through the 13 traffic lights of Shelby and bumper to bumper traffic before intersecting with I-85. A Shelby by pass can really speed up transit times. Charlotte Observer proposal scrap it”.
Proposed I-485 connecting I-77 and I-85 north of Charlotte, a critical link to complete I-485 around Charlotte.
Observer proposal: don’t build final link to avoid urban sprawl
Garden Parkway is to be built as a toll road at a price of more than $750 million. It is set to go through Gaston County from I-485 near Charlotte Douglas airport west close to the SC state line. This project has been planned for some 10 years and is close to a start up date.
Observer proposal: build it but only for truckers to access the new intermodal center but not for citizens as that would induce more urban sprawl.
Monroe bypass. This has been in the making at least since 1990. It will be a 22 mile toll road designed to speed up drivers with an alternative to the terribly congested highway 74 between Charlotte and Monroe. This section of Highway 74 is one of the state’s worst and the Observer claims it will cost more than $757 million or more than twice the cost of the Lynx (some have the cost for the Lynx closer to $1 billion).
Observer proposal: scrap it-more urban sprawl
The proposed new interchange at I-77 and I-40 at a cost of $200 million a dangerous interchange with a record of terrible accidents and fatalities.
Observer proposal: scrap it.
What the Observer does endorse are light rail projects from:
Charlotte to Davidson and possibly Mount Mourne
Charlotte to the I-485 University City area
Charlotte east to the Eastland Mall transit center (the Eastland mall area is failing rapidly and is in a high crime area)
Charlotte southeast to the I-485 CPCC Levine Center
Charlotte west to Douglas Airport
Not very good news for truckers trying to get goods to dcs and retail centers who will be stuck in traffic.
US NOT A BAD PLACE TO LIVE
The US is the largest and most productive economy in the world.
The US is the world’s leading manufacturer of goods.
The US is the largest exporter of goods and services in the world.
The US is the preferred destination for foreign direct investment.
The US remains the world’s technology leader.
The top-ranked universities in the world are in the US.
The US dollar is the world’s top reserve currency.
The US military is a significant resource for technological innovation.
The US ranks #1 in global competitiveness.
(from an article forwarded by Everlight USA)
IMO ADOPTS NEW EMISSION STANDARDS FOR OCEAN VESSELS
The International Maritime Organization has adopted changes to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships that will tighten restrictions on vessel air emissions in ports and areas close to shore. Under the new requirements ships will be obligated to burn low-sulfur fuels, or adopt technology to remove sulfur and nitrogen oxides and particulates from their exhaust within clean zones prescribed by each nation. The US has ratified Annex VI.
BILL BENNETT FILLS NEW POSITION AT NC PORTS
The NC Ports has announced that it has promoted William Bennett, PE, MPA to fill the new position of director of emergency preparedness and environmental affairs as part of the Ports Authority operations team. Mr. Bennett joined the Ports Authority in 2002 after a 27 year career with the US Coast Guard, completed at the level of Captain of the Port. We enjoyed Mr. Bennett’s presentation in Greensboro.
COST OF DETECTING A BOMB
The US Government Accountability Office projects it will cost $3.1 billion through 2017 to equip US ports with advanced radiation detection equipment. The machines can sense a nuclear bomb hidden in a shipping container. The cost is $1 billion more than projected.
EMERGENCY ORDER BY FEDERAL RAILROAD REGULATORS
Federal railroad regulators have issued an emergency order prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices by rail workers operating trains and performing other key jobs. The Federal Railroad Administration issued the order September 26. Violators will be subject to civil penalties and removed from “safety-sensitive” jobs. The order comes in response to a train crash in suburban Chatsworth CA that killed 25 persons which has been attributed to a Metrolink engineer who sent a text message from his cell phone 22 seconds before the crash.
SENATE ADDS $8 BILLION TO HIGHWAY TRUST FUND
The Senate voted to shift $8 billion into the highway trust fund which was almost depleted. The 52 year old trust fund provides nearly half of public funding for surface transportation capital projects.
SMC3 LOSS PREVENTION CONFERENCE
October 20-22, Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta GA. Solve your toughest prevention and claims issues.
SMC3 FUNDAMENTALS OF CONTRACT LAW SEMINAR
November 12 Hilton Philadelphia Airport. Register now and save.
SMC3@SMC3.com
PERSON SEEKING CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Experienced Traffic/Transportation person looking for full time employment. Bachelor’s degree, majoring in Transportation with 24 years experience, 19 on-site, 5 in corporate office. Extensive involvement with warehousing, dispatching and supervision of private fleets, outside carriers, DOT and FMCSA safety compliance. P&L responsibility, prepared budgets, negotiated with carriers and vendors on price and service levels. Please contact the League office at 704.394.4966 for inquiry & contact.
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