Cutrona steps down at NASSTRAC

Joseph F.H. Cutrona

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 2/1/1999

Joseph F.H. Cutrona, the long-time executive director of NASSTRAC and one of the transportation industry's most respected leaders, resigned from that position at the end of last year. Cutrona, affectionately known as "General Joe" by friends and colleagues, will continue his association with the group, which he has headed for 20 years, as a consultant for the next three years.

Cutrona led the group, which is composed primarily of shippers that manage less-than-truckload shipments for their companies, throughout the deregulation era. Before coming to NASSTRAC, he was director of public relations for the Transportation Association of America. For the previous 30 years, he served in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of general. Cutrona served two tours in Vietnam, first as a division artillery commander for the 4th Infantry Division, and then as chief of information for U.S. Commander General Creighton A. Abrams. Between those tours, he was assigned to the Pentagon and attended weekly meetings at the White House.

During his tenure at NASSTRAC, Cutrona was deeply involved in lobbying efforts that led to the passage of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, which partially deregulated interstate trucking. He also was active in the effort to resolve the undercharge crisis, in which trustees for bankrupt carriers attempted to increase rates for past shipments retroactively and to collect past-due bills from shippers. Cutrona also helped develop a new bill of lading that addresses several concerns shippers had with the previous version and participated in a study conducted by the Department of Transportation that recommended retaining the current liability regime in the Carmack amendment.