Up Front

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 9/1/2000

Safer motor carrier operations are the goal

Safer motor carrier operations are the goal of a major project now being overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The project represents part of the Department of Transportation's effort to fulfill requirements of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, which directed the secretary of transportation to develop a long-term strategy for improving commercial motor vehicle, driver, and carrier safety. The 2010 Strategy and Performance Planning Project began in June and was announced in the Federal Register last month. The project will continue through the remainder of this year. Interested parties may submit comments on the proceeding to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh St. SW, Washington, DC 20590, or file them electronically at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. Include the docket number FMCSA 2000-7645. The FMCSA has set up an Internet discussion group on the project at http://spp.fmcsa.dot.gov. The site contains copies of work in progress and draft plans.

Highway crashes continued as the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities

Highway crashes continued as the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities during 1999, accounting for one-fourth of the fatal work injury total, according to the federal Department of Labor. Truck drivers accounted for slightly more than 40 percent of the 1,491 victims of job-related highway fatalities. That fatality rate, which represented a slight increase over the 1,442 reported in 1998, is the highest recorded since the Bureau of Labor Statistics' fatality census began in 1992. By contrast, the number of workers killed in non-highway crashes and overturned vehicles or who died after being struck by a vehicle declined from 1998 levels. The number of workers killed in air, water, and rail vehicle incidents during 1999 was about the same as it was in 1998. The department reported a total of 6,023 deaths from workplace injuries last year, almost the same as in 1998 despite an increase in employment.

Carriers specializing in the delivery of goods ordered via the Internet

Carriers specializing in the delivery of goods ordered via the Internet should expect heavy volumes again this fall as e-commerce continues to surge. An analysis of consumer spending on the Internet by U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray and Harris Interactive shows that e-commerce spending by consumers in the second quarter reached $8.3 billion, up 18 percent from first-quarter totals. Analysts reporting in the new quarterly e-Commerce Scorecard expect consumers' total e-commerce expenditures to reach $40 billion for the year.

For the seventh straight year,

For the seventh straight year, shipper groups from the world's major trading regions have met to discuss their perspectives on international transportation. This year's International Shippers' Tripartite Meeting, hosted by the European Shippers' Council, took place in Haifa, Israel. Delegates from the National Industrial Transportation League represented U.S. shippers. Also taking part were delegates from the Japan Shippers' Council, Hong Kong Shippers' Council, Korean Shippers' Council, and Federation of ASEAN Shippers' Council. Individual national groups included the Dutch Shippers' Council, British Shippers' Council, French Shippers' Council, and Israel Shippers' Council. The discussions were expected to focus on ocean shipping reform. NITL representatives intended to highlight the effects of maritime reforms on shippers since the Ocean Shipping Reform Act took effect last year.

The four-year-old Supply Chain Council

The four-year-old Supply Chain Council now has more than 700 member companies. The council's objective is to create a standard to improve supply chain processes among manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers. Its members include manufacturers, software vendors, logistics service providers, consultants, researchers, and universities. Information on the council and its activities can be found at its Web site, www.supply-chain.org. The council's Pittsburgh headquarters can be reached at (412) 781-4101.

Steamship lines serving westbound trans-Pacific lanes

Steamship lines serving westbound trans-Pacific lanes have added a documentation fee to their list of charges. Carriers in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA) implemented a fee of $25 per bill of lading on Sept. 1. The fee will be applied to all tariff and applicable service contract cargo. WTSA says the fee is needed to make up for the increased cost of processing documents in both the United States and Asia, training staffs to handle documentation, and upgrading electronic systems. WTSA members include 13 major container-shipping lines in the trade from the United States to Asia.

Considering outsourcing?

Considering outsourcing? A new book from the Council of Logistics Management (CLM) can provide some guidance. The book, Logistics Outsourcing: A Management Guide, was written by veteran logistics practitioner Clifford F. Lynch, executive vice president of the Continental Group. The text covers considerations in deciding to outsource, outsourcing strategy, identifying and selecting providers, evaluating costs, defining expectations, developing and implementing contracts, and managing outsourcing relationships. A CD-ROM included with the book contains many of the forms discussed in the text. The book is available for $35 for CLM members and $70 for nonmembers. Contact CLM at www.clm1.org or (630) 574-0985.

Cargo security is the focus of a new Web site,

Cargo security is the focus of a new Web site, cargoguy.com. TyndenBrammall, a supplier of cargo security products, manages the site, which is intended to provide a forum for discussing a wide range of topics related to cargo security. The site's "cargo guy" will answer questions on security from site visitors.

The Delta Nu Alpha Foundation,

The Delta Nu Alpha Foundation, a non-profit arm of the Delta Nu Alpha (DNA) transportation fraternity, has awarded six scholarships of between $1,000 and $2,000 to students studying transportation and logistics at U.S. universities. The students will be honored at this month's DNA Transportation Education Conference in Louisville, Ky. The DNA foundation provides scholarships and research grants in support of education in transportation, distribution, and logistics. In addition, it provides funding for the Journal of Transportation Management, published by Georgia Southern University. More information on DNA and the foundation is available at www.deltanualpha.org.

The latest edition of The Private Fleet Directory

The latest edition of The Private Fleet Directory is now available from Transportation Technical Services. The book contains information on more than 26,000 companies operating private fleets of 10 or more trucks. The directory is available in print for $295 plus $12 for shipping and handling, with additional copies available for $95. The database is available in part or in full on disk or in CD-ROM form. For details on ordering, contact TTS in Fredericksburg, Va., at (888) 665-9887 or at its Web site, www.ttstrucks.com.

European manufacturers are fulfilling the majority of U.S. demand for automated materials-handling systems,

European manufacturers are fulfilling the majority of U.S. demand for automated materials-handling systems, according to Advanced Technology Advisors, a Cleveland-based research firm. The company says that European-based suppliers meet 60 percent of the demand in the $2.5 billion market, and Japanese players account for another 15 percent. The European dominance is the result of acquisitions of U.S. materials-handling businesses by European companies, says the report, Emerging Markets for Automated Material Handling.