Letters to the Editor

a very special company
Re: "some very special employees" (October 2007)
When I saw Randy Lewis on television a couple of evenings ago, I wept tears of joy and tears of hope. I worked with disabled children in our local school system, first as a substitute teacher, then as a special education paraprofessional. My motto was: Don't focus on what they can't do, focus on what they can do. Walgreens has done something so needed, so morally and socially responsible. I can't state how it makes me feel.

Now, I am the disabled student. I have MS and have been trying to get a job off and on for a few years. I have a couple of friends who have distributed my resume to a few of their friends and have given me a few more names to contact on my own. I do not know whether or not their contacts were told about my illness, but every time an employer hears that I am sick, it seems to run in the other direction. I have 94 semester hours toward a BS in management with a 3.86 GPA and already have an AAS in management with a 4.0 GPA. I've decided to finish my degree with a major in management and minor in communication. But I don't know if the degree will help. It's sort of like Angie Campbell's situation, except I don't look sick.

Anyway, kudos for Walgreens. I will keep that company in my prayers the rest of my life. Thank you for your heartwarming story.
Debra L. Williams, Mechanicsville, Md.

that hit the spot
Re: "a recipe for inventory control" (February 2008)
This was a great article. We are currently signed on to implement an SAP Business One software package and this article hit exactly what we are anticipating … both in efficiency and possibility of mistakes.
Bill Daubmann, Senior VP, Mr. Shower Door

don't be fueled …
Re: "who's fueling who?" FastLane (February 2008)
Clifford Lynch's opinion piece took a very narrow perspective on fuel and fuel surcharges and only applied to LTL carriers. General over-the-road truckload carriers are simply not making money off their fuel surcharges. In fact, fuel surcharges are not even coming close to covering the carriers' fuel cost increases for a number of reasons, including the following:

1. Many shippers pay on shortest miles, which are considerably below actual miles.
2. Shippers rarely pay on empty miles, including those resulting from short-haul movements where trucks routinely return empty.
3. Shippers rarely pay for fuel consumed by refrigeration units.
4. Shippers seldom pay on out-of-route miles.
5. Shippers never pay for lost fuel economy due to congestion.
6. Shippers rarely pay for idling while at their docks waiting to load or unload.

As a result, fuel surcharges only cover about 75 to 80 percent of the gallons consumed by truckload carriers. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that all too many brokers and 3PLs fail to pass on 100 percent of the fuel surcharges received from shippers to carriers and owner operators.

No wonder carriers are experiencing high bankruptcy rates, simply going out of business, or suffering low profit margins. Shippers who are "aggressive" on fuel surcharges will have only themselves to blame when they can't find capacity in the coming months. Smart shippers will exceed the carrier's expectations in regard to fuel surcharges.
Lana Batts, Managing Partner, Transport Capital Partners, LLC

Editor's note: The writer served as president of the Truckload Carriers Association from 1994 to 2000.