We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • ProMat 2023
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • ProMat 2023
    • Upload Your Video
Home » words from the wise
inbound

words from the wise

June 1, 2009
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

Charles "Shorty" Whittington, chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), is known for his folksy play-it-straight commentary. And that's just what he delivered in his address at NASSTRAC's 2009 Logistics Conference and Expo last month in Orlando, Fla. The genial, white-haired Whittington kept the audience laughing even as he described in painful detail the challenges facing motor carriers today. Among his observations:

  • Motor carriers are putting everything they have into opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, which could greatly increase union penetration of the trucking industry. "Millions of dollars are being spent in Washington to explain the problems EFCA would cause to congressmen and senators," Whittington said.
  • Trucking companies are also concerned about attempts by public safety groups to overturn the current hours-of-service (HOS) rule, which was updated in 2003. During the ATA's winter board meeting, Whittington said, some 275 trucking executives called on legislators from 44 states to urge them to resist calls to roll back the regulations to the pre-2003 standard. Safety records have greatly improved under the new regime, the carrier executives told lawmakers, and the current regulations should remain in force.
  • The trend toward distribution networks with more DCs and warehouses—thus reducing distances from DCs to destinations—may save shippers money but it's costing drivers. "Drivers get paid by the mile, and these shorter runs affect their ability to make a living," Whittington said.
  • The driver shortage is over—for now. One large carrier Whittington knows of received 5,000 applications for 90 positions recently. Carriers will have to redesign their training programs for new hires as states place more restrictions on who can handle what types of cargoes, he predicted. Alabama recently began requiring drivers to be tested and certified to tie down steel coils on flatbeds, Whittington said, and other states will likely start issuing training requirements of their own.
Transportation Trucking
KEYWORDS American Trucking Associations NASSTRAC
    • Related Articles

      Diversity in the Supply Chain is More than Just Words

      Retiring head of the Wine and Spirits Shippers Association offers words of wisdom to importers, exporters

      Google funds routing software vendor Wise Systems

    Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

    Combilift celebrates 25 years of making lift trucks

    ACT: trucking volume spike in August hints at turning point in the freight cycle

    Kuehne+Nagel and Capgemini create supply chain orchestration service

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • U.S. manufacturing resurgence faces headwinds

    • InPerson interview: Geoff Muessig of Pitt Ohio

    • Warehouse yards to go digital

    • BNSF retires locomotive used for testing alternative fuels

    • Fulfilling commitments

    Now Playing on DCV-TV

    20230922intralox vs large

    Intralox Parcel Automation: Never Stop Moving

    DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    Your business—and the flow of products through it—never stops. Intralox’s logistics and material handling specialists have the technologies, services, and expertise to keep you moving.

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Rodent Radar: A Guide To Help Protect Your Business From Rodents

    • The Value of Genuine Parts and Service

    • Five questions to ask before electrifying your indoor forklift fleet

    • Unlock Success with Our Freight Tech Checklist!

    View More

    Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

    GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing