Letters to the Editor: It's the Economy

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The following is a sample of the letters to the editor received by Transport Topics after asking Web readers about the direction of the U.S. economy.

My company is highly involved in all phases of the intermodal industry. We manufacture and sell RTG cranes and sideloaders here and abroad. We also service and sell parts for all machines we deal with. Another aspect of our corporation is the “in yard” division, known as In Terminal Services.

Things have been tough since 9/11, but I can honestly say that we have seen a definite upturn in all areas of our business. From the production line to the rail yard, numbers are up, people are spending again and business is booming.

Rail traffic is up somewhat, as well as intermodal truck traffic. Lift counts are extremely encouraging and that indicates an upward swing for product movement.

We are not out of the woods yet, but it does look promising.

Chuck Robinson

I>Regional Inventory Manager

SI Inc.

azel Crest, Ill.

B>I believe that the current mixed economy will continue for another quarter or two and will probably further deteriorate unless the economic focus moves from the stock market (supply-side economics) to consumption (demand-side economics). Lower-income wage earners need to feel job security to spend, and tax incentives should be shifted to those individuals who have a higher propensity to spend money on the consumer products that fuel the transportation industry.

Second, for the economy to move positively, people and industry need to feel that the Iraq situation is stable. Any action by either side will create uncertainty in fuel supply and price. That uncertainty affects long-term decision making in many industries, including trucking.

Karl Nahrgang

I>Traffic Manager

night Seed Co.

urnsville, Minn.

B>We believe that the economy will follow the opposite of crude oil prices, as it used to do more regularly in the past. Moves by the U.S. in Russia and the Mideast should positively influence this.

Many of the efficiencies in business in the 1990s were gained in computerization and then Y2K-compliant systems, along with the boom in support companies and the economy in general. Added gains from this will be smaller and harder to come by as we move ahead.

While oil prices fluctuated wildly in the ’90s, the effect was lessened by the information economy. Many believe now that this sector will not be such a big influence in the future.

Jay Thompson

I>President, General Manager

ransportation Business

ssociates

enver

These letters appeared in the Aug. 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.