Letters to the Editor: Reflecting on 9/11

For a small trucking company just going into its third year at the time, the 9/11 attacks almost put us out of business. Sending dedicated freight into New York on a biweekly basis came to an end. It took so many hours to get into the city and then to get out that the drivers were exhausted. We were unable to reload from our dedicated shippers and the drivers were out of hours before they ever got into the city.

It was difficult to get anywhere on the East Coast, and it is amazing that we didn’t go belly up. If not for the understanding of the drivers, those putting up personal money and a good work ethic, this company would have been doomed. That day definitely changed all of our lives here in the middle of Jersey.

Murn Myers

inelands Refrigerated Transport

irmingham, N.J.

B>One of our clients is an explosives manufacturer with several branches on the East Coast. For all intents and purposes, they were shut down for almost two weeks after 9/11 while ATF audited all records related to purchase and sale of materials and product. We copied all blasting records for the previous 10 years. Additional background checks were performed on all personnel, regardless of position. This process took several months and lots of overtime hours. We discovered only five pounds of material that could not be accounted for at one branch. That was perhaps due to spillage.

We were quite impressed with the FMCSA providing information on how to protect our drivers against possible hijacking and how to recognize possible terrorist activities. Industry associations have provided additional information and training on security issues. We have always taken safety and security quite seriously. I was quite glad to get back to a normal schedule, however.

Diane Hutter-Stewart

I>Motor Carrier Safety Specialist

arrier Compliance Services

axonburg, Pa.

B>At the time of the attacks, I was working for a major manufacturer of computer devices, with a daily shipping volume of between 150 and 200 small packages at the Arizona location alone (the company had another dozen large facilities across the U.S. and several more worldwide). The shipping dock came to a standstill. Only surface freight was being moved.

Several shipments that were supposed to go via next-day air were put on the ground just to get them moving. The logistics department moved very quickly to minimize the impact. Contingency plans were created and implemented within an hour or two.

Our plants around the globe were also affected. Factory lines slowed because there was no material coming from the two largest sites, which were in California and Arizona.

TVs were set in breakrooms and lobbies so that employees could keep current on what was happening. E-mails from overseas associates poured in with well-wishes. Human Resources quickly reminded employees of the strict anti-harassment policies. Many Eastern-Indian employees worked for the company, which even had prayer rooms for Muslims. On an economic level, the company’s stock price plummeted to roughly half its value and has not recovered well. Close to 5,000 layoffs have taken place with several thousand more planned. Capital expenditure has slowed, if not stopped altogether, as has new building construction.

Jennifer Alcock

I>Equipment Coordinator

anjin Shipping

hoenix

These letters appeared in the Sept. 9 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.