NITL Seeks Ways to Extend Influence

SAN DIEGO — National Industrial Transportation League President Edward M. Emmett convened the NITL annual meeting by declaring that the membership would have to grow for the league to build on its successes and extend its power.

The shippers who attended the meeting, held in San Diego in conjunction with the trade show Transcomp 98, focused on the future of NITL and how it could build cooperation in the transportation industry.

Addressing a hushed crowd of leaders from businesses large and small, Mr. Emmett said that increasing NITL’s membership, which has held at about 1,600 for the past three years, was necessary despite pressure on transportation companies to hold down costs.

“One of the things the league is going to have to do is develop a stronger membership, a growing membership, at a time when companies are cutting back on extras — and some of these extras are things like dues and membership. But to do that at this time to the league would be really counterproductive.”

Mr. Emmett asked members to recruit other shippers. “It’s only through that growth that the league will be able to remain effective,” he said.

At a news conference later, Mr. Emmett said that one means he’s considering for boosting membership is restructuring the way dues are paid. He also said that NITL, which has traditionally been supported mainly by manufacturing and heavy industry, would have to attract more consumer retail goods companies.

A large increase in the number of members is unlikely this year, Mr. Emmett said. “Realistically, we’re setting the stage for what we can do the following year,” he added.

In fact, working toward the future was part of the theme of this year’s meeting, “The New Transportation Revolution.” And as the 2,500-plus attendees filed into the San Diego Convention Center to the strains of the soundtrack from “Titanic,” they were assured by Gerald Mayer, transportation manager for J.C. Penney Co. and NITL’s new chairman, that the future of the league was clear sailing and no icebergs were in sight.

“Never before has the profile of the league been higher,” Mr. Mayer said. “Never before has the league’s effectiveness as the shippers’ voice been greater.”

Also looking to the future was the keynote speaker, Lawrence Chimerine, managing director and chief economist at the Economic Strategy Institute.

Forecasting what shippers should expect from the global economy next year, Mr. Chimerine said, “If I had to guess, I’d say in two to three years most Asian countries will be back on the growth track.”

For the full story, see the Nov. 23 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.