Port of Miami Drops Final Suit Against Truckers

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he Port of Miami withdrew its final lawsuit Wednesday against truckers who had shut down the port last summer over low pay and high costs, after both sides agreed to work to improve turnaround times.

The Port of Miami Operating Terminal Co., or Pomtoc, withdrew its suit against Support Trucking Group Inc., which represents several hundred independent drivers who haul cargo to and from the port, Pomtoc said in a statement.

The new agreement calles for include bimonthly meetings and a "rapid response desk" for complaints filed by trucking companies and drivers.

The Teamsters union helped broker the agreement, it said in a joint release with Pomtoc. The union and county representatives had said April 16 that a previous suit had been withdrawn. (Click here for previous coverage.)

“As we finish the reconstruction of our terminal facilities to create quicker, more efficient turn times for the container trucks, we [will] improve communications and more quickly resolve problems with truckers,” said Chris Morton, senior manager for Pomtoc. “We view the trucking industry as an essential partner.”

“The Teamsters salute this agreement as an important step forward," said Ron Carver, assistant director of the Teamsters’ port division.

“The problems facing the trucking industry in Miami are similar to problems in ports throughout the country. Motor carriers and owner-drivers are going bankrupt and leaving the port drayage business in ever increasing numbers,” Carver said in a statement.