News Briefs - June 23
The Latest Headlines:
- DOE: Low Gasoline, Diesel Inventories Reason for Concern
- Prime Settles Federal Lawsuit
- FMCSA Labels Central Refrigerated Service as 'High Risk'
- DOT: Air Freight Is the Fastest Growing Cargo Segment
- Segmentz to Provide Cartage Services for Temple Trucking
- Prime Settles Federal Lawsuit
DOE: Low Gasoline, Diesel Inventories Reason for Concern
Because fuel stockpiles are well below average, the United States is vulnerable to a summer gasoline inventory crunch and tight supplies of distillate fuels next winter, the Department of Energy said Wednesday.Gasoline supplies have declined the past two weeks at a time of the year they normally rise, Reuters reported. Gasoline is 9 million barrels below the five-year average, according to DOE data.
In addition, stockpiles of distillate, including diesel, are more than 7 million barrels below the five-year average, which could mean another season of high heating bills and retail diesel prices this winter, DOE said. Transport Topics
Prime Settles Federal Lawsuit
Truckload carrier New Prime Inc., which does business as Prime Inc., agreed to pay over $400,000 to settle a federal suit that alleged three female driver trainees were sexually harassed and assaulted by their instructors, the Associated Press reported.Steve Crawford, general counsel for Prime, told AP the company denied the allegations, but that it was time to move on.
The settlement, which resolves the suit and pending workers' compensation claims, was announced Tuesday by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It requires all Prime employees to undergo sexual harassment training for the next three years, AP said.
The EEOC filed the suit in July 2001 and it went to trial in September 2003. A jury found in favor of one woman, but against the other two.
The verdict was appealed and one woman had been granted a new trial, which was cancelled following the settlement, AP said. Transport Topics
FMCSA Labels Central Refrigerated Service as 'High Risk'
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration labeled Utah-based Central Refrigerated Service Inc. as "high risk" based on scores from accidents and drivers' inspections, the Associated Press reported.The company's majority owner is Swift Transportation Co. Chief Executive Officer Jerry Moyes. He told AP that FMCSA's scoring system was wrong and inaccurate.
Swift, ranked No. 13 on the Transport Topics 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian trucking companies, had previously been labeled high risk by the agency, which proposed a $37,440 fine and is considering downgrading the company's overall safety rating, AP said.
The two companies' ratings are unrelated. The high-risk label usually results in an audit, which can lead to a safety downgrade. Transport Topics
DOT: Air Freight Is the Fastest Growing Cargo Segment
The value of air freight moved in the United States is $2.7 billion a day, and has doubled from 1993 to 2002 to become the fastest growing segment of the cargo industry, according to a new report from the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.Between 1993 and 2002, the total amount of freight transported in the United States grew 18% to 16 billion tons, and the value of that freight grew 45% to $10.5 trillion.
Of that amount, trucking moved 64% by value and 58% by weight, BTS said. The report also said almost $1 out of every $13 shipped in the United States was for a shipment of that required an air-truck combination. Transport Topics
Segmentz to Provide Cartage Services for Temple Trucking
Segmentz Inc. said Tuesday it agreed to provide cartage services throughout the Midwest for Temple Trucking Services Inc.Drayage companies usually haul containers and trailers short distances from ports and rail terminals.
Segmentz said in a statement the deal is expected to add $6.5 million in revenues annually.
"This relationship will allow both companies to continue working on load optimization which in our business determines the ultimate profitability," said Allan Marshall, chief executive officer of Segmentz.
Segmentz said it has the option to purchase Temple, but did not disclose details. Temple currently provides cartage services in Louisville; Warsaw, Ind.; Champagne, Ill.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Indianapolis. Transport Topics
