P.M. Executive Briefing - Dec. 27
This Afternoons's Headlines:
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Full Speed Ahead
Although some trucking companies in the Triad area of North Carolina seem to have seen a bit more business due to pre-Y2K inventory stockpiling, they have not seen the great deal of stockpiling that was anticipated by some.Epes Carriers CEO Al Bodford said his company's business has gone up between 5 percent and 8 percent, apparently due to Y2K worries.
Bodford predicts business could drop off between 5 percent and eight percent after the first of the month, and he thinks January will "be a little slow." But he says trucking companies could be helped by shippers who stocked up too much inventory and now want to return it rather than pay to store the surplus.
Columbia, S.C.-based Southeastern Freight Lines intends to back up all its computer systems Dec. 31 and have people testing systems at each of its service centers Jan. 1, when it will put a report on its Web site.
Perry & Turner Trucking has seen no large uptick in business and appears to be handling the usual holiday merchandise, said Jim Sprague, vice president of logistics development.
Greensboro terminal manager Mike Mabe of Carolina Express said his company has actually seen business drop a bit.
Y2K problems could actually boost trucking business, said Bodford, if there are problems with air cargo or if a medical emergency requires goods be transported. Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area Online (12/27/99) ; Thompson, Deanna
Sony Picks Ozburn-Hessey for Distribution
The third-party logistics firm Ozburn-Hessey Logistics will handle Sony Electronics' distribution to southeastern U.S. retailers at a 190,000-square-foot Memphis warehouse. By the beginning of February, Ozburn-Hessey will have consolidated operations at an Atlanta distribution center and Memphis fulfillment center into the Memphis site.University of Memphis professor R. Neil Southern predicted that more companies will move distribution operations to Memphis because of the city's multiple transportation modes and centralized location.Memphis Business Journal Online (12/27/99) ; Paulk, Michael
Coils Do Deep Damage
In the past 11 years, downtown Birmingham interstate bridges have been hit by large steel coils falling from flatbed trucks on 14 different occasions, with repairs--covered by insurance--costing between $12,000 and $143,000.According to steel companies, carriers are responsible for the coils when they have departed the steel mills.
Sgt. Mike Robertson of the Birmingham police freeway patrol, which began monthly truck inspections in part because of the coil accidents, attributed most of the accidents to insufficient chains to secure the coils. He suggested using frames to secure the coils rather than nailed-down 4-by-4s.
labama Trucking Association safety director Gene Vonderau blamed the accidents on truckers not employing enough securing devices or examining whether the devices are secure. But he said chains will not hold the coils if truckers have to slam on the brakes -- if, for example, they are cut off by a car.
The costliest accident, with repairs costing $143,000, was a coil that bent a girder on an Interstate 65 bridge in 1998, forcing two weeks' closure of two lanes. The majority of the accidents have been on the bridge near the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on I-59.Birmingham News Online (12/27/99) ; MacDonald, Ginny
Passive Safety Approached Aggressively
Truckmakers have made progress in driver safety by adding passive protection devices such as airbags, better seat belts, and retractable steering columns, as well as improvements on mirrors, seats, and grab handles.Freightliner has created the Century Class S/T to include various new safety features and technology. It has standard driver's side air bags, three-point seatbelts, collapsible steering column and soft switches on the dashboard. The company established the Seat Pretensioning Activated Crash Enhancement (SPACE) system as an option on the Century Class cabs in 1995. The cab's design was based on the ECER-29 European passive-safety standard, and Century cabs meet Swedish crash tests.
Freightliner has also been working with government and others on a North American standard.
Ed Saxman of Volvo Truck North America said Volvo offers such features as an energy-absorbing steering column and driver's side airbag. Volvo tests its cabs by hitting them against a barrier at 30 mph. It also designs its trucks so the engines drop under the cab in a crash, and the cabs incorporate an under-dash bolster with Kevlarwebbing that softens the blow to the driver's legs. They also have doors that remain closed during a crash but can open afterwards, and smoke detectors are optional.
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group's Dave Melton said the insurer advocates "grab handles for entry and egress, and high-quality mirrors for good vision." Also, trailer manufacturers have begun putting air and electricity connections in places where the driver can get to them without climbing, he said. Fleets should also give drivers an adjustable seat to make it easier for them to deal with stress and fatigue, said Melton. Fleet Equipment (12/99) Vol. 25, No. 12; P. 35; Birkland, Carol
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