P.M. Executive Briefing - May 5
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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Trucking Safety
Frito-Lay, in connection with the state Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation, is sponsoring a demonstration at a mall in the Modesto, Calif., area designed to educate drivers on truck-safety issues. The demonstration, which will allow visitors to sit in the cab of a truck to see the blind spots, will feature Frito-Lay driver Lee Koll and CHP officer Lou White. Modesto Bee Online (05/05/00)BNSF Gets Wise About Freight
This summer, Burlington Northern Santa Fe will launch an online transportation exchange called FreightWise, which will host both transportation auctions and direct quoting on rail, truck, ocean, and air transportation.
The company is launching the business model to respond to investors' concerns about BNSF's intensive capital spending. Zidar says investors did not mind the capital-intensive setup while BNSF earnings-growth rates were in the double digits, but when earnings began to suffer, BNSF needed to find a new route for growth. Transportation & Distribution Online (05/00); Schwartz, Beth
Trucks Banned From Freeway Access Ramp
Responding to residents upset about noise and emissions from big trucks, the Los Angeles City Council passed a ban on trucks using 7th and Breed Streets in the Boyle Heights neighborhood to access the Golden State Freeway.The ban is expected to be effective starting this summer; Councilman Nick Pacheco is looking into a truck ban throughout Boyle Heights' residential sections. Los Angeles Times (05/05/00) P. 4B
Digital Interchanges: Novus International
Novus International can now offer its automated supply chain management system, AIMS, in rural and underdeveloped areas due to its adoption of ORBComm low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology.Tracking customers' liquid-product inventories with ultrasonic sensors, AIMS calculates the size and date of deliveries so product will be sent to customers when it is needed.
LEO satellites are less expensive and smaller than the geosynchronous earth orbit satellites used in the past. In addition, they also necessitate smaller antenna equipment and less data-transmission power on the ground, since their orbits are not as far from the Earth's surface. Modern Bulk Transporter (04/00) Vol. 62, No. 10; P. 50
Chemical Industry Embraces E-Commerce
Sapient Corp., chemical and energy services director Kamal Siada spoke at Chemical Week's Chemical Transportation and Distribution Conference in January regarding e-commerce and the chemical industry. According to Siada, the e-commerce has put customers in the driver's seat by creating more competition for the customer's dollar.It has enabled customers to get competitive pricing and better customer service while purchasing goods and services at any time or location. It has also brought new companies into the field and created chemical and chemical-transportation spot markets.
"Supply-chain integration will be at the core of any successful initiative," he said, adding that the revolution is still in its infancy and is quickly evolving. Modern Bulk Transporter (04/00) Vol. 62, No. 10; P. 52
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