P.M. Executive Briefing - Nov. 15
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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Teamsters May Rethink Gore Support If Border Stays Closed to Mexican Trucks
A January Teamsters executive board meeting will consider a presidential endorsement of Vice President Gore; the union declined to back Gore in October, said director of government affairs Michael E. Mathis.However, he said, the Teamsters will have a tough time backing Gore unless the administration does not obey a Nafta provision that would open the border to trucks from Mexico at the beginning of January. The border will likely stay closed past the New Year's Day deadline, according to an unnamed official in the administration.
Drive Is On to Speed Border Traffic
Although the funding for the National Customs Automation Prototype, an electronic system that allows trucks to pass through border points without stopping, has dried up, businesses are pushing for the system to be installed at crossings other than the three where NCAP has been tested. The businesses would like other paperwork to be handled electronically by NCAP as well.Samuel Banks, deputy Customs commissioner, says Customs just needs the money for NCAP. That has been made difficult because the agency and Congress disagree about Customs technology. One of the places where NCAP has been tested is the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, which on an average day sees close to 13,000 trucks. The bridge is operated by Detroit International Bridge Co., whose Canadian general manager is Thomas "Skip" McMahon.
While the company is trying to obtain government land to add infrastructure on the U.S. side and cut holdups, McMahon says the General Services Administration wants "to build for today. By the time they get it built, it is obsolete." The company also intends to try to get some Detroit traffic lights taken down. But NCAP is still necessary, the company says. Journal of Commerce Online (11/15/99) ; Hall, Kevin G.
Whistleblower Was Transferred
According to state records in addition to her January 1998 sworn deposition, Tammy Sue Raynor, 38, an examiner at the McCook, Ill., licensing site, was transferred in 1997 to a Joliet site after she refused to give CDLs to two unqualified applicants. She also turned down a Dec. 1997 request from John Chychula, chief of the Chicago-region licensing sites for trucks, that she write that she "had requested the transfer," according to her testimony. After turning down that request, she was transferred again.Unnamed sources say Raynor is an important witness in the ongoing federal probe into the exchange of licenses for bribes during Gov. George Ryan's time as Illinois Secretary of State.
According to prosecutors, Ryan's campaign received $155,000 or more due to the schemes. A Dec. 1997 memo from Mike Chamnes, who was responsible for all Illinois licensing sites, said Raynor's transfer was actually due to "insubordinate behavior to her manager." That manager was George Velasco, who in September entered a guilty plea to racketeering for arranging CDLs in exchange for bribes.
For over a year prior to her first transfer, Raynor had been supplying information to the secretary of state inspector general's office. Chicago Sun-Times Online (11/14/99) ; Simpson, Cam
Penske Truck Opens New Facility in North Memphis
The debut of a new Penske Truck Leasing facility brings to three the number of sites Penske Truck has in the Memphis region, according to district manager Pat Martindale. A substantial increase in area sales necessitated the new facility, which spent over a year on the drawing board. Memphis Business Journal Online (11/15/99)Trucking Company Protests Grow Ugly
According to Overnite Transportation, Teamsters have been hurling rocks at Overnite employees in LaVergne, Tenn., and one LaVergne truck ended up with bullet holes. This has led to increased local police presence. ABC NewsWire (11/15/99)Dana to Swap Units With GKN
The European Union has okayed a swap of business units between Dana Corp. and GKN, in which Dana will pick up a heavy-truck rear-wheel-systems unit from GKN. GKN will get a Dana unit that focuses on light-truck front-wheel parts, and the two companies will probably establish a joint venture for some other light-truck parts. Automotive News (11/15/99) No. 5848; P. 20Trucking On
The new GPS-based Boss system from Fleetboss allows computer chips to be taken from trucks and put in the company computer, giving the computer data on the truck's movements each day. This allows fleets to save the expense of real-time GPS truck tracking. Orlando Business Journal Online (11/15/99) ; Pfister, Nancy© copyright 1999 INFORMATION, INC. Terms of Service
