Annual Meeting Minutes

Date: January 11, 2005, Tuesday
Time: 1:30 - 3:15 p.m.
Place: Calvert Room, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Attendance

Members
- Michael Belzer, Chair, Wayne State University
- Brenda Lantz, Secretary, North Dakota State University
- Elaine King, TRB Staff
- Rebecca Brewster, ATRI
- Mike Conyngham, Teamsters
- Lee Husting, National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health
- David Miller, Con-Way Southern Express
- Gene Bergoffen, MaineWay Services
- Alan Clayton, University of Manitoba
- John Siebert, OOIDA Foundation, Inc.
- Tina Casgar, US DOT Office of Intermodalism
- Stephen Campbell, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
- Pete Swan, Pennsylvania State University
- Robert Clarke, Truck Manufacturers Association
Friends
- Don Osterberg, Schneider National, Inc.
- Stephen Burks, University of Minnesota
- Russ Cappelle, BTS/USDOT
- Irwin Silberman, BTS/USDOT
- Dan Murray, ATRI
- Ted Scott, Yellow Roadway Corp
- Tom Wearley, OOIDA
- Randy Mullett, CNF, Inc.
- Gerald Donaldson, Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety
- Steve Laffey, Illinois Commerce Commission
- Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi, University of Rhode Island
- Steve Johnson, University of Arkansas
- John Woodrooffe, UMTRI
- Roger Clarke, Alberta Transportation
- Deborah Freund, FMCSA
- Larry Bizzell, FedEx Express
- Chuck Rombro, FMCSA
- Andy Schaudt, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Jeffrey Hickman, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Maria Fumero, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Tamara VanWechel, North Dakota State University
- Robert Kreeb, Booz Allen Hamilton
- Amy Stewart, Battelle

Meeting Minutes

Agenda Distributed
Self-Introductions - Distribution of Sign-In Sheet
1. Attendees were asked to indicate if they were interested in participating in a focus group to discuss the future of the Task Force.
2. Attendees were asked to note any other TRB committees they currently participate in.
Review of January 2004 and July 2004 Meeting Minutes
1. Update/Discussion regarding new developments and the Membership Subcommittee - it was mentioned to keep an eye on NCFRP.
2. Discussion regarding how the Task Force is organized within the Freight Systems Group.
3. Discussion of the Problem Statements Subcommittee to develop a research agenda.
  1. John Siebert mentioned that a good place to start to develop this agenda is to examine the Critical Issues in Transportation document.
    1. Elaine mentioned that TRB has asked each committee to comment on this.
  2. Ideas included capacity issues, the impact of the new hours-of-service rules on productivity, economics, "trucking service" industry (utility, construction, dump trucks)
    1. Russ Cappelle suggested checking the BTS site which classifies services.
Elaine discussed the need for a one-year Task Force extension request well in advance of April 15th
1. Need justification
2. Summary of what the task force has been completed
3. Differences from when the task force was first set-up, and significant strides that have been made
4. Discussion of sessions with other committees
5. Mike B. reiterated the need to have an agreed-upon research agenda by next year
6. TRB wants to ensure the uniqueness
  1. Bringing in industry to discussions/sessions
  2. TRB as a "modal" organization, and this group is the only one concerned with overall truck carriage
7. ACTION: Randy Mullett (with assistance from Pete Swan) volunteered to champion the application for committee status, starting with the application for the extension.
Discussion of July 2005 Mid-year Meeting
1. Pete Swan stated this is a great opportunity to coordinate with other committees.
2. John Siebert mentioned the advantages of spontaneity and get-togethers associated with the mid-year meeting, and this is how they had come up with the hours-of-service session.
3. The committee voted to have the mid-year meeting
  1. Discussion regarding sessions planned
    1. Concurrent break-out sessions
    2. Intermodal freight connections, including economics and finance, freight security, sustainable ports (environment and community challenges), and investment decisions (related to freight and infrastructure finance.
4. Discussed the need to have one main thing on the agenda that is really of interest to the trucking industry
  1. New hours-of-service regulations (Dan M.)
  2. Safety self-management / assessment (Mike B.)
    1. Gene Bergoffen has conducted an assessment of programs, including their effectiveness, and how to publish and integrate them into regulatory schemes - this was presented at the Truck and Bus Safety Committee
      1. Also mentioned the NPTC "best practices" program and the Zurich Insurance analysis
    2. Should involve insurance industry and state / federal government
      1. Need very specific tasks / objectives to ask the insurance industry to bring to the table (Dan M.)
        
        Good carriers have even seen 20% to 80% premium increases
        
        Is there a cost subsidy from larger carriers? (Mike B.)
    3. Don O. suggested inviting CH Robinson, Schneider, and Landstar
    4. Rebecca suggested contacting the MA State Trucking Association
    5. Analysis conducted by the Central Analysis Bureau (Mike C.)
    6. DHS/TSA has the potential to have a large impact, and the CT-PAT model has embraced self assessment (Randy M.)
    7. Is "voluntary" becoming mandatory? (Dave M.)
    8. It is a "moving target," and perhaps should coordinate with another session (Mike B.)
  3. Bring large private fleets (Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola) to the table to discuss, for example, hours-of-service productivity and RFID (Don B.)
  4. Discussion of Customs Fines for not showing up at the border with the electronic records (Dan M.)
    1. Larger political implications (Dave M.)
5. Conclusion: We have a big enough "hook" and we need to determine how to properly "craft" it to sell to all industry
6. ACTION: Dave M., Randy, Ted, Scott, and Don O. will craft one to two paragraphs to go out to industry.