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The Roemer Report On-Line, March, 2004

S&LPMC 2004 TRUCK, Industrial Safety Contests : Members are encouraged to gather and report their information now, as the ATA Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council and Great West Casualty Company announce the 2004 ATA Truck and Industrial Safety Contests. Over 100 plaques and certificates were awarded to companies that proved safety is a top priority in their trucking and industrial scope of operations during 2003. With an Improvement Category in the Industrial Safety Contest premiering in 2004, the S&LPMC hopes to hand out more awards this year. Attractive awards will be presented at the council's National Conference and Exhibition in Minneapolis , Minn. , Sept. 19-22 to the first, second and third place participants. Additionally, three motor carriers will be recognized with the President's Trophy, an award for those with the most comprehensive safety programs in the industry. To receive entry forms call (703) 838-1931. Additional information for the contest is contained with the entry forms. Don't delay in completing these forms for the contest. The deadline for all forms is April 16, 2004.

Note: These safety contests are open to ATA members only.

SHARPER IMAGE : To bolster respect for the trucking industry, the American Trucking Association unveiled a new image campaign focusing on qualities of safety, security and essentiality. A marketing communications agency based in Louisville , Kentucky assisted the ATA with development of the campaign. "The trucking industry and our professional drivers have a good story to tell the American public," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "We want people to know more about how we contribute to their quality of life and about our commitment to their safety and security." Truckside advertising and roadside billboards will be used to deliver the message in unique, trucking industry style. Industry research shows that as many as 10 million impressions per year can be generated by "rolling billboard" messages. ATA will encourage its motor carriers and their shipping and manufacturing customers to supply and exhibit bold new graphics on the sides and backs of trailers traveling our nation's roads. The decals will feature the theme: "Good Stuff -- Trucks Bring It," which will also be utilized in other industry promotional and public relations efforts and materials. One goal of the campaign is to engender a sense of pride and professionalism among the country's 3 million truck drivers. A related objective is to generate positive impressions of the industry among the general public. Also being developed are companion speaker kits and media training programs for motor carrier owners and executives; as well as a Web site stocked with pertinent industry information for the news media and general public. Facts relating to an improving highway safety record and the industry's safety message will be the particular focus of these efforts. ATA's 50 associated state trucking associations will have a major role in the new campaign, specifically by intensifying it into their individual states and to state association member motor carriers. The largest national trade association and safety advocacy for the trucking industry, the American Trucking Association represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States, through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations.

Get the sleep you need : It's not just truckers who have problems getting adequate sleep, Americans on the whole are not sleeping enough according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation. In fact, says the foundation, more than 168 million Americans harbor some potentially dangerous myths about sleep, while about 132 million say they have sleep problems . Consider these common myths about sleep: (1) Forty-two percent of Americans believe people require less sleep with age. (2) Forty-one percent insist that listening to a loud radio will help them stay awake while driving. (3) Seventy-one percent believe the human body will adjust to working at night. (4) About 50 percent of Americans see no harm in snoring (snoring may signal sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening disorder). These findings are "a source of great concern," says the director of the Sleep Disorders Research Center in Detroit , Michigan . "Lack of sleep and sleep disorders have serious, often life-threatening, consequences." Although 98 percent of Americans believe that sleep is as important to good health as nutrition and exercise, the average adult sleeps a mere seven hours per night while one-third of American adults sleep only six or fewer hours per night. What's the result of all this sleep deprivation? Some 37 percent of Americans report their lack of sleep hinders their daily activities. What's more, two-thirds of adults say they suffer from sleep problems, and 23 percent admit to having fallen asleep while driving during the past year. The bottom line, make sure you set time aside for adequate sleep.

2004 technology AND MAINTENANCE COUNCIL exhibition : The Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) is holding its 2004 Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Ft. Lauderdale , Florida on March 15-19. This year's edition, titled "Successful Technology Pathways," will offer a variety of beneficial programs for both maintenance and information technology/logistics professionals. TMC is North America 's premier technical society for truck equipment, information technology and logistics professionals. Member fleets of the TMC account for 1.3 million trailers, over 750,000 straight trucks and more than 600,000 Class 8 tractors purchased in the United States - one-third of the commercial vehicles operating on U.S. highways. TMC's Transportation Technology Exhibition, the trucking industry's premier equipment exhibit, will feature more than 250 exhibitors in more than 150,000 square-feet of exhibit space. The exhibit will include practical, hands-on demonstrations with exhibitor products, offering fleet members an opportunity to inspect equipment and accessories while talking directly to product representatives. A special highlight of this year's exhibition is the Diesel Engine Emissions Summit on Tuesday, March 16. Sponsored by TMC, American Trucking Associations and Transport Topics, this featured session is a continuation of the highly successful summit held during TMC's 2003 Summer Meeting. The maintenance program will offer a special presentation on corrosion to be led by the director of operations for XTRA Lease and the chairman of TMC Future Truck Committee. IT and logistics professionals will be interested in FleetTalk, a fleets-only discussion forum for IT and logistics members. Also included in this year's agenda is a session featuring FleetPortal.com, TMC's up-and-coming Web portal connecting industry suppliers with fleet professionals.

Cargo Theft Crisis : According to the National Cargo Security Council, reported cargo theft totals more than $10 billion each year, compared to $1 billion in 1977. In a study by the U.S. Department of Transportation it was revealed that less than 50% of thefts are reported. Accordingly, the real cost of cargo theft is much higher than law enforcement records indicate. One contributing factor stems from the lack of deterrence. Many criminals know they are not likely be dealt harsh penalties providing they do not use firearms while committing the crime. Another problem is that in some states there is no specific classification for cargo theft. When a truck carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of freight is stolen, the incident is likely to be reported as a vehicle theft, and local police will respond with the same sense of urgency as a stolen car. Law enforcement experts state that a timely response to cargo theft is the key to recovering the merchandise and arresting the criminals. Finally, another threat to cargo security is the theft of multiple containers of high-value merchandise from a storage yard. Such an occurrence is typically the work of an insider. The best deterrence to this is to do thorough background checks on potential employees. Also, trucking firms should avoid storing containers with high-value merchandise in their yard over the weekend when thefts are most likely to occur.

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
- Thomas Jefferson