DC Velocity - May 2010

These days, it’s not easy representing shipper interests on Capitol Hill, especially as Congress and the White House dither endlessly over the reauthorization of the nation’s infrastructure programs.

Good thing Bruce Carlton, president of the shipper/carrier advoca-
cy group National Industrial Transportation League, has a sense of
humor. In a dummied-up April Fool’s Day edition of the League’s
weekly newsletter “The Notice,” Carlton lauded lawmakers for con-
vening a special joint session to take up various landmark initiatives
that have been long-time priorities for the transportation communi-
ty. Carlton added that in an “uncharacteristic show of bipartisan sup-
port,” lawmakers approved a proclamation declaring that improve-
ments to the nation’s freight transportation system were in the
national interest. The article ended with a note saying that this was
what the transportation community would like to see, but on April 1,
“not everything you see and hear is true.”
The bogus announcement was accompanied by a fake table of con-
tents that promised such enticing articles as “Bears or Sharks: Who
Moves Freight Faster?” and “Industry Insiders: Economy Will Go Up
or Down” as well as a notice about a one-day Webinar titled “Moving
Freight With Your Mind: The Easy Way to Cut Costs and Improve
Your Bottom Line.” ;

… and trucks fly!
reversal of fortune

Not too long ago, few companies paid much attention to reverse logistics—the management of merchandise returns (including repairs and final product disposition). These days, the financial benefits of reverse logistics are well known, and third-party specialists in the discipline abound.

So is there anything new going on in this field?

There is indeed, as we learned during a recent conversation with Dr. Dale Rogers, chairman of the Reverse Logistics Executive Council and director of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Center for Logistics Management and the Sustainable Supply Chain Management Project.

“I think this is a great time to be working in reverse logistics,
because new models for managing it are being developed,” Rogers
said. “People really are thinking more about the end of life of prod-
ucts. Some of that is regulatory in nature, and some of it is because
people are trying to be good stewards of the environment.”
New (as yet unpublished) research by Rogers and his students also
found that the economic downturn has spurred demand for reverse
logistics services. The study showed that the recession has pushed so
many people to shop in secondary markets—retailers that sell dis-
counted merchandise—that those markets now account for 2. 28
percent of U.S. GDP. That’s a good sign for the profession. “Reverse
logistics is the supply chain that feeds the secondary market,” Rogers
said. “In fact, reverse logistics processes are what make that market
possible.” ;

inbound
courier to the stars

The business of same-day delivery, with its emergencies and challenging deadlines, is by nature far from routine. But the long and storied career of Bill Goodman—a.k.a. “Mr. Courier”— has been more varied than most. Goodman, 78, will have many a tale to tell when he is inducted into the Messenger Courier Association of America’s (MCAA) Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual meeting this month.

Goodman began his career in the courier industry as a 16-year-old messenger for Service Messenger Co. Inc. in New York City, eventually buying the company. The firm’s specialty— serving the entertainment industry— meant that Goodman was in daily contact with the famous and the infamous. Among the company’s clients were Broadway giants Flo Ziegfeld, George White, Billy Rose, Hal Prince, and George S. Kaufman. Colorful stories abound: Kaufman used to call the service to change his typewriter ribbon, and Nanette Fabray’s boyfriend once hired the firm to deliver a bacon and tomato sandwich to her. Service Messenger’s employees even babysat celebrity chimpanzee Mr. Muggs at the Plaza Hotel. But the most prized assignment, which Goodman and his partner, Susan Cooper, reserved for themselves, was the annual delivery of the Tony Awards.

Goodman sold the company in 1989 and later signed on as executive director of the New York State Messenger and Courier Association. Under his leadership, the organization grew from eight to 75 members. He also launched the group’s Courier Times newsletter, which he still publishes, and wrote a book about starting and managing a courier company. “It’s been one hell of a ride,” said the indefatigable Goodman when he learned of the MCAA award. “I love this industry because of its many challenges.” ;