DC Velocity - February 2011

fic, while 24. 1 million moved southbound. The tonnage’s total value stood at $204 billion, the firm said.

ber of U.S. growers and producers that sell heavily into Mexican markets and for whom the tariffs have posed a considerable burden.

One issue yet to be addressed is the impact an influx of Mexican truckers might have on rates for the southbound freight they would haul when returning to Mexico. One trucking industry source said southbound rates could, over time, drop between 10 and 20 percent as low-cost Mexican truckers discount their space on return trips they would have to make anyway.

Randy Mullett, vice president of government relations and public affairs for trucking giant Con-way Inc., said cheaper Mexican truck labor will “likely create downward pressure on wages and prices much as it has in other markets where lower-wage workers have been inserted.” Mullett declined to forecast the direction of rates based on the current proposal.

The U.S.-Mexico trucking market is fairly balanced, according to data from consultancy IHS Global Insight Trade & Transportation Advisory Services. In the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 25. 1 million tons moved in northbound traf-

HURDLES REMAIN

As for whether the proposal will bring resolution to the long-standing dispute, opinions vary. While LaHood has expressed hope that a final deal could be struck by mid-year, others say the DOT’s proposal faces a tough battle in Congress—which must pass accompanying legislation—and in the court of public opinion.

John R. Bagileo, a veteran transport attorney and principal of a Washington law firm that bears his name, said Congress and DOT will be pressured by highway safety advocates, trucking labor, and independent truckers who will feed on the public’s “negative perceptions” of Mexican truckers in order to keep them off U.S. roads. Bagileo said he was doubtful the proposal would become law within the time frame envisioned by the administration.

The transportation secretary himself acknowledged at the SMC3 annual winter meeting in Atlanta that the proposal has met with severe criticism, notably from labor, which views it both as a job-killer and a threat to American motorists. “[Teamster President James P.] Hoffa, to put it mildly, hates this proposal,” LaHood said. ;

InnovativeAutomatedSolutions

; Buckeye boost. The Ohio EPA has recognized forklift manufacturer Crown Equipment Corp. with its annual award for Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Stewardship. Crown’s Knoxville, Ohio, manufacturing facility received the honor for achieving zero landfill waste output and for earning an ISO 14001 Certification of Registration.

; C-worthy. The Containerization & Intermodal Institute has presented its annual Connie Awards to J. Russell Bruner, chairman and CEO of Maersk, and James Newsome III, president and CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority. The two were recognized for their contributions to the containerization and intermodal industry.