DC Velocity - February 2011

Generally speaking, freight transportation isn’t something that inspires artistic expression.

That’s why we nearly drove off the road when a local radio station recently played not one but two songs with freight-related themes: “White Freightliner Blues” by the late Texas icon Townes Van Zandt and “Texas Eagle” by Steve Earle. The former is about a traveler who seeks solace in the whine of big rigs speeding down the highway; the latter describes a young boy’s trip with his grandfather on a now-defunct freight line.

That inspired us to start digging through our collection of vinyl records and CDs for other mode-specific songs. Our search turned up the following trucking-related selections (these can all be found on You Tube):

▪ “Wild, Wild Heart” by Bill Staines (“Give me a good heavy load and a clear stretch of road, and I’ll let that old bulldog whine.”)

▪ “Kenworth of My Dreams” by Richard Shindell (“I’ll go anywhere for anything in the Kenworth of my dreams.”)

▪ “Willin’” by Lowell George of Little Feat (“I’ve been from Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonopah, driven every kind of rig that’s ever been made.”) This classic has also been covered by Shindell and, most famously, by Linda Ronstadt.

And let’s not forget the band Drive-by Truckers or singer Derek Trucks … Next month we’ll round up a few freight railroad songs. Happy listening! ;

Music to ship
freight by, Part I
You’ve come a long way, babies

If you’re a female working in the supply chain profession, we have bad news and good news. The bad news is that according to a recent study, women still lag behind men when it comes to pay. The third-quarter 2010 “Operations Management Employment Outlook” report issued by APICS: The Association for Operations Management and the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington showed that women in the field earned on average 16. 3 percent less than their male peers.

The good news is the gap is closing for younger workers. The latest data showed that among employees in the 31 to 35 age range, the disparity between men’s and women’s salaries was only about 2 percent.

“We are encouraged by the narrowed salary gap between younger men and women,” said APICS Chief Executive Officer Abe Eshkenazi, in a statement. Eshkenazi attributed some of that progress to women’s educational levels. “More and more, education can be the great equalizer for professional salaries,” he said, adding that providing education is one of the group’s core missions. ;

inbound

Where to get
the scoop on
international trade

You don’t have to be a New Englander to attend the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade’s (CONECT) Annual Northeast Trade & Transportation Conference—or get something out of it. In fact, the event typically attracts attendees from throughout the eastern United States and Canada.

The “T&T” conference has built a loyal following over the years thanks to a program that focuses on practical information that affects daily operations. This year’s event, to be held March 23–24 in historic Newport, R.I., promises to be no exception.

Program highlights include the annual “Off the Record Session” and “Washington Update” with CONECT’s Washington counsel (and this issue’s “Thought Leader” interviewee) Peter Friedmann. Other sessions include an update on customs initiatives by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials; a look at contracts and pricing in air, rail, and ocean; a discussion on dispute resolution; reports on air cargo security, infrastructure development, and air and ocean trade lanes; and a customs attorney panel discussion.

Rounding out the program are keynote and luncheon presentations, exhibits, and CONECT’s annual Gala Dinner and scholarship awards at the Ochre Court Mansion at Salve Regina University.