DC Velocity - February 2013

inbound
(Hopefully not) coming to
a world near you:
“Truckpocalypse!”

All the doomsday predictions back in December (remember the Mayan calendar?) got some people pondering various “what if” scenarios. Among them were the wits at the “Trucker Classifieds” website owned by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC, a Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based media company that specializes in the trucking and construction industries. Staffers there created an infographic to show what would happen if all of the trucks in the United States stopped rolling.

Here is that scenario, which Trucker Classifieds labeled “Truckpocalypse”:

▪ After three hours, some gas stations would run out of fuel. Manufacturers would face component shortages. Hospitals would begin running out of critical supplies.

▪ After a day, grocery stores would experience food shortages.

▪ After several days, garbage would pile up, threatening public health and the environment. Airlines would stop flying. Banks could not process routine transactions. Consumers would begin panicking.

▪ After a week, hospitals would exhaust their oxygen supplies. After two to four weeks, drinking water supplies would run dry with no way to replenish them.

▪ After a little more than a month, nail polish and lipstick would be gone. Nail and hair salons would run out of supplies. Justin Bieber posters would not reach retailers. Coffee supplies would be cut off. There would be riots in the streets, and the court system would be swamped with cases involving otherwise well-balanced adults pushed to the limits of their endurance.

The infographic illustrates a fact that the general public rarely thinks about: that trucks move virtually every product in the United States, and that—as the American Trucking Associations memorably phrased it some years ago—“Without trucks, America stops.” ;

The Warehousing Education and Research Council’s (WERC) Facility Certification Program ended 2012 on a high note by certifying its 29th and 30th facilities: Ingersoll Rand/Trane (IRT) distribution centers located in Southaven, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn.

The two operations are very different, said IRT Multi-Site Leader David Phillips in a statement. The Southaven DC is a “traditional” warehouse, with efficient manual processes, while the brand-new Memphis facility has a three-story AS/RS, voice-directed picking, automatic sortation and conveyor systems, and very-narrow-aisle wire-guided material handling equipment, he said. IRT plans to implement a standard operating procedure based on the WERC standards in all of its warehouses and DCs.

WERC’s Facility Certification is a voluntary program that requires applicants to undergo an independent audit of 114 processes in eight core areas of warehouse operations. Only facilities that achieve a minimum score are certified and recognized by WERC. Additional information about the program can be found on the association’s website ( www.werc.org) or by contacting Chad Pilbeam at (630) 320-5808. ;

WERC program certifies 29th,
30th warehouses
“CONECT” with experts at annual trade
and transportation conference

A New England connection is not required to attend the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT) Trade and Transportation Conference, scheduled for April 2–4 in the historic seaside town of Newport, R.I. The 17th annual “T&T” (as the locals call it) will offer excellent educational value for anyone involved in international trade and transportation, no matter where they do business.

Speakers include high-level officials from government and regu-latory agencies, trade attorneys, carriers, importers, and exporters. The first day will focus on supply chain challenges, port and rail infrastructure, and sustainability measures for transporting cargo. The second day will be devoted to trade regulation and policy and will include a global economic outlook. The final morning will include a guest speaker from Washington, as well as CONECT Washington Counsel (and DC VELOCITY Thought Leader) Peter Friedmann’s annual, fast-paced “DC Wrap-Up” session.

“T&T” also provides exceptional networking opportunities. Attendees typically include importers, exporters, freight forwarders, customs brokers, carriers from all modes, port authorities, government agencies, customs attorneys, and insurance companies.