Truck driver shortages are now affecting consumers. Trucking is an industry where driver turnover is growing and consumers are facing longer delays and higher prices. The increased costs of recruiting new drivers, plus higher fuel prices, are adding pennies to the cost of food and hard goods. Security requirements have only exacerbated the shortage of drivers since hauling fuel and other hazardous substances used to require little more than a clean driving record and some training. Now, due to security regulations, drivers who want to transport such materials have to undergo a background check and fingerprinting. In addition, new regulations designed to ensure that tired truck drivers aren‘t on the road have forced a lot of them to sit at rest areas unable to deliver or pick up their loads. With so much change at hand, we recommend that shippers anticipate shortages and delays for over-the road transports.
Drum It Up
STEEL DRUM INDUSTRY NEWS, TRENDS AND ISSUES
Archive for March, 2005
Check Out The New Export Regulations Of The “BIS”
Furthering concerns for homeland security, the US Department of Commerce has created the Bureau of Industrial Security (BIS). BIS activities include regulating the export of sensitive goods and technologies; enforcing export control, anti-boycott, and public safety laws; cooperating with other countries on export control and strategic trade issues;assisting U.S. industry to comply with international arms control agreements; and monitoring the viability of the U.S. defense industrial base while seeking to ensure that it is capable of satisfying U.S. national and homeland security needs. Many important factors come into play when dealing with international shipments. Communication is key between you, your customer, and your transport/freight company. As political changes effect the rules for importing and exporting, visit the BIS web site for up-to-the-minute security regulatory changes. Whether coordinating deliveries at specific ports, or applying for an export/import license, no details can be overlooked. Failure to address these details could result in legal ramifications for everyone involved. Check out the BIS at:http://www.bis.doc.gov.
Block And Brace Responsibility Rests With Shipper And Carrier
When loading drums containing hazardous materials into a vehicle for transport, it is important to properly secure the load. However, with the transfer of goods into transportation, sometimes the shipper and the carrier are unclear about who has the responsibility to secure the shipment. A shipper or carrier who performs loading or unloading functions must do so in accordance with applicable Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) requirements. In the case where a shipper places drums onto a transport vehicle and the carrier personnel secures the load, per CFR 173.30, both the shipper and the carrier are involved in the loading process and both are responsible for assuring compliance with the HMR. The result of proper blocking and bracing is the reduction of failed shipments due to in-transit damage and leakage.
