June 29, 2006

In This Issue

· Assembly of Committees—July 29-August 1

· IRTA Board Embarks on Membership Campaign

· Industry News

Trucker Turnover Declines

· Government Affairs

C-TPAT Operations Must Post to Security Portal

California Air Resource Board to Enforce TRU Provision

· Q&A

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Assembly of Committees—July 29-August 1

"Leadership in Logistics" will be the theme of the 2006 Assembly of Committees. This is the best opportunity of the year to discuss key issues, learn about the industry, participate in discussions with colleagues, share experiences, and more. Every committee from IARW-WFLO-IRTA-IACSC will meet during the four-day event. And best of all, there are no registration fees!

Register Online Now

Register online for the 2006 Assembly of Committees. Our room block is almost full—to reserve a room at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, call 202 944 9157 and mention that you are with IARW. You can't afford to miss this chance to exchange information with your peers.

Transportation Committee (IRTA)

This year’s Transportation Committee Chair and Vice Chair, John LaRue of the Port of Corpus Christi and Andy Janson of Hanson Logistics, have prepared an outstanding program to address transportation issues including:

· Implementation of the TWIC Program, Brooks Royster, Executive Director, Maryland Port Administration

· Issues & Trends in Refrigerated Rail Transportation, Obe O’Bannon, Sr. VP of Government Relations, American Association of Railroads

· Trucking Volume & Capacity, Bob Costello, Vice President, American Trucking Association

IRTA Board Embarks on Membership Campaign

As IRTA reinvents its direction under new management, a major initiative set forth by the Board of Directors includes a membership campaign that will expand its membership into the various modes of refrigerated transport. Board members have committed to identifying 10 colleagues each that they feel should be part of the organization. “If each board member reaches a 100% goal of their 10 identified individuals,” IRTA Chairman Barbara Pratt says, “IRTA will add over 100 members to its membership by the end of the year. This is a critical step in bring more companies to the table to build a strong cold chain for transporting perishable food.”

If you are interested in joining the board in this effort, please send the names of your colleagues to Corey Rosenbusch at IRTA Headquarters.

Industry News

Trucker Turnover Declines

The driver turnover rate among large truckload carriers experienced its largest quarterly decrease in 10 years during the 2006 first quarter, the American Trucking Associations reported. See full ATA release.

Member Wins Multi-year Contract

Officials at Hanson Logistics, a leading provider of temperature-controlled supply chain management services, announced that the company has been awarded a multi-year transportation management contract from Cole's Quality Foods, Inc., makers of Cole’s garlic bread and other frozen bread products. See full release.

Government Affairs

C-TPAT Operations Must Post to Security Portal

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has mandated that all C-TPAT certified operations post a security profile on its website via the new C-TPAT Security Portal. Those that do not post by the August 1 (importers and carriers) and September 1 (customs brokers, terminal operators, OTIs, foreign manufacturers) deadlines will have their C-TPAT certification revoked. Click here for portal instructions.

California Air Resource Board to Enforce TRU Provision

The California Air Resource Board will soon begin enforcement of a new provision that requires a report where Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) and TRU generator sets are operated. See full advisory from CARB.

Q&A

IRTA is happy to answer your inquiries. To pose one of your own, contact IRTA Headquarters at 703 373 4300, or submit your request via e-mail.

Q: We have been moving imported fruit packed in corrugated paper boxes in reefer vehicles. The current refrigerated vehicles are equipped with imported reefer units. With the current quantity of fruit and expense of importing and running the reefers, this method is cost prohibitive. We are looking into other options for moving the product at a temperature from 35-40°F (2-4°C). The containers for the fruit are 24 ft (7.3 m) in length with a volume of 128 cu. ft (3.6 cu. m). The transit distance is about 900 miles (1450 km) and takes 72 hours to complete. Any ideas?

A: There is no better way than refrigerated trucks to ship fresh produce at 35-40°F (2-4°C) during a 3-day trip. The benefits of maintaining quality and safety and reducing losses are greater than the cost of transportation. Use of ice is better than no refrigeration at all, but its direct and indirect cost may be as high as refrigerated truck transport.

If you opt to try ice, make sure the produce is appropriately cool before it is loaded into a very well insulated container. If the cases of produce are on pallets, each pallet should be overwrapped with plastic sheeting. Then, ice can be added to the container. Wax coated cases would be most appropriate for this method of shipment. We recommend that a test shipment using ice be made to determine what temperature is maintained during the trip and how much ice would be necessary to maintain the desired temperature. It is necessary to make sure that the ice used is made from potable water.