Safety, Efficiency in Transportation Convey Hefty Price Tag for Carriers

Jan. 1, 2002
ALTHOUGH safety and efficiency are required in transporting hazardous materials, the effort comes with a hefty price tag and should require extensive

ALTHOUGH safety and efficiency are required in transporting hazardous materials, the effort comes with a hefty price tag and should require extensive cooperation between carrier and shipper, said Cliff Harvison, president of the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC).

“The shipper has to understand the problems in transportation,” he said. Harvison discussed concerns expressed by NTTC members about the relationships between carriers and shippers at the Hazardous Materials Advisory Council conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 7-9, 2001.

“Carriers are sick and tired of being compelled to buy in to expensive programs such as quality management programs and ISO certifications only to find that some competitors and customer pick-up operations, which don't meet the same criteria, end up getting the loads,” Harvison said.

Similarly, a carrier may spend several thousand dollars to gain certification for the Responsible Care Partner program and then find a carrier without the certification competing for the business.

“The loading rack opens, and the non-partner is there anyway,” he said. “Carriers are tired of being in a program where the ‘partnership’ is little more than an illusion. Today's bidding process is designed to force carriers to cut rates. Let's be honest about that. There is a high degree of skepticism among carriers on shipper risk management. Please don't talk to us about risk management; let's talk about risk/benefit management.”

As the use of some third-party providers increase, more people who are not familiar with transportation demands are involved with the process, he said. “This is particularly true with some of the late blooming dotcom operations. Their relative lack of knowledge, particularly about matters such as safety, environmental, and routing issues, puts a burden on the carrier to meet schedules and adds to transportation costs.”

In addition, carrier expenses continue to rise from increased insurance premiums just as recruiting and retaining drivers remains a high cost. Added to that are charges for cleaning trailers. “For example, carriers need to know if heels are anticipated from chemical shipments so that they can meet stringent EPA requirements for waste management,” he said.

Another way shippers can ease the cost burden on carriers is by being aware of routing. Carriers often are faced with routes being off limits to trucks hauling hazardous materials, which means they may have to travel miles out of the way to reach a destination. That increases fuel use, driver hours, and vehicle wear, Harvison pointed out.

Carriers also are concerned about the varying loading procedures required at different shipper facilities. “Carriers want to know who loads and unloads — the shipper personnel, the driver, the consignee? Who conducts the sampling? How much time will the sampling consume? All that makes a difference in how the driver should be trained and how many hours that driver can be on duty,” he said.

At the same time, shipper personnel should be knowledgeable about the tank trailer pressure capability in loading and unloading, and the special equipment that is used, particularly in the recent introduction of vapor recovery components. Harvison urged shippers to become aware of nitrogen blanket dangers, and the warning tags that should be attached to the trailers if the dangerous gas is used.

Another problem expressed by carriers is related to shipper management knowledge of hazmat transportation and the length of time managers spend in transportation departments. “All too often, the logistics department of major chemical shippers is a stepping-stone for career advancement,” he said. “Managers move from logistics to operations, to administration, etc. We receive about five inquiries per month from managers seeking information about the hazardous content of their own products.”