The Roemer Report On-Line, July, 2002

RETHINKING WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS: Federal regulations for truck size and weight are ineffective, declares a recent Congressional study. Existing standards are mostly the result of a series of historical accidents, rather than clearly defined objectives, concluded the Transportation Research Board (TRB) report. The efficiency of the highway system can be improved by reforming federal truck size and weight regulations, according the TRB. Such reform may include allowing bigger trucks to operate, relying more on user fees, and taking a close look at the many exemptions being granted. Tim Lynch, president of the Motor Freight Carriers Association, which represents LTL carriers, reacted to the study: “The truck size and weight debate has been very high on emotional content and very low on thoughtful analysis and solutions to the twin problems of highway congestion and pollution. This TRB report provides a balanced and objective analysis of all the issues.” The study recommended considering heavier trucks pay higher user fees to cover the extra wear and tear they may cause to U.S. highways and calling for an end to wholesale exemptions generally granted without evaluation of consequences.

PRE-BUYING SPURS TRUCK SALES: Class 8 truck orders skyrocketed in March by nearly 170 percent over March of last year. The dramatic increase is mostly due to what one manufacturer called a “frantic” effort to acquire new trucks before federal requirements for reduced-emissions engines take effect October 1. The first quarter for this year was the strongest showing since the second quarter of 1999. “Orders are twice what they ought to be,” said one analyst. “Based on where demand would be at this point, considering [the not particularly robust] economic activity and the used truck overhang, one would not expect orders to be in the 29,000 range” for the month of March. But orders are so high because carriers are “pre-buying” trucks—buying and ordering trucks with present-model engines to avoid the lower-emissions engines that will be sold after October 1. Engines purchased after that date will be equipped with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology, which will lower nitrous oxide emissions. Many fleet managers fear that the new engines will not be as efficient or reliable as present models. “Some of our bigger customers are ordering trucks now because they see the door closing on getting non-EGR engines,” says a senior vice president at Mack Trucks Inc. “It’s getting a little frantic out there.” Once all the pre-buying is over and the reduced emissions engines are on the market, Class 8 orders are expected to plummet, perhaps lasting well into next year.

TRAFFIC CONGESTION THREATENS QUALITY OF LIFE: Traffic congestion has become so bad that it threatens the nation’s economy as well as the quality of life for all Americans, according to Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters, who recently testified before a House subcommittee investigating congestion on U.S. highways. Peters said a long-term strategy is needed to increase highway capacity, make the system more efficient, and preserve the nation’s roads and bridges. “Unless we manage highway congestion, our nation will continue to incur economic costs in forgone productivity, wasted fuel, and a reduced quality of life,” said Peters. If we do not address these pressing problems, said Peters, congestion and bottlenecks will continue to harm air quality, slow commerce, increase energy consumption, waste time and money, and reduce productivity. Traffic congestion has increased so dramatically in recent years the system has failed to keep up with growing demands, according to Peters. From 1980 to 2000, highway travel increased 80 percent and the number of drivers increased 30 percent. Highway mileage, however, increased only 2 percent. Also, 84 percent of the nation’s freight traffic travels on highways, and truck travel is expected to grow by more than 3 percent annually over the next 20 years. Peters also testified that highway improvements, such as installing barriers and rumble strips, adding passing lanes, and widening shoulders, can help reduce crashes and save lives.

HOLDING ON TO DRIVERS: How can you reduce driver turnover by as much as 75 percent? With personal assessment tools, says Bruce Branch, a specialist in employee turnover and retention. Assessment tools identify a person’s thinking process, behavioral traits, and job interests. By gaining this information about a job candidate, companies can more successfully match applicants with jobs, as well as identify candidates who share the traits of the top-performing drivers. All this can be done before investing time and money in the employee. “When only the personal interview is used for selection purposes,” says Branch, “hiring the right person occurs about 14 percent of the time.” When using personal assessment tools, says Branch, as many as 75 percent of drivers will be “successful, competent, and productive long-term employees.” Personal assessment tools also can help you identify these traits among job applicants: (1) Integrity. Can you trust the driver? Is he honest, or is he likely to abandon your truck and trailer without any warning? (2) Dependability. Will the driver show up when expected? Will he get the load there on time? (3) Work ethic. Is he likely to be a long-term, hard-working employee? (4) Safety. Never before have managers been more concerned about who is driving their trucks. These tests, says Branch, can go a long way toward improving all-around security.

MORE SAFEGUARDS NEEDED, SAYS STUDY: A new Transportation Department report finds that federal and state officials have inadequate safeguards to stop terrorists from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses. The report found that federal and state agencies do not carry out detailed checks to make sure that CDLs are properly issued. Only four of the 13 states examined required applicants to prove they were U.S. citizens or residing legally in the country. Many states do not verify Social Security numbers, do not require applicants to prove they reside in the state, and do not test would-be drivers to see if they can read and speak English. Government officials now are calling for new federal rules to address these problems. Previous investigations found that 16 states fraudulently issued CDLs, with three states—Illinois, Florida, and Georgia—issuing 1,400 fraudulent licenses. “The industry has seen gaps in this program for a significant period of time,” says one expert on trucking safety. “Federal oversight of state compliance has been one of those gaps. Most who follow the program know oversight could have been and can be improved.”

IT’S ALL IN THE WRIST: Not long ago, few people were familiar with carpal tunnel syndrome. Today, it’s the most well-know and common repetitive stress injury in the workplace. Comprising 40 percent of repetitive stress injuries in the United States, carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which pressure on nerves in the wrist create numbness, nocturnal wrist pain, inflammation, and lack of hand and wrist coordination. While conservative treatment can often take care of the condition, industry experts believe many physicians are incorrectly diagnosing and treating carpal tunnel syndrome. For the patient, that can mean constant, chronic pain. For the employer, that means increased medical, disability, and workers’ compensation costs. Although many people are attributing carpal tunnel syndrome to work-related trauma, medical researchers say just 50 percent of all cases are work related. Diagnosing the problem is more complicated than many people realize because there are multiple causes for the condition as well as other diseases that mimic carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. Tendinitis, bursitis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and neck, shoulder, back, and cervical spine problems are just some of the conditions that have symptoms similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition, diabetes, pregnancy, menopause, smoking, and some recreational activities can all cause carpal tunnel syndrome. For these reasons, industry experts are encouraging physicians to perform thorough physicals and diagnostic tests on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. In addition, they suggest that more conservative treatments be attempted before patients are subjected to surgery.

TAPPING INTO CREATIVITY: Great leaders must be problem-solvers, mediators, and mentors. They must also be creative. Creativity seldom gets the attention that other leadership traits do. But effective creativity is as crucial to managing the bottom line as financial savvy.

Here are some tips on how managers can foster creativity within themselves:
(1) Know the difference between intuition and creativity. Intuition involves listening to life’s hidden clues about how things really work. Creativity, on the other hand, means developing ways to use that insight in new and more effective ways.
(2) Discover how things work together. We’re often caught up in the small details of a process, but looking at the whole picture can give us a better idea of the dynamics of the process.
(3) Forget the beginning and end. Rather than look at cause and effect, try to discover how things are inter-related and multi-dimensional.
(4) Take a cue from kids. If you really want to see how intuition and creativity work, watch children play at least once a day. They possess the natural creativity that we all began our lives with.
(5) Help others look for root causes. Too often, leaders help employees cure symptoms, instead of encouraging them to dig for root causes. Only by digging deeper can people find the real problems and create real solutions.
(6) Ask…and you will receive. Try asking more questions. Impose your own answers less often.