Trinity Transport Blog

Obama To Set New Vehicle Emissions Standards Tomorrow

Obama to Set New Vehicle Rules, First Carbon Limit
View Full Text Article Here
By Kim Chipman and John Hughes

May 18 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will announce tomorrow new rules for vehicle emissions and mileage, setting the first-ever nationwide standard for greenhouse-gas pollution, according to people familiar with the plan.

The limit will be coordinated with new national fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, said the people, who asked not to be identified before the announcement.

The action, which follows California's push for approval of its own proposed standards, is the "biggest single step to curb global warming," Dan Becker, director of the environmental group Safe Climate Campaign, said in an interview.

The White House's top energy, environment and transportation officials have been meeting with automaker executives and other groups as the administration worked to craft a single national policy for vehicle emissions. It seeks to avoid the confusion of different state rules across the country.

End of Bloomberg Content

Sound off, America, what is your feeling on the pending regulation? What effects do you see this having on the trucking industry and how long before Obama places regulations on the big rigs?

 

Trinity President, Jeff Banning, presents "Servant Leadership" to local University

On April 9th, 2009, President/CEO Jeff Banning, CTB, made a presentation to an assembly of Salisbury University's Perdue School of Business students. The topic was, "The Narrow Path-Leading the Trinity Way", discussing Servant Leadership among other leadership principles. Click here to view the powerpoint presentation and local media coverage that accompanied his speech. Additionally, you can view a suggested reading list for developing leaders.

Vote For Trinity

We are thankful  you've allowed us the opportunity to serve as your third party logistics provider.

We appreciate the loyal business from our customers, and the superior service from our carriers, and we'd also appreciate your vote!

If you feel that we provide excellent service, please click on the VOTE FOR TRINITY button above. You'll be taken to this year's Inbound Logistics Excellence Survey to cast your vote for Trinity to be included in this year's list of winners.

Invite your coworkers or associates to visit our blog too so they may vote as well. We appreciate your input, and thanks for rocking the vote!

Trinity Joins Responsible Care Initiative

Trinity Transport, Inc. has earned membership into the Responsible Care Initiative sponsored by the American Chemistry Council by demonstrating their commitment to upholding the principles and practices in accordance with the organization's mission for safe practices. Responsible Care is the chemical industry's initiative that demonstrates the industry's commitment to continuous improvements in health, safety, and environmental performance. Trinity Transport is committed to the safe handling and transportation of chemical shipments.

Trinity has entered the Responsible Care Initiative with an understanding that they will strive to uphold the requirements of the Responsible Care Management System as outlined by the American Chemistry Council. Trinity's goal is to implement a system that involves the entire company in policy establishment, implementation, measurement, improvements, review, and reporting.

Trinity Transport's purpose is to "continually improve people's lives by constantly striving to be our best". Additionally, the corporate theme for 2009 is "Advancing Excellence", striving to raise the bar together and achieve even higher results in everything they do, from serving customers to building better relationships with contracted motor carriers. "By participating in Responsible Care, our dual purposes will be achieved as we continually improve processes and service, thus advancing excellence", shared Linda Barnett, Manager of International Services & Responsible Care.

To learn more about the Responsible Care initiative visit www.americanchemistry.com/responsiblecare

 

The American Economy Problem

How did the American economy get turned upside down so quickly? To understand the answer to this question one must accept there are two main economic stimulants to the American economy; namely, consumer spending and government spending. One must also acknowledge America and the world are Debtor Societies. As such, we pay for goods and services not with cash at consumption (point of sale) but through formal or informal promises to pay our debts within specific terms and at specific or variable rates of interest. When the two above economic stimulants stop or slow they invite economic slowdowns. This economic slowdown can introduce economic events such as inflation, recession, deflation and stagflation! Surely, the American public has heard these four words communicated through the media over the past several months.

What are inflation, recession, deflation and stagflation? There are several accepted definitions for these four words. Let us deal with the most common definitions and the economic impact they have on our economy.

(1) Inflation is best defined as a decline in the real value of money that equates to a loss of purchasing power. Inflation is usually brought about by excessive growth in money supply, the printing of money. Therefore, the value of the American currency declines against the world currency. We spend more (cost) for what we want to purchase!

(2) Recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the Nation's economy, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), for at least two consecutive quarters.

(3) Deflation is a persistent decrease in the general price level of goods and services but only measured when annual inflation is below zero percent. Deflation should not be confused with a temporary fall in prices; instead, it is a sustained fall in general prices.

(4) Stagflation is best defined as a period of rising prices and unemployment but little growth in consumer demand or business activity. There are essentially two causes of Stagflation. First, stagflation can result when an economy is slowed by an unfavorable supply shock such as an increase in the price of oil which trends to raise prices at the same time it slows the economy by making production less profitable. Second, is from inappropriate macroeconomic policies; namely, when central banks cause inflation by permitting excessive growth in money supply and the government simultaneously causes stagflation by excessive regulation of goods market and labor markets (price controls). We recently observed the above Stagflation definitions via recent high prices in a barrel

of crude oil which resulted in higher gasoline prices. Stagflation is at hand through our government's bailout of select private businesses but at the potential dangerous demise of The Free Enterprise System!

There are several adverse economic by-products of the above two stimulant reductions but I will only address two. The first is the erosion of real estate values and equity. The real estate issue is best defined as the reduction of the main asset and economic safety net of all American consumers, the equity in their homes. This man made tragedy has not reach its climax of hardships and no stabilization of real estate values is in sight.

How did R/E equity erode? For thirty-five years, America depended on the safety and soundness of Fannie Mae that was established as a Federal Agency in 1938. In 1968, Fannie Mae was chartered by Congress as a private stockholder owned company. Fannie Mae is a government sponsored enterprise that provides liquidity and stability to the housing and mortgage markets. Fannie Mae operates in the secondary mortgage markets.

Rather than making mortgage loans direct to the consumer, they work with mortgage bankers, brokers and primary mortgage markets partners to insure funds are available to finance the acquisition of conforming residential mortgages and rental property at affordable costs.

 

To insure Fannie Mae is liquidity sound for providing mortgage funds to be lent, they fund their mortgage investments primarily by issuing debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Fannie Mae packages their instruments in $500MM increments for sale into the secondary markets. When mortgage lending standards of Fannie Mae was constant, from 1938 through 1968, there was never a problem with home values, required return on investment or a lagging American dollar. Prudent lending and investment standards were wrongly altered in 1972, under the Carter Administration. Mortgage lending standards were further decimated in the 1990s, under the Clinton Administration. President Clinton insisted that banks approve any mortgage loan to

any borrower. To do so, the value of homes ere artificially increased to meet the loanto value ratio while providing the economic and lending cover to offset down payment and closing cost requirements. This is the main reason home values were artificiallyincreased and the consumer's R/E equity has subsequently eroded!

 

The second issue is overzealous Congressional legislators and legislation! Legislators removed proven real estate lending procedures and replaced them with new socialistic and failed legislation processes. The motivation was to allow everyone to financed a home to live in regardless if they could afford it. This flawed process has resulted in and continues to breed bankruptcies and foreclosures throughout America. The Federal Government legislates how banks must operate from a financial and fiduciary standard of safety and soundness. To stay in compliance with Federal regulations, banks must meet these federal mandates. Sometimes in complying with these mandates, banks forgot the money they lend is not theirs but belonged to depositors, taxpayers and stockholders.

Congressional Legislatures voted to approve The Community Re-Investment Act (CRA), introduced by the Carter Administration. CRA legislation forced banks to approve mortgage loans to low and low/moderate income families under less qualifying mortgage loan standards than conventional mortgage financing requirements. Need I say more?

CRA gave birth to Freddie Mac underwriting standards so non-conforming loans can bepackaged and sold into the secondary mortgage markets much like the Fannie Mae conventional mortgage loans. The Clinton Administration forced more modified open ended poorly conceived credit processes upon the banking industry for the mandatory financing of residential mortgages to low and low/moderate income families. This new

legislation led this Country into a failed and stalled credit crisis which strangles the economic life from balance sheets and income statements of businesses, industries and individuals! These now leveraged banks and other industries are being "bailed out" by the same government legislators who allowed this economic nightmare to happen. One more point of fact, this "bail out concept", if allowed to continue, will destroy the Free

Enterprise System that has rescued this Country's economy from worse scenarios than we are now facing.

If these socialistic economic concepts are allowed to continue there will be no recognized difference between excellence and failure. There will be no difference between an excellent worker and a job taker, no difference between telling the truth and telling a lie, and no difference between those who always give that extra effort to succeed in everything of importance to them and those who do not give a darn about how their performance defined them! In short, we will remove the words INCENTIVE and MOTIVATION from the dictionary. America's economy will fall into a "Welfare Economy" for both individuals and businesses. That is why the final chapter has yet to be written about the American Economy and how it will affect you and me. Stay tuned, America.

Celebrating Our 30th Year

Focused on the Road Ahead

In 2009, Trinity will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and has recently unveiled its corporate emblem to commemorate the occasion. The road moving through the number "30" alludes to our internal motto for 2009, "Focused on the Road Ahead." Our overall corporate theme for 2009 is "Advancing Excellence".

As a team, we eagerly look forward to the next 30 years of success, continually building on our rich history while providing exceptional service to our customers and carriers. There's no telling where the road ahead may take us, but as a team we're committed to keeping our eyes on the road, focused on future goals ahead. What sets Trinity apart from the other thousands of brokers is this commitment from a team to never settle for less than excellence. When it comes to serving customers, carriers, or fellow peers, our tradition is to strive for excellence. In 2009, we plan to take it up another notch and continue moving forward, advancing to the next level.

For Such A Time As This
By Ed and Deana Banning
Co Founders, Trinity Transport, Inc.

Deana and I are reminded of what took place thirty years ago, this coming March, 2009: In the middle of February, 1979, we prayed for God's direction, asking Him to show us what He wanted us to do. This prayer continued daily for about a week, without a confirmation. As we prayed hat night, before going to bed, we asked God for a fleece, to show us the name He wanted us to give
the business we were to venture into? We also asked, in faith, that He would impress upon each of our minds, individually, the name of the business He wanted us to build; at which time we would each write our impression on separate pieces of paper. Neither of us had made any decision at that moment and did not discuss any names until 7 A.M. the next morning, when we each wrote TRINITY TRANSPORT on separate papers. We shouted with joy, thanking God for answering our fleece. There has never been any doubt, then or since, that the name and direction came totally from God!

After fifteen years of owning and operating Trinity Transport, Inc., we decided to sell stock in the company to two of our sons. Fifteen years later, all four of our children work for and operate the company, which God gave us in 1979. All the glory goes to God, from whom all blessings flow!
As God founded America in 1776, two hundred years later, He founded Trinity Transport. It took thirty years of growth for this thought to cross our minds. Our family believes in our Nation's motto, "IN GOD WE TRUST" and have operated His company, the best we know how, with Christian principles. Deana and I are well pleased at the progress our children have made
in this business, with God's help, giving Him all the glory! Today and always, we must remember.

TWIC Cards - Why and How?

If you are a driver or trucking company working in or around the ports, you have most likely heard about the TWIC Card. For those of you that haven't, or who have heard about it but are not clear on the nuts and bolts, we'd like to share our knowledge of the requirements in preparation for the port deadline.

Here's the skinny...TWIC stands for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential Program issued by the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) in Nov 2002. It works to address the security credentials of individuals with unescorted access to facilities, vessels, and other port locations. Drivers must have these cards to gain access to the facilities to continue servicing customers with port affiliation.

To be eligible for a TWIC card, you must be a US Citizen or fall into an eligible immigration category. You must have a lawful presence, meaning no connections with terrorist activity, of sufficient mental capacity, and not convicted of certain crimes (espionage, sedition, treason, etc).

To view more specifics on eligibility or to complete your paperwork to obtain your TWIC card, open this application.

The cost is $132.50 payable by credit card, money order, or certified check. There is a cost savings for applicants who present a HME (Hazardous Material Endorsement), FAST (Free and Secure Trade), MMD (Merchant Mariner Document), or MML (Merchant Marine License) card. Their fee is $105.25. The card is valid for 5 years and can be used at any port.

Wondering what happens if you don't get a TWIC card? You'll need to hire an escort to gain access to the port. Their rates are $50.00 for the first two hours (minimum) and $25 per hour after.

Applicants must pre-enroll to schedule an appointment. Click here for this information or call (866)-347-8942.

Federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF)

In response to an excerpt from September's TransDigest published by the Transportation & Logistics Council, Inc.

Doesn't the recent $8 billion given by President Bush seem like another example of a temporary fix to our economic issues? I think we can all agree that our infrastructure here in the United States needs a lot of attention. Drivers on the road every day know how congested areas are, as well as the condition of the roads in many parts of the country. How does this example of legislation putting a band aid on the funding issue affect your decisions as a voter, or does it? Is anyone else surprised that the taxes on gasoline went to fund the HTF in the first place?

HIGHWAY FUNDING
"The downturn in the economy and high fuel prices have created a crisis in funding for highway maintenance and improvements. The federal Highway Trust Fund ("HTF") gets its revenues from gas taxes, taxes that are a fixed amount per gallon. With a significant decrease in vehicle miles traveled, some 50 billion over the past eight months, gas consumption has decreased, thus reducing the tax revenue.

The U.S. Department of Transportation ("DOT") determined that it needed an $8 billion infusion to keep the HTF solvent. In a reversal of policy, President Bush signed legislation transferring the needed $8 billion from the General Fund into the HTF. Funds from the HTF are used to fund transportation projects across the nation and states rely on these funds being paid on a regular basis in order to keep projects on track. While this transfer will keep the HTF from becoming insolvent, it does not resolve the basic funding issue and alternatives must be found."

Trinity Joins EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership

Trinity Transport, Inc. has joined the SmartWaySM Transport Partnership, an innovative collaboration between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Trinity Transport, Inc. will contribute to the Partnership's goal to reduce 33 to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012 by improving the environmental performance of our freight operations. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog. By joining SmartWay Transport Partnership, Trinity Transport, Inc. demonstrates its strong environmental leadership and corporate responsibility.

"Trinity's purpose is to continually improve people's lives while constantly striving to be our best. The SmartWay Partnership is an ideal vehicle to enact our purpose as we strive to utilize carriers that belong to the partnership on our loads as well as help educate the non-SmartWay carriers we work with on the benefits of joining. We are excited to become members to help achieve combined goals of reducing our imprint and increasing the quality of life in our environment," said Brandy McMullen, Director of Marketing.

Launched in February 2004, the SmartWay Transport Partnership aims to achieve fuel savings of up to 150 million barrels of fuel per year. The Partnership brings together major freight shippers, trucking companies, railroads, logistics companies and trade/professional associations to pursue mutually beneficial efficiencies that result in emissions reductions and other environmental improvements, as well as cost savings to the companies. The Partnership currently has over 450 Partners.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. When you're speaking with a driver, remember to thank them for their service and attention to safety!

Several of our top carriers will receive gifts of appreciation tomorrow as small tokens of our appreciation for what they do for us year round. In addition, members of our team will be showing appreciation in person to drivers at the nearby Oasis truckstop in Laurel, DE from 10am to 3pm. If you're going to be passing through, we encourage you to stop by and let us thank you in person. Not only that, but we'll be giving away free goodies!

This is a very important week, and I'd like to thank the ATA for putting this week together. Here is some impressive information pulled from their website, shared by Bill Graves, President of the ATA.

"There are over 3.5 million professional truck drivers nationwide - delivering the goods U.S. consumers need every day of the year. Logging over 400 billion miles per year, trucks delivered 10.7 billion tons of freight in 2007, or 69 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage. Professional truck drivers are more essential to the national economy than ever before, and they're delivering their loads safely and professionally."

"National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is about letting our professional drivers know they are valued - and at the same time, letting the nation know just how important truck drivers are for our country," said Bill Graves, President and CEO of the American Trucking Association. "ATA is proud to provide a way for companies to show their appreciation to employees, and to make the last week of August all about professional truck drivers.'" (www.truckline.com)