Freight Carriers Association / North American Transportation Council
February 1997
Part 2 of our Compensation Benchmarking Survey is about to begin. Part 2 will measure the compensation provided to linehaul drivers, P & D drivers, owner-operators and dock workers. Part 1 of our Compensation Survey covered sales representatives within Ontario and Quebec. If you are interested in participating in the Compensation Benchmarking Surveys, please contact Dave Sirgey at (905) 994-0560 ext. 214.
Canada
February 27, 1997 the average price of fuel dropped to 46.0¢ / litre which is approximately the same price as in mid-October 1996. The Canadian Domestic fuel surcharge calculated by FCA for the week beginning March 3, 1997 is 1.4% LTL and 3.2% TL.
US - Canada
The February 24, 1997 US price of 126.9¢ / gallon combined with the drop in the Canadian price resulted in a fuel surcharge calculation of 1.1% LTL and 2.7% TL. If you would like to subscribe to our weekly fuel surcharge bulletin, please contact Dave Sirgey at (905) 994-0560 ext. 214 for additional information. H
The Canadian Uniform Bill Of Lading (CUBOL) has generated a great deal of reaction in the Shipping Community. The Council of Canadian Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) have undertaken to replace the current uniform bill of lading by 1998 as a result the repeal of certain sections of the Motor Vehicle Transport Act and the provincial internal trade agreement.
Key elements of the CUBOL are:
Shippers’ compensation will be changed from $2.00 a pound ($4.41/kg) for the total weight of the shipment to $2.00/lb. for goods actually lost or damaged.
Reduction of the time for presenting the notice of claim for loss or damage from 60 days to upon receipt in the case of visible damage and from 60 days to 15 days after the goods are delivered in the case of concealed damage.
The onus will be on the shipper to request carriers to provide evidence of cargo insurance instead of carriers’ having to keep appropriate insurance documentation in their vehicles.
However, the CCMTA is rethinking their approach in reaction to the shipper groups’ opposition to the proposed clauses and at a recent meeting tabled a report that contained a number of recommendations.
The principle recommendation is a two-day forum be held in Montreal to bring the stakeholders together and work out a deal.
This was originally intended to take place prior to Christmas, but other pressures have forced the CCMTA to push it back.
President Bill Clinton has signed legislation that amends the Intermodal Safe Container Act to reduce the burden placed on shippers and carriers. The law takes effect April 9, 1997 and will raise the cargo weight limit that will require certification.
The cargo weight, including packing materials, that triggers the need for the certification will be raised from over 10,000 to over 29,000 lb., eliminating the paperwork requirement for containers that weight between 10,000 and 29,000 lb.
If a motor carrier is not given certification the carriers will be allowed to assume that the gross cargo weight of the container or trailer is less that 29,001 lb. The original act prohibited the carrier from accepting a trailer or container without a certification.
The certification will not have to be signed. A signature was required by the original law. The certification will not need to accompany the conveyance, as called for in the original law and regulations.
The Intermodal Safe Container Act was enacted in 1992 to reduce the number of overweight vehicles on the nation’s highways. The law requires persons who load intermodal containers and trailers to certify to the initial motor carriers a reasonable description of the cargo and its gross weight.
Each party in the transportation chain must pass the certification on to the next carrier. Truckers will reply on it to comply with highway weight limits.
If a trucker is not given a weight certification when one is needed, or is given a certificate that understates the weight, and is found in violation of highway weights limits, resulting penalties can be recovered from the party responsible for issuing the certification.