The Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation Announces the Selection of Organization’s Chairman Tom Sanderson, President & CEO of Transplace

July 29, 2011 – The Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation (ASECTT) announced today the selection of Tom Sanderson, president & CEO of Transplace as its chairman. Mr. Sanderson was chosen because of his recognized leadership in the transportation industry and his commitment to ensuring that trucking remains a fair and competitive marketplace.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be selected as a leader for this excellent organization,” says Sanderson. “It is important for shippers, carriers, brokers and others to have the ability to voice their concerns with the regulatory issues that will have lasting impacts this industry.”

ASECTT is a nonprofit corporation, composed of carriers, shippers, brokers and other interested parties who are committed to balanced regulations governing truck transportation. ASECTT is concerned that pending FMCSA regulations have lost sight of Congress’ commitment to efficient and competitive transportation needs and involve over-regulating the industry through unproven SMS methodology with dire consequences to due process, carrier rights, and the principles which underlie deregulation.

“ASECTT resulted from heightened awareness in the shipper, broker and carrier community to the potential adverse consequences of public release of SMS Methodology in December 2010,” says Steve Sample, president of Tyme-It Transportation.

ASECTT has filed comments with the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee pointing out that flaws in SMS methodology relate not only to severity weighting but also are systemic to the nature of the program. Pointing out that the University of Michigan has not been released and that correlations between compliance and safety have yet to even be established, ASECTT urges the Agency to withdraw SMS methodology, reaffirming the principles of 49 C.F.R. 385.

It notes that seven months after the program was released to the public, it still does not accomplish its original goal of comprehensively rating all carriers. Of the 483,000 entities regulated by the Agency, Sanderson notes that most do not have scores in any of the BASICs.

In addition, ASECTT has filed comments in response to the Agency’s announced 5 year plan, noting that the plan presupposes intended results which defy proper use of the Administrative Procedure Act and have not been directed or approved by Congressional mandate.

“The inclusion of shippers and brokers as regulated parties by the FMCSA, is a proposal without any current warrant,” Sanderson said. “The role of the regulator is to certify the regulated party as safe for use by the consumer. Shippers and brokers, like the traveling public, are protected parties who should be beneficiaries of the regulators’ expert decision in establishing carriers who are fit for use.”

ASECTT membership is open to all members of the shipping community. More information about the organization can be found at www.asectt.blogspot.com.

Its current Board of Directors includes:

Chairman Tom Sanderson, Transplace

Vice Chair Matt Jewell, Sr. VP/Legal, Forward Air

Secretary/Treasurer Scott Michaelis, Southern States Cooperative

Additional Executive Committee Members:

James DeMatteis Des Moines Truck Brokerage (Broker)

Dave Kreigh VP Operations, Towne Air Freight (AEMCA) (Air Freight)

Bill Bierman Attorney (Executive VP, TLP&SA)

Steve Sample Tyme-It Transportation (Expediting Industry)

Other Committee Members:

David Manning TCW, Motor Carrier Representative to IANA Board

John Elliott Load One (TEANA)

Joseph Wiley Director of Operations, RFX Companies

David Baker Apex Capital

Richard McDuffie Dunavant Enterprises

Steven W Norman Universal Traffic Service

Bob Farrell KLLM

David Owen NASTC