| | How Does Cap & Trade Work? |
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| The Effects of Cap & Trade on Business |
| Despite the promised environmental benefits of the proposed Cap & Trade legislation, there's no denying it will inhibit business growth.  The American Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009, more commonly known as "Cap and Trade," passed the House of Representatives on June 26th on a largely party-line vote. The Senate is currently working on a similar version of the bill, and President Obama has stated publicly that he hopes to sign Cap and Trade into law this year. Although many Senators from both parties are under mounting pressure from energy companies, businesses and consumers to oppose such legislation, the seating of Sen. Al Franken in the chamber provided Democrats with a filibuster-proof majority. This makes it likely that the legislation will at least make it to the floor for a vote, perhaps as early as this fall.
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| Continued Concern Over Future Capacity |
| Analysis of the high profile issues that have impacted the transportation industry over the first half of the year, and what some analysts are predicting for the remainder of 2009. We've been raising red flags since last Fall about the excess capacity caused by a contraction in shipping volumes, and how the lack of demand has led a large number of small Truckload (TL) and Less-than-Truckload (LTL) companies to close their doors. The true effect of the general economy, with emphasis on the lack of production and transportation, was notably evident during the first quarter of the year. We saw losses reflected in the operating ratios of almost every publicly-traded LTL carrier. Old Dominion Freight Line (Thomasville, NC) was the only such carrier to report a profit. |
| Canada to Implement eManifest Program Next Year |
|  Recent amendments made to Canada's Customs Act will strengthen import security measures. By now, everyone who imports goods into the US is aware of the Importer Security Filing, known more commonly as "10+2." This regulation by US Customs & Border Protection requires importers to submit ten additional information factors before a shipment can clear customs without incident, plus two more filings for vessel cargo. The purpose of the extra documentation is to tighten port security and to maintain a more accurate inventory of the freight that crosses our borders every day. It was widely assumed that Canada's Border Services Agency would impose similar import regulations, and they've finally announced that their new rules will come in the form of an eManifest Program.
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| Note to Readers |
| Help us enhance your transportation network
If you think one or more of your vendors or customers have room to improve their transportation operations, please forward us their contact information. |
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