TIA (Transportation Intermediaries Association) Conference and Expo

Transportation Intermediaries Association has decided to try something new. From April 9th to the 12th they will host their very first Great Ideas Conference and Exposition. The Expo will take place in Tucson, AZ at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort and Spa.

This ground breaking conference is slated to focus on the great ideas brokers and 3PLs needed to succeed. The first session will host five speakers. Each one comes from within the Association's own ranks. They plan to give short uplifting speeches to get the audience started. From there, participants can go through 16 educational sessions in 4 tracks covering 4 essential areas. These sessions will include fundamental, universal, expansion, and advanced learning.

Participants can mix and match any sessions to create a unique learning experience best suited to each individual need or desire. There are 6 general sessions that will be spread out through the trade show and education sessions with the purpose of furthering insight and knowledge base of all the industry.

 Third party logistics is a $162 billion dollar ever growing industry. The Transportation Intermediaries Association is the foremost supporting professional organization in this industry. The hope that the success of this conference and exposition will keep their market moving ever forward into the future.

Today's market is filled with a constant flux in rules and regulations that steadily affect day to day operations. Knowledge is the edge every business person needs to keep up with the changing times and the TIA wants to help everyone do just that.

We will be in attendance and look forward to seeing you all there!

Cargo Liability Insruance: Should Shipper's Share Liability with Railways

When it comes to Cargo Liability Insurance, North America's rail system is in a quandary.

Firstly, railroad operators are not allowed to refuse any cargo, no matter how hazardous it may be, as long as appropriate regulations are met. Secondly, current legislation deems railways liable for all damages incurred in any railroad mishap and up to an unlimited amount, even if the mishap did not occur due to railroad negligence. This is different from marine and air carriers who may limit their liability as a condition of carriage.

Backed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), these rules have been under review since a disastrous accident in Quebec, Canada, last July forced a small railroad to file bankruptcy. 

Sixty-three (63) tank cars containing crude oil derailed in Quebec last July. Forty-two people died and the town center was destroyed. Reparations, including clean-up and compensation for death, injury, and property damage, will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The small railroad, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic, had liability insurance of only $25 million. Overwhelmed by the costs of the accident, the company filed for bankruptcy a month later. 

Some believe the minimum amout of cargo liability insurance required by railways should be raised. This requirement alone may put some small railroads out of business. Others, like the AAR, insist that there simply is not enough coverage possible to adequately address catastrophic events like that in Quebec.

Other measures are taken when shipping hazardous cargo by rail. Trains carrying dangerous materials are designated as "key trains" and held to speed restrictions, prioritized over all other trains on the network, and are routed away from heavily populated areas when possible.

Railroad advocates insist the best solution is shared liability between shipper and railway as a condition of carriage. Such an arrangement will boost coverage in the event of an accident. Some claim it may also motivate shipping companies to take better safety precautions when preparing materials for shipment.

Hazmat shippers disagree, citing their rail transportation rates were already increased in order to compensate for risks. Shippers also claim that keeping liability assigned to railroads maintains higher standards for safety and accountability.