Experts Foresee Few Y2K Problems

If a blizzard hits Dec. 31, it likely will have a greater impact on public services and business operations than the much-hyped rollover to the Year 2000.

The President’s Council on Year 2000 Compliance has given many critical industries a largely clean bill of health in regard to the Y2K bug. But some experts predict businesses and municipalities that have not prepared adequately for the rollover, and the computer problems that it could bring, could find themselves exposed to systems shutdowns and a storm of lawsuits.

Trucking companies by and large say they are ready for the rollover, and the country as a whole is well-prepared, according to the fourth and final report issued by the president’s council.

An American Trucking Associations survey of 198 members found that 88% had computer hardware and software that was Y2K ready. Another 9% is in the final validation stage and will be finished by the end of the year. Fully 95% of surveyed companies reported that their operations and embedded systems were either Y2K-ready, or in the remediation stage.

For the full story, see the Nov. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.