IANA Convention Tackles Issue of Container Roadworthiness

A proposal to make terminal operators responsible for the roadworthiness of containers and chassis picked up by trucking companies will be on the minds of the more than 500 leaders of the intermodal community as they gather in San Francisco Aug.22 to 25 for the annual membership conference of the Intermodal Association of North America.

The petition by American Trucking Associations and its Intermodal Conference will be the subject of several IANA division meetings as well as a presentation by Richard Biter, head of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Intermodalism.

The Federal Highway Administration is accepting comments until Aug. 30 on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking granting ATA’s petition. More than 70 comments from trucking companies, railroads, terminal operators, unions and others have been submitted to FHWA. IANA is putting the finishing touches on its comments, association president Joni Casey said.

IANA’s conference agenda is a mix of policy discussion and sharing of practical information, Casey said.

For the second year, IANA is offering its “working solutions” program track. “It is designed to be a problem-solving session on key intermodal operating issues,” Casey said. “It will address interchange management through a town hall discussion followed by focus groups offering perspectives from the rail ramp, marine terminal container depot and on-dock rail perspectives. This is hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeve material in intermodal operating areas.”

Workshops will be held on the marketing of North American Free Trade Agreement movements, the feasibility of a national drayage company, the role of stacktrain operators in the 21st century and the state of intermodal pooling.

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