47 minute read
On the Move: Atlas Reveals 2016 National Household Goods Relocations Trends
By Atlas Van Lines Public Relations
We are a Nation on the move, but—according to one company—not quite as much as last year. Atlas Van Lines recently released its annual National Migration Patterns study which shows household good movements for 2016 were down compared to 2015.
Eleven US states, along with the nation’s capital, experienced a shift in migration status for the year. The study found 15 states registered as outbound and 9 as inbound, in addition to Washington, DC. In addition, 26 states registered as balanced meaning that moves in and out of the states were roughly equal.
The company has conducted the study since 1993 to track the nation’s interstate moving patterns year to year as reflected in moves handled by Atlas. This year’s study was based on 75,427 interstate and cross-border household goods relocations from January 1, 2016 through December 15, 2016.
THE INS AND OUTS The 10 states with the highest percentage of inbound moves and outbound moves in order are:
Inbound 1. Idaho (63 percent) 2. Oregon (62 percent) 3. North Carolina (61 percent) 4. Tennessee (60 percent) 5. Alaska (59 percent) 6. Washington (58 percent) 7. Michigan (57.2 percent) 8. Washington DC (57.1 percent) 9. Florida (56 percent) 10. New Hampshire (55.1 percent)
Outbound 1. Wyoming (63 percent) 2. Nebraska (61 percent) 3. Illinois (60 percent) 4. Delaware (59.5 percent) 5. Louisiana (59 percent) 6. Connecticut (58.9 percent) 7. New York (58.7 percent) 8. West Virginia (58.6 percent) 9. Indiana (58 percent) 10. South Dakota (57.6 percent)
This is the first year Idaho has been the study’s inbound leader. However, Wyoming also topped the outbound list in 2012. Former inbound states Alabama, Maine, North Dakota, Rhode
In 2016, the total number of interstate and interprovincial moves reached 75,427, down from 77,705 in 2015. For the fifth consecutive year, the states with the highest number of total moves were California (14,995), Texas (11,973) and Florida (10,231).
“The moving industry as a whole has contracted annually over the last five years, but we have been fortunate to see a consistent increase in moves during that time until this year,” said Jack Griffin, CEO and Vice Chairman of Atlas World Group. “We are cautiously optimistic that we will see an uptick in 2017 for all types of moves, but we are aware of the economic headwinds that lie ahead of us.”
OTHER TRENDS Northeast Region The Northeastern states saw four major changes from 2015 to 2016, with New Hampshire shifting from balanced to inbound and New Jersey from outbound to balanced. After spending 2015 as inbound, Rhode Island and Maine both became balanced in 2016. New Hampshire was the only inbound state in the region this year. New York has been outbound for more than 14 years.
Island and Texas became balanced in 2016. After spending 2015 as balanced states, Michigan, New Hampshire and Washington, DC became inbound while Kansas shifted to outbound. In addition, Minnesota, New Jersey and Wisconsin changed from outbound to balanced in 2016.
South Region The Southern region experienced three changes. Alabama shifted from inbound to balanced, and Texas shifted from inbound to balanced. Before this year, Texas had registered as inbound for more than a decade. Washington, DC changed from balanced to inbound.
Midwest Region In 2016, the Midwest registered three new balanced states, with Minnesota and Wisconsin both moving from outbound to balanced. For the first time since 2010, North Dakota shifted from inbound to balanced. Kansas went from balanced to outbound, and Michigan from balanced to inbound. Michigan was the only inbound state in the Midwest this year, a classification it hasn’t experienced in more than 10 years. In 2016, the region had its least amount of outbound states in recent years.
West Region While the Western states experienced no classification changes from 2015 to 2016, the region did have the state with the highest percentage of inbound moves in the country, with Idaho registering 63 percent of moves entering the state. The region also registered Wyoming with the highest percentage of outbound moves in the US, with 63 percent of moves exiting the state.
Canadian Provinces Three of the Canadian provinces registered changes from 2015 to 2016, with Newfoundland and Labrador moving from balanced to inbound. Nova Scotia shifted from balanced to outbound, and Prince Edward moved from balanced to inbound in 2016.
METHODOLOGY Each state’s or province’s status is determined by its threshold value, which is the total number of shipments multiplied by 0.55 (i.e., in a state with 100 moves, at least 55 must be outgoing to be considered outbound). A state or province is considered outbound when outbound shipments exceed the threshold or inbound when inbound shipments exceed the threshold. All other states or provinces in which outbound or inbound numbers don’t exceed the threshold are classified as balanced. Shipments noted for Canada are crossborder to the US or from the US (not inter-provincial).
To view the full results of the 2016 migration patterns, along with a nationwide map and annual histories for each state, visit http://atlasvanlines.com/ migration-patterns/. DTJ
Interstate and Cross-Border 2016 Migration Patterns – traffic flow by state/province Based on 75,427 Interstate Household Goods Moves from January 1, 2016 through December 15, 2016
YUKON TERRITORY 0 0 BC 289 177 AB 287 131 SK 22 9 MB 40 16 NL 8 13
QC 201 93
STATE Outbound Inbound ALASKA 131 190
65 HI 143 120
WA 2402 3328
OR 590 957 ID 405 703
NV 725 825
CA 7377 7618 UT 546 531 MT 204 238
WY 228 136
CO 2146 2244
AZ 1940 2144 NM 595 504
Inbound - More than 55% of total shipments moving Into the state (subtotal on bottom).
Outbound - More than 55% of total shipments moving out the state (subtotal on top).
ME 300 342 VT
RI NH M A CT NY 3716 2610
N J 2801 2271 PA
MD DE DC 1982 3126 NC VA 2985 3214 WV 228 161 MI 1477 1971
OH 2401 1931 IN 1914 1389
802 834 KY
SC 2104 1838 GA 2941 2903 1383 2041 TN
FL 4535 5696 MO 1062 989 IL 3297 2216 AR 480 484 LA 1111 763 MS 492 502 TX 5571 6402 OK 700 750 KS 949 735 ON 837 455 NB 9 6 ND 147 174 SD 212 156 MN 1335 1148
IA 716 542 NE 541 352 WI 1073 881
AL 795 893
NS
Balanced - Inbound and outbound individually represent 55% or less of total shipments.
40 32 NS
MD 2062 2071 DC 363 484 CT 1261 881 NJ 1832 1563
VT 135 108 RI 236 237 MA 1636 1711 DE 393 267 NH 249 305
Outdated Infrastructure Poses National Security Risk Outdated Infrastructure Poses National Security Risk
By RADM Mark H. Buzby, USN (Ret.) President & CEO, NDTA By RADM Mark H. Buzby, USN (Ret.) President & CEO, NDTA
President-elect Donald J. Trump has rightfully brought infrastructure modernization to the top of our national to-do list. While many Americans focus on the economic benefits of enhancing our infrastructure, there is another important advantage: our enhanced national security.
Mr. Trump’s timing could not be better. America’s infrastructure, the physical foundation of our society, must be properly maintained and continuously modernized. Visible transportation-related infrastructure includes highways, bridges, airports, seaports, and rail systems. But equally important—though less-visible—“enabler infrastructure” includes petroleum and natural gas pipeline distribution systems, power generation and distribution networks, water systems and our air traffic control grid, among many others.
Much like the visible ones, these enablers require the immediate attention of policymakers.
Unfortunately, the modernization of many segments of our infrastructure has been a low priority over the years. As a result, some of it has reached the end of its useful life and is serving on borrowed time. As that time runs out, these systems are failing and lives are in danger.
Looking specifically at transportation infrastructure, we depend on it to quickly mobilize assets and respond within our borders to address natural and manmade disasters in peacetime. We also need it in order to move our armed forces and material from garrisons around the country to air and sea ports of embarkation in times of conflict. Any plan to rectify the situation must be holistic. For example, rebuilding and modernizing airports will be of limited value without also addressing our aging and increasingly overwhelmed air traffic control system. We have the safest airspace in the world, but it is not the most efficient.
Unnecessary travel delays in the United States cost customers and our economy $30 billion annually. These delays are the direct result of system-wide inefficiencies resulting from the use of outdated, WWIIera radar technology.
Policymakers should consider reform that establishes a federally chartered, nonprofit organization to modernize the system funded by user-fees.
Another example is maritime security. Our country is a maritime nation: over 90 percent of all goods consumed enter our nation through sea ports.
Surprisingly, 98 percent of that cargo is carried in ships flying foreign flags—only 2 percent arrives in the 78 remaining ships still trading internationally under the US flag.
The same shrinking pool of highly skilled mariners who operate the privately-owned commercial ships also form the pool of talent from which the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command fleet of 112 ships and the Maritime Administration’s 46 Ready Reserve Force ships draw upon. Without these government-owned ships, and the 78 commercially-operated ships, our nation’s armed forces are denied their principal means of movement and sustainability away from our shores.
Some members of Congress are already on to the national security implications of a shrinking fleet. Recently, Rep. John Garamendi (D
CA), ranking member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, in troduced H.R. 6455, the “Energizing American Maritime Act,” designed to strengthen the US domestic maritime industry.
It would require up to 30 percent of exports of liquefied natural gas and crude oil, what he called “strategic energy assets,” be moved in US-flagged vessels. Similar, complementary efforts to grow other areas of our merchant marine fleet and the ports that serve them must be pursued as a national security imperative.
Finally, an efficient infrastructure consumes less energy. Efficient highway design would support new technologies like driverless vehicles, eliminate traffic bottlenecks and increase road capacity saving billions of gallons of fuel every year.
Upgraded inland waterways could also reduce highway volume and permit lower per ton/mile movement of more goods. A more efficient air traffic control system would similarly result in energy savings.
In the coming months as Presidentelect Trump and the Congress roll up their sleeves and hammer out plans to address this infrastructure imperative, they would do well to remember that such a task will have many competing priorities for where to best spend the budget; every district will certainly have its favorite project.
The trick will be to put those funds to work where they have the greatest benefit to our national security and the safety of our citizens. A tall task indeed. DTJ
The following article is from the April 1990 Defense Transportation Journal. It features thoughts from the then Deputy Secretary of Transportation—Elaine Chao—who on January 31 of this year was sworn into office as the Secretary of Transportation.
NDTA’s Tribute to: WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION
The National Defense Transportation Association’s Tribute to Women in Transportation, contained on this and the following pages, marks the culmina tion of a six-month-long project, undertaken in concert with government agencies, Sustaining Members and Regional Patrons. The response from all concerned has been truly outstanding.
Space constraints in this issue will not permit us to include all material received, but our June issue will encompass the remaining articles on Women in Transportation.
As you read this portion of the Defense Transportation Journal, it will clearly demonstrate that women are involved across the entire spectrum of our nation’s transportation system. They exemplify the excellence that can only be found in a world-class transportation system.
Elaine L. Chao Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Elaine L. Chao was nominated by President Bush as deputy secretary of transportation on Feb. 17, 1989, and confirmed unanimously by the Senate on April 19.
As the second-in-command of the Department of Transportation, Chao is the chief operating officer of a 104,000-employee organization with a $28 billion budget. She has responsibility for program and policy guidance over surface, sea and air transportation. Chao is the youngest deputy secretary in the Administration and the highest ranked Asian-American in history.
Chao received her MB.A. from the Harvard Business School with a concentration in finance and general management. She obtained her undergraduate degree in economics at Mount Holyoke College, but spent the spring of her junior year at Dartmouth College and the summer of 1972 at Columbia University. She also studied international shipping at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Deputy Secretary Chao is an elected director of the Harvard Alumni Association, the Harvard Business School Alumni Council and the Harvard Business School Club of greater Washington, D.C. She is also on the Board of the American Council of Young Political Leaders and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
The recipient of many honors and awards for her professional abilities and community service, Chao was selected as one of the “10 Outstanding Young Women of America for 1987. “She received the “Outstanding Young Achiever Award” from the National Council of Women in 1986. In May of 1989, Chao received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Villanova University.
Chao serves as the Department of Transportation senior government liaison representative to the Board of Directors, National Defense Transportation Association. Her thoughts on .her career and the challenges that lie ahead are summarized below.
It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to share with my friends at the NDTA some thoughts on my career philosophy and experience in serving the public and private sectors.
I have been fortunate in my life in that I have had the opportunity to assume responsible positions in diverse sectors that few others have had an opportunity to experience.
When I left Harvard Business School after studies in general management and finance, I joined a major money center bank in New York as a commercial lending officer. In this position, I worked with major domestic and multi-national transportation companies in managing their overall financial position and securing sources of innovative financing.
When I was vice president of the West Coast Syndications unit of BankAmerica Capital Markets Group, my team was responsible for structuring multi-million dollar facilities for Fortune 500 companies. Many of these transactions were time-sensitive and geared to the opportunities in the financial markets.
Working with these organizations gave me a solid understanding of the operations of private sector companies and in particular the challenges that they face competing domestically and in the global marketplace.
This private sector experience has been invaluable in my government career at the White House policy office, as deputy administrator of the Maritime Administration and chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. Now, as deputy secretary of transportation, I believe one of the government’s key roles is to facilitate and reduce bureaucratic red tape, thereby allowing the innate talent and entrepreneurial spirit of American companies to excel. The government must do this by providing quality services in the most expeditious, efficient and caring manner.
The challenge to all managers is to convey this spirit of service and facilitation. Clear and open communications to the staff at all levels is key. A philosophy of inclusion and participatory management, I believe, are important. Building a team attitude and helping each team member be a contributing member of the team are part and parcel of this philosophy. Effective managers must make each team leader feel a personal stake and accountability in the overall objectives of the team and imbue them with a sense of the importance of ensuring a fair and open process for all we serve. DTJ
Transporting the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team to Europe: AN INTERVIEW
By James M. Marconi Director of Public Relations, NDTA
In an era where consumers can click a button online and get products in mere days or less, it’s easy to ignore the complexity of the system that permits that doorstep delivery. When it comes to the US military, the requirements to move materiel and people halfway around the world get even more complicated.
It takes significant effort to move thousands of US Army soldiers and thousands more pieces of equipment—including tanks and other vehicles—from a place like Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Europe. The 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team recently did just that, arriving at Bremerhaven, Germany, in January and continuing to Poland to participate in US European Command’s Operation Atlantic Resolve. The ongoing operation “is a demonstration of continued US commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO allies…in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine,” according to the Army.
What kind of organization and planning are behind moving a unit like the 3rd ABCT across the Atlantic? I had the opportunity in early December to talk with transportation and logistics experts at Fort Carson about the then-upcoming deployment. The following interview includes perspectives from Maj. Colton Kinninger, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team; Maj. Johnny Ward, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), 4th Sustainment Brigade; Mr. Jim Will, Installation Transportation Officer, Logistics Readiness Center; and Mr. Danny Visitacion, Logistics Readiness Center lead transportation specialist. It is lightly edited for length and clarity.
DTJ: I appreciate all of you taking the time to interview today. To start out, could you provide some background on what your responsibilities entail, particularly as they relate to deploying the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team? Maj. Kinninger: I’m the brigade S4 (Logistics) for the 3rd Brigade. What falls within my section are my mobility warrant officer and my transportation NCO [non-commissioned officer]. Both of those individuals really provide the technical knowledge about deploying the brigade. My responsibility is the overall supervision of that effort and synchronizing across the brigade in coordination with the brigade operations officer.
Mr. Will: I’m the installation transportation officer, and Danny Visitacion is my transportation lead. We are responsible for coordinating with the unit on the equipment density list they have, coordinating everything to be able to put in on line haul or rail, and movement to the port of debarkation.
Maj. Ward: I’m the support operations officer for the 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and the 4th Sustainment Brigade here at Fort Carson. I’m responsible for the planning and execution of the strategic support missions for all the brigade combat teams here on the installation. My organization is responsible for materiel handling equipment, lift and transportation support, and also maintenance support in order for brigades to have a successful deployment out of Fort Carson.
DTJ: Excellent, thanks. I’m sure all of you have probably seen recent articles that highlighted 3rd ABCT’s deployment, in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. What’s the operation’s primary purpose, and where does the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team fit in?
Maj. Kinninger: The overall operation’s purpose and what 3rd Brigade is doing within Atlantic Resolve is to reassure our NATO allies and our other allies within the European theater, maintain a persistent presence of the United States Army, and then deter any acts of aggression against our allies in Europe. DTJ: Thousands of vehicles and firearms, not to mention the personnel involved— it’s a massive amount of equipment and people moving from Colorado to Europe. How do you start to plan the transportation aspects of a move on that scale?
Maj. Kinninger: So, obviously we get the directive from the national command authority to execute said movement. However, once that order is made, identifying the requirements falls within the unit that’s deploying. We identify all the way down to the company level what equipment is deploying, what equipment is not and package all that up. We then work with a team of teams—the individuals here representing the Installation Transportation Office and Logistics Readiness Center at Fort Carson, of course the 68th CSSB, 4th Sustainment Brigade, and units outside of the installation. [These include] the 16th Sustainment Brigade, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), our own 4th Infantry Division [4 ID] headquarters here at Fort Carson, our Mission Command Element from 4ID in Baumholder in Europe, and the two transportation brigades within SDDC (Surface Deployment and Distribution Command)—the 597th and 598th.
We work in coordination to try to synch those multiple players across multiple time zones. My mobility warrant officer started this planning before they returned from the last deployment to Kuwait. So we’ll work with units that have already been there, coordinating with them and getting some lessons learned.
Mr. Will: We start off by getting with the unit mobility officers, identifying the equipment that’s going to need to be shipped, and then start planning what we’re going to need for rail, what we’re going to need for line haul, and we go from there.
DTJ: So when we’re talking about the movement of equipment, are we talking principally about rail?
Mr. Will: The majority of it is rail, however we have quite a large amount of line haul [trucks]. And that includes containers and other equipment that is not going to be able to load by rail, which we go ahead and line haul down to Beaumont.
DTJ: Got it. And from there I imagine that it’s shipped over.
Mr. Will: Correct, from Beaumont right now we have three vessels that will be shipping the equipment over to Europe.
DTJ: You’ve already gone a little bit into some of the units that are involved. Are there any other key organizational players involved that help to ensure the transition between different modes and different jurisdictions?
Maj. Kinninger: I think that the list I gave earlier pretty much covered everybody. As far as the DOD related organization that would assist with that, the outside entities, the commercial entities…at our level, at the brigade level, we don’t have a lot of interface with the outside DOD-level and commercial entities involved. We really rely on the Installation Transportation Office, Logistics Readiness Center and SDDC to be that interface.
DTJ: So, what is the role of unit movements personnel in the move? How do they interact with your office and with commercial shippers?
Maj. Kinninger: So, all of the company level unit movement officers are responsible for identifying the requirements—what pieces of equipment are going and their types, dimensions, weights and proper documentation. They’re ensuring that’s all complete, and synchronizing that within their companies. And then they interact on a daily basis once we get underway with Mr. Will to get the nuts and bolts worked out, and to work out any kinks as we actually execute rail, line haul, or strategic airlift operations.
Mr. Will: We are very much responsible for units who ensure all the correct documentation for getting this equipment to overseas locations. We do several different inspections prior to it getting onto a rail car, so once it gets down to Beaumont, everything’s ready to go and ready to get out to the ship and move overseas.
DTJ: We’ve talked around this a bit, but what’s the role of private industry transportation and logistics in this type of deployment?
Mr. Will: As we mentioned, we have to get the equipment down to Beaumont, so what we’re using is BNSF Railway to go ahead and rail all this equipment down. And we’re using individual carrier companies to go ahead and line haul this equipment. They are all contracted.
DTJ: Of course. And how exactly do you identify and make arrangements with particular companies?
Mr. Will: Our transportation division will go ahead and set out the work load that we’re going to have, and the carriers bid. Whoever has the best bid and is approved by SDDC will get the job.
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DTJ: I imagine this is done prior to soliciting private industry, but how do you make decisions about what goes by air or rail or truck, as the case may be?
Maj. Ward: That’s done at the unit level and begins with their planners. Taking a look at the sensitivity and nature of the equipment that’s going is important for mission accomplishment on the reception side, the destination side, and also taking into account how quickly it needs to get there determines the mode of transportation. will also have personnel meeting equipment at its final destination as well. So we still have people on the ground waiting for the equipment to arrive to them.
DTJ: With so many moving parts with regard to both people and equipment, there’s a huge imperative to track everyone and everything at each stage of movement. What types of processes and technologies are in place to do that?
Maj. Ward: Well, at least from the equipment side of the house, I’ve always been
Maj. Kinninger: I would also add equipment size, hazardous materials, sensitive items, et cetera, and then of course Mr. Will just mentioned cost. All those factors are taken into account when we decide that. As the unit, we provide the recommendation and say ‘hey, this is the way we’d like things to move.’ At the end of the day, SDDC makes the final call as to how the stuff will move from point A to point B.
DTJ: So then with regard to the personnel who are deploying, in terms of their movements, travel and lodging, how exactly do you make that mesh with the movement of all the equipment? Are they going at the same time, or is all of the stuff going and the people will follow?
Maj. Kinninger: For example, everything going on the vessel is a 20+ day sail time from the States to Europe. So obviously we’ll send our equipment far enough ahead, and our equipment and soldiers will meet up at Bremerhaven, and then we
A US Army convoy from the 64th Brigade Support Battalion conducts a logistical mission in Poland. US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Hughes/Released.
fond of the Single Mobility System [SMS], an online portal provided by USTRANSCOM [US Transportation Command]. Within SMS you can track vessels, get itineraries for vessels, and track planned mission times versus actual times. It provides you with that level of in-transit visibility from wheels up to wheels down, or vessel departure to arrival at its final destination.
On the personnel side of the house, there are a couple of systems that are used. There’s a deployment theater accountability system that provides in-transit visibility of soldiers as well, so that they’re able to track them by name and location. When soldiers actually depart, the departure control group here in Colorado Springs scans them into the system and once they’re in theater they’re scanned in [again] to track that they’re actually in theater.
DTJ: Clearly transportation on this scale depend upon a lot of different factors coming together, hopefully smoothly. From your perspective, what’s the single most overlooked aspect that contributes to a successful move?
Maj. Kinninger: I think probably the single most overlooked aspect is time, making sure that you synchronize that finite resource of time with all of the associated tasks for moving an entire brigade combat team from one part of the world to the next. The silver lining to this is sometimes we end up ahead of schedule. Our overall plan had us finishing rail load this week, but we were able to shift that to the left and we finished loading out rail on Friday.
Mr. Will: Very important to me is leadership involvement. Leadership involvement is when you’re at the rail head or if at the container yard and leadership is there to make sure documentation is correct, deficiencies are corrected immediately so we can get the equipment moved out of here on time and efficiently.
Maj. Ward: Just one additional note and that is preparation at the unit level. So, if unit executive officers and unit movement officers and hazmat certifiers are prepared, if they have their stuff squared away prior to executing a deployment, it will lead to success without a doubt.
DTJ: Are there any important points I’ve missed about this deployment that you’d like to highlight?
Maj. Kinninger: Probably one of the other things to highlight is that past deployments have had units deploying into Iraq or Afghanistan, et cetera, for the past 15 years or so. Those deployments were all into a single location, moving through underdeveloped countries. This deployment is different. We’re going into a single location, however we’re moving through very well developed countries, with very set regulations that we will follow in order to accomplish the mission. Working through those has been a challenge, and made this different than other deployments. However, the help that we’ve received from the entire realm of personnel involved has enabled us to really lessen that impact. Even separated by an ocean, our personnel in the 21st TSC, the MCE [Mission Command Element] forward, have really done a great job of helping us work through those unique and different restrictions and make sure that we move through countries properly and still respect their laws and sovereignty. DTJ
WHY NDTA – WHERE ARE WE GOING?
By Robert Sherrill NDTA Northwest Regional President and President, NDTA North Pole Chapter
There are a series of questions that I often ask myself, my board of directors, and consultants to make sure I’m tracking with what NDTA’s membership wants: Are we—and can we be—a viable organization? Is there a paradigm shift that we must embrace? Can I persuade potential new members that NDTA is advantageous to them? Where is the NDTA going at the chapter level? How do you start or restart a chapter, and what does it take to keep one going? How do we get our corporate members’ support at the national level, and have them encourage their personnel to get involved in supporting the chapter level? Many of these very topics also came up for discussion at the most recent meeting of NDTA’s Regional Presidents.
In our globally competitive environment, it is important both as individuals and as an organization to constantly set new goals and objectives in order to improve ourselves and our organization. We simply cannot afford not to take advantage of new opportunities. One way to maintain and enhance skills and knowledge is to take advantage of professional development opportunities that an organization like NDTA provides. My belief is the best way to get more members is by providing professional education and then talking with those who have an interest—expand that benefits discussion to include building relationships, mentoring, community involvement and personal development. As NDTA develops programs of interest, it must also think about how to convey to individuals that our professional development programs will enhance their current and future “kit bag” of connections, personal and professional development.
The Air Force recognized this sentiment in the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff memorandum dated 23 February 2016, Subject: Interaction with Military Associations, “All personnel may enjoy a variety of benefits through their interaction with various military associations and other professional groups. In both the profession of arms and numerous occupational professions, these organizations support, promote, and develop the interest of our Services, as well as military professionalism…
Through the years, military associations have provided numerous forums that foster military professionalism and development. The events are among the tools available to help you develop your people. At both the national and local chapter levels, these organizations also offer a wide variety of services to assist our military members and their families. In addition, these groups work to increase awareness of our mission with the American public and foster strong and mutually beneficial relationships among government, industry and civic leaders.
Military associations represent an important dimension of our country’s strong interest in national defense. Please support involvement with military associations by your personnel in a manner consistent with Department of Defense and Air Force policies.” As NDTA’s meetings have become more educational and forward thinking in its speakers, professional discussions, briefings and roundtables, we’re making great strides in a positive direction. But is that enough? Will the chapter survive and stay viable? I believe it can, but only if it is also viewed as a professional educational organization that expands the potential memberships’ logistics framework by bringing in speak ers, conducting tours, etc.
In Anchorage, Alaska, we have the advantage of three Air Force Wings, an Army Headquarters with nearly two Brigades, full-time Alaska Army National Guard HQ, US Coast Guard Sector of the 17th USCG District, Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Homeland Security, uni
versities and high schools who concentrate on logistics, and the main hub of commercial logistics activities for the entire State of Alaska. I recommend all chapters create a list of possible briefings and tours in their areas—make this a group task by engaging with your board and corporate members to help ensure you’re on the right track to meeting the member’s needs. Having monthly, bi-monthly or even quarterly meetings may meet your chapter’s basic needs and I encourage the push that is the most effective for you. Our chapter has found doing anything in the summer months is not usually supportable, but if something comes up, we try to get “passing through” senior leaders for a briefing or working lunch.
Successful chapter meetings and events take at least one, but preferably two to four individuals who work closely together getting the right venues, getting and maintaining senior leadership support and inviting personnel to see something of potential interest outside of their daily work. It also takes a lot of communicating and not being disappointed when briefings or tours have less participation than you would have desired. Remember, everyone is busy but having targeted briefings and tours that don’t take too much time is absolutely needed. Finding the right day of the week or month that will maximize participation is another key factor.
Whatever you do, be open to new people and ready to make a pitch to become involved. Many of our chapters are aging and need younger members and “new
blood” to get engaged. Often, members are not joining until they see retirement looming and now need to beef up their resume, post their resume through NDTA channels or want to know all the corpo rate members who they may be able to create a relationship with. We must find a way a get to them earlier, keep them as members and hopefully get them actively involved. One idea is for NDTA to look at changing the life membership limitations and be more creative in the financing of membership for potential life members at an earlier age.
Sometimes, just getting the national corporate members creating an atmosphere of encouraging support to the local chapters is all you need. This push has to be initially done by the NDTA headquarters and then the chapters engage those organizations who are local but don’t participate.
Having started and restarted now four chapters, I have a unique blend of experience, leadership, enthusiasm and drive. I believe everyone wants to learn more about logistics, since that is the glue to every successful organization. No matter what professional, organization or trade you are in, logistics plays a major part. As a government employee for the Defense Logistics Agency, a retired Air Force of ficer with over 27 years on active duty and more than four years of commercial air freight experience, I know what might be interesting, I am connected to many people and organizations, and I’m not afraid to put my neck out and ask. Communicating is the key and having board members from commercial industry and senior military consultants, keeps the vectoring in a realistic and positive direction. I also think it helps that I am not in anyone’s chain of command and therefore not a threat to anyone.
But that’s not totally what works in Alaska. With the help of some other enthusiastic logisticians reinvigorating the Logistics Officers Association (LOA) local chapter, Northern Lights, we work closely together providing a broader awareness to all logisticians. While I would like every potential member to be officially in the NDTA, I am not as concerned whether someone joins NDTA as I am of providing professional briefings and/or tours of logistics in action. I need to get them in the door first, then work on becoming a member. My LOA counterparts have been able to get several General Officers to speak and now I have new members looking out for similar opportunities and willing to set up working lunches. We plan various venues, developed mutual calendars, and support each other and I am on their Board of Directors as a consultant. For our commercial members, I get them to sponsor a briefing and/or tour of their facilities which has gone over very well in the past year, with visits to the Port of Anchorage, Carlile Trucking, Lynden Inc. and FedEx
NDTA fosters a unique brand of partnership between private and public enterprise—one found nowhere else in the global transportation, distribution, and government travel industry. We must emphasize and stress those relationships. Our members contribute expertise, experience and resources to enable swift and sure delivery of supplies and services to military forces and government travelers worldwide. They team up with the Department of Defense and other agencies to target the challenges, leverage technology and ensure world-class mission support to the task at hand. Engagement and participation is needed. Showing the value of NDTA membership from networking, personal development, professional education, community involvement and mentoring by building relationships, broadening your network, sharing your knowledge, and staying current on industry trends are part of the value. An area of personal future expansion for me is engaging the local universities and high school logistics programs.
Knowledge and competence in business are vital to success, but with that also comes the people who can help you along the way; help you learn, develop relationships, and build on your successes—engage yourself. Be open and ready when this may occur. Get involved! This engagement will help you meet people, make friends, find mentors, and facilitate future possibilities. Participation in NDTA provides an excellent opportunity to meet those with similar interests, exchange ideas, and expand your horizons. Too often we get caught up in day-to-day aspects of our jobs and forget that increasing our knowledge and developing leadership and management skills takes time and effort. I am giving back to both younger and more experienced logisticians any way I can. Professional development is something we owe ourselves, our peers and subordinates. Often a byproduct is helping others. NDTA can challenge you to make a difference. I have taken the first step, are you ready to take yours? DTJ
Robert Sherrill has 39 years of worldwide logistics experience as an Air Force officer, DOD civilian and commercial air freight salesman. He has a BA in Business from Washington State University and a MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He is currently the NDTA Anchorage North Pole Chapter President and Northwest Regional President as well as an employee of the Defense Logistics Agency who loves his job as the Warfighter Support Representative for Alaska.
E-learning – Online Education and Professional Development
Irvin Varkonyi, Past President, NDTA DC Chapter and Master Instructor, APICS DC Metro ivarkonyi@scopedu.com
Technology has impacted all of our personal and professional lives. Among the greatest impacts have been on the world of learning. E-learning. In its simplest form, E-learning utilizes electronic exchanges which connect learners with content. The variations on E-learning are abundant, but there are two basic types: 1. Asynchronous Learning – Learning not conducted in real time. In this mode, students access content on their own schedule without real time interaction with instructors or students. “Asynchronous learning can be carried out even while the student is offline. Asynchronous e-learning involves coursework delivered via web, email and message boards that are then posted on online forums. In such cases, students ideally complete the course at their own pace, by using the internet merely as a support tool rather than volunteering exclusively for an e-learning software or online interactive classes.” 1 2. Synchronous Learning – Learning is conducted in real time. “Synchronous e-learning involves online studies through chat and videoconferencing. This kind of learning tool is real-time. It is like a virtual classroom which allows students to ask, and teachers to answer questions instantly, through instant messaging, which is why it is called synchronous. Rather than taking lessons alone, students associating themselves with synchronous e-learning software or online courses can easily interact with fellow students and their teachers during the course.” 2
E-learning is both an alternative to traditional brick and mortar learning, as well as a supplement to such learning. Increasingly, technology is used within brick and mortar environments to complement the classroom experience. Forecasts for the future suggest, if not already in place, that hybrid learning between the two will become the standard. Consider the use of Skype or GoToMeeting to conduct synchronous learning with students and instructors located in brick and mortar locations.
BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF E-LEARNING There are benefits and drawbacks with E-learning. Among the benefits are that there are no boundaries or restrictions, it can be more fun, it’s more cost effective and it fits into our busy schedules. Consider as well the enhanced capabilities to offer content through E-learning. When conducted in a synchronous environment, the instructor can bring in guest lecturers regardless of their location to speak to the class virtually. It’s not quite as easy in the fixed location brick and mortar environment. Universities develop expertise and programs in part based on their location such as the George Mason University Schar School of Public Policy.
I am an adjunct at the Schar School teaching at the Arlington location to draw on a wealth of resources in Washington with elected officials, lobbyists and all manner of think tanks. I’m able to call on experts to guest lecture in my Transportation Security class based on the proximity of the school to Washington, DC. By virtual synchronous E-learning, an instructor on the west coast can offer a similar class and make the same experts available.
E-Learning can also offer more fun, incorporating virtual case studies and simulations. Students from different locations can work on case study teams, an opportunity they would not have if the right institution was not located in their home town. And the costs associated with E-learning are less, as the online environments does not come with the fixed costs of brick and mortar facilities. But, there are drawbacks. While many different fields have been adapted, some content is not practical, such as physical skills repairing automobiles. Though mechanics training has virtual learning tools, their environment must contain cars. One could call this hybrid learning. Students are generally alone in an E-learning environment. “Though e-learning offers ease, flexibility and the ability to remotely access a classroom in the student’s own time, learners may feel a sense of isolation. This is because learning online is a solo act for the most part, which may give the learner the feeling that they are acting completely alone. As technology progresses and Elearning benefits from the advancements being made, learners can now engage more actively with professors or other students using tools such as video conferencing, social media, and discussion forums amongst others.” 3 There can also be health concerns. Are we spending too much in front of devices, straining eyes and our posture? Are we losing confidence and ability to deal with human beings in a face to face environment? This is beyond the scope of this article, but there is concern about learning, work and personal relationships morphing into a continuous electronic loop.
ONLINE MODELS There are a variety of online models and course availability, “Coursera is a hub for universities that choose to offer online classes through its platform for free. Already, companies and corporations spanning the globe accept certificates of completion of classes offered in Coursera as valid credits, as if they had been completed at the university of origin.” 4 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have swept through universities and professional development institutions. “A massive open online course (MOOC /mu:k/) is an online course aimed at unlimited
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE These corporations are a distinctive group of NDTA Members who, through their generous support of the Association, have dedicated themselves to supporting an expansion of NDTA programs to benefit our members and defense transportation preparedness.
AAR CORP. + PLUS Agility Defense & Government Services + PLUS AIT Worldwide Logistics, Inc. + PLUS American President Lines, Ltd. + PLUS American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier + PLUS Amtrak + PLUS Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings + PLUS Bennett Motor Express, LLC + PLUS Boyle Transportation, Inc. + PLUS Concur Technologies, Inc. + PLUS Crane Worldwide Logistics, LLC + PLUS Crowley Maritime Corp. + PLUS FedEx + PLUS Final Mile Logistics + PLUS Freeman Holdings Group + PLUS Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC + PLUS Innovative Logistics, LLC + PLUS Intermarine, LLC - US Ocean + PLUS International Auto Logistics + PLUS Interstate Moving | Relocation | Logistics + PLUS Landstar System, Inc. + PLUS Leidos + PLUS Liberty Global Logistics-Liberty Maritime + PLUS Maersk Line, Limited + PLUS National Air Cargo + PLUS Norfolk Southern Corporation + PLUS Omni Air International + PLUS Panalpina World Transport Ltd. + PLUS Schuyler Line Navigation Company LLC + PLUS Senator International Freight Forwarding LLC + PLUS TOTE, Inc. + PLUS United Airlines + PLUS Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. + PLUS Western Global Airlines + PLUS
Best Western International BNSF Railway Bristol Associates CEVA Logistics Choice Hotels International CSX Transportation Echo Global Logistics, Inc. Global Logistics Providers LLC International Shipholding Corporation La Quinta Inns & Suites Matson Navigation Company Inc. National Air Carrier Association Portus
R & R Trucking Raith Engineering & Mfg. Co. W.L.L. SAIC The Pasha Group U.S. Bank Union Pacific Railroad UPS
ALL OF THESE FIRMS SUPPORT THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF NDTA
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
1-800-PACK-RAT AAT Carriers, Inc. ABF Freight System, Inc. ABF Logistics Accenture Federal Services Admiral Merchants Motor Freight, Inc. Air Transport International, Inc. Airlines for America Al-Hamd International Container Terminal American Group LLC American Maritime Officers American Moving & Storage Association American Trucking Associations Army & Air Force Exchange Service Arven Freight Forwarding Arven Services, LLC Associated Global Systems Atlas World Group International ATS Specialized, Inc. Avis Budget Group aVolt Incorporated Baggett Transportation Company Benchmarking Partners, Inc. Bertling Logistics Inc. Boeing Company Bollore Logistics BOSS Engineered Logistics C.L. Services, Inc. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Chalich Trucking, Inc. Coyote Logistics, LLC CWT SatoTravel DAMCO Daybreak Express DHL Express Eagle Freight, LLC Engility Corporation Enterprise Holdings Erickson Incorporated Estes Forwarding Worldwide, LLC Europcar Car & Truck Rental Eurpac Evanhoe & Associates, Inc. Executive Moving Systems, Inc. Extended Stay America Hotels FlightSafety International GE Aviation General Dynamics/American Overseas Marine GeoDecisions Greatwide Truckload Management Green Valley Transportation Corp. Hanjin Intermodal America, Inc. Hertz Corporation Hilton Worldwide Hybrid Enterprises IBM Institute of Hazardous Materials Management Intercomp Company Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), AFL-CIO International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Keystone Shipping Co. KGL Holding KROWN1 FZC Kuehne + Nagel, Inc. LMI Logistic Dynamics, Inc. Manufacturing Skill Standards Council Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association Marriott International Martin Logistics Incorporated Mayflower Transit McCollister’s Transportation Systems, Inc. Mercer Transportation Company Meridian Global Consulting LLC National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. National Van Lines, Inc. Northern Air Cargo Inc. Omega World Travel Omnitracs, LLC One Network Enterprises, Inc. Oracle ORBCOMM Panther Premium Logistics PGL Pilot Freight Services PODS Port of Beaumont Port of San Diego Ports America Pratt & Whitney Preferred Systems Solutions, Inc. Prestera Trucking, Inc. Priority Solutions International Priority Worldwide Services Ramar Transportation, Inc. Roadrunner Transportation Systems Sabre Travel Network Savi SBA Global Logistic Services Scotlynn USA Division, Inc. Seafarers International Union of NA , AGLIW Sealed Air Corporation Sealift, Inc. Secured Land Transport SEKO Logistics Skylease 1, Inc. Southwest Airlines Teradata Corporation Textainer Equipment
Management (U.S.) Limited Transcor Transportation Institute Transportation Intermediaries Assn. (TIA) Travelport Tri-State Motor Transit Co. (TSMT) TSA Transportation LLC TTX Company Tucker Company Worldwide, Inc. United Van Lines, Inc. USA Jet Airlines USA Truck, Inc. Volga Dnepr Airlines Women In Trucking Association, Inc. XPO Logistics – Supply Chain
REGIONAL PATRONS
ACME Truck Line Advantage Rent A Car Agile Defense, Inc. Alaska Marine Lines Alaska West Express Amyx C5T Corporation CakeBoxx Technologies Cargo Experts Corp. Cartwright International Cavalier Logistics Ceres Terminals Incorporated CGM-NV a NovaVision Company Chassis King, Inc. Columbia Helicopters, Inc. Dalko Resources, Inc. DB Schenker DPRA, Inc. DTI Enterprise Management Systems HLI Government Services JAS Forwarding John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences Kalitta Charters, LLC Kansas City Southern Lineage Logistics LMJ International Logistics, LLC MacGregor USA, Inc. Madison Hospitality MCR Federal, LLC mLINQS Move One Logistics Naniq Global Logistics LLC NFI NJVC Oakwood Worldwide Overdrive Logistics, Inc. Overwatch, Inc. (a division of Avalon Risk Management) Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Patriot Contract Services, LLC Philadelphia Regional Port Authority PITT OHIO Port Canaveral Port of Port Arthur Radisson Resort At The Port Reckart Logistics, Inc. RST Freight Seatac Marine Services Staybridge Suites McLean-Tysons Corner Hotel TechGuard Security Tennessee Steel Haulers Trans Global Logistics Europe GmbH Wapack Labs Corporation YRC Freight
CHAPTER NEWS SJV Chapter Gives Back
By Terri Dalton
San Joaquin Valley Chapter, NDTA, hosted their annual Christmas Party on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at Chez Shari in Manteca, CA. This night was filled with delicious food and great networking. Most of all, it was a night of giving back to our community. We collected unwrapped toys for the Marine Corp’s Toys for Tots and blankets/ socks for St. Mary’s Interfaith Services who serve the homeless and less fortunate in the local area. DHL provided the transportation in delivering the donations for these organizations the day after the party. These generous contributions will provide warmth and happiness during this holiday season.
Three local carriers were recognized for their continuous generosity to the San Joaquin Valley Chapter during 2016 including Pilot Freight Services, Cargo Inc (dba Ready Transportation, Available Shippers, Prompt Shippers), and Freight Solution Providers. Thank you so kindly to all who support our Chapter and continue to make us successful! DTJ
their failure to meet performance goals.
To ensure transparency and to build increased partnering opportunities with Installation Transportation Officers (ITO) and Transportation Service Providers, SDDC released a Carrier/Customer advisory on November 14, 2016 (CA-16-11/14-0106) detailing the new evaluation process. Interest in the program was positive and the ITOs and TSPs were provided the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft program documents via SDDC’s Docketing System.
Because performance measures are only useful when based on credible and timely data, SDDC’s primary anticipated challenge is ensuring ITOs enter accurate information into CPM. TSPs can calculate their own performance scores by monitoring their shipments and viewing performance information in CPM for their respective Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC).
By raising the performance standards of all TSPs, the new program will help ensure the DOD meets its operational and sustainment requirements whether at war or in times of peace. DTJ
Cont’d from Prof. Devel. pg. 27
participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive user forums to support community interactions among students, professors, and teaching assistants (TAs). MOOCs are a recent and widely researched development in distance education which were first introduced in 2008 and emerged as a popular mode of learning in 2012.” 5
LEARNING VS. TRAINING In this article, we have applied the Elearning model in any environment where learning is taking place. It is important to note an additional characteristic of ELearning is that it can be applied to both learning knowledge, as well as training to acquire skills. “It’s important to understand the difference between learning and training. Of course they are inextricably linked, but they are unique aspects of any educational process. Training is the giving of information and knowledge, through speech, the written word or other methods of demonstration in a manner that instructs the trainee. Learning is the process of absorbing that information in order to increase skills and abilities and make use of it under a variety of contexts.” 6 My transition from the world of logistics into instruction has given me experience in both learning and training environments. I am an adjunct faculty member at American Military University, University of Denver and George Mason University where I teach in undergraduate and graduate programs, leading toward bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I also teach in a training environment offering professional development instruction with APICS, which offers credential courses in supply chain management. My classes include brick and mortar environment, exclusive online and hybrid. Online teaching gives me flexibility in my location and the time I have during the week to teach. This is a great advantage. The brick and mortar environment, such as NDTA’s annual Transportation Academy at the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall meeting, appeals to me a great deal. But, it is a requirement to attend them in person. Perhaps the future will see a virtual Transportation Academy. DTJ
30 | Defense Transportation Journal | FEBRUARY 2017 1 “Asynchronous E-Learning Vs. Synchronous E-Learning.” Mindflash, https://www. mindflash.com/elearning/asynchronoussynchronous/. Accessed 24 January 2017. 2 “Asynchronous E-Learning Vs. Synchronous E-Learning.” Mindflash, https://www. mindflash.com/elearning/asynchronoussynchronous/. Accessed 24 January 2017. 3 “The benefits and drawbacks of online learning.” Talentlms, https://www.talentlms. com/elearning/benefits-and-drawbacks-ofonline-learning. Accessed 24 January 2017. 4 “Can we learn online by utilizing e-Learning tools?” Talentlms, https://www.talentlms.com/ elearning/can-we-learn-online. Accessed 24 January 2017. 5 Pappano, Laura. “The Year of the MOOC.” The New York Times 2 November 2012. www.nytimes.com 24 January 2017. 6 “Learning vs. Training, what is the difference?” Talentlms, https://www.talentlms.com/elearning/ learning-vs-training. Accessed 24 January 2017.
DTJ INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
American President Lines, Ltd................... Cover 3 American Roll-on Rolll-0ff Carrier (ARC).... Cover 2 Bennett Motor Express, LLC................................9 Evanhoe & Associates, Inc.................................23 FedEx Government Services...................... Cover 4 Landstar Transportation Logistics, Inc. ................3 Maersk Line, Limited ..........................................4 Tote ..................................................................13
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