CIFFA 2024 Fall Forwarder

12 THE FORWARDER | FALL 2024 • Effective November 30, the Office of the B.C. Container Trucking Commissioner (OBCCTC) has cancelled all container trucking services (CTS) licences for carriers that provide dray services to and from B.C. ports. As of December 1, new licences for the two-year period ending on November 30, 2026, will be issued to applicants. (The application period closed on August 6.) Half of the 1,550 truck tags will be issued to independent operators, the other half to company trucks. Applicants are ranked based on CTS experience and compliance, as well as truck readiness. • Much of the committee’s discussion focuses on driver experiences at rail terminals , particularly in the Toronto area, and engagement with the railways to improve those experiences. Freight Brokers Committee – Co-Chairs Tim Drake, Gary Nicholson • The committee met a couple of days ahead of the strike/ lockout deadline in the negotiations between CN/CPKC and their labour union and discussed potential impacts on freight brokers and the industry as a whole. Trucking prices were rising in anticipation of the work stoppage, and the pre-lockout staged network shutdown had already created a week’s backup on some products. The committee expectation was that the federal government would be forced to intervene after just a few days without rail service. • Committee members finalized a new load broker service agreement , which has since been posted in the Resources section of CIFFA’s website . It is available only to members. Seafreight Committee – Chair Martin Schultz • Committee members discussed the possibility of work stoppages at the Port of Montreal, the B.C. ports and the U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports, as well as Air Canada. • Reported dwell times at both the Port of Montreal and the Port of Vancouver are down. • New port improvement fees are being seen at some marine terminals, charged on behalf of carriers that are required to pay these fees to the ports. Sustainability Committee – Chair Christina Fisker • The Sustainability Committee is finalizing a white paper on social sustainability, the second in a series of three blueprint documents. Technology Committee – Chair Marc Bibeau • The committee has narrowed down its choices for the topic of its next white paper . • It is also planning one or more webinars based on – and expanding on – the content of its most recently published paper, Unlocking the Potential. An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and its Potential Use in Logistics. If you are interested in joining any of the national committees, please send your request to either admin@ciffa.com or the Regional Chair for your area, whose contact details can be found in the National Board of Directors listing on the CIFFA website. If you are interested in joining any of the national committees, please send your request to either admin@ciffa.com or the Regional Chair for your area, whose contact details can be found in the National Board of Directors listing on the CIFFA website. Sharing data today creates faster turn times tomorrow. The Port of Vancouver has some of the best truck turn times in North America. Thanks to the Port’s Truck Licensing System, GPS data is tracked allowing for efficient transport and reduced wait times. This is one delivery of the Port of Vancouver’s Connect+ program. portvancouver.com