Corporate News

PLC Sales Managers and Executives will be attending the upcoming WIN Sales Conference in Madrid Spain, May 22-24, 2013. The conference is intended to help further international Sales development and cooperation between all member companies and countries. The Worldwide Independent Network – WIN – is comprised of 71 independent forwarding and logistics companies from all continents fully committed to freight management and the provision of worldwide total supply chain solutions.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released its final hours-of-service (HOS) rule. Below you will find a brief summary that describes the main provisions of the new HOS rule.

11 Hours Driving Limit Kept:

The rule holds truck drivers’ daily driving limit at 11 hours, instead of the 10 hours that was proposed in FMCSA’s original rule proposal that was released in 2010. FMCSA concluded that adequate and reasonable grounds under the Administrative Procedure Act for adopting a new regulation on this issue do not exist and that the current driving limit should therefore be allowed to stand.

60/70 Limits:

Like the 11 Hour Driving limits, the 60 and 70-hour limits were left unchanged by FMCSA.

34-Hour Restart Changes:

FMCSA did retain the portion of the proposed rulemaking that restricts the use of the 34-hour restart provision to one time a week. But it adjusted the parameters from the proposed rulemaking somewhat. The proposed rulemaking required truckers to include two consecutive 12 midnight to 6 a.m. rest periods. The final rule narrows the rest window by two hours, requiring the two nights include 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods.

Breaks:

The new rule also states that truck drivers cannot drive after working eight hours without first taking a break of at lest 30 minutes. Drives can take the 30-minute break whenever they need rest during the eight-hour window.

Compliance Dates:

The on-duty rule changes took effect on February 27, 2012. On July 1, 2013, the 34-hour restart change and the rest break rule will come into effect.

PLC’s Claims Ratio for 2012 was .011% which is just over 1/10 of one-percent. These stellar numbers are a direct result of our efforts to insulate our client’s freight within an enclosed network as much as possible. PLC limits the number of touches and runs most shipments on a D-D basis. Strict regimens are in place and are part of base protocol in order to limit shortages and damages.

New CARB regulations took effect on January 1, 2013. To show the California Air Resources Board is serious about the new rules, they fined an unnamed Ontario CA trucking company $300,000 for non-compliance. Among the new rules: Low-Rolling resistance tires, Aerodynamic Side skirts and fairings, and the measuring of Low Emission output in older engines. PLC is proud to say that our company is in full compliance and has no such issues at this time. We take this as a very serious matter and give it the necessary attention always.

2012 proved to be another solid year for the PLC family of companies. Our revenues showed double-digit growth for the fourteenth straight year. Gains in all sectors, and across all divisions, helped push revenue up nearly 24%. Positive numbers came from new stations that opened in cities such as Detroit, Miami, San Francisco, and Tampa. However, the Year-over-Year numbers increased for the longstanding domestic and international divisions as well.

Negotiators reached a tentative deal to end the strike that has hobbled the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for more than a week. The strike began Nov. 27 as the clerical workers’ union voiced frustration about shipping line employers outsourcing jobs, an accusation the harbor Employers Association has denied. The strike shut down 10 of the 14 cargo container terminals at the nation’s busiest seaport complex while 20 ships had been diverted to other ports, including Oakland and Ensenada. Other ships sat anchored offshore while waiting for a resolution to the labor dispute.

New regulations from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in the USA that take effect on January 1, 2013, have prompted warnings for transportation brokers and freight forwarders, in particular. From that date, any company that arranges, hires, contracts for, or dispatches reefer-equipped trucks, tractor trailers, shipping containers, or rail cars for the transport of perishable goods on CA highways or railways must verify that the carrier is using a CARB-compliant container. The requirement applies to brokers and forwarders irrespective of where their actual business is located. Penalties of US$1,000 per breach will apply.

PLC’s domestic base continued to grow today with the addition of 3 franchise stations. Located in Detroit MI, Miami / Fort Lauderdale FL, and San Francisco CA, it is expected these three will continue to bolster our service capability in these strategic markets. Each station brings industry experienced personnel who count decades of service amongst them.

PLC is proud to announce that its asset-based, trucking division has earned the status of “Preferred Carrier” with Williams-Sonoma, Inc. PLC Expedited “PLCX” has earned this distinction due to its service regimens and dedicated lane segment routes. The PLCX division will be responsible for carrying key Williams-Sonoma loads on behalf of the parent company and their retail stores.

PLC is proud to announce the opening of a new agency station in Tampa, FL. The TPA group consists of Roger and Sue Bouws, and staff. These are seasoned, industry professionals who have 25+ years each in the freight forwarding community. Roger and Sue most recently worked with Distribution By Air and the Radiant Group for the past nine years. This station will be well positioned to help PLC continue to grow in the domestic and international markets!