Page 14 - ATR 2 2013

News iN brief,
Continued from page 13

PaIrING UP for PrImarIES recent legislative session, has hinted another TCP partner.
Former Democratic Congressman that he may run against Hutchinson. Dutro also noted that smaller car-
Mike Ross will run for governor of riers tend to rely on brokers more often
Arkansas next year, sparking what carrIErS LoSING coNTroL To than larger carriers as they have lower
promises to be a hotly contested pri- brokErS lane density and marketing staff. “The
mary against former Lt. Governor Bill A recent survey by consulting firm importance of brokers to smaller carriers
Halter, who has also announced his Transport Capital Partners (TCP) found is often significant, although we seldom
candidacy for the Democratic nomi- the percent of carriers relying on brokers hear of rate levels that are adequate to
nation. Political insiders give Ross an for freight doubled between August 2012 sustain a carrier,” he explained. “Often
early edge in the race. A center-right and February 2013, from 16 percent to it is a case of a little can help but too
Democrat, Ross is known for his gen- 35 percent. much can be deadly.”
erally conservative political views. “Freight brokers continue to provide
Halter, more the populist Democrat, is loads that improve asset utilization and LIkE aN oPEN book TEST?
generally credited with proposing an efficiency as customer demand fluctu- The Federal Motor Carriers Safety
Arkansas lottery with proceeds going to ates,” said Steven Dutro, a TCP partner, Administration’s (FMCSA) attempt to
fund college scholarships. pointing out that brokerage spot market appease concerns on who can test driv-
Former Congressman and freight still amounts for less than 5 per- ers for a commercial driver’s license
Assistant Director of Homeland cent of volumes for almost 50 percent of (CDL) may be going too far.
Security Asa Hutchinson, a practic- the carriers participating in TCP’s first The agency’s recently amended
ing attorney and more recently named quarter 2013 business survey — which is final rule on Commercial Driver’s
by the National Rifle Association to roughly the same amount compared to License Testing and Commercial
study how to improve security at public February 2012, traditionally one of the Learner’s Permit Standards provides
schools, announced he will seek the highest quarters of broker service usage. that “CDL training schools may test
Republican nomination for governor. “The first quarter has a lower their own student applicants only so
Arkansas Speaker of the House Davy freight demand and this leads to idle long as an individual examiner does
Carter, a 30-something Republican trucks chasing scarcer loads, with spot not administer the skills test to drivers
banker and attorney from Cabot who market rates represented by brokers he or she has trained.”
received high marks for his work in the declining,” added Richard Mikes,
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14 arkansas Trucking rePorT | issue 2 2013