partners throughout the industrybecome
family.
As agencies upgrade andmodernize
their systems, labor costs have increased
as employees need to learn, practice
andbecome proficient using thesenew
systems. Permitting companies can
recoup some of these costs on the back
end if thenew systems are properly
designed and are truly time-savers. In
some states, automationdesigned to save
time does the exact opposite. Rejection
of the applicationdue to theneed for an
engineer review adds time to thewait
period for the permit tobe issued.
Computer programs canonlyprovide
routes basedon the variables provided.
As an example, itwouldbe impossible
fully automate theNYCDepartment
of Transportation’s routingbecause the
variables change sooften that a route
survey is good for less than sevendays.
Automation in the permitting and
routing systems canonlybe a tool to
assist the process. In this instance,man
will not be replacedby amachine.
Acceptable to dead end
The same factors that limit automation
in theNYCDOT jurisdiction limit
thenotionof “local permits” aswell.
Conditions can turn an acceptable route
into adead end in aheartbeat. Some
infrastructure is sobadlydeteriorated
that a structure that is safe one day
is declaredoff limits thenext.With
thousands of such structures, how can
youkeep accurate routing information in
a computer database? Whowill update
the status of constructionprojects?
Wehave seen computer-generated
information that is outdatedbymonths,
and even years.
There is no substitute for aproperly
executed route surveyperformedwithin
GUEST COMMENT
MaureenMandich
discusses the advantages of using
the right permitting services company.
Choose
wisely
M
otor carriers should rely
onpermitting services
to expedite theirmoves
to give themselves the opportunity to
maximize their profitabilityon every
job. You could let a kitchen chef do an
oil change or let amechanic cook ameal
for 20people, butwhynot set yourself up
for success?Why give the responsibility
for one of themost important aspects
of your haul to someonewhoprobably
could get the jobdone, but atwhat cost?
Using the best suitedpersonor
company for the job at handhelps avoid
unexpected costs anddelays. TheNew
YorkCitymetropolitan area is aperfect
example of the practicalityof dealing
with aprofessional permitting company.
In this highly congested area, there are
definitiveneeds for permits, surveys,
escorts and the police.
Often, these requirements are
necessary from several different agencies
anddepartments that have different
rules, regulations and times of travel
restrictions.
Once a trucking companyunderstands
theneed for using a respectedpermitting
company, especially in amajor
metropolitan area, it canbegin to enjoy
the returnon investment. Companies
likeNewYorkTruckEscorts&Permits
haveunprecedentedknowledge of this
business.
Our coremission is not tobe the
largest ormost profitable, but the
easiest andmost reliable company to
deal with. This is the type of company
you should strive toworkwith.Wewant
the jobswe are associatedwith tobe as
efficient andprofitable as possible. Look
for a company that has the desire to
build a lastingpartnership. For our
company andour personal touch,
clients become friends andour
APRIL 2014
ACT
21
days of amove.Negative changes can
impact routing in amatter of hours.
The biggest obstacles are resistance
to change, distrust of government
agendas andpure economics. Recent and
pendingdevelopments in terms of safety,
accountability and compliancewithinour
industryhave tobe embraced, whether
we agreewith themor not.We doour
best, through the tools at our disposal,
to let our opinions beheard and tooffer
input for creating constructive change.
We relyon the SC&RA tohelp get the
carriers’ point of view acrosswhenpolicy
change is inevitable. The influence of the
SC&RA gives us a better chance tobe
listened to andheard.
But ultimately, it’s often government
income sources that drive legislation.
As state and federal revenues dwindle,
enforcement of regulations increase. As
the amount of fines incurred increases,
compliance increases. Economics
determineswhether youpurchase a
necessarypermit or roll the dice and
hope you arenot the onewho gets
caught.
Whenhaulingoversized loads, it’s
important tounderstandwhatwill be
required to execute the haul so that all
costs canbe included in the bid. Take the
time toprovide your chosenpermitting
companywith all the information you
have to assure that there areno surprises.
The advice is free; the savings couldbe
significant.One call gets your trucks
rolling in the right direction.
■
MaureenMandich
is president of
New York Truck Escorts&Permits, a
Minority BusinessWomen Enterprise.
She is also president of Rans Logistics
and serves on the SC&RAPilot Car/
Escort Committee.
