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September 1, 1999 11:54 AM, EDT

SAN FRANCISCO — The leader of the nation’s largest shippers’ group is calling for a trade-off between the railroad and trucking industries. In exchange for railroad support of heavier big rigs, trucking companies would move more freight on intermodal lines.

That was a concept Ed Emmett, president of the National Industrial Transportation League, threw out during his keynote speech at the annual conference for the Intermodal Association of North America.

“It would increase revenue and intermodal movement,” he told the audience Aug. 23.

His comments are the latest in a series of speeches on railroad and truck issues, reflecting the league’s increased emphasis on surface transportation now that its five-year battle to deregulate ocean shipping is largely won.

“Now that the Ocean Shipping Reform Act is done, we’re looking for something to do,” Emmett said, building on a theme signaled at NITL’s annual meeting in November and repeated during a National Press Club speech in July (7-5, p. 20).

For the full story, see the August 30 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.