91ÊÓƵ

December 1, 1999 9:54 AM, EST

Top transportation officers of the military, in a groundbreaking meeting with American Trucking Associations, agreed to work with the industry on legislative and regulatory issues and to try to resolve long-festering problems.

The federal government, and the Department of Defense in particular, are among trucking’s biggest customers. The U.S. military tenders $4 billion in freight annually, half of it hauled by trucks, but the two sides have not been the best of business friends in recent years.

Some motor carriers claim the Pentagon has turned a deaf ear to the cost of providing service, especially for hauling munitions. Military transportation officials counter that carriers have blind-sided them with changes in service and rates and have resisted implementation of money-saving ideas. Both sides say that military staff turnover and poor communications have hindered efforts to deal with problems.

Now there are signs that the relationship may be on the mend.

For the full story, see the Nov. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. .