Inside this Issue Selecting a TMS Provider • 10 MMS Wins Two Awards at NPF • 14 Parsing SPP Changes to Contracts • 16 Carrying the Torch
8521 Leesburg Pike, Suite 350, Vienna, Virginia 22182 • Toll Free 1-866-543-1661 • (202) 543-1661 • www.nsrmca.org Copyright 2023, National Star Route Mail Contractors Association All rights reserved. No part of this monthly publication may be reproduced – either wholly or in part – without the express permission of the copyright holder. National Executive Board Member at Large Tony Davis Davis Mail Services (844) 864-1767 [email protected] Member at Large Vacant Position to be filled at National Convention. John Sheehy President Glanta, Inc. (920) 202-5086 [email protected] Eastern Region Vice President Richard Jubb W&L Mail Service, Inc. (434) 736-0036 [email protected] Managers PNT - George Rood (330) 502-2023 [email protected] LDT - Lisa McAbee (864) 491-3576 [email protected] CDS - Vacant Central Region Vice President Larry Stough Sodrel Truck Lines (812) 282-7941 [email protected] Managers PNT - Tom Brandtner [email protected] LDT - Terry Leckel [email protected] CDS - Paul Millan [email protected] Suzan Porter Vice President C Blackburn, Inc. (845) 756-2261 [email protected] Jami Sweeney Secretary-Treasurer Katlyn, Inc. (301) 643-0212 [email protected] Southern Region Vice President Jeff Lepak Louis V. Lepak Trucking Co., Inc. (405) 236-0944 [email protected] Managers PNT - Ed Zengel, Jr. [email protected] LDT - Tony Davis [email protected] CDS - Cindy LoRusso [email protected] Western Region Vice President Mark Matheson Matheson Trucking, Inc. (916) 685-2330 [email protected] Managers PNT - Jack Khudikyan [email protected] LDT - Dan Rackley [email protected] CDS - Randy Weber [email protected] Caribbean Region Vice President Whesley Sepulveda SN Transport Inc. (787) 564-1444 [email protected] Northeast Region Vice President Richard Salanger Salanger Trucking LLC (315) 422-8867 [email protected] Managers PNT - Dwayne Andreasen [email protected] LDT - Kalib Carmichael [email protected] CDS - Jim Jennings [email protected] 2 NSRMCA
Editorial Managing Editor: Cameron Ayers Staff Writer: Landon Stamper Production Layout: Cameron Ayers Printing/Distribution: Heritage Printing Photography Cover/Back/Feature: Joel Keen July 2023 • Volume 74 Number 7 CONTENTS 6 10 From the Executive Director 4 Musings, Mail and Mountain Air 6 Contractors: Focus on TMS Priorities, Not Gadgets When Selecting Provider 10 MMS Secures Two Awards at NPF 14 Parsing SPP Changes to the Standard Terms and Conditions in Contracts David Hendel 16 NSRMCA Rewind 18 Upcoming Events 20 DOE Fuel Indexes 24 President’s Perspective John Sheehy 26 CPI-W: CDS Contractor Index 30 JULY 2023 3
Dear Star Carrier Readers, This issue will be received just before the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association hosts its 84th Annual National Convention — a remarkable achievement of durability and continuity. An achievement, however, that is also dwarfed by some Postal Service transportation suppliers that have been in business for approximately 100 years. The routine of summer national conventions and the relative stability of postal transportation over the years makes it easy to take for granted how much has changed since NSRMCA hosted its first convention in 1939. Here are a few reminders: • There were approximately 131 million people living in the United States, but neither Alaska nor Hawaii had been admitted as states. • The population of California (6.6 million) was smaller than Pennsylvania (9.9 million) and Ohio (6.8 million), which now pale in comparison. • Detroit, Michigan teemed with more people than Los Angeles, California. • The price of a stamp was 3 cents. • World War II had not yet visited the shores of America. • The interstate highway system had yet to be established. NSRMCA has changed too, and even more change lays ahead. It starts with the election of a new national president and several board positions. This election is a big deal, particularly with so much change taking place. While the association’s structure retains a lot of history and reflects its egalitarian commitment to grassroots participation — the delegate-based system is, at the very least, unique — the presidency and board remain important, influential positions. The president shapes strategy and the association’s relationship with the Postal Service. Board participation creates opportunities to work with the Postal Service to address industry issues collaboratively and constructively. The future of the association and of this industry will be shaped by those who participate. NSRMCA is counting on committed, forward-thinking suppliers to seize the opportunity. And so is the Postal Service. Sincerely, Gregory Reed From the Executive Director Gregory R. Reed [email protected] (202) 543-1661 4 NSRMCA
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Musings, Mail and Mountain Life im Jennings knows his mail routes pretty well by this point. Of course, that tends to happen when you’ve been doing something for 45 years. Jennings is a CDS contractor in Long Lake, New York, located in the Adirondack Mountains. A fourthgeneration supplier, Jennings’s family has delivered mail in the Long Lake area since the 1870s. That legacy is a point of pride for him as he has carried the torch for decades; he accepted a local contract from his dad in 1978 and has been at it ever since. “I’ve enjoyed doing it and it’s made a good life for us, other than having to work Saturdays most of the time, but that’s always been the case,” he said. N.Y. Born and Raised Jennings was born and raised in Long Lake, living there By Landon Stamper Jim Jennings stands beside his delivery vehicle outside the Raquette Lake post office, near his beloved community of Long Lake. (Photo by Joel Keen) Jennings Reflects on Legacy After 45 Years of Delivery J 6 NSRMCA
Jennings leans on a dropbox during a stopoff in Raquette Lake, N.Y. (Photo by Joel Keen) for the vast majority of his life. “I’ve been away a couple of different times, but always came back,” he said. “The mountains always spoke to me, so we’d always come back here.” A small town of around 350, Long Lake residents get used to being remote, Jennings explained. Almost everything, from shopping to specialty doctors, is two hours away. The town is also known as a tourist attraction, especially in the summertime. From a young age, Jennings was exposed to the postal contracting world. He described riding with his father to pick up mail in the morning and falling asleep on the mailbags in the back of the truck. Their working relationship continued even after Jennings accepted his first contract; the elder Jennings continued to drive for his son until 1997. Today, Jennings said his days are “pretty well standardized.” He gets to work around 9 a.m. and returns home around 2 p.m. He delivers to an estimated 100 houses each day; he knows almost all of them because he’s been at it for so long. Asked about his favorite parts of the job, Jennings said it’s when someone comes out and thanks him for what he does. “It’s good to hear those kinds of comments,” he said. “I’ve had people call me up and thank me for putting the package on their porch, which is part of the job anyway, but they don’t think it is. You get your complaints too, but they’re few and far between. I think the people that know me appreciate me pretty well.” Jennings Mail Service holds five contracts, although its had up to 11 over the years. For contractors looking to pick up more routes, Jennings offered a piece of advice. “Don’t bid a contract just to get it, or else you’ll never make any money,” he said. “That’s what I used to do at first until I started saying, well, I don’t need [the contract], but if I get it, I want to make money at it. So, that’s helped me a lot with some of them.” Jennings also noted that he doesn’t bid on contracts outside of his immediate area for one reason: if someone needs a fill-in, he wants to do it himself. “That’s just a philosophy I’ve had that I don’t want to hire continued on page 8 JULY 2023 7
Mountain Air Continued Number of employees: 5 Number of vehicles: 7 Number of Postal Service contracts: 5 Service locations: Adirondack Mountains/New York state Miles Driven Per Year: 115,000 Fast Facts somebody else to run my contracts as far as overseeing them; I want to be the one that they call and contact,” Jennings explained. Historical Musings Since Jennings’ family has such deep ties to the mail in Long Lake, the area’s historical society asked him to put together a presentation on the matter. While diving into the required research, Jennings found out some things that he never knew. “I thought it was pretty interesting that my greatgrandfather delivered mail by horseback from here to Port Henry,” Jennings said. “Port Henry’s a town on Lake Champlain about 60 miles away in a car nowadays. I’m pretty sure that the horse trail’s the same trail that road is on because it’s a windy road, and I do that twice a week.” The contractor said he’s glad society has evolved from that because “I don’t think I’d be wanting to ride a horse nowadays.” Jennings actually stepped away a bit from contracting in the early 2000s for something a bit different: snowmobiling. From 2001 to 2009, he served as the executive director of the New York State Snowmobile Association, which had over 65,000 members. During that time, he kept his contracts, but hired others to work them. But like most contractors, he couldn’t stay away for long. “It was good to get away, but great to come back,” he said. Jennings has long been an avid snowmobiler, but said it’s tapered down the last few years. These days, he said he mostly sticks to riding on his own property. “I’m getting older, and aches and pains are coming quicker and quicker all the time,” he remarked. Uncertain Future Being in the industry as long as he has, Jennings is closer to the end of his career than the start of it. When his current contracts come up for bid, Jennings said he isn’t sure if he’ll renew them. While he’s encouraged his employees to bid on routes for themselves when they come up, he said they’d rather work for him. Along that same line, Jennings noted that it’s getting more and more difficult to meet USPS vehicle requirements and smaller vans can be hard to come by, particularly now that some manufacturers have stopped producing right-hand drive vehicles. His family legacy may also be coming to an end soon. Jennings’ brother, who recently retired, held seven contracts in the Glens Falls/Chestertown area of New York. Jennings’ nephew took on some of his father’s contracts, while also holding some of his own. However, he might be the last. “I know none of my kids are interested in doing this job,” he said. “I don’t know if any of my nephew’s kids would be either; I kind of doubt it. So, this might be the end of an era coming up here.” 8 NSRMCA
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When selecting a TMS provider, contractors suggest you focus on EDI and GPS functionality. (Photo by ipopba, courtesy of iStockphoto.com) Contractors: Focus on TMS Priorities, Not Gadgets When Selecting Provider By Landon Stamper Transportation management systems (TMS) have been heavily discussed in the postal contracting world as of late, but if you’re new to fleet management software, they can also be a bit intimidating. Hundreds of companies provide TMS services, offering a dizzying array of optional add-ons, customization options and contractual terms. If you’re just now starting to learn about TMS — possibly spurred on by USPS’s adoption of it for the CLEAR transition — you likely have a lot of questions. So, we spoke to some contractors with answers. “I know there [are] some folks that [are] a little confused...” said Chris Hartfelder, who handles IT at JenBar Trucking. “They’re like, ‘Well, what’s TMS? Why do we need that?’ And I’m [saying] it’s not the hardware, it’s not the GPS tracking, but it’s kind of that magic sauce in the middle.” Keep It Simple One of the most common suggestions was to get a system that’s no more involved than you actually need. The TMS Transition 10 NSRMCA
other contractors. He set up meetings with several TMS companies to learn about their products and how they work to make the best decision for HiPro. “The more articles you read and the more people you talk to, you just sort of start getting it,” he said. One point Stoneback emphasized was asking all of the companies the same exact questions with no variance. That way, “you’re giving everyone the same frame of reference, the same perspective on these questions. So, you can compare as best you can, apples to apples.” Hartfelder remarked that it’s important when meeting with TMS companies to be able to see through any flashiness or interesting features in order to study the system’s nuts and bolts. Once a company puts all its information in, “what is it going to look like?” Labor Management While TMS can help companies, it can also be a bit of a “double-edged sword,” Shermot said. “At the end of the day, a TMS should help you with your operations, but at the same time, there is management that’s going to come involved with that,” he said. “And if you don’t manage the system, it’s going to manage you.” “So, in some ways, yes, it makes the job easier,” Shermot later said. “But in some ways, it also adds a level of maintenance that wasn’t previously there years ago. And I guess that’s where the USPS is saying, ‘it’s not your grandfather’s Postal Service.’ They’re trying to leverage a lot of technologies which they haven’t in the past.” Hartfelder seconded that point, saying “you’ve got to have a plan as an organization based on your operation to make it predictable enough and not kill your staff in the office.” “The larger your company, the more apparent it is that you need all this automatic stuff happening or else you’re just not going to be cost effective,” Stoneback said. “You’re not going to be competitive.” For smaller operations with only a handful of vehicles, some of this labor can be bypassed by not purchasing a TMS at all, relying instead on FourKite’s TMS-like dashboard, which can serve the same function. “The emphasis for us is: can you find a TMS system that’s easy to use?” said John Pool, chief operating officer at Mail Management Services. “What we’re seeing is that a lot of people focus on a lot of things that they shouldn’t have, and they become convoluted and complicated.” “There’s over 100, probably over 1,000, different TMS systems out there,” added Mike Shermot, the company’s chief information officer. “They all kind of vary, they all have their own bells and whistles. The most important thing is being able to utilize the system to its fullest, so that you can dispatch and operate with little to no issues.” Shermot noted that the two “heavy hitters” in terms of features needed are electronic data interchange, or EDI, and the ability to push GPS tracking to FourKites, which is what the Postal Service uses to track trucks. “If you can’t do that, then the TMS [is] not going to work for you,” he said. Josh Stoneback, president and CEO of HiPro, said his company is currently having a TMS built for them, and that one of their focuses was getting “the bare requirements for the TMS for the Postal Service.” Another tip to whittle down options is to consider what processes and systems you already have in place, said Hartfelder. “If you have a telematics or a GPS provider, you’ve got certain dispatch process or something else, you probably want to talk with them” and see if there’s possible integration, Hartfelder said, Educating Yourself Sometimes, the scariest things in life are what you don’t know, and that platitude can certainly apply to TMS. Pool said one of the issues he’s seen in the industry is that only a few people in a given company understand how their TMS system works, and others “subsequently shy away from it because they’re afraid that they don’t either understand it, it’s going to be too complex or they’re going to screw something up.” For Stoneback, he said HiPro approached the process like a research project, an approach that he recommended to JULY 2023 11
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Mail Management Services was recognized at the National Postal Forum in Charlotte, N.C., with two different awards from USPS: the 2022 Transportation Partner of the Year and a 2022 Supplier Performance award. The company, based in Lincoln, Neb., was represented onstage by owner Jon Bargen. In recognizing the company, USPS said MMS has “consistently maintained elevated levels of performance ... with an emphasis on people, operations and equipment.” MMS Secures Two Awards at NPF Partner of the Year USPS officials join Mail Management Services owner John Bargen (center) onstage at NPF, where he was presented with the 2022 Transportation Partner of the Year award. With him are Chief Commerce and Business Solutions Officer Jacqueline Strako, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Vice President of Transportation Strategy Peter Routsolias and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Steven Monteith. (Photo submitted by Dan Bargen) 14 NSRMCA
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Parsing SPP Changes to the Standard Terms and Conditions in Contracts Every year or so, the Postal Service revises its procurement rules in the USPS Supplying Principles and Practices (SPP) manual. In April 2023, the Postal Service issued a new version of the SPP that contained a few changes that may affect HCR contractors. The new SPP has revised Clause 4-20: “General Terms and Conditions (Surface Transportation).” This clause is a catchall, including many other clauses ranging from inspection and acceptance to termination. The Postal Service made a number of changes to these sub-clauses. The first change was to paragraph a.: “Inspection and Acceptance.” This paragraph requires the supplier to tender services that conform to contract requirements and allows the Postal Service to inspect or test for compliance. New language was added that now allows the Postal Service to seek a price reduction or other adequate consideration for its acceptance of nonconforming services. No guidance is provided on what the appropriate price reduction should be, which could vary significantly based on the circumstances. One caveat is that the Postal Service must exercise this right within a reasonable time after the deficient performance was discovered, or should have been discovered. Changes to the Changes Clause A slight change was made to paragraph c.: “Changes.” Believe it or not, most HCR contracts have two Changes clauses. The main Changes clause is Clause B-67, titled “Changes (Transportation).” This has special provisions on service changes, extra trips and detours. The second Changes clause is in paragraph c. of Clause 4-20. When Clause B-67 is in your contract, which it likely is, it has precedence over the second Changes clause. But if there is no conflict, the second Changes clause still applies. This secondary Changes clause has been revised to state that if a change should “increase or decrease the cost of performance,” the contract will be modified to effect an equitable adjustment. The prior language used the phrase “affects the cost of performance.” The language change was made to clarify that a price adjustment may be made for increased or decreased work. Should USPS issue a change that reduces your cost of performance, USPS would be entitled to a price reduction based upon the cost savings to you from no longer having to perform the work. Such service changes, however, should be distinguished from a partial termination. Under the “Termination with Notice” clause (also found in Clause 4-20), the Postal Service may terminate the contract, “in whole or in part,” on 60 days advance notice. If the Postal Service eliminates an entire route or segment in the contract, this would be a partial termination. Another slight chance to the secondary Changes clause is in paragraph c.(4). The section now states that a suppliers’ “request for equitable adjustment” — as opposed to its “claim for equitable adjustment” — must be asserted within 30 days of receiving a written change order. The language change now uses the correct terminology, as a request for By David Hendel LEGAL CORNER 16 NSRMCA
equitable adjustment is not the same as a “claim” pursuant to the Claims and Disputes clause. Interestingly, the Postal Service also removed a sentence that stated the contracting officer could consider requests submitted after 30 days, if the facts justified the action. It looks like what USPS is trying to do here is make the contractor believe that if it does not assert a request for equitable adjustment within 30 days, it has somehow waived or released any right to do so. That is not the case, and failure to do so within 30 days does not waive or release any contractor rights. Time Is of the Essence Another recent change to Clause 4-20 is the addition of paragraph d. Previously marked as “reserved,” there is now a new “Time is of the Essence” clause, which reads: “Unless otherwise agreed, the dates of delivery and performance as stated in the schedule are material terms of this contract. The supplier’s unexcused delay in delivery and performance will be grounds for termination for default.” This language was added to make clear that delivery times and performance are material contract terms, breach of which is grounds for a default termination. Events of Default The SPP also revised clause B-69, “Events of Default,” to remove the previous cross-reference to Clause B-12, “Termination for Convenience or Default.” More ominously, new language has been added to clarify the collective-guilt clause in paragraph p. The prior language provided that when a supplier has multiple USPS contracts, a material breach under one contract “may be grounds” to terminate the others if the contracting officer determines that termination is in in the best interest of the Postal Service. While this was not much of a constraint, it did require the contracting officer to reasonably exercise discretion before pulling the trigger. The new language simply states that “this contract” may be terminated for default if a default “occurs under any other surface transportation contract held by the supplier.” The language stating that the contracting officer must first determine such termination is in the best interest of the Postal Service is now absent. Not every contract violation justifies the drastic sanction of a default termination, and tribunals will review the totality of circumstances to ascertain whether the contracting officer reasonably exercised that discretion. For example, in the case of Mike L. Noble, PSBCA No. 5046 (August 26, 2004), the Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals overturned a default termination that had been based on the rifling, stealing and mishandling of mail by two employees. The board found that the contractor had complied with all personnel screening requirements and had no reason to suspect they were untrustworthy. While the rifling and stealing of mail was indeed an event of default — and a very serious one — the contracting officer abused his discretion by terminating the contract for default on this basis. Effective Date of the New Clauses The SPP’s revision to USPS’s standard clauses does not affect the terms in your existing contracts. Whatever clauses you have now will continue to apply through the remainder of the contract term; that is, unless you agree to an update or revision. The SPP’s changes will apply to future procurements, and then only if those new procurements use the most current version of these clauses. JULY 2023 17
Contractors sometimes go to great lengths to deliver the mail. W.J. Norris of Iowa ably demonstrated this in 1965 when he drove his truck and trailer across a flooded Highway 67 to ensure delivery. According to regional newspaper The Clinton Herald, the Mississippi River crested 24.85 feet during the flooding. While it’s not easily discerned in the grainy black and white photo below, the water was above J.W. Norris’ bumper. Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Torrential Flooding ... 1965 18 NSRMCA
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National Convention August 5-9 J.W. Marriott 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C., 20004 Register at: tinyurl.com/4f37r559 Southern Meeting Nov. 1-3 Hilton Memphis 939 Ridge Lake Boulevard Memphis, TN 38120 Registration details coming soon! Upcoming Events 20 NSRMCA
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Fuel Indexes The charts below detail the average monthly retail prices for diesel and gasoline, according to the Department of Energy. Consult the top chart to determine which of the eight regions you occupy. The middle chart covers diesel prices while the bottom one addresses regular gasoline prices. New England Central Atlantic Lower Atlantic Midwest Gulf Coast Rocky Mountain West Coast California ME NY WV ND NM MT WA CA NH PA VA SD TX WY OR VT NJ NC NE AR UT NV MA DE SC KS LA CO AZ CT MD GA OK MS ID AK RI DC PR MN AL HI FL IA MO WI IL MI IN OH KY TN US Retail on Highway Gas & Diesel Update for DOE Monthly Average Retail Gasoline All Formulations New England (PADD 1A) Retail Gasoline Prices Central Atlantic (PADD 1B) Retail Gasoline Prices Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) Retail Gasoline Prices Midwest (PADD 2) Retail Gasoline Prices Gulf Coast (PADD 3) Retail Gasoline Prices Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) Retail Gasoline Prices West Coast (PADD 5) Retail Gasoline Prices November 2022 3.790 3.851 3.305 3.587 3.065 3.662 4.810 December 2022 3.427 3.427 2.960 3.014 2.715 3.180 4.102 January 2023 3.325 3.469 3.201 3.217 2.996 3.287 3.992 February 2023 3.420 3.560 3.320 3.303 3.089 3.887 4.284 March 2023 3.392 3.507 3.312 3.340 3.125 3.781 4.487 April 2023 3.494 3.657 3.526 3.584 3.333 3.612 4.588 May 2023 3.575 3.678 3.416 3.528 3.170 3.677 4.630 June 2023 3.647 3.677 3.381 3.547 3.211 3.823 4.665 Highway Diesel New England (PADD 1A) No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) Central Atlantic (PADD 1B) No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) Midwest (PADD 2) No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) Gulf Coast (PADD 3) No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) West Coast (PADD 5) Less CA: No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) California No 2 Diesel Retail Sales (C/gal) November 2022 5.962 5.946 5.188 5.253 4.826 5.392 5.401 6.121 December 2022 5.380 5.459 4.743 4.609 4.309 4.971 4.980 5.558 January 2023 5.105 5.121 4.671 4.427 4.277 4.727 4.753 5.467 February 2023 4.989 4.897 4.459 4.242 4.132 4.645 4.643 5.423 March 2023 4.684 4.659 4.171 4.055 3.959 4.378 4.517 5.263 April 2023 4.553 4.485 4.048 3.983 3.867 4.118 4.451 4.990 May 2023 4.285 4.251 3.816 3.832 3.619 4.101 4.398 4.842 June 2023 4.117 4.132 3.729 3.731 3.500 4.028 4.154 4.760 24 NSRMCA
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After 11 years and 132 articles prepared for The Star Carrier, I sit down to write my final perspective. It has been a privilege and an honor to have had this opportunity. Owning and operating a business, large or small, has always been a challenging endeavor. It becomes even more daunting when the risks are increased by forces beyond our control. Anyone who has successfully operated contracts understands this and the fact this business is a 24/7/365 undertaking, and even the best laid plans need to be adjusted often. I am amazed at how many of our members find ways to cope with the demands of the business and how refreshing it is to see how competing members help each other, especially in a world where this is uncommon and incredibly rare. You are truly an exceptional group of business owners and an inspiration. Because of these genuine and honorable characteristics, you all have the tools of business that fit the needs of any customer. The dedication you bring and the selfless service that you provide are of great demand and harder to find than you may imagine. These qualities are not inherent; they are developed and earned over many years. Often, customers get so accustomed to what we do that it can be taken for granted, or considered a commodity; that is, until it is gone. For the past 11 years, we have all struggled and developed together, our businesses and the association have evolved as everything tends to do. I leave my leadership role knowing I did everything I wanted to do with honesty, integrity and with the best interests of the association and all of you in mind. It is my sincere hope that I was able to give you something over this time that has helped you in your development. I know you all have given me more than I deserve and more than I could have possibly hoped for. I will finish my last article as your president with some of the things I always kept in mind during my tenure: • Be positive — nothing is ever as bad as it may seem. • Listen more, talk less. • Don’t take yourself too seriously; you are not as big a deal as you might think. • Be inclusive; it takes the talents of everyone to succeed. • Don’t pin your hopes to someone else; change only happens when you are involved. • Don’t judge or blame; we will all make mistakes, learn and move on. • Dream big! • And most importantly — have fun! I look forward to my last convention as your president; thank you once again for the opportunity you have given me and accept all my prayers and wishes to each one of you for your growth and the success of your businesses as well as this great organization. Sheehy Out! President’s Perspective John Sheehy NSRMCA President 26 NSRMCA
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DELIVERING ALL YOUR FUEL NEEDS TrilliumEnergy.com Loves.com At Love's and Trillium, we pride ourselves in getting United States Postal Service (USPS) carriers back on the road quickly. Whether it’s diesel today, zero emissions trucks, or even CNG truck leasing, we are committed to providing solutions to meet your needs. By fueling at Love's and Trillium, USPS carriers can also earn points that can be spent on store food, drinks, merchandise and more with our My Love Rewards program. Sign up today! Contact: Marc Rowe [email protected] 630-746-6313 Kyle Bowman [email protected] 402-250-5559 Love's and Trillium Fueling Solutions: •Biodiesel •Compressed Natural Gas •Diesel •Electric Fleet Vehicle Charging •Hydrogen Fueling •Renewable Diesel •Renewable Natural Gas 28 NSRMCA
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CPI-W: CDS Contractor Index The CPI-W is a monthly measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban wage earners and clerical workers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. The CPI-W is based on the spending patterns of urban wage earners and clerical workers. The CPI-W can be used to request an adjustment to your contract to accommodate increased costs. Line items 1B, 5, and 17 are adjustable by the CPI-W. A contractor may simply make a request to the Postal Service to incorporate the latest CPI adjustment and it will do the calculations. But there may be times when the comparison period reflects a downward CPI and if you ask the Postal Service to incorporate the CPI adjustment you could be faced with a downward adjustment resulting in reduced compensation. The CPI does not always go up, so it is best to do the math prior to applying for the adjustment. Source: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/cpiw.html Month & Year Rebased February 2019 246.2 March 2019 247.7 April 2019 249.3 May 2019 249.8 June 2019 249.7 July 2019 250.2 August 2019 250.1 September 2019 250.2 October 2019 250.8 November 2019 250.6 December 2019 250.4 January 2020 251.3 February 2020 251.9 March 2020 251.3 April 2020 249.5 May 2020 249.5 June 2020 251.0 July 2020 252.6 August 2020 253.5 September 2020 254.0 October 2020 254.0 November 2020 253.8 December 2020 254.0 January 2021 255.2 February 2021 256.8 March 2021 258.9 Month & Year Rebased April 2021 261.2 May 2021 263.6 June 2021 266.4 July 2021 267.7 August 2021 268.3 September 2021 269.0 October 2021 271.5 November 2021 273.0 December 2021 273.9 January 2022 276.3 February 2022 279.0 March 2022 283.1 April 2022 284.6 May 2022 288.0 June 2022 292.5 July 2022 292.2 August 2022 291.6 September 2022 291.8 October 2022 293.0 November 2022 292.5 December 2022 291.1 January 2023 293.5 February 2023 295.0 March 2023 296.0 April 2023 297.7 May 2023 298.4 30 NSRMCA
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R 1” WondeRoller™ - 70598.0000 2” WondeRoller™ - 70600.0000 Sealed bearing designed and engineered for long life. Lasts up to 5x longer than a standard roller. MILES THAT MATTER Perfect for dry freight applications, this roller will outlast the competition, keeping your repair costs down. A fully sealed bearing keeps dust and debris out, ensuring your fleet stays up and running! The Star Carrier