
7 minute read
Association Business President’sCTLAMessage
from TLA TTL April 2023
by KellenComm
Hello everyone from rainy Toronto. I’d like to take this opportunity to share some general thoughts about our industry. Keep reading. There’s a surprise at the end.
As we all know, there are a number of current broad issues facing the transportation industry and within the supply chain, including:
1. Congestion and delays: Growing traffic congestion in major cities and along transportation routes is leading to longer delivery times and increased costs for businesses and consumers.
2. Sustainability: The transportation industry has a significant impact on the environment, and there is growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and adopt more sustainable practices.
3. Infrastructure: Many transportation networks and supply chain systems are in need of upgrading or repair, which can lead to delays, increased costs, and reduced efficiency.
4. Labour shortages: There is a shortage of truck drivers and other transportation workers, which has led and will lead to increased costs and disruptions in the supply chain.
5. Cybersecurity: The increasing use of technology in transportation and supply chain management has made these systems more vulnerable to cyberattacks, which can disrupt operations and cause significant harm.
6. Disruptions: Caused by events such as natural disasters, pandemics, and political unrest: These events can disrupt the flow of goods and lead to supply chain disruptions, increased costs, and reduced efficiency.
7. Trade disputes and tariffs: The uncertainty created by trade disputes and tariffs can lead to increased costs and disruptions in the supply chain, as businesses look for new sources of supply or alternative markets.
8. Growing demand for last-mile delivery: The rise of e-commerce and on-demand delivery services has created a growing demand for last-mile delivery, which can be expensive and logistically challenging. There are signs of improvement, though.
However, much depends on the specific region and transportation mode being considered. In some areas, efforts to improve infrastructure and streamline operations have led to reduced congestion and faster delivery times. For example, in certain cities, the implementation of smart city technologies, such as traffic management systems, is helping to reduce congestion on roads.
However, in other areas, congestion and delays are still a major issue. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased demand for certain goods and services, putting pressure on transportation networks and causing bottlenecks in the supply chain. Additionally, in some regions, there may not have been sufficient investment in transportation infrastructure to keep pace with growing demand.
Overall, while progress has been made in some areas, congestion and delays remain a significant challenge for many businesses and consumers, and the situation is constantly evolving as demand for goods and services changes and new technologies are introduced. The economy can have a significant impact on the supply chain issues I’ve identified. For example, during recessions, economic activity slows, reducing demand for goods and services and leading to overcapacity in the transportation industry. This can lead to increased competition and reduced prices for transportation services but can also result in decreased investment in transportation infrastructure and reduced innovation in the industry. In addition, fluctuations in the exchange rate can affect the cost of transportation and other components of the supply chain, as well as the competitiveness of businesses operating in different countries. Finally, fluctuations in energy prices can have a significant impact on the cost of transportation, as fuel is a major expense for many companies in the transportation industry.

Overall, the economy can have a major impact on the supply chain, and businesses need to be aware of these economic factors and how they can affect their operations.
Our world is changing rapidly – and perhaps faster than we ever imagined it would. We lawyers have to keep up with changes in the law, the industries we serve, and the technologies that service them. Here’s the surprise – all of the above non-italicized text was written by ChatGPT in response to two questions I asked it. If you don’t know about ChatGPT yet, do some research and try to imagine how it will impact on you, your business, your firm, and your clients. I believe it will change much of what we do and how we do it.
I’m looking forward to the TLA meeting in San Diego and the CTLA mid-year meeting taking place there at the same time. Look out for some more information about Canadian content we’ll be presenting at the meeting. I’m hoping to catch up with many of you there. Please don’t forget about the CTLA conference in Montreal on October 19-21, 2023 – mark your calendars!
To sign off, I asked Chat GPT to write a children’s story about the issues it wrote about above. Here’s how it answered. (I also asked it to write a limerick and a rap, so if you’re interested in seeing those
let me know at rsquires@blg.com.)
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lily who loved to play with toy cars and trucks. She loved to make up stories about the different vehicles and where they were going, and she was always fascinated by how things got from one place to another.
One day, Lily asked her parents how the things she liked to play with got to the store. Her parents explained that there was a big network of roads, trains, ships, and airplanes that helped get goods from the place where they were made to the store where she could buy them. They called it the “supply chain.”
Lily was amazed. She had never thought about all the work that went into getting the things she liked to play with to the store. She asked her parents if there were ever any problems in the supply chain. Her parents told her that sometimes things didn’t go as smoothly as they would like, especially when the economy changed.
Lily wanted to know more, so her parents explained that when the economy was doing well and lots of people were buying things, the roads and trains and ships and airplanes could get very busy. This could cause delays and even bottlenecks in the supply chain, making it harder to get things to the store. But when the economy was not doing well, there might not be as many people buying things, so the roads and trains and ships and airplanes might not be as busy. This could lead to overcapacity and even lower prices for transportation services.
Lily was starting to understand. She asked her parents what they could do to help keep the supply chain running smoothly. Her parents told her that it was important to stay informed about the economy and to work with others in the supply chain to make sure that everyone was doing their part.
Lily was happy to have learned about the supply chain and the economy’s impact on it. She felt grateful for all the hard work that went into getting the things she liked to play with to the store. And she was excited to use what she had learned to help make the supply chain even better. The end.
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My, how time flies. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I assumed the TTL editorial duties. Preparing five issues of this publication may seem daunting but, as they say, the only way to eat an elephant is one bite (or, in this case, one issue) at a time. The first bite is the most challenging, but each one after that gets easier and more enjoyable. And I must say, having now taken that final bite, I am sated by the timely and insightful contributions to Volume 24.
In this issue of the TTL, TLA Committee Corner features the Antitrust and Unfair Trade Practices Committee’s annual summary of 2022 antitrust cases, prepared by James Calderwood and Jol Silversmith. The Membership Committee, led by Fritz Damm and Patrick Foppe, provides an update on the state of the organization’s membership, including an introduction to new members and acknowledgment of Line 8 recipients. In our feature articles and case notes, Billy Davis provides an in-depth analysis of the effect of small verdicts and settlements in trucking litigation. George Wright explores variations in material deviation rulings among the federal circuits, and Matthew Austin highlights NLRB provisions that (surprisingly) apply to non-union companies. Andrew Corkery analyzes a recent Illinois case challenging expert testimony, David Popowski discusses a recent Federal Maritime Commission decision in a case challenging prices being charged for shipping containers at ports, and Ian Breneman and Darryl Pankratz review the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision regarding the disclosure of on-board recordings in litigation.
My thanks to all of these individuals for their submissions. Having now completed the fifth and final issue of Volume 24 of TTL, I prepare to hand the reins over to Louis Amato-Gauci for Volume 25, and I know he will do an amazing job with it. I extend my congratulations to our current President, Chris Kelly, for his outstanding leadership as President of this organization. It has been a pleasure to serve with him this past year. I also want to thank both Chris and Jeff Pincus for their messages and reports included in each issue. Writing one column can be challenging; five is even more so. Eric Benton (from whom I assumed editorial duties) has provided much appreciated advice and guidance during my term as Editor, and I look forward to supporting him in his upcoming presidential term. It has been a pleasure to work with Pui Hong, CTLA’s Editor, in putting together each TTL issue, and I hope we have an opportunity to collaborate again in the future. And, as always, Rachel Celentano, Publications Coordinator, and Jill Gabbert , Executive Director, have provided invaluable assistance in getting these five issues to press. They have kept me organized and on schedule, and have been amazing to work with!
Finally, I want to extend a huge “thank you” to all of the TLA members who provided feature articles and case notes for each issue, and to the committee chairs and members who contributed to TTL’s Committee Corner. Your willingness share information and knowledge with other members makes this organization, and this publication, valuable to all of us. Please keep those articles coming!
TTL Call for Articles
We are looking for more featured articles and/or case notes for upcoming issues. This is an opportunity for TLA and CTLA members to write on timely issues which will allow greater exposure among our memberships. This will give you nationwide recognition and is a great way to expand your networking abilities as part of a well-respected and widely read industry publication.
The submission deadline for the next publication is May 6, 2023
Please direct any questions and submissions to TTL Editor Kathy Garber at KGarber@ClarkHill.com.
