TRUCKERS' VIEWS VARY ON LAW TO DEREGULATE STATE SHIPPING

Deregulation is the way to go. This is the feeling of some trucking companies in Cape Girardeau County, following the passage of a bill that will strip the states of power to regulate trucking within their borders.

But, opinions vary concerning the new regulation, which goes into effect in January.

Some motor freight companies and state officials believe there will be a short-term drop in rates, but in the long run, the deregulation will be bad for the trucking industry.

"We don't have a problem with the deregulation," said Kermit "Moose" Meystedt, owner and president of Genesis Trucking in Cape Girardeau, adding:

"We survived and thrived through the 1980s with cross-country deregulation. In the long run, we feel this new measure will benefit both the trucking industry and shipping public."

David Moll, president of Jackson Transfer, agreed.

"We're optimistic about this new state deregulation," he said. "We feel it will have a positive effect on our business even though it will mean more competition."

Mall's company operates solely in Missouri.

He added that the new law will prove to be a big advantage in the long haul.

Some trucking firms disagree.

"We're against the measure," said John Lesar, dispatcher and spokesman for Jerry Lipps Truck Service, 3888 Nash Road.

More companies will bring more carriers and shipping rates will drop, Lesar said.

John Hire, a spokesman for Roadway Express headquartered in Akron, Ohio, said the new measure wouldn't affect his company.

"We don't do in-state shipping," he said. "Our shortest trips average about 1,150 miles."

Roadway operates nationwide, with a local office near Scott City.

The new measure, part of the Aviation Infrastructure Investment Act, was signed by President Bill Clinton last month.

It will prohibit states from setting rates and regulations for the trucking industry, although some authority over safety insurance and the transportation of household goods will remain with the state.

State officials from Missouri and Illinois say the deregulation will result in more competition, lower shipping rates and possible loss of jobs.

Trucking between the states was deregulated in 1980, and competition in the industry soared.

Shipping rates fell, many companies went bankrupt, and many truck drivers lost their jobs.

Missouri will no longer be able to limit the area that trucking companies serve, or the number of operations in the state, said Stephen Waters, head of the Missouri Division of Transportation.

"It's my own personal opinion that in the long run it will be bad for the trucking industry," he said.

The Missouri Department of Transportation, however, won't have to lay off people.

"We already have a small staff for safety inspections," he said. "With more than 450,000 truck units operating in Missouri, we'll keep busy."

Illinois, however, may have to lay off people from its Commerce Commission, noted Beth Bosch, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Commerce Commission.

More than 6,000 companies operate more than 80,000 units in Illinois.

Rep. Bill Emerson is supportive of the bill, saying his office had heard from small, medium and large trucking companies, along with consumer groups, union representatives and state regulatory interests and that most supported the bill.

The legislative provisions adopted in the new bill are almost identical to a bill Emerson introduced last year.

"The new bill will create jobs and allow for more efficient transportation of goods and services, thereby saving millions of dollars for consumers," said Emerson, who has pushed for removal of the "costly, antiquated barriers," and is pleased to see them finally removed.

Emerson said that studies have shown that the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, which deregulated cross-country shipping, has reduced rates and improved service.

He pointed to stories of that it was cheaper to ship from Dallas to New Orleans than from Dallas to Houston.