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September 15, 1999 8:26 AM, EDT

Freight movements slowly returned to normal after the conclusion of a weeklong strike by owner-operators at two port terminals in Baltimore. As work resumed, the Department of Transportation released a study illustrating some of the concerns that had sent drivers to the picket lines.

The action by a new group, Container and Rail Haulers of America, ended Sept. 7 when 150 of its members voted to affiliate with the International Longshoremen’s Association. The 350-person group was formed two months ago to protest low pay, long waits to pick up freight and the poor condition of intermodal chassis (8-23, p. 1).

“All the pickets were gone as of Wednesday [Sept. 8],” said Ray Feldmann, a spokesman for the Maryland Port Administration, which runs the port.

The strike cut sharply into the port’s business, especially in its early days, Feldmann said. Only 258 trucks hauled containers out of the two terminals on Sept. 1, but the numbers steadily increased, especially after the Labor Day weekend.

For the full story, see the Sept. 13 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.