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National Shipper Advisory Committee

1st Committee Meeting

October 27, 2021

1:00-4:00 pm Eastern Time

Meeting Minutes

The National Shipper Advisory Committee was convened for its first meeting and was held via 

video conference. In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (P.L. 92-

463; 5 U.S.C. App.), the meeting was open to the public.

Meeting Attendees

NSAC Members

Michael Brock (Walmart)

Brian Bumpass (Brenntag North America, Inc.)

Justin Cauley (CHS, Inc.)

Bob Connor (Mallory Alexander International Logistics, LLC)

Chris Crutchfield (American Commodity Company)

Rick DiMaio (Office Depot)

Scott Fremont (Target)

Sean Healy (The Scoular Company)

Steven Hughes (MEMA/Auto Care Association)

Alexis Jacobson (BOSSCO Trading LLC)

Fernando Lagonell (DuPont)

Alison Leavitt (Wine and Spirits Shippers Association)

Daniel Miller (Cargill Incorporated)

Debb Minskey (IKEA)

Jennifer Morrissey (Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.)

Kenneth O'Brien (Gemini Shippers Group)

Adnan Qadri (Amazon)

Richard Roche (Mohawk Global Logistics)

Gabriel Rodriguez (A Customs Brokerage, Inc.)

Randy Strait (Tyson Foods)

Mike Symonanis (Louis Dreyfus)

Joshua Woods (Blue Diamond Growers)

Colin Yankee (Tractor Supply Company)

Federal Maritime Commissioners and Staff

Chairman Daniel Maffei 

Commissioner Rebecca Dye 

Commissioner Carl Bentzel 

Commissioner Michael Khouri

Dylan Richmond, Designated Federal Officer
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Introductory Comments

Dylan Richmond, the Designated Federal Officer (DFO), welcomed everyone to the first 

National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC), and mentioned the timeliness of the 

meeting given current circumstances. 

FMC Commissioner Remarks

• Commissioner Rebecca Dye: Commissioner Dye noted that she is looking forward to 

the Committee’s work and also stated that she would like to recommend forming a

similar advisory committee composed of ocean carriers, MTOs, and ports. Suggested

some subcommittees may wish to work with this board if formed. 

• Commissioner Carl Bentzel: Commissioner Bentzel thanked shippers on the advisory 

committee for their participation given the important matters requiring discussion. He 

stated his hopes that this committee will produce some recommendations showing the 

industry a way forward and urged them to consider the broader views of the shipping 

community at large in developing any recommendations.

• Commissioner Michael Khouri: Commissioner Khouri provided written remarks, 

which have been included as an attachment.

• Chairman Daniel Maffei: Chairman Maffei thanked Commissioner Dye for 

recommending the formation of this committee during Fact Finding 28. He noted that 

he would like for the Committee to have an honest conversation on fees, particularly 

regarding detention and demurrage. 

Designated Federal Officer Remarks

Dylan Richmond stated that he has been designated the Designated Federal Officer 

(DFO) for the National Shipper Advisory Committee as required under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act. The DFO is primarily an administrative role, but it does

include key responsibilities. The DFO is responsible for calling meetings of the 

Committee, approving the agenda before committee meetings, and must attend all full 

Committee meetings. If the committee chooses to form subcommittees, they must be 

approved by the DFO. However, the members of the Committee are responsible for their 

work on the Committee and any recommendations that arise. 

Committee Introductions

Each committee member provided a brief introduction of themselves, their interest 

serving on the Committee, and what they hope to see the Committee accomplish.

Election of Chair/Vice Chair

The DFO announced the outcome of the vote for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair of 

the Committee: the members of the Committee voted to elect Brian Bumpass as Chair, 

and Mike Symonanis as Vice Chair. 
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Roundtable Discussion

The FMC requested the Committee’s feedback on the below-mentioned items, but noted 

that the Committee is not limited to discussion of these topics alone. 

a. Information sharing and transparency among supply chain actors

The Committee identified several information sharing and transparency issues within 

the industry contributing to the current supply chain disruptions, including: a lack of 

reliable Estimated Time of Arrivals (ETAs) and Earliest Return Dates (ERDs) for 

containers, and of comprehensive data providing insight on different parts of the 

supply chain in general. Committee members also noted an absence of common 

agreement on definitions of terms and methods of calculation for certain metrics.

Some proposed solutions to these issues included creating consensus on the definition 

of terms, helping ports upgrade their data systems, standardizing means of collecting 

and sharing data, and developing good data governance principles. Technology, such 

as the blockchain, were noted as providing possible benefits in alleviating some of 

these problems, but the timeline for their availability to the industry is unknown.

Multiple members of the Committee noted that these issues, while exacerbated by 

conditions under COVID, have been present in the industry much longer and require 

long-term planning to prevent future disruptions. It was asked what the FMC can do 

to solve these problems, particularly in regards to mandating information sharing.

b. Cargo fees

Many Committee members argued that detention and demurrage charges do not 

incentivize the fluid movement of cargo – particularly in the current environment –

but in fact act as a penalty to shippers who are sometime unable to move cargo due to 

no fault of their own. They questioned the practice of passing on these costs to 

shippers in light of the fact that other entities along the supply chain may be 

responsible for the inability to move containers. 

Members noted that developing good data collection and transparency practices are a

possible solution to determining whether these fees are reasonable and what effect 

they have on the movement of cargo. Furthermore, according to Committee members, 

the changes required to address the larger issues within the supply chain require 

government coordination on efforts that may fall outside of the FMC’s jurisdiction. 

c. Current observations on the supply chain

Many Committee members agreed there is a shortage of both truckers and chassis,

that shippers are often notified of non-availability of space for containers with little 

notice, and that simply charging more fees will not solve the problem of slow-moving 
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cargo and indeed could make it worse. There was general agreement that current data 

practices in the industry leave much to be desired, with many gaps, inaccuracies, and 

an unwillingness of many entities to share data that would be beneficial to ensuring 

timely movement of containers throughout the supply chain. 

Members posited that short-term solutions can be devised to alleviate some problems, 

but a longer-term solution is required to prevent future problems, and this will require 

careful planning. The Vice Chair echoed these sentiments and stated that the 

Committee needs to avoid being reactionary. 

Public Comment

The DFO advised that the public has an opportunity to submit written comments to the 

Committee. He announced that no written comments were received from the public prior 

to the meeting (the Notice announcing the meeting solicited written comments from the 

public).

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:50 P.M. Eastern Time.

I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the foregoing minutes are accurate and 

complete.

Brian Bumpass

Chair

National Shipper Advisory Committee