According to the committee’s first chair, Anne Strauss-Weider, “the Freight Transportation Planning and Logistics (AT015) Committee was formed in the early 1980s through the merging of several freight committees”. Anne and the committee members broadened the focus to overall logistics and the full spectrum of freight reflecting private sector supply chain considerations and planning, going beyond specific modes. At about the same time, intermodal and multi-modal were becoming more accepted terminology in the public sector discussions.
Freight was a core group of followers attending sessions and meetings. Anne mentions, “In those days we were happy to get 20-30 people at a session and at least ten at our Committee meetings. However, we kept at it and made sure that our sessions reflected placing freight within the context of other key topics of interest and reaching out to involve more agencies and private sector organizations as well as encouraging students and academic research.”
Specific details regarding the actual names of the Committee and the ones may be available from TRB. As committee’s first chair Anne worked most closely with Elaine King who passed away shortly after retiring from TRB and Tina Casgar. Other founding and key members unfortunately have also passed – Ed Morlok and Dick Staley. Anne mentions “Elaine, Ed and Dick would be so proud to see how the Section and Committee are today”
As a result of the dedication of several people, freight grew as an important topic and consideration within TRB. “It has been great to be part of it and see this increased interest -Anne.”