If you liked the First Edition, as many reviewers did. .
YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT WHEN YOU READ THE SECOND EDITION !!!



The Publisher of LOGISTICS DIGEST, Lee Cisneros, wrote:


"I am amazed at the scope, the depth of the subjects covered, the number of citations and addenda and the quality of the information being presented. The book is a "tour de force" of a very complicated subject, presented by the author who also acknowledges input from a host of talented individuals who provided assistance in the preparation of this book. . . . Do not be daunted by the size or even the weight of this book, nor feel that you have to read every page. What you do have is a valuable information resource that can be used to research and evaluate specific problems, find suggestions for solutions and importantly, provide solid options for actions."
What's Law Got To Do With It? by Cliff Lynch, Click here to download full review.

Transportation, Logistics and the Law
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Book Review by Tom Foster, Senior Editor, Global Logistics & Supply Chain, October 25, 2004

"If you are among the majority of supply chain executives who have been told that freight transportation is no longer a big issue because it's deregulated, a book from one of the most prominent transportation attorneys in the U.S. will open your eyes. William J. Augello's book Transportation, Logistics and the Law (Second editor, 2004), reveals the legal risks, costs and other traps for the unwary that threaten the smooth operation of every supply chain. More important, this text explains in very clear language how to prevent many of these problems and what to do if your company is involved in any of the myriad legal hassles that are extremely common when moving freight today.

While the various federal, state and international agencies that regulated freight transportation for decades have ebbed away since the 1980s, even more complex and arcane bodies of law have stepped in to deal with the challenges that are inevitable with movement of goods. Problems with freight loss, damage, pricing, payment, service levels, insurance and security are as prevalent now as they ever have been. Augello's book clearly explains which bodies of law and regulation now apply to each type of transportation activity and how to resolve such issues.

The book is divided into four major sections. The first, and most important, is Augello's narrative explaining the law and regulations covering every aspect of transportation including:

  • Federal jurisdiction
  • Regulation of the railroads, motor carriers, airlines and ocean carriers
  • Regulation of intermediaries to include brokers, forwarders and 3PLs
  • Multimodal shipping
  • Principles of contract law for transportation
  • Liability for loss and damage
  • Cargo insurance
  • Shippers' and carriers' duties and responsibilities
  • Importing and exporting
  • Terms of sale
  • International laws and treaties
  • Hazardous materials laws and regulations

Two large appendices follow containing the actual text of carefully selected statutes and regulations covering the most common problem areas impacting users of transportation. Approximately 30 small appendices follow and include very handy tables, check lists, sample agreements, documents, glossaries and otherwise hard-to-find information that makes Augello's book an everyday reference source.

Augello served for nearly 30 years as head of the Transportation Consumers Protection Council, which helps companies deal with basic issues such as freight claims for loss and damage and transportation pricing. His book devotes a significant amount of his attention to such transactional issues, which high-level supply chain executives may consider relatively minor issues. As Augello points out, however, a company with a net profit margin of one percent must sell $100,000 of its products to make up for $1,000 unrecoverable loss.

"Management may increase its attention and allocation of resources to its logistical operations when it realizes this (impact on its bottom line)," says Augello. One intent of the book is to make management take notice of the need for more attention to transportation, which he correctly labels as a "quasi-legal subject that requires paralegal training for all of the persons charged with responsibility for any segment of the supply chain." The primary intent of the book is to help the practitioner who wants to establish a compliance program for his company to prevent problems before they occur. It is organized to serve as an integral part of a corporation's operating manual. More than likely, nearly every logistics manager reading this book will find that some important aspects of his company's supply chain operations are vulnerable to serious legal problems. Augello's book is an easy way to correct transportation procedures that can cripple a company's entire supply chain."

-- Tom Foster, Senior Editor, Global Logistics & Supply Chain


Book Review by Martin W. Bercovici*, Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics & Policy, January, 2005

William J. Augello has issued the second edition of his textbook, Transportation, Logistics and the Law, which substantially expands on the first edition. While primarily designed as a text for the transportation law course he teaches at the University of Arizona, Transportation Logistics and the Law also will serve as a valuable reference tool for transportation professionals.

The book covers, in varying degrees, rail, motor, air, ocean, intermodal, hazardous materials, import-export and related common legal considerations. The volume is hefty in size, running in excess of 800 pages, which consists of 208 pages of text, 30 separate appendices, an extensive table of contents, a glossary of terms, an index of court cases cited, and a topical index. The book well draws upon Augello's more than 50 years experience in practicing transportation law. The principal focus of Augello's practice ran to motor carriage. This is reflected in his role as executive director and general counsel of the Transportation Claims and Prevention Council, Inc., now the Transportation Consumer Protection Council, Inc., which addresses carrier service and claims issues with a decided motor carriage focus. It) issuing the second edition, Augello called upon a number of colleagues to contribute in the areas of rail, hazardous materials and air transportation. The strength of the book is in the motor carriage arena. Of the 268 pages of text, virtually half are dedicated to motor carriage, as well as pieces of other sections, including shippers and carriers' duties, responsibilities & exposure to lawsuits, multimodal arrangements, regulation of intermediaries, and introduction to hazardous materials. The motor carriage coverage is comprehensive and smooth, reflecting the guiding hand of a teacher leading his students through the extensive and complex world of freight transportation.

Other substantive areas of the textbook do not match the coverage of motor carnage Rail and ocean shipping, both having high commercial impact and each involving a much less (or, in many cases for rail shippers, non-) competitive environment, receive 23 and 24 pages of coverage, respectively. In particular, the rail section does not reflect the comprehensive coverage or the smooth flow of words and ideas that characterize the motor carriage discussion. Consequently, these areas will be of lesser value to those seeking guidance in dealing with their carriers.

Organizationally, the topical index is well done. In any further revisions, the table of contents should be expanded to include page references to the glossary, table of cases, and the appendices. There is an index to the appendices, which immediately precedes that portion of the volume, but having this information in the table of contents in the front also would be helpful. Also helpful would be an index for the appendices containing the statutes and regulations, which run 160, and more than 200 pages in length, respectively.

Those desiring a general transportation text, and those with a particular focus on motor carriage service, will find Transportation, Logistics and the Law, second edition a helpful resource for securing a first-cut analysis in addressing their requirements.

* Martin W, Bercovici, A partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Keller and Heckman LLP, has practiced transportation law for mare than 35 years, assisting shippers in all facets of their transportation requirements, including rail, motor, water, air and hazardous materials. He is a frequent speaker on railroad transportation issues at industry junctions and seminars, including ATLLP meetings, he was the first executive director of the Alliance for Rail Competition.