U.S. maritime administrator nominee promotes improved intermodalism

U.S. maritime administrator nominee promotes improved intermodalism    The Bush administration’s nominee for U.S. maritime administrator, Dave Sanborn, warned Senate lawmakers Tuesday that the U.S. transportation and intermodal network is at a “critical crossroads” in its ability to efficiently handle ever-increasing freight volumes.
   “We need the vision and leadership to bring together all of the stakeholders and experts in the cargo supply chain and to establish solutions for how we are going to seamlessly handle these huge volumes of cargo through our transportation infrastructure,” said Sanborn during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday.
   “I have had the good fortune of working in numerous operating environments in the United States and overseas. This has enabled me to observe first hand some of the most efficient and inefficient cargo handling processes in use today,” he said.
   Sanborn serves as global marine terminal operator DP World’s director of operations for Europe and Latin America. Prior to this, Sanborn served as CMA-CGM’s senior vice president North America service delivery. He also served as vice president for network operations at APL, and earlier as director of operations at Sea-Land Service. In addition, Sanborn is a retired lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve and holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
   “If I am allowed to bring this experience to the Maritime Administration I believe we can accomplish some very dynamic and advanced changes in current thought on how to most efficiently handle cargo flow,” Sanborn said.
   As maritime administrator, Sanborn told the Senate Commerce Committee that he would be “spending a lot of time on issues with respect to intermodalism on the West Coast.”
   When asked by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, how he would improve the condition of the U.S. merchant marine, Sanborn replied: “We’re not doing very well. We don’t have the answers, but we will find ways to make it better.”
   If confirmed by the Senate, Sanborn will succeed Capt. William G. Schubert, who resigned as chief of MarAd in January 2005. John Jamian, deputy administrator at MarAd, has since filled in as acting maritime administrator.