CCNN

Logistics

By CCNN Staff

The Interstate Permit Labyrinth: One Truck Driver's Journey Through 17 Federal Agencies Before Delivering a Bag of Frozen Peas

DUBLIN, Ohio — In the world of American logistics, nothing moves faster than bureaucracy. A single interstate freight shipment now navigates an average of 17 separate federal and regional permitting portals before it even considers crossing state lines, according to a new study by the Independent Freight Bureaucracy Consortium.

“It’s like trying to order a pizza without a phone number,” said trucker-turned-commentator Gary Miller, 42, who spent six months trying to secure the necessary permits to haul a 200-case load of frozen sweet peas to a warehouse in Indiana. “I filled out Form 883-B to prove I was a good citizen, Form 99-C to demonstrate my moral character, and Form 112-G to explain why I should be allowed to drive a semi across the Ohio River. At one point, I had more paperwork than the actual shipment weight.”

By Larry Valdez

Humanitarian Aid Coordinator Denied Visa Because His Name Appeared on a List of 'Unreliable Benefactors'

The first order at the Damascus aid checkpoint reads: “All relief convoys must present three forms of identification, one of which must include a handwritten signature in blue ink.”

Sergeant Chen, operations coordinator for the Coalition for Compassionate Distribution, stands before a gate made of chain-link and concrete. His badge reads “VERIFIED RELIEF WORKER” in silver lettering on a badge that costs $4,299.99, tax included. He has three badges. One is expired. One was lost to a bomb. One is currently on loan to a journalist who writes about the war.