Pennco Trucking Inc. v. United States

20 Cl. Ct. 534, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 210, 1990 WL 71684
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedMay 30, 1990
DocketNo. 238-89C
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 20 Cl. Ct. 534 (Pennco Trucking Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pennco Trucking Inc. v. United States, 20 Cl. Ct. 534, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 210, 1990 WL 71684 (cc 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

NETTESHEIM, Judge.

This common carrier rate case is before the court after argument on cross-motions for summary judgment. The parties contest plaintiff’s entitlement to payment for special transportation services rendered to the Government. Their dispute centers both on the adequacy of the annotations on Government Bills of Lading to reflect the provision of special services and the applicability of a reduced rate for government traffic.

FACTS

The following facts are undisputed, unless otherwise noted. Pennco Trucking Incorporated (“plaintiff”), a common carrier, engaged in a series of agreements with the Department of the Army, Military Traffic Management Command (the “MTMC"), New Cumberland Army Depot (“NCAD”), to provide freight transportation services between January 1, 1984, and March 15, 1986. The substantive details of these agreements are reflected in the tenders accepted by the MTMC and in the pertinent Government Bills of Lading (“GBL’s”). NCAD awarded tenders, or Guaranteed Traffic Awards, to plaintiff. A tender is offered by a common carrier on Optional Form 280, “Uniform Tender of Rates and/or Charges for Transportation Services.” The tender covering plaintiff’s service from NCAD to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware (“Dover AFB”) during the period January 1, 1984, through December 31, 1984, is Tender PENC No. 28.

The specific transportation services provided to NCAD are designated as Air Line of Communication (“ALOC”) services. ALOC transportation requires highly specialized equipment to load and unload cargo. The transportation route spanned between NCAD and Dover AFB. Tender PENC No. 28 applied to this transportation route and required plaintiff to provide special equipment, exclusive use, and expedited services (sometimes referred to in this opinion as “special services”) at no additional charge. These additional requirements became effective through a reference on the face of Tender PENC No. 28. Transportation services continued under the auspices of this agreement until December 31, 1984, when Tender PENC No. 28 expired.

After Tender PENC No. 28 expired, NCAD requested that plaintiff continue rendering special ALOC transportation services on an interim basis. This interim period (Period No. 1) lasted from January 2,1985, until February 6,1985, when plaintiff discontinued providing special services. Plaintiff resumed providing special services on February 9, 1986 (Period No. 2), per NCAD’s request after the other carrier selected by the MTMC ceased providing ALOC transportation services between [536]*536NCAD and Dover AFB. However, plaintiff ceased providing special services on March 15, 1986, when the instant dispute arose. Plaintiff contends that it agreed to provide special services on both occasions in return for payment of Interstate Commerce Commission (“ICC”) rates for such services as set forth under its tariff ICC PENC 200-B. This tariff was in effect from January 1, 1985, through March 31, 1986. The parties disagree concerning the applicability of specific tenders and the meaning of annotations on the GBL’s for the ALOC freight.

Two tenders did not provide for special services or otherwise apply to ALOC freight. At issue regarding Period No. 1 is the applicability of Tender PENC No. 88. Similarly, the parties disagree whether Tender PENC No. 136 applied to Period No. 2. Although the parties agree that, if applicable, Tender PENC Nos. 88 and 136 would provide a conduit by which NCAD might receive additional services through a separately published tariff, they part company as to whether the right to these additional services exists subject to the rate structures of Tender PENC Nos. 88 and 136, or whether NCAD specifically must avail itself of this right by paying the rate in the applicable tariff and, if so, the calculation of that rate.

The parties are in accord as to the applicability of ICC PENC 200-B during both periods. The parties further agree that ICC PENC 200-B provides for special equipment, expedited service, and exclusive use. Defendant asserts that ICC PENC 200-B, Item 30, §§ 1, 2, and 4 require that when payment for expedited service or exclusive use is to be made, the request for these special services must be in writing and attached or referred to or inserted on the GBL’s. Plaintiff replies that the notation of “ROLLER BED ORDERED & FURNISHED,” which appears on the face of the GBL’s, constituted a request for specialized services as understood and agreed to by the parties.

Plaintiff billed, and NCAD paid, $196,-779.67, for special services over the two time periods in dispute, although defendant makes the point that plaintiff billed based upon a TL (truckload) class 65 rate, which is not specified in Item 30 of ICC PENC 200-B. An audit conducted by the General Services Administration (“GSA”) concluded that Tender PENC No. 88 controlled the freight rates during Period No. 1, that Tender PENC No. 136 determined the rates during Period No. 2, and that plaintiff had been overpaid for the special services. As a result of this determination, at GSA’s direction, NCAD withheld $138,097.28 from invoices due and payable to plaintiff. Plaintiff took exception to GSA’s conclusions and filed suit in the Claims Court on April 28, 1989, to recover $138,097.28 deducted from other billings and $107,000.00 billed but not paid, plus interest per ICC PENC 200-B.

DISCUSSION

I. Summary judgment standards

Summary judgment is appropriate when there are no genuine issues of material fact in dispute and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. RUSCC 56(c). Only disputes over material facts, or facts that might significantly affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law, preclude an entry of judgment. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A dispute about a material fact is genuine if the evidence would permit a reasonable jury to return a verdict in favor of the non-movant. Id. Both plaintiff and defendant, as the moving parties, have the burden of establishing that there are no genuine material issues in dispute and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

In the capacity of opposing each other’s motion, plaintiff and defendant have the burden of providing sufficient evidence, not necessarily admissible at trial, to show that a genuine issue of material fact indeed exists. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2552, 2553. In resolving the cross-motions, the court cannot weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the mat[537]*537ter on summary judgment. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249, 255, 106 S.Ct. at 2510, 2513. Any evidence presented by the opponent is to be believed and all justifiable inferences are to be drawn in its favor. Id. at 255, 106 S.Ct. at 2513. Uncontested material facts also have been found consistent with the rule that, in respect of any facts that may be considered as contested, each party, in its capacity as the opponent of summary judgment, is entitled to “all applicable presumptions, inferences, and intendments.” H.F. Allen Orchards v. United States,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
20 Cl. Ct. 534, 1990 U.S. Claims LEXIS 210, 1990 WL 71684, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pennco-trucking-inc-v-united-states-cc-1990.