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Survey Regarding Young Brothers Interisland Freight Service

Aloha, the Maui Chamber of Commerce, HFIA, Construction Industry of Maui, and Hawaii Restaurant Association have united to share this survey with our business members because there is a bill moving through the State Legislature now that proposes to give Young Brothers an automatic increase up to 5% each year over the next two years and then an opportunity to go before the PUC for another rate increase in year 3. Young Brothers has had three approved rate increases in recent years of 4.32% in 2019, 46% in 2020, and 26% in 2025 (this is an average, based on rate categories. Your rate my vary, for example: refrigerated freight 40%, general containers 20%, etc.)

YOUR HELP IS NEEEDED NOW!

This survey is being conducted by the Maui Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the above organizations. This was sent to you on behalf of a partner organization and we are asking you, on behalf of your company, to consider taking this survey. This is not meant to be shared broadly and emails below will be verified by partner organizations to ensure those taking the survey are legitimately related to the partner organizations.

Given concerns over the impact this bill could have for businesses (ratepayers), we are asking for your help in educating not only the legislature, but entire state on how interisland shipping services impact businesses statewide. The information collected will help identify cost impacts, service concerns, and any operational challenges affecting local businesses.

We will not identify individual companies. All responses and email addresses will be kept confidential. The data will only be shared in aggregate form (protecting respondents) to inform policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders.

However, if you would like be informed of legislative issues affecting Young Brothers rates and services or other business issues via email, there will be an option at the end of the survey to do so. We will ONLY reach out via email if you opt in by choosing YES for any of the three boxes at the end of the survey and only your email would be shared for internal correspondence to provide information on the area(s) selected.

Estimated completion time: 6-8 minutes
If there is a question you don't have the data for or are uncomfortable answering, please skip to the next question.
1.Please enter your business email where you received this survey. This will be kept confidential and ONLY used to verify that you are one of the partner organization's contacts.(Required.)
2.Please select your industry.
3.Please select the island where your main operation is located.
4.Please select the which island(s) you routinely ship to.
5.Please enter the number of full-time (including full-time equivalent) employees in Hawaii.
6.What is your estimated annual shipping expense with Young Brothers?
7.How much do shipping costs affect your pricing?
8.Please select the types of loss you have experienced when shipping with Young Brothers (select all that apply).
9.Please share the number of claims you have filed with Young Brothers in the last year.
10.What is the estimated total dollar value of claims you have filed with Young Brothers in the last year?
11.What is the average time you typically receive a Young Brothers claim reimbursement?
12.What is your estimated annual shipping loss or damage rate with Young Brothers?
13.What operational challenges have you experienced with Young Brothers? Please select all that apply.
14.How would you rate Young Brothers overall service reliability?
Very Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
15.How have shipping challenges impacted your business?
16.What Young Brothers improvements would benefit your business? Please select all that apply.
17.If Young Brothers shipping rates increased another 20% over the course of three years, what would your business likely do?
18.Given last years' 25% rate increase, do you support an ongoing Young Brothers rate structure (potentially starting in 2026/2027) with automatic rate increases of up to 5% in year one and two, followed by a full PUC review in year three, where the increase is not capped and unknown until filing, as bills SB2694/HB2386 state?
19.Do you believe automatic rate increases for Young Brothers will result in higher cost of goods for consumers across the state?
20.Do you feel that rate payers are at a disadvantage given Young Brothers' service monopoly?
21.Do you feel local manufacturing will be hurt by these bills by increasing the cost of shipping goods?
COMMUNICATION OPTIONS
22.Select YES below, if you would like to receive additional information on legislation affecting your business and/or to ring in on legislation to be a part of the solution. Please feel free to choose none, one, two or all three. You will only be contacted for what you clicked YES for and the communication will be with one of the trusted partners shown above whose role is to serve businesses like yours.
23.If you selected yes to any of the questions above, please enter your email address.