Shipping Search - Archive

Clock Is Ticking as Maersk Faces its Competition

WORLDWIDE – DENMARK – There is a war of attrition developing in the container shipping market and, as detailed in our article earlier this week, tactical alliances are being forged as every major box carrier faces an uncertain future. Just after the publication of our last piece on what constitutes a freight cartel came news from the world number one container shipping line – and it wasn’t good.

January Market Weaker This Year

WORLDWIDE – Figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for January show an 8% drop in air freight levels against the same month last year. IATA has attributed the decline in part to the occurrence of Chinese New Year in January rather than February as was the case in 2011 but admitted the weakness of the cargo sector was a major factor. IATA’s Director General and CEO Tony Tyler said:

Day of Action in London Next Week

UK – Freight haulage campaigners will meet the Government this week to once again appeal against the proposed rise in duty on road fuel. The FairFuel UK group has called for individuals and company representatives alike to join a protest at Westminster on the 7th March 2012 dubbed ‘National Fair Fuel Day’. Representatives from the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and Freight Transport Association (FTA) are backing the call to suppress duty levels on fuel in the Budget due on the 21st March.

South African Government Pledges to Improve Transport Infrastructure

SOUTH AFRICA – Following reports of disruptions to the throughput of freight in January due to industrial action at the Durban Container Terminal’s (DCT) Pier 2 and the subsequent declaration of Force Majeure, operator Transnet Port Terminals has been keen to emphasise its plans to revitalise the country’s most prolific container port with what it terms ‘an aggressive and focused recovery plan’.

How Things Have Changed Over Decades

WORLDWIDE – For those of you with long memories time was when a free market economy in terms of international container shipping meant using a conference line or one of the independents such as Lykes Lines who traded outside the confines of the agreements between the major carriers. Freight was allocated according to whose ship was most convenient and the rates on all conference carriers was supposedly identical whilst the independents could trade on a lower tariff if they so wished.

Logistics Director Arrives in US

US – UK – Following our coverage of the arrest and detention of British freight forwarder Christopher Tappin back in August 2010, it was postulated that extradition proceedings would take place within a fortnight. Last night at 2300 hrs a plane carrying the now 65 year old director of Brooklands International Freight Services landed in Houston who was extradited to the US on arms dealing charges.

SALEFORM 2012 Introduced

UK – NORWAY – WORLDWIDE – The standard document used as a contract for the transfer of ownership of second hand ocean vessels whether small coasters or vast container ships, has received an update to ensure it incorporates many of the commonly made amendments applied by the industry. BIMCO and the Norwegian Shipbrokers’ Association (NSA) have worked together to produce the amended form.

DfT Sparks Up Smith Edison Vehicle Sales Campaign

UK – The new Plug-In Van Grant from the Department for Transport (DfT) will now be available to purchasers of all electric light commercial vehicles from Smith Electric Vehicles. This means that any business purchasing a Smith Edison 3.5 tonne all electric vehicle can now benefit from £8,000 off the list price and with their extremely low running costs the Transit based units will appeal to road haulage outfits and express freight couriers operating in primarily urban environments.

Terminal Capacity Growing for PD Ports

UK – Following works toward the end of last year to reconfigure its Hull port terminal PD Ports has started the next stage required toward doubling its throughput of shipping containers at Teesport with the completion of the ground works last month. The works, which began in January 2011, involved the complete reconstruction of more than five hectares of the container terminal area with heavy duty paving designed to withstand the increased loads from the container stacks and the four new rubber tyre gantry cranes (RTG’s).

All Forms of Pollution under Discussion at IMO Session Next Week

UK – WORLDWIDE – The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will meet in London for its 63rd session from 27th February to 2nd March 2012 and the discussion will range across the entire spectrum of possible causes of pollution from global shipping. Subjects include market based measures to reduce greenhouse gases, energy efficiency, suitable fuels, waste control, oil pollution and how to prevent the transfer of alien life into vulnerable waters with the use of modern ballast water treatment technology.

Volvo Brands Report Overall Growth in January

WORLDWIDE – The Volvo Group’s truck sales are rated a valid freight trade indicator by some, covering as they do all geographical areas and several leading brands which many road haulage operators favour. At one time we would have had to wait for five separate sets of figures to make sense of the numbers but conveniently the Volvo Group now consists of Mack, Renault Trucks, UD Trucks and Eicher as well as the trucks which bear its own brand.

Figures Demonstrate Fragility of the Market

US – WORLDWIDE – Anyone who believes the parlous state of the Baltic Dry Index (dredging the ocean floor at 706 yesterday) is a passing phase may wish to reconsider following the release of financial data from New York headquartered dry bulk freight operator Genco Shipping and Trading Ltd. The effect of falling charter rates has crippled the group’s income in the last quarter with net income falling from $34.8 million in the comparable period last year to just $0.3 million to the end of 2011.

GPS Systems May be Outmoded in a Generation

AUSTRALIA – US – Studying rats and mice finding their way around might seem an unlikely topic for someone whose discoveries could revolutionise truck driving but many in the road haulage community will watch with interest the developments in the work of Dr Michael Milford from Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) Science and Engineering Faculty following his presentation of his paper SeqSLAM: Visual Route-Based Navigation for Sunny Summer Days and Stormy Winter Nights at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)in Minnesota in May this year.

Safmarine take delivery of WAFMAX vessel

FAR EAST – AFRICA – The latest ship to sport the distinctive white hull of the Safmarine shipping company is the Safmarine Chilka, a 4,500 TEU WAFMAX container vessel and the first of three similar craft to join the A.P Moller-Maersk fleet in 2012. The Safmarine Chilka, which has a crew complement of nine, is also the first of a series of container vessels from the South Korean yards of Hyundai Heavy Industries to be fitted with super-long-stroke main engines and a waste heat recovery system to reduce emissions and save fuel. Grant Daly, Safmarine CEO commented:

All Parties Praised as Agreement Reached

EGYPT – Both union representatives and employers were praised yesterday after the strike at the Port of Ain Sokhna ended on Sunday following a stoppage that halted the throughput of freight for ten days. The Independent Union of Sokhna Port Workers won concessions on workforce involvement and profit sharing following intensive negotiations between the union, DP World, the governor of Suez city, the military representative, and the head of the Red Sea Ports Authority.

Itinerary for Supply Chain Asia Event Announced

HONG KONG – WORLDWIDE – Speakers for the forthcoming TOC Container Supply Chain Asia conference have now been announced, full details of which can be found via the links on our Events Page. This year’s conference and exhibition brings together shippers, logistics providers, ocean and land based freight transport providers, ports and terminals and other key players to explore challenges and responses for container trade and supply chains across Asia Pacific and globally.

Asian Specialist Strengthens Spanish Presence

SPAIN – HONG KONG – News of another consolidation this week with the Hong Kong headquartered freight forwarding group Kerry Logistics completing the acquisition of its joint venture Spanish company Kerry Salvat Logistics S.A owned previously in partnership with Salvat Logistica S.A. Kerry has had a presence in the Iberian peninsula since 2005 and intends to expand the opportunities for Spanish customers to trade with Asia, its specialist market.

EU NAVFOR Briefing Illustrates How Hijacking War is Proceeding off Somalia

GULF OF ADEN – INDIAN OCEAN – SOMALI BASIN – UK - A briefing yesterday at European Union Operational HQ showed how combined international forces were dealing with the pirate scourge which we have witnessed expanding in strength and brutality over the past few years. The growing willingness of container ship and bulk freight carriers and tankers to adhere to the latest edition of Best Management Practices is resulting in fewer successful attacks.

Last Day for You to Nominate MAN everywoman Finalists

UK – Today (20th February) is your last chance to nominate the lady you feel is worthy of representing their company in the annual MAN everywoman Transport and Logistics awards. Becoming a winner or finalist creates a real buzz around the individual and their company. These women are role models who encourage more women to join this dynamic sector.

Modern Techniques Demonstrate How Far Things Have Moved On

BELGIUM – WORLDWIDE – To most of us involved in the freight industry new rail tracks are simply part of the transport infrastructure but by watching this short five minute film any mental image one might have of teams of men swinging hammers to lay the essential track à la Blazing Saddles will be rapidly dispelled.

Potential for Strike Action Next Week as Operators Fume

UK – IRELAND – The cost of fuel continues to be a cause of annoyance to freight groups in both countries but whereas UK agencies are still pushing for plans to reduce duty levels road haulage groups in the Republic intend to take much more direct action by closing the roads of Dublin from 0800 hrs on Wednesday the 22nd February to demonstrate their anger.

Boeing Initiative to Assist Airline Efficiency

WORLDWIDE – One of the anomalies which affect the world air freight market is the degree to which air cargo carriers maintain their fleets. Many fleets include a mix of passenger aircraft with the option that belly hold cargo offers together with pure freighters which perhaps more particularly in some cases and in certain countries, can be affected by rising servicing costs, the temptation to maximise time between maintenance for example is a strong one.

Secretary of Transport Speaks of Job Creation

US – Everyone knows the American Government loves an acronym and sometimes one gets lost in the confusion of letters but something is very clear, when it comes to state aid to fund road and rail freight projects there is never a shortage of takers and just a couple of months after the early release of the news how $511 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) funds are to be spent comes details regarding the TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) money which, inevitably, is oversubscribed.

A Guest Article by Adam Veitch a representative of Freight Forwarding Group First European Logistics Ltd.

UK - With the onset of the recession in the UK and the need for businesses to consolidate their outgoings, it was no surprise to see that the freight industry took a huge blow during these times. However in the wake of the downturn and the recovery stages of the recession, it may be surprising to hear that the sector is changing and adapting to in an attempt to future proof against any further unexpected economic crises. Is this perhaps the industry's way of evolving with the times and as result becoming more of a niche market?

Time and Expense Savings with In House Instruction

UK - British International Freight Association (BIFA) members can now learn how to behave with a series of .pdf guides designed to illustrate what passes as good behaviour within the logistics industry. The BIFA Good Practice Toolbox gives access to a series of ten separate instructional guides which enables readers to download information to enable them to give proper in house training on freight forwarding, logistics and shipping matters.

Potential Strike Just as Stobart Takes on Another Major Site

UK – IRELAND – There’s Good News and Bad News seems to be the story for the Stobart organisation this week with the road and rail haulage and logistics group making headlines for both right and wrong reasons. A statement from the Irish based Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) yesterday warned that members had voted for strike action to highlight a number of grievances over their working conditions. The union says the strike by truck drivers is likely to cause disruption particularly to the Tesco retail chain. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Karan O’Loughlin said:

French Box Line Form New Company with IBM

FRANCE – WORLDWIDE – We have heard much recently from all sectors of the freight industry how all logistics groups have been trying to cuts overheads and running costs whilst maintaining or improving service levels at a time when revenues are under threat. The container shipping companies in particular have been keen to pare down costs as static box numbers are shared out amongst the increased tonnage of vessels available.

Safety Issues Also a Priority

UK – IRELAND - The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has recently praised the latest announcements from the UK and Scottish Governments regarding levels of investment in both infrastructure improvements in Northern Ireland, a relief for many road haulage outfits, and additional funds made available under the Scottish Freight Facilities Grant scheme.

Kellogg's Freight Requirements Fulfilled by New Kid on the Block

UK – As times get tougher in all sectors of freight and logistics, road haulage operators are traditionally the barometer of the state of the industry with the smaller outfits often suffering disproportionately simply by reason of economy of scale. There are two possible courses of action, batten down the hatches and minimise servicing and standing costs and hope to survive longer than the next man or, collaborate and cooperate to build a stronger and more flexible service in company with former competitors.

New Government Aid for Distant Regions

SCOTLAND – Transport Minister Keith Brown has gone further with the subsidisation of Scottish freight ferry services and announced a further £2.5 million in aid for road haulage operators to help the cost of shipping larger trucks on some of Caledonian MacBrayne RoRo ferries longer routes to Coll, Tiree and the Western Isles. The announcement follows last week’s news regarding subsidies via the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) which were granted to all qualifying vehicles up to six metres long. The Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme involves setting ferry fares on the basis of the cost of travelling an equivalent distance by road......

Winners of Competition Design Package (or Package Design) Announced

US – Once again DHL is celebrating on its appointment for the eleventh straight season as the Official Logistics Provider of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 Collections and to celebrate the freight and express transport group has partnered with LIM College to promote young talent by sponsoring an online design contest. Visitors to the DHL space at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week can select DHL Fashion accessories, also created by LIM College students, and then have their photograph taken with the DHL branded mannequins on a simulated fashion runway. The photographs will be taken by LIM College students under the direction of LIM College professor and award-winning fashion photographer Michael Creagh.

183 Souls Still Missing After Sinking

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The search continues for bodies twelve days after the sinking of the Rabaul Queen which foundered in the region off the mainland. Reports say the ferry, which was heading for Lae, Papua New Guinea from Kimbe on New Britain Island was only about ten miles from its destination when she transmitted an SOS to Australian authorities which was answered by the Mitsui OSK Lines container vessel MOL Summer. The freight vessel was subsequently visited by Australian Senior Search and Rescue Officer Mr John Rice and three colleagues to thank Captain Gargov and his crew personally for their actions.

SIS Concentrates on Expanding Brazilian Market

BRAZIL – NORWAY – Star Information Systems (SIS), headquartered in Trondheim, has been providing fleet management software aboard ships including tankers, bulk cargo carriers, container ships and chemical and gas carriers for fifteen years but now the Norwegian company is using its experience of the technical requirements of ship and oil and gas rig clients to expand further into the Brazilian market.

Call For Eurovignette Fees to be Distributed Fairly

UK – As the long discussed proposal of a Eurovignette system to reap revenue from overseas hauliers be introduced onto Britain’s roads steps closer to finally becoming a reality, one group at least see it as the opportunity to offset some of the costs imposed by the overabundance of road haulage traffic moving freight through the region.

Pirates Are Not the Only Risk to Seafarers Liberty as Another Ship Hijacked

SOMALIA – KENYA - With the recent release of yet another maritime alert as one more bulk freight vessel goes missing, and armed guards aboard a container ship went on trial in Mombasa, information regarding the current state of the pirate ‘industry’ emerges both from within the country and from a study made by a subsidiary of the privately owned One Earth Future foundation, a not for profit operation supported by the somewhat mysterious entrepreneur and multi millionaire Marcel J.C. Arsenault.

Overseas Investment Also Needed at Home

RUSSIA - Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways (RZD), has been speaking out this week about his company’s recent performance and the way he feels the country needs to develop to improve its economy. Yakunin quoted statistics showing freight turnover including empty runs of private and leased wagons, increased by more than 12% compared to January 2011. The average daily shipping volume on the rail network was 3.275 million tonnes, which exceeded the 2006 level for the first time since the economic recovery, around a million tonnes more cargo than predicted.

Jungheinrich Demonstrates Versatility This Month

UK – One of the major problems faced by fork truck drivers operating at height is mast sway, the greater the distance from the ground, the more pronounced the problem. When wines and spirits importer Matthew Clark recently moved into an 8,500 square metre storage unit within the Royal Portbury Dock at Bristol offering over 10,000 pallet locations the Bristol Port Company looked around to find a way of minimising the sway and therefore speed the freight through the warehouse as safely as possible.

ATA Says Change in Registration Fees Will Cost Lives

AUSTRALIA – Earlier this week we wrote of the global search authorities are embarking on to find a suitable candidate for the role of Chief Executive of the new body instituted to put the national heavy vehicle reform package into operation. Now, in response to a National Transport Commission (NTC) request for opinions on the charges levied on road haulage owners and operators of just such commercial freight vehicles the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has issued a response via its own CEO, Stuart St Clair.

Security Offences Will Reap Particularly Huge Penalties

US – Sadly some of our best read stories concern the criminal activities of the few freight forwarding executives who are prepared to break the law in order to turn a profit. As times get harder financially the line between fair competition and conspiracy blurs for some as evidenced by the surge in anti trust cases prosecuted globally which we have witnessed in the past two years. Some acts however are blatantly criminal and this week two cases concerning the cargo screening and shipping of air freight have resulted in the prosecution and punishment of several individuals and companies involved in nefarious activities.

Concentration on the Logistics Sector Prompts Reinvention

UK – Impatex, the IT provider which has specialised in Customs and freight forwarding software supplies for over thirty years has decided to change its name from Impatex Computer Systems to Impatex Freight Software Ltd. As the company has not supplied computer hardware for over 10 years, the new name better reflects its mainstream activities of developing, supplying and supporting Customs and freight forwarding software.

Safety and Security are the Watchwords for Seafarers Future

PHILIPPINES – Just two weeks after we told how United Nations Convention No. 185 has finally been ratified by the Republic of the Philippines, meaning Filipino seafarers will carry biometric identification in future with all the ramifications that brings for fair employment, safety and security to the shipping community, the head of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), itself a UN agency, has undertaken a two day visit to Manila to discuss matters ranging from piracy to the safety of freight and passenger ferries which ply their trade within the group of islands of which the country is comprised.

EU Presidency Must Be Seen As Carbon Neutral

EUROPE – Following extensive work undertaken by DHL Express with the Danish Government during the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15), DHL is now expanding this partnership and the group will be the official logistics partner during Denmark's EU presidency. DHL is now expanding this partnership and all Danish Ministries will use DHL's carbon-neutral GoGreen products and services with DHL Freight handling all road haulage based logistics and the express unit providing worldwide courier services.

Maersk Unveil Their New Sales and Promotion Tool for the Decade

WORLDWIDE – Last night in London AP Moller Maersk unveiled their latest project, and it had nothing yet everything to do with shipping. Owners of the world’s largest container freight carrier, Maersk Line, has taken time and resources to define itself on film and, as opposed to just the usual self congratulatory sales promotion, intends to use the two hundred hours of footage retained from the project to demonstrate to customers and staff, both current and future, exactly what the Danish giant stands for in terms of new energy discovery and retrieval techniques as well as its traditional fields of bulk and container shipping, freight forwarding and logistics.

Unions Protest and EU Admits Legislation Required

EUROPE – The men who served the merchant marine in time of war were remembered yesterday in a touching memorial service in the harbour at Aberdeen as North Sea Trades Unions and affiliates to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) made their point regarding ‘Social Dumping’ in an industry they witness being devalued despite EU recommendations to halt the practice. A resolution adopted last year by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)admitted that the various freight sectors of transport in the EU, including road haulage and short sea and ocean shipping had been ‘severely affected’ and outlined methods by which the situation could be ameliorated and unions insist that action must be taken immediately.

A Potted History of a Contentious Matter Which May be Drawing to a Close at Last

UK – There is real hope for all concerned that the ongoing dispute over the future of the former Radlett aerodrome will be decided for once and for all by the 5th April this year. The plans to develop the site as an intermodal strategic rail freight exchange have been batted about between developers Helioslough Ltd., the local St Albans City & District Council, Planning Offices, Solicitors and various Government ministries since 2006. Now, as the matter which we have often reported on previously, seems to be heading for the end game we have tried to précis the story from its very beginnings.

Port and Airport Make it a Premier Multimodal Choice

NETHERLANDS – Amsterdam is often seen as the ‘nearly man’ of European freight but taken overall the City’s cargo facilities prove that, far from being second to Rotterdam in terms of the versatility of its freight and logistics movements, the combined fortunes of Schiphol airport’s position as third largest cargo shifter coupled with the Amsterdam port’s fourth placed ranking, plus the speed of growth and increasing breadth of containerised and bulk goods throughput leave it right at the front of the Continent’s multimodal transhipment hubs.

Recent Accidents on the Tracks Cause Major Disruptions

WORLDWIDE – Freight associated news for the first few days of February this year would seem to be all about derailments as stories abound of cargo carrying trains leaving the tracks. An incident last night in Azerbaijan when an accident involving fifty seven wagons carrying oil products resulted in six derailing with three tipping completely over was the fourth such occurrence in the past five days. The train was en route to Georgia from Baku and, fortunately as with the other incidents, there were no reported deaths despite the seriousness of the individual accidents.

TruckPol Needs Cash Fast to Survive

Over the past year we have often written about the activities of TruckPol, the national Police Intelligence Unit which forms part of the national ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service and is dedicated to the investigation and elimination of crimes against hauliers. Since the withdrawal of government funding in April last year, the national police intelligence unit has been funded entirely by an appreciative and generous private sector. Now the unit is under threat and the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and Road Transport Media, are joining forces to help secure the future of TruckPol through the “Fight Freight Crime, Save TruckPol” campaign.

Singapore Development for UAE Company

SINGAPORE – As with so many traditionally based freight forwarding organisations GAC has concentrated much effort over the past few years on the burgeoning liquid natural gas (LNG) market and in this, the 30th year of its presence in the Republic, the Dubai headquartered logistics and marine service group is to relocate its Singapore head office in anticipation of an increase in business expected as a result of a number of major infrastructural improvements quite literally in the pipeline.

Who's Gone Where and When This Month

WORLDWIDE – A quick round up of who’s been transferred where in the world of shipping, freight, logistics and associated sectors in the past few weeks. There has been much movement within the AP Moller Maersk group of companies this month so we’ll start there. The appointment of a new Safmarine CEO follows the announcement, in October 2011, of the Maersk Liner Business’ intention to integrate the corporate and regional management activities of Safmarine into those of the Maersk Line, whilst retaining and growing a separate Safmarine brand and operating model.

Global Search for a Big Hitter Needed Down Under to Unify Australian Truck Regulations

AUSTRALIA – A real challenge awaits someone as the Australian Government today announced they were to launch an international search for a Chief Executive Officer to be based in Queensland for the new office of independent National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. The new man (or woman) will be tasked with creating and shaping the way the country’s road haulage industry reforms to finally ensure that each state conforms to ensure cross border freight is not subject to different state laws.

Week of Action by International Labour Associations

EAST ASIA – Despite the fact that Japan is home to many of the major container shipping lines and some of the most efficient freight terminals in the world next week will see the port of Mishima-Kawanoe on the country’s smallest and least populous island of Shikoku targeted by international action by seafarers unions as part of an East Asian ‘week of action’.

CMA CGM Move to Stem the Flow of Blood

FRANCE – ASIA – EUROPE – In a bid to steady the current trend of downward spiralling freight rates (see previous story) French container shipping giant CMA CGM has announced ‘Rate Restoration’ measures which will come into force from the beginning of March. A company statement says:

With No Rate Controls Big Box Carriers Face an Uncertain Future

WORLDWIDE – This is probably not a good time to have all your investments in global shipping. Everyone is currently raving about the plummeting Baltic Dry Index but, despite the fact it now sits at a record low, at 662 one point below the previous 25 year low achieved on the 5th December 2008, any analyst worth his salt knows that oversupply is the big problem for some vessel sizes tasked with moving bulk freight commodities. The situation which the world’s container shipping lines face however may be even more serious in the long term for one or more of the major players.

Swiss Groups Clean up their Act

GREECE – SWITZERLAND – All companies these days have the need to demonstrate their environmental credentials and no industry is more in the spotlight than that of freight and logistics. Whilst container shipping is making undoubted efforts to reduce pollution levels the vast amounts transported at one time make the nature of the transport more generally accepted. This is plainly not the case with air freight or indeed road haulage which often has to stand up against rail freight shipments.

No TLC for YRC as it Rebrands and Reshapes

US – Like a big 16 wheel rig, less than truckload (LTL) road haulage outfit YRC continues to roll on despite all manner of financial setbacks stretching back some years. Today saw YRC Incorporated morph into YRC Freight a brand only introduced to company staff in the past few days. The rebranding means a new logo, uniforms, equipment and signage to go with the new name. The group, in the form of holding company YRC Worldwide, has struggled with financial pressures over the past few years but survives thanks to agreements with investors and unions, asset disposals and share selling and exchange sprees.

EU Horizon Research Project Results Published

EUROPE - WORLDWIDE – European road haulage operators are of course well used to a tachograph system designed primarily to ensure that drivers are refreshed enough to handle a truck often weighing it at 40 tonnes. In the wake of the costs in human and financial terms of the Costa Concordia disaster results just out from an EU funded research programme into the way watch keeping patterns can affect the tiredness of ships officers aboard vessels, whether they be passenger or freight carrying merchantmen, make interesting reading.

Freightliner Scoops Best Operator Award

UK – The record of the Freightliner Group as a whole speaks for itself with steady growth in freight haulage in the past fifteen years meaning an increase in intermodal container traffic alone of 55% plus the introduction of bulk cargo carriage with the introduction of Freightliner Heavy Haul Limited in 1999. Now Freightliner in the UK has been recognised as top British cargo carrier having last week received the award for Best Operational Performance – Freight Performance Measure from its peers at the annual ‘Golden Whistles’ awards ceremony.