Shipping Search - Archive

A Solution or Simply a Quick Fix?

NEW ZEALAND – The settlement of a dispute at the Ports of Auckland which has persisted for four months somehow has the feeling of a lull in the fighting rather than an armistice. Just hours before the Employment Court was to hear deputations from both unions and employers came news that the ‘wharfies’ could return to work and get back to ensuring the free transit of freight through the terminals. Although cargo has continued being handled by contract labour some tonnage has been diverted through other ports whist the dispute has persisted and the tactics used by both sides have sometimes been controversial.

Another East Asian Country in Need of Investment

VIETNAM – Geography dictates that the bulk of any rail freight passing through or around the country will always be on the main line running North – South between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with 60% of the nation’s rail cargo travelling the route. Despite setbacks, in 2010 the plan to upgrade the tracks with a high speed link by 2013 was rejected by the Government, there is in place a two stage program to transform container haulage in the next three years.

Potential Scheme to Develop Cross Border Track System Discussed

US – MEXICO - Folks in El Paso, Texas should take a trip through the Channel Tunnel to see what they have in mind put into practice. The local state and city authorities have come up with a possible solution to the eternal problems which road haulage outfits have when crossing the border with Mexico carrying loads of freight.

Huge Fines Across the Board (Except for Whistleblowers)

EUROPE – As we predicted earlier the EU Anti Trust Commission has delivered its latest slap to logistics groups which colluded in four separate air freight swindles with fourteen companies feeling the pain and others, who effectively ‘turned states evidence’ getting off scot free or with reduced fines. And what a slap it is!

Proactive Approach with Solar Panel and LNG Use

CHINA – There was a time when the drive toward greener freight transport solutions was an exclusive province of the US and a few European countries but with the international nature of logistics it could not remain that way for long and now a variety of global countries strive to achieve levels of environmental performance that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

Cartel Activity Decision Expected Today

EUROPE- The wheels of justice appear to be turning at their usual pace and it must be tortuous for the bosses of some of the leading freight forwarding companies as, like the sword of Damocles, they await their fate expected to be announced later today. Early in 2010 we reported on the raids carried out by EU anti trust investigators on some of the regions principal logistics operators, now it seems a decision is likely today from the European Commission and history says they are unlikely to be gentle given their history of imposing huge fines for cartel activity.

Biggest Unions Announce Crippling Strike

SPAIN – A General Strike has been called for the 29th March which will see mass demonstrations crippling city centres and air freight and passenger flights ‘significantly disrupted’. That is the outlook according to the UK Foreign Office after the country’s two biggest unions announced their intentions to bring public transport and other services to a halt.

Lower Diesel Stocks May Affect Deliveries

UK – The announcement from the Unite union that a successful ballot of around 1200 tanker delivery drivers means Britain may be devoid of fuel over Easter has elicited no sympathy from fellow road haulage and freight interests. The fact that thousands of smaller local filling stations have closed in the past few years will inevitably impact the availability of diesel and petrol supplies. A vote to strike from half of 2,000 Unite members eligible to vote means industrial action is likely with accusations today that only the failure of 12% of those balloted to cast their votes swung the decision.

Court to Decide Legality of Suspensions

NEW ZEALAND – Despite some very strong language by both sides over the deteriorating labour situation at the Ports of Auckland there is some hope as both sides will attend a mediation session later today. The employment of non unionised labour to ensure freight continues to pass through the port has angered the stevedores who wish to negotiate new employment terms causing a month of strife.

Osborne Accused of Lost Opportunity

UK – Having studied last weeks budget road haulage and freight forwarding lobby groups appear to have been singularly unimpressed by the Chancellors portfolio. Both the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) have sounded off on what they feel was a chance to assist those who carry the country’s vital supplies. The main bugbear is of course fuel and Peter Quantrill, BIFA Director General commented:

Management Buy Out Becomes Takeover by Rival Group

SWEDEN – SCANDINAVIA – POLAND - Greencarrier Freight Services, one of the largest privately owned logistics groups, has acquired a majority shareholding in Transpoint International, Poland. The deal comes just weeks after Finnish based VR Transpoint sold its shareholdings in the Polish, Czech and Slovakian companies of Transpoint International Group via management buy out. Transpoint in Poland provides cross-border transportation services, delivering parcels and part- and full loads between Finland, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, the UK, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.

MOL Christen New Vessels Destined for Iron Ore Contracts

JAPAN – AUSTRALIA - Despite the Baltic Dry Index still having slumped almost 50% since the start of the year the recent rise continues as it crawls upwards once again with a gain of over 30% against the market low in February. As the BDI moved upward to nudge 900 for the first time since mid plummet in January so Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) the world’s largest operator of Capesize bulk carriers announced the completion of another two behemoths, the iron ore carriers Tom Price and Ore Sao Luis.

New Technology Can Cut Insurance Claims

WORLDWIDE – Berthing a vessel, be it a multi TEU container ship or a coastal freighter can be a hazardous, and if done incorrectly, expensive business. Now Trelleborg Marine Systems, manufacturer of docking, mooring and berthing equipment, has received patent pending status on a system for monitoring the load on marine fenders. The new system is designed to help avoid disputes and the costly downtime associated with insurance claims.

Vessel Building Shifts Continents and Products

BRAZIL – The situation concerning the construction and outfitting of a new, modern shipyard demonstrates how international such a business has become. The new facilities being constructed at São João da Barra, north east of Rio de Janeiro by OSX Brasil S.A. being a case in point. At a time when the glut of general freight, tankers and container vessels is causing problems one might wonder who could be persuaded to invest in such an ambitious project.

More Private Toll Roads 'Unthinkable'

UK – Today’s announcement by Prime Minister David Cameron has met with instant opposition from the freight industry with Road Haulage Association (RHA) Chief Executive Geoff Dunning describing the proposal to introduce road tolls unthinkable. The PM claims lack of investment in highway infrastructure is costing British industry £7 billion a year and suggested pension and sovereign wealth funds as a likely source of investment. Mr Cameron asked:

Protectionist or Ensuring Jobs and National Security?

US – Once again the restrictions of the ‘Jones Act’, passed by the US Government as the Merchant Marine Act almost a century ago and seen by supporters as a vital national security measure and opponents as simple protectionism, is making headlines. Designed to exclusively provide work only for US citizens and permanent residents on ships owned, flagged and operated by Americans, critics have always pointed out how these parameters inflate the cost of moving any inland water borne freight around the country.

New Japanese Car Carrier Emits Zero Whilst Berthed

JAPAN – As good as their word Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has announced the launching of their hybrid car carrier, details of which were given in our story last July. The new ship ‘Emerald Ace’ has been designed to generate zero emissions while berthed and the project was subsidised with Japanese Government funding. MOL is one of the leaders in trying to reduce the impact of ocean freight transport in all its forms.

Heavy Lift Aircraft May Be Built Once More

UK – RUSSIA – UKRAINE – We at the Handy Shipping Guide make no bones about the fact we always like to write about special projects and the more spectacular side of freight forwarding, and these shipments rarely come much more impressive than the cargoes carried aboard the largest aircraft in the world – the Antonov An-124.

Latin America is Latest Target for Swiss Specialists

LATIN AMERICA – Freight forwarding and logistics group Panalpina, another of the world’s asset light supply chain providers, has launched four new direct Less than Container Load (LCL) services through its in-house carrier Pantainer Express Line. The new guaranteed weekly and bi-weekly services will connect Buenaventura (Colombia) with Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Colon (Panama) as well as Santos (Brazil) with Colon and Veracruz (Mexico) with La Guaira (Venezuela). Transit time from Mexico to Venezuela is reduced by 15 days against the groups previous routing.

NASA Research Reaps Yet More Safety Benefits

US – WORLDWIDE – Everyone knows that the NASA space program has resulted in some fantastic scientific advances, so much so there is even a subscription website devoted to these ‘spin offs’. Even though such vital items as Teflon, WD40 and Velcro were in fact not products of NASA’s requirements (despite urban myths to the contrary) the organisation is now actively seeking investment in something which could revolutionise safety for passenger and air freight pilots and their respective cargoes.

New Three Year Deal

UK – Even by the standards of a company which operates handling facilities in over 120 worldwide international airports the three year deal which Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has just signed with Abu Dhabi passenger and freight airline Etihad is a sizeable one. WFS already services Etihad’s cargo handling requirements in Paris and now the new contract will see the group handle an estimated additional 33,000 tonnes of air cargo a year for Etihad.

New Website Aims to Give an Accurate Picture to Iranian Citizens

UK – IRAN – Although we at the Handy Shipping Guide usually stay within the parameters offered by freight related matters the stiffening of sanctions against Iran and the lack of diplomatic channels is worrying any freight or logistics company with traffic to or from the region. Now with Russian bank VTB24 closing embassy officials’ bank accounts in a move many see as a warning over Iran’s alleged continued quest to achieve a nuclear weapons capability, the British Government have launched a new propaganda offensive in the form of a dedicated website.

Before LNG Reaches Those Big Orange Tankers First You Have to Get It There

AUSTRALIA – The transport and logistics needed to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) is something which is proving the freight success story of late as sectors such as bulk dry cargo and container shipping suffer through oversupply of vessels and uncertain supply and demand. The actual pipeline transport of the gas from source to compressor does not hold our interest as such a static form of carriage holds little mystique. Getting to the point where one can actually extract the stuff from where it lurks underground can however prove very lucrative.

LCL Services Extended into Australia

CHINA – SINGAPORE – AUSTRALIA – If you are going to be a successful 3PL, that is a supply chain provider without any of your own transport assets, you need to be at the top of your game to survive. CEVA Logistics are such a company concentrating on managing the assets of others and using this flexibility to maintain freight forwarding service levels.

Union Activity and Escalating State Wages Follow Arab Spring Movement

KUWAIT – Trucks full of freight and container vessels are being delayed at land based border crossing and the nation’s seaports by a strike by Customs staff which started early today as Ministers tried to talk down the problem with promises that oil exports would continue unhindered and that talks were under way to resolve the situation. All import and export clearances have been suspended except essential medical and humanitarian supplies.

Liebherr Mobile Harbour Crane Sales Reach a Milestone

AUSTRIA – FRANCE – Whilst times are hard for many industry sectors materials handling specialists Liebherr, a company whose cranes and construction equipment are to be seen in ports and on sites across the world, have started well in 2012 after achieving their second best annual result in history last year. An order from Montoir Bulk Terminal in France means the Swiss headquartered group has sold its 1000th Mobile Harbour Crane, used for the bulk loading of every type of freight cargo in ports around the world. Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH, in Austria is the largest maritime crane production site from where the group manufactures and markets an extensive range of product lines including ship cranes, offshore cranes, mobile harbour cranes and reachstackers.

IRHA Disgusted by Safety Agency Proposals for Hire and Reward

IRELAND – The latest proposals from the Road Safety Agency (RSA) to the Department of Transport regarding the use of agricultural tractors as licensed hire and reward road haulage vehicles has met with howls of protest from freight interests, not least the Irish Road Haulage Association whose President Eoin Gavin commented:

AirBridgeCargo Flights Weekly From Hannover

GERMANY – CHINA – RUSSIA - AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has announced a new cargo link between Northern Europe and China with the inception of a weekly Boeing 747-400 freighter service from Hannover Airport in Germany to Beijing via Moscow. Global logistics company Kühne + Nagel will be the main customer for the new ABC operation which is primarily to target shipping engineering and automotive parts from the industrial region in North Germany to the Far East.

Specialist Towing Group Completes 10,000 mile Pull

BRAZIL – OMAN -The French Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group tell us their specialist subsidiary ocean towage and heavy lift transport contractor Fairmount Marine has delivered a new build drilling rig ODN Delba III safely from the Persian Gulf to a location offshore Rio de Janeiro, Brazil safely with the total voyage of over 10,625 miles performed with an average speed of 6.0 knots. As well as a multipurpose support vessel the Fairmount Fuji, the company fleet consists of five modern super tugs of 205 tonnes bollard pull each, especially designed for long distance towing and the ship used on this occasion was the tug Fairmount Summit (pictured).

Four Operations Join Forces to Handle Giant Cargo

. INDIA - BELGIUM - GERMANY – So often in the past the Port of Antwerp has proved itself the place to operate from when out of gauge or project cargoes are to be transhipped with half of the 180 million tonnes it sees annually consisting of bulk or general cargo and the latest cooperation between leading freight specialists in different fields has proved the port’s worth once again. Shipment of stone from India into Europe is a traditional trade but usually conducted by and agency which needed to contact several companies in different countries, each with a speciality needed to move the giant blocks from consignor to final destination.

Auckland Workers Garner Support

NEW ZEALAND – Recriminations are flying around Auckland as the dispute over dockers jobs escalates. The dock workers, or ‘wharfies’ as they are known locally, are enraged following the Ports of Auckland’s decision to axe 300 jobs and replace the workers with outside contractors. The employers say the dispute is not about money but performance which they say is proving inferior to rivals like Brisbane and Sydney, as freight on container vessels is delayed in other ports whilst unions claim that a leaked document proves the aim is to improve financial returns for the owners Auckland Council Investments Ltd.

Acquisition Policy Reversed as Times Get Tough

US – CHINA – Following our story last month concerning the rebranding of YRC Worldwide, the trucking and logistics group, which incorporates subsidiary YRC Freight, has, as predicted, continued its disposal of assets with the sale of the groups interest in Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Co., Ltd. to its 35-percent joint venture partner. YRC bought its 65% stake in the company in 2008 after a period stretching back several years when it had grown enormously through an acquisition policy started when the Yellow Corporation bought out the Roadway Corporation in a billion dollar deal to form the Yellow Roadway Corporation.

Rates Simplified and Investment Sought Whilst Export Ban Lifted

INDIA – Freight rate rises are always a cause of tension as the balance between suppliers, forwarders and carriers shifts and this is nowhere more evident than in the Indian sub continent where pre budget rail freight increases imposed have caused inter regional tensions with some geographical areas affected more than others.

Government Comes Good on Promise of Rates Waiver

UK – Regular readers interested in British ports may remember a series of articles we wrote in 2010 in relation to the perceived scandal of excessive port rates and the promise by the new coalition Government to right the previous wrongs, unfortunately too late for some freight and logistics businesses for whom the financial burden had simply become too heavy. Now it appears that the wheels of power have turned and this week port based businesses facing unfair and unexpected backdated business rates bills can breathe a sigh of relief.

Website Aims at Performance, Environment and Safety

JAPAN – WORLDWIDE – Safety, care for the environment and performance are often in competition within industry with efforts to promote the former two often seen as inhibiting the latter. For any major liner shipping company today performance is everything but Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL)which runs over eight hundred and sixty vessels ranging from bulk freighters and container ships to ferries and employs over 9,000 staff to do so, safety is still a watchword and, like every other company, it is keen to show its green credentials.

Train Operators Welcome Government View

UK – Even more rail freight news, today the Government published its Command Paper: ‘Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First’, designed to set out how the authorities see rail freight and passenger development progressing and the policies they propose to make the UK rail network profitable and therefore sustainable in the long term. The report can be downloaded in its entirety .....

Cash Available to Cut Carbon Levels on Land Based Freight

UK – A new initiative in the Eastern Region is designed to assist small to medium sized enterprises (SME’s) reduce their carbon footprint by utilising multi modal freight methods. The switch from road haulage to rail has always proved a conundrum for those with comparatively low traffic levels, the extra expense and the variable nature of cargo consolidation often required can put off even the most persistent green campaigner.

Rain Doesn't Dampen the Spirits of Campaigners

UK – The latest action by FairFuel UK and the lobby group’s supporters was hailed as a success following a demonstration which saw hundreds turn out in a wet Westminster yesterday to protest against the high price of fuel. The freight and logistics industries showed their support with backing from truckers and industry bodies such as the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA). The main thrust of the argument yesterday centred around a recent report which concludes that a reduction in fuel duty would stimulate economic recovery by giving users more money for investment. Speaking for the RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning said of the gathering:

Cars and Car Parts Exported for Dacia

ROMANIA – ITALY - EUROPE – GEFCO, which specialises in supply chain support for the automotive sector, has set up a multi-modal logistics solution for Romanian car company Dacia, a subsidiary of Renault, and for whom they have provided 3PL services since 2008. The new arrangement features both road and rail haulage with GEFCO shipping finished vehicles to the Romanian and Italian markets from the Dacia plant in Pitesti (Romania).

Jungheinrich Unveil Latest Diesel, LP Gas and Electric Counterbalance Options

UK - WORLDWIDE – With all companies throughout the supply chain intent on reducing energy costs and emissions materials handling manufacturer Jungheinrich has announced the launch of new additions to its ranges of ic-engine and electric-powered counterbalanced forklift trucks specifically designed to offer the highest standards of energy efficiency, throughput performance and operator comfort. The brand is a favourite with numerous warehousemen engaged in the freight and logistics industry and the company make several claims for the new equipment which they say offer improvements to any current models.

New Website Planned to Demand Equal Rights for Supply Chain Workers Worldwide

GERMANY – US – NORWAY – WORLDWIDE – A new website ‘Respect at DHL’ has been launched today to challenge global freight forwarding and supply chain shipping giant DHL over matters which transport and other unions say persecute the company’s work force in different parts of the globe. The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and UNI global union want world logistics giant DHL to guarantee the same basic rights to all its workers, wherever they are. The unions say this would make the use of lie detectors and intimidation reported by staff at some of its global subsidiaries as unthinkable as the idea of employees in its German home base being treated that way.

Live Load Takes The Shortest Route

US – RUSSIA – It was almost a case of the cow jumping over the moon for Russia’s largest air freight carrier AirBridgeCargo Airlines when the company saw one of its aircraft pass directly over the North Pole for the first time en route from Chicago to Krasnoyarsk. Onboard the Boeing 747-400 freighter was a very special ‘passenger’ load, 175 Angus bred heifers, weighing a total of 104,000 kilos. The animals landed safe and sound at Krasnoyarsk’s Emelyanovo Airport from where they were transported to a local breeding farm.

Pay As You Go System Aids Freight Forwarders With Employee Management

NETHERLANDS – UK – EUROPE – Like many SME’s freight forwarding and feeder specialist Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics recognized that, with a growing number of employees to support, they needed an HR solution that would help them manage their human resources much more efficiently. The company has experienced steady growth and broadening of its service portfolio to the point where the company is now one of the largest European short sea and multimodal container transport companies in Europe.

MOL to Conduct Tests with Gas Fuel

JAPAN – Never slow where innovation is concerned liner group Mitsui OSK Lines has announced that together with Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co (MES) it will conduct a gas injection demonstration run utilizing a temporarily modified electrically-controlled type slow speed diesel engine. The container and bulk freight shipping group announced some months ago it was intending to launch an experimental electrically powered car carrier in June this year and we have reported other fuel saving innovations from MOL such as their experiments with low friction hull paints.

Machine Nominated for Design Award

US - Since 1987 the Edison Awards have recognized ideas at the forefront of new products, services, marketing, design and innovation and for many companies winning one of the awards is considered one of the highest accolades they can receive. Now Lift'n Buddy has won through as a finalist in the Industrial Design Tools category for its clever use of technology to produce a powered hand truck for shifting and lifting freight without physical strain for the operator.

Con-way Trucking Chooses Maptuit System

US – Following a successful pilot study launched in September 2011 Con-way Truckload, a full-truckload carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc., has announced that it will be installing Maptuit® NaviGo™ technology in all company trucks and Qualcomm-equipped owner-operator tractors. Con-way Truckload today employs over 3,000 drivers with a fleet of more than 2,700 tractors and 8,600 trailers operating throughout the United States as well as internationally in Mexico and Canada. The company provides full load transportation serving the transcontinental shipping needs of commercial and industrial businesses as well as sister company Con-way Freight.

IATA Report a Generally Downward Trend

WORLDWIDE – Although not purely a freight related matter the latest safety data made public by IATA (International Air Transport Association) in relation to the carriage of both cargo and passengers by air may be of some interest to many readers. IATA members represent 84% of global traffic and the accident statistics released today are in anticipation of final audited figures due for release on the 12th April 2012. The preliminary figures show that the 2011 accident rate for Western-built jets was the lowest in aviation history, surpassing the previous mark set a year earlier.

FIATA Unhappy Over Possible Underhand Government Tactics

WORLDWIDE – Today FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, published its Position Paper on the Dual Filing for advance security declarations in accordance with the World Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards and, whilst acknowledging the authorities’ prerogative to decide on the value of data elements in terms of risk analysis expressed extreme concern that good and cargo declarations may be merged together by Governments and thereby passing on responsibility to carriers where none previously existed.

Currency Factors Have a Telling Effect on K + N Results

SWITZERLAND – WORLDWIDE – In their financial results for 2011 published today international freight forwarding and logistics giants Kuehne + Nagel present a snapshot of the various industry sectors from ocean and airfreight through road and rail movements to contract logistics and, judging by the tone of its report, K+N seem happy with what was a difficult year for most, suggesting a 40% hike in share dividends to 3.85 Swiss francs (CHF). The strength of the Swiss franc however has a significant effect on the overall result.

Lately the Shipping Industry Reads Like a Catalogue of Disaster

NIGERIA – The neighbouring ports of Apapa and Tin Can Island and the more south easterly Port Harcourt have not been happy places of late what with pressure from pirate groups and a continuation of bottle necks for freight containers causing a war of words between forwarders and the Government and this week the killing of two clearing agents highlights the tensions which exist across the city of Lagos.

Documentary Charting the Giant Freighter up for Award

US – RUSSIA – WORLDWIDE – In the world of freight and logistics there are still a few things which can actually stir the soul of the hardest nosed shipping agent. One such is the sight of a huge Antonov 124-100 Ruslan aircraft landing or taking off, a flying monster of such immense size it always looks impossible that it can ever take to the skies, let alone with the vast payloads of project forwarding cargo it can swallow through its upturned nosecone.

Seven Months Work to Forward all Materials Offshore

UK – The Port of Hartlepool has been selected as the main construction logistics hub for the Teesside Offshore Windfarm Project following negotiations by owners PD Ports with principals EDF Energy Renewables and the other companies involved in the new development. Over the next seven months Hartlepool will be the focal point for all materials and components to be installed in the new wind farm with over one hundred people involved in the offshore construction programme and who will be operating out of the project supply base established there.

Agents Warned Be Careful About the Cargo You Carry and the Rates You Charge

US – WORLDWIDE – Regular readers will know we try to keep them informed of all the cases involving shipping agencies and freight forwarding groups which have been charged or convicted of offences which bring the name of the logistics industry into disrepute. Many however still fail to realise the implications of operating or conspiring to operate a cartel or, worse still, the penalties which can be incurred for smuggling or the illegal transport of sensitive items.

London Exhibition Will Feature New Fire Deluge Design

UK – WORLDWIDE – Underlying the ocean freight industry are the everyday items which ensure safe passage and ease of working at sea and in port and this month Trelleborg Offshore will be displaying high performance solutions specifically designed with the marine and subsea industry in mind at the 2012 Oceanology International exhibition at London’s Excel between the 13th and 15th March.

Spanish Forwarding Office Works to Ensure Compliance in Advance of Legislation

SPAIN – WORLDWIDE – Sustainability and care for the environment have become the buzzwords of companies in all sectors and with its obvious impact and some lamentably lax practices in past decades the freight transport industry is an easy target for conservationists, a situation many throughout the world of logistics have been addressing with some vigour. This week shipping agents and global freight forwarding group Tuscor Lloyds told us how they are managing the situation in Spain, a country often regarded by neighbours as perhaps a little reluctant to adopt new cultural attitudes.