Shipping Search - Archive

Joint Venture Development Contract Agreed Hours Before Multimodal Celebration

UK – DP World’s London Gateway chose its sponsored Multimodal VIP dinner held at the National Motorcycle Museum to announce a deal done just five hours earlier with commercial property group Prologis in which the two will develop a 316,000 square foot distribution centre at London Gateway Logistics Park which sits directly behind the quays of the Britain’s latest deep water container shipping port. The new facility, which will be built speculatively, is designed to offer flexible distribution space to a range of freight forwarding and shipping interests.

Designability, Look and Green Credentials are Bound to Appeal to Stateside Consumers

NETHERLANDS – US – Someone once said that you can tell a great road vehicle from the run of the mill if it makes you smile when you drive or ride it. A very few actually have the ability to do that when you merely see one and the Tuk Tuk, the three wheeled multi-purpose vehicle that is ubiquitous in parts of Asia has just that effect on those relatively unfamiliar with it. But the tenacious little urban runabouts have evolved of late with the European production of electric versions available in a design-your-own format to suit all manner of commercial operations including haulage of freight with the Cargo models now on the market.

Supply of Better Designed Re-useable Containers Gives Operational Advantages

UK – WORLDWIDE – Gefco, a group which includes both re-useable packaging and finished vehicle logistics amongst its skills, has signed a new contract with Jaguar Land Rover Limited to provide a reusable packaging solution to support the company’s part production process. Supplying the motor manufacturer with its large Magnum Optimum containers, which the freight forwarding company developed in conjunction with a leading packaging manufacturer, the new deal spans both UK and international markets.

Government Aid to Those Operators Willing to Invest in New Low Emission Technology

UK – One of the main complaints from the road haulage sector against government policy to press forward with the reduction of carbon emissions in the sector has been the apparent lack of support for commercial vehicles. To many in the industry it has appeared that private cars seemed destined to be the main target whilst diesel fuelled HGVs, traditionally criticised for their output of particulates and CO2, were being largely ignored. Now the recent announcement that the road freight sector has been identified as a recipient in the government's £500 million funding package for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) announced this week has been warmly welcomed, not least by the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

Long Standing Route Abandoned Due to Increase in Sulphur Emission Costs

UK – DENMARK – Passenger and freight ferry operator DFDS has announced that it is to end its Harwich, UK to Esbjerg, Denmark route on September 29, due to the costs of the new sulphur emission rule. The majority of the route's current freight volume is expected to be transferred to the Esbjerg-Immingham freight route with passenger services between the two countries to end completely.

Fifth Year of Training Scheme as Quality of Services Certified

UK – GERMANY – EUROPE – Logistics and freight forwarding group DB Schenker will once attend this year’s Multimodal Exhibition in Birmingham and for 2014 the group has announced that it will again be boosting opportunities for young people this summer with new apprentices’ placements to follow in the successful footsteps of previous four intakes. The current (2013) crop of young professionals will all be attending the event at the NEC on the 1st May.

EU Investigation Prompts Eurotunnel to Reduce Charges

UK – FRANCE – The latest announcement from Eurotunnel that it was committed to reduce the current level of freight train track access charges by up to 50% unsurprisingly met with a warm welcome from all in the logistics community with a foot in the rail cargo camp. The move comes following the European Commission investigation which we reported previously, and the findings and resolution of the authorities concerned.

Ocean and Air Cargo Profits Rise on Increased Turnover but Rates per Tonne and TEU Fall Slightly Overall

SWITZERLAND – WORLDWIDE – Swiss based third party logistics (3PL) supply chain group Panalpina says it has grown ‘head of the market’ with improved profitability in the first quarter of 2014. The freight forwarding company claims an increased market share in air cargo and ocean freight markets with volumes up 6%.

Racking System Enables Secure Stacking and Space and Time Saving Solution

UK – WORLDWIDE – Over time we have covered the shipping of cars by various means, including aids to loading containers and trailers, and each has its own merits. Much depends on the vehicle or vehicles involved, new or second hand? Extremely expensive or old jalopy? Supercar or SUV? Each case needs the input of a specialist freight forwarder with experience of a range of vehicles to ensure safe delivery to the consignee, with incidental damage an obvious risk with cargo so delicate yet unwieldy.

Ancient Court Cases and Even Older Real Estate Disputes Spring Up to Create International Problems

CHINA – JAPAN – ASIA – US – Chinese Customs officials have arrested three female employees from the Chinese arm of Japanese conglomerate Marubeni subsidiary, Columbia Grain, a company that has locked out local longshoremen from the Japanese group’s Port of Portland grain facility in the long running US East coast dispute. According to reports, the PRC customs officers detained three Chinese nationals in the port city of Qingdao on suspicion of tax evasion, but this arrest comes amid rising territorial tensions between the two nations and just days after China arrested and subsequently released the Japanese flagged iron ore carrier Baosteel Emotion in a dispute that dates back to the second world war.

New Import Contract and Box Repair and Road Haulage Facility Both Sign On to London Gateway

UK – London Gateway, Britain’s latest deep water container port, made two announcements this week regarding the steadily growing portfolio of companies wishing to trade from its Thameside premises. Having reached an agreement last June with Marks and Spencer to be the first tenant of the giant logistics park slated to rise in the hinterland of the quays, the DP World owned port has now contracted to handle all the South American to UK shipments for the world’s largest supplier of beef and chicken from the beginning of May.

Port Rotation Changes as New Call and Feeder Service Announced

TAIWAN – FAR EAST – RED SEA – Container shipping group Evergreen Line has announced service changes in preparation for the coming peak season on its FRS Far East – Red Sea routing which includes the inception of a new feeder loop. In addition, the line intends to further strengthen its Red Sea service network via slot exchange arrangements with a strategic partner.

With Armoured Protection and Ten Year Power Supply Aptly Named Product Hits the Market

UK – The up and coming Commercial Vehicle Show being held at the NEC in Birmingham gives manufacturers and distributors the opportunity to show off their latest products to road haulage and omnibus operators, and automotive tracking and security technology company Road Angel Fleet will be using the opportunity to officially launch its new ‘Tough Track’ asset location device.

Manchester Group Draws on Experience for Latest Shipment

UK – RUSSIA – Only anyone who has personally experienced the unique conditions which exist in the Sakhalin Region, the only region in the Russian Federation located on islands, will know the vagaries of the climate there, with year round snow, up to four feet at a time in winter, and the often foggy summers. The area however is rich in natural resources and has drawn a constant stream of companies seeking oil and gas, something which provides work for project freight forwarding outfits such as Tuscor Lloyds which has just completed another successful movement.

Wood Pellet Shipments Rise Inexorably as Search for Alternative Fuels Continues

NORTH AMERICA – EUROPE – WORLDWIDE – One of the drivers of the logistics industry is the development of new techniques and technologies, as one market falls away another grows to replace it, and freight forwarders and shipping lines love to see bulk product sectors growing, particularly as the products often replace their predecessors, witness the increasing numbers of LNG tankers. One other such example is the rapid growth of biomass fuels and in particular the wood pellet industry, which demonstrates how a previously low value by-product can become a profitable industry mainstay.

Who is Going (or Gone) Where and When This Week

SWITZERLAND – This week’s appointments and staff moves begins in the freight forwarding and logistics sector with the news that, as of 1 June, Thorsten Meincke will return to Kuehne + Nagel as Senior Vice President of Global Seafreight. Meincke previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Kuehne + Nagel before leaving the company to take up a role on the Management Board at another Swiss forwarding company. The Board of Directors of Kuehne + Nagel has also said that for internal company reason, it will withdraw its proposal to elect Gerard van Kesteren to the Board of Directors at the AGM.

Arrest Postponed as ITF Steps in to Assist Crew

UK – Further to our recent story regarding the stranded crew of the MV Munzur, the Panamanian flagged, Turkish owned freighter which has been detained by the UK authorities over health and safety matters, comes some good news thanks to the efforts of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) who had threatened the ship with arrest if the owners failed to pay outstanding wages.

Seminars, Games and Demonstrations Make This a Must Visit Event

UK – The relevance of the Multimodal Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC next week to the freight and logistics sector is reinforced by the number of relative newcomers to the seven year old event which continue to rebook stand space. Visitors to Stand 432 in Hall 8 will no doubt be quizzing Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) staff about the new P3 Alliance and how the joint management with Maersk Line and CMA CGM, hitherto the Swiss group’s closest rivals, is going to operate and how it will affect them.

Specialist Transport is Where One Sees the Exotic Side of Shipping - and the Risk

UK – WORLDWIDE – There are certain aspects of the logistics market that appeal so much more than the general run of the mill, bread and butter jobs from which most shipping and supply chain professionals make their living. Somehow the world of the project freight forwarder or the abnormal load road haulage specialist always holds a touch of romance for many in the industry.

Two Decades in Russian Market Aid Sustainable and Quantifiable Standards for One Operator

RUSSIA – As anyone involved in freight forwarding or road haulage knows, standards these days are often determined by certification and audits which seem to be ever more demanding. Whether it be internal process audits controlled in house, or expensive undertakings by approved societies or associations, every year sees more requirements which need to be met, and of late security precautions, and the evidence they are adequately performed and monitored, is one field where things have been getting progressively more sophisticated as time moves on.

TV Presenter Joins Anti-Vivisection Campaign

FRANCE – MAURITIUS – UK – WORLDWIDE – Air France has come under renewed attack from the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) during its annual Lab Animal Week for its continuing policy of carrying monkeys as cargo for experimentation. Air France became the last remaining passenger airline shipping monkeys to laboratories when China Southern Airlines updated its policy earlier this year. In 2012, the number of monkeys experimented on in the UK rose by nearly 50% to over 2,000. In the same year, 1,500 monkeys were imported into the UK for experiments; two out of three came from Mauritius.

Disgrace of Foreign Ships Held in UK Ports as Maritime Labour Convention Bites

UK – Tonight at 17:00 hours the Turkish owned, Panamanian flagged merchant vessel Munzur faces arrest tonight after being detained by British authorities when breaches of the Maritime Labour Convention were discovered. It is believed the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) boarded the general cargo ship after she ran aground in the River Teign at Shaldon beach on 31 March when manoeuvring whilst empty of freight. The Munzur was turning when she grounded and the harbour commission tug boat Teign C sent to assist her and recover her to the harbour at Teignmouth.

Miscreants Again Shy Away When Faced with Armed Response

GULF OF ADEN – Following our report of pirate activity in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb in late March it seems that caution and observation are the watchwords for vessels transiting the narrows at this particular time of year with two more certain sightings of pirates in the past few days. Once again the miscreants were using their favoured modus operandi, coming alongside merchant vessels in fishing skiffs equipped with comparatively efficient motors, and once again the presence of heavily armed guards seemingly prevented more serious incidents.

Virgin Lays on Freight to Assist Two Worthwhile Causes

UK – US – ASIA – The world’s largest Easter egg hunt first made it into the Guinness Book of Records after it raised over £1 million for charitable causes in 2012 and Virgin Atlantic Cargo were happy to lay on the logistics free of charge in order to assist this year’s event when the company freighted eleven giant Easter eggs from London to New York. The eggs, designed by handpicked British artists such as Ronnie Wood, Marc Quinn and Ben Shine, were part of the annual Big Egg Hunt, sponsored by Fabergé, which is raising money for disadvantaged children and endangered wildlife.

Offline Testing Results in Time and Cost Savings

UK – WORLDWIDE – With the recent announcement of this year’s winners of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise, considered widely as the country’s highest business accolade, one company at the cutting edge of supply chain technology was delighted to find itself named as one of the lucky recipients. Emulate3D, a branch of the Demo3D group, received the award for the work it put into developing its Emulate3D Controls Testing (ECT) range which simplifies the way automatic production line systems can be verified as viable.

TransRussia 2014 Gives Stakeholders Opportunities to Explore Alternative Transport Solutions

RUSSIA – Today sees the opening of the 19th Moscow International Transport & Logistics Exhibition where the Russian Railways Logistics group is to present a variety of new projects and services to its freight customers. Every year the TransRussia 2014 event witnesses a gathering of local and international transport and logistics sector players with over five hundred exhibitors from twenty nine countries appearing at the event last year.

German and Chilean Lines Form Another Big Hitter to Battle P3

GERMANY – CHILE – WORLDWIDE – Back in January we speculated that the long expected convergence of two second division container carriers would happen shortly and, true to form, last week saw the final details emerge of a tie up between Hapag-Lloyd and Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) in a deal which punts the new group straight in as the world’s fourth largest box carrier behind the three members of the newly formed P3 Alliance, Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) and CMA CGM, with a formal agreement representing over three centuries of ocean freight carriage experience between the South American and German partners.

Transit Time for Previously Transhipped Freight Reduced

ASIA – WEST AFRICA – The world’s second largest container shipping group, Swiss headquartered Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC) is shortly to commence a dedicated service between Asia and West Africa to be called ‘Africa Express’. This will reduce transit times for existing cargo volumes which currently tranship via the Mediterranean.

Ongoing Labour Unrest with Company Affects Ports on Two Continents

US – HONDURAS – The longstanding dispute between the longshoremen who work in the Port of Portland and employers simmers on, and the latest development will doubtless engender an ‘I told you so’ from the dock workers who are employed at the ICTSI Oregon container shipping terminal based within the East Coast port. For more than two years the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) has stood accused by the operator of illegally slowing down work whilst, for its part, the union has repeatedly claimed that Health and Safety measures are not as they should be.

With Cartel and Antitrust Action Rife It's Time to Examine Those Unwarranted Extras says GSF

UK – US – WORLDWIDE – Few involved in the export/import supply chain can fail to have noticed the proliferation of successful prosecutions in the past few years of ocean shipping lines, freight forwarding agencies and the like who have indulged in antitrust behaviour, seemingly forming cartels at will despite the obvious consequences if caught. A swift News Search of the Handy Shipping Guide using the appropriate keyword produces a seemingly endless stream of stories naming and shaming the perpetrators. Additionally the use of incoterms can often be abused by the addition of ‘extras’ unforeseen and unwarranted in the eyes of shippers and consignees.

From a Small Electronics Business to 1,000 Patents in Four Decades

TURKEY – WORLDWIDE – Having started as a small electronics operation in Bologna, Italy over forty years ago, Datalogic, now boasts a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of logistics customers in its current role as a provider of automatic data capture systems, supply chain essentials so much used these days in bar code readers, mobile computer terminals and the like. A portfolio of over a thousand patents and heavy investment in even more innovation has led to the establishment of the group’s new Business Development division and now the company has announced the opening of its latest office in Istanbul.

Hyster Adds More Technology to its Rugged Image

US – WORLDWIDE – Hyster, producer of fork lift trucks much favoured by many in the freight and logistics sector, principally for their durability, has joined together with Seegrid®, the award winning provider of vision-guided flexible automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in a bid to increase the ‘intelligence’ of its trucks using the Pittsburgh headquartered technology company’s vision-guided automation systems.

Traditional Shipping Industry Name Continues to Expand Branches of Logistics it Can Service

UK – Cory Brothers is a name which has been associated with British merchant shipping from its inception in the 1800’s and which has constantly evolved as tastes and logistical demands have changed over the years. Having moved from port and liner agency to freight forwarder the latest development for Cory Logistics, now part of Braemar Shipping Services plc, is a joint venture with supply chain specialist Navarm Limited to provide both maritime and land based services for the nuclear new build industry.

From Nuclear Waste to Frozen Chickens - Today's Handling Equipment Must Move It All

US – WORLDWIDE – The conveyor belt is of course one of the essential elements in the supply chain for many manufacturers and express mail and parcel companies. Modern conveyor systems can be adapted in an infinite number of configurations to suit specific and constantly changing purposes to ensure the logistics of processing as many goods as quickly and accurately as possible are as efficient as they can be. But what happens when those items are extreme in nature? One US company boasts that its systems can be suited to anything – from nuclear waste to frozen chickens.

Exhibitors Demonstrate Greatest Ever Gathering of Industry Related Products

UK – Just two weeks to go until two of the biggest shows in the country’s logistics calendar with the Commercial Vehicle and Multimodal exhibitions being held in tandem this year in neighbouring halls at Birmingham’s NEC, giving visitors ranging from manufacturers to freight forwarding and shipping interests to take a look at the road haulage side of the industry and vice versa.

Government Satisfies Motorists but Alienates Green Interests

UK – The Treasury Report issued this week which concludes that a reduction in fuel duty can benefit the economy has met with two very different polarised reactions from logistics and environmental groups. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said that it welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement and the report echoed a study which it funded two years ago on behalf of the FairFuelUK campaign alliance undertaken by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The Freight Transport Association (FTA) stated the report confirmed something it had been telling government ‘for a very long time’.

Sector Celebrates Success as Everywoman Finalists Announced

UK – As so many people in the freight and transport industries are always keen to point out, logistics is one of the UK’s fastest growing industries employing around 1.5 million people, and hitherto women have, as in so many other areas, been woefully under represented. This however is changing and, according the Freight Transport Association (FTA) the jobs available are becoming an increasingly appealing career option for women.

Donations Helping Youngsters Achieve Through Sport Continue to Grow

UK – WORLDWIDE – The Essex based Woodland Group has entered into a partnership with SOS Kit Aid, handling all aspects of the charity's international freight and logistics operation. The charity was conceived and established by rugby mad dad John Broadfoot as he watched an 8 year old Romanian boy galloping down the field with a ball in one arm and holding up his shorts with the other. As so often with the rugby community, a good idea met with wholehearted support and the recycling of unwanted items began.

Accidents and Prosecutions Will Result for Improper Use of 'Open' Hard Shoulder

UK – A comment by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) on the new ‘Smart Motorway’ stretch of the busy M25, due to open on 14 April, is particularly relevant to companies like the Handy Shipping Guide, whose staff need to travel the route on a daily basis. The radical changes may soon become familiar to regular travellers but the FTA is concerned that motorists may not be aware of the how these changes will affect those driving it and this may be particularly relevant to those who use the route for the first time.

Geneva Vote Means Crucial Support for Seafarers Deserted by Their Employers

SWITZERLAND – WORLDWIDE – Two key proposals for amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) (MLC) were passed with overwhelming support at today’s Geneva meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and have been welcomed wholeheartedly by those at the sharp end when dealing with the all too familiar problem of crew abandonment. The misery caused when vessels and crews are deserted by their failed or failing owners spreads over thousands of miles and hundreds of families and are a disgrace in the modern world of merchant maritime transport.

Olympic Champion Launches 100 Million Pound Terminal Extension

UK – As described in our story last month four times Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie was on hand to open the Port of Southampton’s new £100 million container berth SCT 5, designed to handle the largest and deepest vessels in the world. The event took as its theme ‘Setting the Gold Standard’ for obvious reasons and featured the loading of an eye catching ‘golden’ box, supplied by leading container logistics company Pentalver, onto the 18,000 TEU capacity CMA CGM ship Marco Polo. Chris Lewis, Managing Director of DP World Southampton, the terminal operator, said:

Launch of University for Over 100,000 Employees

SWEDEN – WORLDWIDE – Running right through the supply chain is one component that seems to grow in importance every passing year and affects every aspect of both manufacturing and the accompanying logistics, that of increased training levels. Whether it be for better performance figures, health and safety or certification of ability and competence in any other field, training has rapidly developed into a major industry of its own and more and ever more and larger companies are bringing the process in house to ensure themselves of both set costs and certain quality levels.

Commercial Aircraft Utilise Cheaper, Cleaner Option

US – WORLDWIDE – The News Desk at the Handy Shipping Guide receives hundreds of emails every day, most of which we choose not to print as they lack relevance to the road haulage or freight and logistics sector. Occasionally however comes a tale which is worth passing on and, this genuine story from Harvey Brodsky, the Managing Director of the Retread Tire Association is one such.

PDP Scheme Managers Change the Rules on Drivers Certificates

UK – Every lorry driver on British roads in charge of a tanker carrying flammable fuel will need to gain a Petroleum Drive Passport (PDP) in 2014. If a driver is due to have his or her ADR renewed in 2014 or is applying for their first ADR they must take the full PDP course. Those drivers who do not have to renew their ADR certification in 2014 must still take an approved interim PDP course. Road haulage outfits which need more information can see details…

Two Agents Make Announcements of Success

UK – BRAZIL – EUROPE – MIDDLE EAST – AFRICA – CHINA – Several gains for logistics groups announced this week with the news French headquartered Norbert Dentressangle’s freight forwarding division, Norbert Dentressangle Overseas, is relocating its Heathrow operation into larger premises to accommodate strong growth. Previously occupying a shared facility, Norbert Dentressangle has taken the lease on 9,000 square feet of dedicated office and warehouse space at the Saxon Way Trading Estate in Harmondsworth, five minutes from Heathrow Airport.

Security Oversight Transfers from DfT to CAA

UK – Following several months of testing the new arrangements, last week saw the responsibility for certain aspects of air cargo security transfer from the Department for Transport (DfT) over to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A joint statement announcing the changes came in the form of a letter to all stakeholders describing how all processes had involved staff ‘shadow running’ and ensuring teams were in place prior to the official switchover. The most relevant part of the move to freight and logistics companies is that the CAA will now bear all responsibility for compliance inspections and enforcement activity.

Shipping Agents Piled High on the Compost Heap After Punishments Doled Out for Infamous Antitrust Scandal

NEW ZEALAND – The High Court in Auckland has wrapped up its case into what it describes as ‘hard core cartel behaviour’ in the air cargo market by penalising Swiss headquartered freight forwarding company Kuehne + Nagel a sum of NZ$3.1 million plus costs, for breaches of the Commerce Act as part of the infamous ‘Gardening Club’. This latest and final fine brings the total penalties ordered in this long standing case to NZ$11.95 million with the company paying the biggest fine of the lawsuit.

Member States and All Companies Must Have Workable Systems Up and Running Shortly

EUROPE – Much of what the European Union has to involve itself in is ‘tidying up’ and aligning the regulations for all manner of trades for which different standards and rules apply in the various member states. Next year will witness a reporting change which all vessel operators and ships masters, in any of the various freight sectors, should be aware of. At present the reporting requirements for vessels arriving or departing any European port can vary widely and so it is that, as from 1 June 2015, all EU member countries must have in place a ‘Single Window’ simplified system to streamline and standardise the reporting formalities for ships docking at or embarking from EU ports.

Representatives Say Workers at Sea Deserve the Same Rights as Shore Based Staff

UK – SWITZERLAND – WORLDWIDE – With major changes being made to pension provision for all employees being made in the UK and some other countries the matter of financial provision for seafarers is to be raised by the Nautilus International trade union at a forthcoming meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with the intention of seeing a firm commitment to including pension rights within any future revision of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

Management Praises Staff as Tuscor Lloyd's Hits Twenty

UK – WORLDWIDE – The logistics industry has always had its share of tenacious performers when it comes to establishing a business, and for those prepared to stick out their necks and specialise in traditionally tricky areas an established and respected company is often the end result. Despite commencing business at a time when many others were failing, Tuscor Lloyd’s is celebrating this year two decades from humble beginnings in a small one room office in Manchester to recognition as a global player in the forwarding and project freight sector.

Part of Valencia Stevedoring Company Sold to Add Group Credibility and Assist Further Expansion

SPAIN – JAPAN – The Mitsubishi Corporation which has a penchant for acquiring and developing assets in a plethora of industries with a portfolio of companies which includes everything from natural resources development to investment in retail business, shipping, infrastructure, financial products and manufacturing of industrial goods, has joined with ports and logistics specialist fellow Japanese group the Kamigumi Corporation to purchase a 25% stake in Valencia’s Port Container Terminal, the TCV Stevedoring Company from Grup TCB.

Lloyd's Register Takes a Good Look at the Future of Liquefied Natural Gas Availability

UK – WORLDWIDE – Much of what Lloyd’s Register concerns itself with these days, as do many others, is the drive toward cleaner shipping systems, and a key part of the proposed future for fuelling the next generation of freight and passenger carriers is likely to be the rapid expansion of vessels powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The trick therefore, just as with land based attempts at environmental and performance improvements, is for a sufficiently reliable infrastructure for refuelling, in this case deep sea vessels, being in place.

Japanese Line Continues to Expand its NAFTA Trade Portfolio

US – MEXICO – JAPAN – Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has announced the commencement of new car carrier services for shipping vehicles being produced in Mexico to ports in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region. Better known by many for container freight shipments MOL has a substantial fifty year pedigree in ocean car transportation and points out that, in recent years, many car manufacturers have been aggressive in building and enlarging plants in Mexico with estimates that automobile production will increase by more than 10% per year for the next several years. Around 3 million vehicles were produced in Mexico in 2013, about 80% of which were exported.

It Seems Serious Criticisms of Human Relations Has Led to Latest PR Campaign

GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – Say what you like about DHL, the Deutsche Post group subsidiary, despite quite a lot of bad publicity over the past few years the express freight forwarding and parcel delivery behemoth never misses an opportunity to tell the world of its latest logistics services, group achievements and the prodigious amount it puts into good deeds in the course of its business.

Vessel to Have Long Standing Damage Rectified

UK – Damage which occurred to the RoRo freight and passenger ferry Ben my Chree, which plies between the Isle of Man and the mainland will now not be repaired until a quiet period later in the summer according to its owners, the Steam Packet Company.

Trading Conditions Result in Restructure of MSC Portfolio

EUROPE – SOUTH AMERICA – In view of the current trading conditions, container shipping line MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. says it will be restructuring the group’s North Europe to South America East Coast freight services and effective from mid-April will be providing the following two services:-

G6 Grouping Gets Ratification from US Authorities

US – The G6 Alliance has received the go-ahead from the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to expand its current geographic scope to allow its members: APL, Hapag Lloyd, Hyundiai Merchant Marine, MOL, NYK, and OOCL, operational cooperation in the trades between the Far East and the US West Coast, and between North Europe and all US coasts. This decision, which will allow the Agreement to become effective as scheduled on April 4, comes off the back of the FMC’s recent ratification of the P3 Alliance between the three largest container shipping lines, with the commission coming to the same conclusion as it did then, that the agreement is not likely to produce an unreasonable increase in transportation cost or an unreasonable reduction in freight transportation services.

EU to Vote on Mandatory Measures to Preserve Lives and Reduce Pollution

EUROPE – UK – The vote by the European Parliament scheduled for April 15 may well herald a new era of truck design following last month’s report from the EU Committee on Transport and Tourism which has recommended design rule changes intended to make it easier for drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists and improve bodywork streamlining to cut pollutant emissions. Intermodal specifications are also liable to change slightly thus impacting on rail freight as well as the road haulage sector with draft rules allowing trucks for use in combined road-rail or road-ship transport operations to be made 15 cm longer, to make it easier to load standard 45-foot containers.

Ten Companies and Subsidiaries Facing Potential Cartel Prosecution - As Once Again Somebody Turns States Evidence

SINGAPORE – GERMANY – JAPAN – In yet another potential antitrust shipping scandal the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has issued a Proposed Infringement Decision (PID) against eleven freight forwarding companies and their Singapore subsidiaries/affiliates over alleged infringements of the Competition Act by collectively fixing certain fees and surcharges, and exchanging price and customer information in relation to the provision of air freight forwarding services for shipments from Japan to other destinations worldwide, a cartel by any other name.

Crew of Three Plucked from the Atlantic

PANAMA – US – Once again comes the tale of a dramatic rescue by a merchant vessel which had to search for the proverbial needle in a haystack to find a stricken yacht sinking some fifty miles south of Balboa on the coast of Panama. Thanks to the diligence of the US Coast Guard and the actions of Captain Singh and his crew aboard the M/T Glenda Meryl, a 47,250 dwt oil/chemical tanker, flagged in Liberia and jointly owned by d'Amico and Glencore and managed by Ishima ship management, the lives of the all American crew of three were rescued safely.

July Sees London Seminar to Examine Strategic Road Investment and what's in Store for Infrastructure Management

UK – Westminster Forum Projects (WFP), the private conglomeration of cross party forums which evolved from the original 1996 meeting of the Westminster Media Forum organised on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Media Group, and which now hosts sub divisions covering topics as widespread as health and nutrition to education, is to host a seminar on the future of the UK's strategic road network in the light of government announcements regarding future investment levels. With many representatives from the freight and road haulage sector giving keynote addresses it will give attendees a chance to hear the proposed future for the Highways Agency from the organisation’s Chief Executive.

IATA Cargo Boss Retirement Announcement Leads Appointments and Departures

WORLDWIDE – Freight and logistics staff moves start this week with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announcing that their Global Head of Cargo, Des Vertannes, will be retiring from his position after the Association’s Annual General Meeting in June, following his four years in the role, to spend more time with his family. Vertannes is a popular figure in air freight and his influence at IATA has been felt industry wide.

New Protocols will Insure Customers against Counterfeit and Contaminated Products

US – WORLDWIDE – Carrier Transicold, a name synonymous with cold chain support services to the freight industry has launched its new CareMAX™ programme, a comprehensive refrigerant management recognition programme for its authorised service centres. Carrier Transicold aims to constantly improve global transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes in the supply chain with a complete line of equipment including refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers.

Allseas Global Wins UN Approval

UK – WORLDWIDE – Project freight forwarding specialist Allseas Global Logistics’ commitment to expertise in the humanitarian aid/relief sector has been underlined by confirmation that it has secured the United Nations’ prestigious ‘Approved Supplier Status’. This important vote of confidence comes on top of the British company gaining official authorisation as a supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), as well as a number of other official accreditations from international professional bodies. Group Commercial Manager Mark Binge, explains:

Competitive Tender Process Sees Newcastle Based LLP Win Through

UK – Unbeknown to most people the Crown Estate is not the monarch’s private pension fund but in fact an organisation governed by Act of Parliament overseeing a property portfolio worth over £8 billion. The Estate profits, last year in excess of quarter of a billion pounds, are payable to the Treasury and the real estate includes substantial coastal holdings in England which include around 50% of the country’s foreshore, virtually all of the seabed, and interests in ports, harbours, marinas and other commercial coastal developments.

Hidden Dangers Lurk in the Corners of Waterborne Boxes

UK – WORLDWIDE – If you want to know about shipping containers, ask an insurer. That is the message which comes when one follows up a recent release from the TT Club which covers one of those rarely considered questions, crucial to safety in what can be an inherently dangerous industry, yet generally overlooked until it becomes a problem. Whilst ISO standards for containers are rigidly adhered to and any signs of damage obvious and prompting immediate repair or replacement there is one small component which tucks away, literally in the corner, yet upon which lives can depend. We are speaking of the humble twistlock.

Your Chance to See the Future of Virtual Logistics as 4PL Concept Expanded

EUROPE – Today sees the launch of the world’s first truly 5PL group superseding the nature of 4PL operations with a simplified concept which is set to completely revolutionise the world of freight and supply chain logistics. The new entity will rely heavily on the rising technologies including rapidly developing drone delivery systems and the new interest in intercontinental fluvial transport links for the final delivery leg of everything from small individual shipments to huge project forwarding operations.

From Now On Overseas Hauliers Pay to Go on British Roads

UK – Today sees the introduction of the HGV Road User Levy which will be imposed on ALL heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) of 12 tonnes or more, for UK operators this will be payable when they pay their vehicle excise duty (VED) but, according to the Department for Transport (DfT) the cost will be offset by a reduction in the VED charge. The move to charge foreign operators has been demanded for many years by bodies such as the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) which have pointed out the inequality of UK hauliers having to pay road tolls via the Eurovignette scheme for the upkeep of continental highways.