Shipping Search - Archive

June 2010

World Shipping Pollution Being Tackled

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
image: MARPOL shipping freight cargo ferries container carrier pollution greenhouse gases

MARPOL Rules to Ensure Cleaner Fuels are Used

WORLDWIDE – When one gets past the claims and counterclaims of the pollution levels produced by comparative forms of shipping one gets down to the basic fact that in today’s climate every company needs to strive to reduce greenhouse gases and limit all forms of noxious substances they are responsible for (usually whilst protesting they are not the worst offenders). The effect has been for railways to point at shipping who in turn claim road freight is more polluting prompting hauliers to point to the skies.

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image: UK container shipping handling port cargo export gantry cranes

Latest Equipment Arrives at Hutchison Ports Facility

UK – Nothing illustrates the reversal of world trade over the past century than the arrival over past months of Chinese built handling equipment shipping in to the Port of Felixstowe. Whereas previously heavy machinery was a traditional British export, Far Eastern factories now turn out reliable, and comparatively cheap, cargo handling equipment along with a multitude of other products.

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image: IATA air freight cargo traffic volcanic ash global distribution

Year on Year Increase Encouraging

WORLDWIDE - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced international scheduled traffic statistics for May which showed a 34.3% jump in freight demand compared to May 2009 despite some ongoing problems in Europe with the volcanic ash cloud which started to disrupt traffic in mid April, the strong surge in cargo traffic outstripped a capacity increase of 12.3%, pushing load factors to a record high of 55.7% (56.3% when adjusted for seasonality).

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image: US air cargo screening freight forwarder shipping homeland security

New Technology Needed By Department of Homeland Security

US – Many US shippers have seemingly chosen to ignore the new regulations which come into force on the 1st August for domestic freight carried within the holds of passenger carrying aircraft, choosing instead to leave the problem with their freight forwarders. From that date every internal cargo consignment has to be certified as having been properly screened, or physically inspected, prior to loading.

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image: Dubai UK ports TEU shipping terminal Nasdaq

DP World Shelve Plans for Dual Stock Exchange Listing

DUBAI – UK – DP World the global ports business that vowed to go ahead with London Gateway just a few months ago has suspended plans to seek a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange which effectively means it will not attempt to raise money again via this route until its 2010 figures are published next March. Parent company Dubai World had already gone ahead with restructuring plans which specifically excluded the ports division.

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image: Asia container shipping TEU teu vessel ships

CMA CGM Subsidiary Sets New Agenda with Three New Services

ASIA – The Cheng Lie Navigation Co (CNC Line) partially owned subsidiary of the giant French CMA CGM group have announced three new intra Asia services two of which saw inaugural voyages this week and the last due to commence on the 3rd July. The company says that the fast growing trade in the region has necessitated development of routes spanning the South East Asian bloc of China, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

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image: US dry bulk drybulk shipping line vessel ships carrier

Genco Agree to Buy Yet More Ships This Month

US - Genco Shipping & Trading Limited, the drybulk specialists and owners of Baltic Trading Ltd., have agreed to purchase a further sixteen ships, all Supramax size and including two new builds, from Setaf SAS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bourbon SA, for an aggregate purchase price of $545 million. This news comes after our story of just two weeks ago when the group announced they were to invest in five Handysize carriers, the new acquisitions will take their fleet to fifty three vessels with a total carrying capacity of approximately 3,813,000 dwt and an average age of approximately 6.4 years.

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image: UK road haulage truck illegal immigrants Border Agency

Literature Highlighted Double Standards for Truck Drivers

UK - A booklet advising international operators, supposedly produced in collaboration with the UK Border Agency, has been withdrawn following questions on its content from the Road Haulage Association’s magazine Roadway. ‘Lorry Crime Prevention’ was produced as part of an Amber alert by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the UK Border Agency in response to a recent investigation into illegal immigration. The guidance for operators and drivers was, however, pulled after the RHA asked the Home Office how it could accept that operators and drivers were victims of crime from illegal immigrants and yet penalise them if they were so victimised.

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image: Algeria freight logistics warehousing heavy haulage distribution shipping

Kuehne and Nagel Report New Contracts

ALGERIA – CANADA – SPAIN – The two latest freight and logistics contracts won by world wide forwarding group Kuehne and Nagel could hardly be more different. Today the company’s Canadian division report they have been awarded a global logistics service order to assist SNC-Lavalin, one of the world’s leading engineering and construction groups, with the € 785 million development the company is undertaking in the Sahara desert 1,200 kilometres to the south east of Algiers.

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image: Australia QR rail freight bulk haulage

Disregard for Workers Rights Reaps a Maximum Fine

AUSTRALIA – Five trades unions who pursued legal action against Queensland Rail have won their claim for maximum penalties of A$660,000 for failing to properly consult workers when a decision was made to sell off the state owned assets to private investors. QR National, the bulk haulage section which freights the immense tonnages of ore and coal will be separated from the rest of the group and sold by way of an IPO later in the year.

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image: Asia US container shipping line freight tonnage TEU FEU boxes

Forecasts Up as Freight Carriers Stick With Rates Policy

ASIA – US – Despite meeting much opposition the members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement have seemingly resolved to stick by their guns when renegotiation rates for shipping containers on the Asia to US routes, a policy which we are told, is now reaping rewards. Clearly the horrific position in which many of the container lines found themselves needed to be addressed to improve what was for many of them a potentially disastrous situation.

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image: UK freight shipping Peel ports airport

Canadian Interests Buy into Liverpool, Durham and Doncaster/Sheffield

UK – After our article in February on the demise of the freight traffic from Britain’s regional airports come the news that The Peel Group have sold most of the assets of Peel Airports to Canadian based group Vancouver Airport Services (VAS). VAS has a record of investment in airports worldwide and, as in the case with this new acquisition, normally shares the burden of development with local interests and expertise; in this case Peel, who will retain a 35% interest.

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image: Australia US truck fuel freight rail level crossing accident blackspot

Registration and Fuel Tax Up - Level Crossings Need Work

AUSTRALIA – The ATA, that’s the Aussie Trucking Association, not their US cousins known by the same acronym, have issued a timely reminder to freight trucking companies that truck registration and fuel charges will generally rise by 4.2 per cent from 1 July, with the registration charges on some truck combinations increasing by more than 25 per cent. Following an Australian Transport Council (ATC) decision earlier this year, the fuel tax credit received by operators will decrease from 16.443 cents per litre to 15.543 cents per litre while truck registration fees rise.

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image: Philippines Manila IMO shipping crew safety security

New Conditions Agreed for Crews from 2012

PHILIPPINES – Today saw the end if the International Maritime Organization (IMO) conference in Manila supported by the government of the Philippines and attended by more than 500 delegates from 85 IMO Member States, as well as by observers from three Associate Members, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the European Commission (EC) and various other interested parties.

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image: UK Baltic dry index shipping freight bulk carriers vessels

New Factors Influence One of the Freight Markets More Reliable Indicators

UK – WORLDWIDE – The slump in the Baltic Dry Index, down to 2502 yesterday, continues from its most recent high almost exactly a month ago when it was stretching toward 4300. Yesterday's figure represents the lowest point of the index since the tail end of October when it started to climb up after bottoming out at 2175. The indicator of dry bulk goods such as ores, grain and coal however can be a fickle beast; beware anyone who claims to know all her moods, all any analyst can do is take in as many factors as possible and hazard a conclusion.

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image: UK freight transport cargo shipper white van man overloading commercial vehicles LGV

Most Common Offence Committed by Drivers of Small Commercial Vehicles

UK –This week the Freight Transport Association (FTA) offered a timely reminder to the owners and operators of vans about the problems and dangers of overloading cargo or equipment into small commercials. The FTA has published a best practice guide for transport managers on the safe securing of loads in vans. The intention is to provide realistic and practical advice, clarifying compliance standards for operators and helping them to improve their drivers’ safety.

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image: Scotland UK shipping container TEU box vessel export cargo

Inaugural Call for European Box Feeder Vessel

UK – Following our announcement in April that Unifeeder were to expand their box line services to Eastern British ports comes the news that the first of the company’s vessels on the new short sea route arrived at Grangemouth last weekend giving Scottish exporters direct access not only to the mainland European hubs of Rotterdam and Felixstowe, but extending into the rapidly expanding Baltic and Russian markets.

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image: Asia shipping lines logistics Pirate piracy maritime

Anti Piracy Petition Continues to Enrol Support

WORLDWIDE – The anti piracy petition we featured here last month has already gathered over 53,000 signatures and has now garnered support from a myriad interests from the shipping and logistics world and beyond. The ASF (Asian Shipowners’ Forum), ECSA (European Community Shipowners' Associations), the ICMA (International Christian Maritime Association) and ICSW (International Committee for Seafarers’ Welfare), are amongst the groups now also promoting the initiative to their members and anyone else who will listen.

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image: UK logistics warehousing 3PL transport management lingerie

Con-way Subsidiary Expands to Fill Swindon Facility

UK – Menlo Worldwide Logistics have been awarded the contract to handle the warehouse operations of Swindon based lingerie giant Triumph International UK Limited. Triumph have decided to outsource as part of an initiative designed to restructure and improve the competitiveness of its overall UK business. Menlo, which is seeking to grow its business in the region, intends to operate the currently dedicated warehouse as a multi-user facility in the future. The international logistics group, which in addition to a full range of warehousing functions, offers transport management services, web fulfilment and 4PL services, is committed to targeting new customers for the Swindon premises which sits on the strategic M4 corridor en route to Bristol.

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image: Asia container shipping export cargo levels freight aircraft Antonov

Bargains to be had by Shrewd Investors

WORLDWIDE – Despite the fact that companies like Maersk Line tell us that they have container ships coming out of mothballs as the call for empty boxes comes from Asia to service increasing levels of export cargo, there is often a darker side to such tales to remind us of the parlous state which world trade sank to so recently. We now understand that at least one of the ‘container repositions’ being undertaken will terminate with the scrapping of the carrying vessel, the ‘Sealand Performance’ which, after ferrying the empty boxes between the US and China for redistribution, will remain there to be broken up.

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image: Australia B-Double truck trucking road cargo freight

Interstate Road Transport Charge Act change levels playing field

AUSTRALIA – The Senate acted this week to right an obvious wrong which was due to cost some truck companies thousands of dollars in unwarranted fees. As in the rest of the world things are tough enough running a road cargo operation without the opposition gaining a fiscal advantage. The Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) commenced in 1987 as an alternative to state based registration for heavy vehicles weighing more than 4.5 tonnes and was intended to ensure charges and operations were uniform for all registered freight interstate carriers.

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Indian Rail Freight Profits Encouraging

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
image: India rail freight shipping cargo multi modal

Tonnages Up but Revenues Even Higher

INDIA – Deciphering the complexities of the state owned Indian Railways is always a daunting task for any analyst; the company is the country’s largest employer with a hierarchical management system and the necessity to distribute over 20 million passengers throughout a network of almost 7000 stations. What is not often realised is that these passenger services are heavily subsidised by the 2 million or so tonnes of rail freight which the system transports daily.

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image: Netherlands rail freight port cargo

Betuweroute Provides Direct Link to Germany and Beyond

NETHERLANDS - Keyrail, the Dutch commercial operator of the Betuweroute, the dedicated freight rail line that runs from the port of Rotterdam to the border in Germany, who have been cooperating with Prorail to open the arches near Meteren, have completed the works and now, as of this week the Port of Amsterdam will be connected to the system. This means the port has expanded a non stop freight rail connection into the hinterland via the railway connection near Meteren/Geldermalsen.

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image: Spain export shipping logistics ocean freight customs clearance cargo insurance

Continuation of Partnership to Serve Spanish Exporters

SPAIN – Damco, the wholly owned AP Moller- Maersk shipping group's logistics subsidiary, has obtained the contract to handle the countrywide rights for the sales and distribution of Global Flexi Systems (GFS). GFS commenced operations with Damco, Spain last year and this is an extension of the partnership which sees both companies able to offer integrated door to door logistics services to Spanish based companies in need of transportation of non-hazardous bulk liquids to overseas markets.

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image: UK budget trucks fuel diesel duty freight shipping logistics

Fuel Duty Rises Stay - Port Rate Reductions as Expected

UK – Chancellor George Osborne had no real news for the freight and shipping industry, other than the expected. While there is no new rise in fuel, the phased introduction of the previous budget’s increase means duty will rise by 1p in October and by 0.76p in January 2011. It rose already by 1p in April. The Road Haulage Association were quick to express their dismay, “This is disappointing”, said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “It will simply further widen the gap between UK diesel duty and that of our EU competitors, the unfairness of which was acknowledged in the Coalition’s recent programme for Government.

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image: Israel Gaza shipping cargo

Signs That Diplomatic Pressures May Have Had Some Influence

ISRAEL – GAZA – Few people in the world can be unaware of the bloody stalemate which exists between the two Governments of these Middle East regions, nor indeed the recent conflict involving a convoy which tried to deliver to Gaza recently and cost the lives of nine individuals. It is the business of the Handy Shipping Guide to concern itself only with matters directly concerning the freight industry in all its forms and therefore up to now we have ignored the blizzard of e mails and press releases raining down on us from both, seemingly irreconcilable, sides.

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image: Asia container shipping line box feu logistics

NOL Report Signs of Recovery - but is it Sustainable ?

ASIA - Singapore based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), owners of the APL Container Line and APL Logistics brands, released their four week figures to the end of May today and revealed a 41% upswing in trade, that is containers carried, against the same period last year. At the same time the company, largest logistics and shipping stock quoted on the Singapore Stock Exchange, said the average revenue per FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit) was 19% above the same period last year, largely due to improved core freight rates in a number of trade lanes.

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image: Wales air sea freight express courier break bulk heavy lift project forwarding shipping

Milford Haven LNG Terminal Signs Up for Three Years

WALES –South Hook at Milford Haven, the largest Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in Europe and a key component of the UK’s energy supply chain, has agreed terms for DB Schenker to supply all the west Welsh facility’s domestic and international shipping and forwarding services for the next three years. Schenkers will assume responsibility for all spares, components and materials in and out of the terminal both domestically and internationally. The contract takes in the whole spectrum of logistics movements including air and sea freight, express courier parcels movements and incorporating break bulk and heavy lift project forwarding elements.

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image: Siemens supply chain logistics

Barloworld CAST System to be Implemented Globally

WORLDWIDE - Siemens AG, a household name globally and the worlds biggest supplier of eco friendly technology with revenues which exceed $75 billion were to be taken seriously when they decided to introduce a supply chain software system to manage the logistics of their five hundred plus distribution centres. Previously management has been at regional or national level so several products were tested and evaluated prior to a decision which would affect the throughput of all the company’s products.

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image: US trucking truck research safety economy emissions

US Site Worth a Look Particularly for Fleet Owners

US – The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) which evolved from the ATA Foundation is, like its predecessor a not for profit division of the American Trucking Association. The purpose of the ATRI is to examine and investigate factors relevant to the trucking industry by way of operational studies and much of what they publish can be of interest to any truck owner.

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image: Philippines Ban Ki-moon shipping bulk transport cargo IMO

Thanks to Those Who Keep Trade Lanes Open

PHILIPPINES – As we reported last week today is the first day of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) conference on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. The 1978 STCW Convention was established to formulate basic standard requirements for international ships crews and this conference will review and modernise those standards. The conference began with a speech from UN Secretary – General Ban Ki-moon which we publish here in full.

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image: Vietnam Shipping logistics supply chain project cargo 3PL

30% Jump in Parcel Movements

VIETNAM – After DHL's triumph a week or so ago at the Annual Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA) 2010, the company won in five categories, Best Logistics Service Provider – Project Cargo, Airfreight and Ocean Freight, Best Express Operator and Best 3PL carrier, DHL's Vietnamese operation, DHL-VNPT Express, have stated they have seen a 30% jump in parcel volumes in the first quarter of 2010 against the previous year.

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image: UK freight RoRo ferry port harbour Dover

Extra Charges to Fund Terminal were 'Duplicitous'

UK – The plans to privatise the Dover Harbour Board which we detailed in February have run into more criticism after it was revealed that monies raised from ferry companies using the port, ostensibly to fund a new terminal, are allegedly destined to bolster the trust’s pension fund as a sweetener before the assets are transferred.

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image: Russia rail freight supply chain logistics shipping

Saint Petersburg is Venue for Major Event

RUSSIA - Russian Railways and the International Union of Railways (UIC)have organised a rail freight conference to include many senior contributors to the logistics market which will take place on the 6th and 7th July. Full details appear on the Events page of the Handy Shipping Guide site. The main topics under discussion will be:

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image: Maersk shipping container leasing  box TEU

'Situation is Unique' as Vessels Redeployed to Counter Shortage

WORLDWIDE – The problem inherent in the shipping industry of trade imbalances has been highlighted this week by the world’s largest container carrier, Maersk Line. Trade deficits has always caused problems for ship owners and a disparity in rates has always existed in the import versus export equation, be it on the Silk Road of 1,000 BC, the Roman – Indian Spice Routes or the current Asian – North American – European TEU exchange.

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image: Netherlands shipping pirate attacks cargo freighter

Sentences Could Possibly Encourage Rather than Deter

NETHERLANDS – The gaoling of five Somali pirates this week in Rotterdam has been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm by parties to whom it is relevant. Whilst ship owners, shipping lines and agents have expressed some satisfaction at this first criminal conviction by a European Court this has been tempered by the length of the sentences, seen as too lenient by many, and against that, the reaction of some of the convicted men themselves who seem not only resigned to their fate, but positively satisfied by their likely future.

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image: Kenya cool chain logistics supply chain shipping cargo handling

Innovative Handling Process and Modern Technology For Perishables Introduced

KENYA – The recent woes over the ash cloud covering Europe highlighted the vulnerability of African countries dependent on the export of fruit, vegetables, flowers etc. to outside influences. Kenya is a country heavily reliant on their vulnerable produce and the brand new Transglobal Cargo Centre (TCC) at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) which completes its first phase next month is set to make for a faster and more controlled supply chain for shipping such goods.

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image: UK logistics multimodal warehousing distribution racking storage reach trucks articulated fork lift

(they've upped their Pallet capacity by 12,000)

UK - The Potter Group, multimodal logistics and rail freight specialists and with over 1.6 million square feet of warehousing under their management, looked long and hard at the best way to increase storage capacity at their 165,000 square foot North West distribution centre at Knowsley, Merseyside. After extensive research the company opted for redeveloping the racking system without recourse to obtaining larger premises.

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image: UK Russia HMS Belfast shipyard shipping

Russian Connection to Restore a British Icon

UK – When Russian Shipping Company Sovcomflot and the Government of the Russian Federation decided they wished to mark the 65th anniversary of VE Day and the end of World War Two in Europe they decided an appropriate gesture would be to restore HMS Belfast, a symbol of resistance to many, to her former glory. Resting as a familiar sight in the Pool of London since1971 sadly time and weather has achieved what the German U boats could not and the old ship was looking the worse for wear.

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image: US trucking freight forwarding shipping FMCSA haulier

New Legislation Sets Tougher Regulations and Penalties for Carriers and Agents

US – The Motor Carrier Protection Act just put forward by two Senators is causing ripples amongst the trucking and shipping industries. The bill proposed by Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Olympia Snowe from Maine is designed to toughen up the criteria needed by companies wishing to take responsibility for cargo in their care and applicable to all freight brokers and freight forwarders.

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image: UK shipping trucks rail freight transport

FTA Seeks Only a Level Playing Field

UK – Having sounded off earlier today to promote the use of rail freight wherever possible , the Freight Transport Association (FTA) promptly changed hats during a meeting today with Justine Greening MP, the Economic Secretary to protest at the cost of running a transport operation in Britain, in no small part due to the costs imposed on the industry by Government.

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image: UK freight customs import BIFA shipping freight forwarders

HM Customs and BIFA to Advise on ICS Implementation

UK – The British International Freight Association (BIFA) are to partner HM Revenue and Customs in hosting a series of country wide events aimed at clarifying the forthcoming Phase 1 of the Import Control System (ICS), the first phase of the wider AIS (Automated Imports System). Seminars will be held in September in Belfast, Manchester, the East Midlands and Liverpool and attendance should be seriously considered by all shipping groups and freight forwarders.

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image: Greece navigation aid shipping tankers bulk carriers radar

Kelvin Hughes Appoint Aegean Electronics in Piraeus

GREECE – Still considered by many as the very heart of the shipping world, UK based Kelvin Hughes, the world’s largest supplier of nautical charts and publications, have announced the appointment of a new distributor in the country for their full range of navigational aids. In future Aegean Electronics will offer the complete range of products and systems manufactured by Kelvin Hughes including turn-key ECDIS packages, Voyage Data Recorders and fully compliant IMO radars including SharpEyeTM, the latest solid-state Radar technology.

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image: UK ships spares shipping logistics

GAC Appoint New Marketing Manager

UK – GAC Marine Logistics (GML), a division of the Dubai based shipping group, have appointed a dedicated marketing and sales manager for the European area. Based in the United Kingdom, Jamie McPhail’s key responsibilities will be to reinforce the GML brand and promote its specialised ship spares solutions to ship owners and management companies in the region. As the key liaison person, he will also supervise the requirements of the clients to ensure smooth and seamless “door-to-deck” delivery of ship spares.

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image: UK railfreight transport shipping multi modal  rail freight truck

Free Service to Assess Practicality to Shippers

UK – The Freight Transport Association (FTA) tends to be associated with road haulage possibly more than other forms of shipping but today the organisation, which sees itself much more as a multi modal operation, launches a new initiative, FTA FastTrack, which is designed to provide those companies which wish to investigate the benefits of switching to rail freight, with impartial advice.

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image: UK freight truck drivers self employed

Self Employed to be Regulated Despite Intense Opposition

UK – EUROPE – Not for the first time legislation before the European Parliament has come in for severe criticism from representatives of the British freight trucking community – who were promptly ignored. The Road Haulage Association have been scathing in their attack on what they consider “a most ill considered piece of legislation” even before the vote today which affirmed that self employed drivers were subject to the regulations of the Road Transport Directive (RTD).

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image: South Africa port rail freight corruption

Transnet Need to Clear Out Dead Wood

SOUTH AFRICA – The row over the suspension of the former Transnet Chief Executive rumbles on after a Court found him guilty last week in the matter of his misconduct over the awarding of procurement contracts. Following a call to Transnet auditor’s corruption hotline in 2008 Siyabonga Gama was suspended pending an investigation into the allocation of a contract to refurbish 50 locomotives to Sibanye Trade Services, without a proper tender process and to a company apparently with no experience in the field.

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Rail Freight News In Australia

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
image: Australia rail freight tonnes ports

Queensland Takes Centre Stage Again

AUSTRALIA – After detailing last month how Asciano were querying the possible monopoly and therefore commercial advantage which a privatised QR National would have over potential customers moving freight on its tracks it seems the Melbourne based concern have now pinched almost 11 million tonnes of business from QR by signing an agreement with Anglo American Metallurgical Coal Pty to take effect from January 2012. A further 5.75 million tonnes will transfer from Pacific National to Asciano at the same time meaning a total of up to A$775 million over the 10 year life of the contract. Pacific National are already closely associated with the Asciano group already however.

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image: UK freight trucks shipping container port cargo lorries

DP World Celebrate Five Years of VBS

UK – As the Britain’s second largest shipping container terminal, at times handling over 4,000 TEU per day by road and rail, a steady throughput of trucks through the port is essential in the DP World Southampton facility, a joint venture between DP World and Associated British Ports. This week the company celebrated the five year anniversary of their mandatory vehicle booking system (VBS). The primary objective of introducing VBS was, and still is, to smooth the flow of vehicles over a longer period throughout the day and ultimately reduce turnaround times for lorries.

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image: Philippines shipping freight vessels pollution

Training and Certification of Crews to be Upgraded

PHILIPPINES – There will be a Diplomatic Conference held in Manila between the 21st and 25th June which is set to change the way seafarers are trained and certified to improve safety standards on freight and passenger shipping in the future. The Conference will be held under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for maritime safety and security and the prevention of pollution from ships.

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image: Haiti shipping container logistics TEU tilt truck earthquake

Logistics Group Damco Provide Free Services for Earthquake Relief

HAITI – We have covered in the past some of the amazing uses to which the ubiquitous standard TEU shipping container has been put and also commented recently on the lengths to which shipping lines and various logistics agencies have cooperated to bring aid to this stricken region. Here however is a story which neatly combines the two.

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image: Pakistan Iran Turkey terror ocean freight shipping rail cargo terrorists

Shipping by Rail Could Save on Ocean Freight However

The Iran – Pakistan – Turkish rail freight service we reported on last August has been dubbed “a clear route for terrorists” by Israeli media after the Pakistani Minister of Railways, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, confirmed that regular cargo operations on the line will commence on 1st August. The news comes just at the time the country’s security services stand accused of collusion with Taliban terrorists in a report from Harvard University researcher Matt Waldman undertaken on behalf of the London School of Economics

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image: Vietnam Thailand Cambodia sea freight truck bulk container shipping

Damco Introduce Thai - Vietnam - Cambodia Service

THAILAND – VIETNAM - CAMBODIA – Damco, the logistics arm of bulk and container shipping giant AP Moller Maersk, have introduced a new cross border trucking service that links the three Asian countries. Damco management expects to see a growing volume of cargo on these corridors, particularly between Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietnam is Cambodia’s second largest trading partner and fast becoming a transhipment hub connecting Cambodia to international markets via the Cai Mep terminals.

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image: Africa UK shipping insurance ports terminals logistic ship brokers Aids malaria

Malawi Medical Trust Get Half Million Pound Boost from Thomas Miller

AFRICA – UK – The ghost of the ‘African Queen’ comes to mind when one hears of the project undertaken by London based specialist shipping and transport insurers Thomas Miller to celebrate their 125th anniversary. Oxford-based Chauncy Maples Malawi Trust require around £2 million to restore the Glasgow built vessel, and probably the oldest ship still afloat in Africa, to a condition where she can serve as a floating clinic attending to the health needs of villagers living around the shores of Lake Malawi.

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image: IMO piracy shipping WMD cargoes merchant vessel armed robbery

IMO Unanimously Approve Proposal

WORLDWIDE - Following a proposal by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, the IMO Council has unanimously approved that next year's World Maritime Day (WMD) theme should be "Piracy: orchestrating the response". WMD is always held in the last week of September, this years theme being “Year of the Seafarer”.

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image: US Canada tire tyres safety truckers freight delivery

But Senator Disgusts Retread Industry

US – CANADA - The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau are so concerned by the casual attitude of many freight and delivery drivers to the maintenance of their tyres (OK tires in their case) that they are offering a free pack of useful information including tips on how to properly maintain your tyres including a CD and DVD. The Bureau understands the difficulties in accurately checking the condition and pressures on a full set of eighteen wheels but point out the dangers of not doing so.

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image: Jungheinrich freight logistics shipping fork truck pallet stacker crane

Jungheinrich Figures Make Encouraging Reading

WORLDWIDE – There is an undeniable link between the global requirement for materials handling products and services and the health of the freight and logistics markets. Extra revenue from sales of fork trucks, cranes and general equipment to any sector serves as a casual barometer against which the health of the shipping world can be measured. Now figures from international manufacturer of a variety of fork and pallet trucks and stacker cranes, Jungheinrich, make encouraging reading.

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image: China TEU shipping express transportation supply chain logistics 3PL sea freight air cargo

Victories in Shanghai for International Carriers

CHINA – DHL and FedEx may be two of the world’s largest express transportation and logistics companies, but they can still delight in receiving plaudits from their peer group. So it was with the 24th Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA) when DHL won five accolades including the coveted Best Express Operator award, and the Best 3PL, Best Logistics Provider Sea Freight, Best Logistics Provider Air Freight and Best Logistics Provider Project Cargo. FedEx managed Best All Cargo Airline, Best Air Cargo Carrier (North America) and Best Road Hauler (Asia) awards courtesy of organisers Cargo News Asia.

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image: IMO shipping companies ports

Exceptional Performances Warrant Recognition

WORLDWIDE – The 104th meeting of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided to endorse the decision of a Panel of Judges that the 2010 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea should go to Fourth Engineer James Fanifua. Mr Fanifua was an engineer aboard the MV Scarlett Lucy when she answered a distress call from the yacht Sumatra II sinking 350 nautical miles East of Brisbane on the 22nd May last year.

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image: Oman shipping container terminal cranes handling

First Inland Clearance Depot for Region

OMAN - The Muscat Container Depot, which opened for business at the weekend, is Oman’s first ICD complete with customs facilities. As a “dry port”, it allows for the handling of containers at a point between Muscat city and its hinterland and the Port of Sohar. Oman International Container Terminal (OICT) is a modern container-handling facility that can accommodate the latest mega-vessels. The ICD serves as an extended gateway for OICT, offering shippers and consignees within Muscat easier access to the Port of Sohar. All import and export formalities can now be undertaken at the depot itself, including customs clearance, customs inspection, customs duty payment for import cargo and the completion of re-export documentation.

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image: Philippines shipping vessels ships seafarers crews fleets

'Party in the Park' Dates Set

PHILIPPINES – Saturday 26th June is the date for a ‘Party in the Park’ to be held in Luneta Park, Manila which has been organised by the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare (ICSW). The event starts at 9am and will go on until 2pm. The event is already attracting widespread interest and support from a range of organisations in the maritime industry, both in the Philippines and internationally. Shipping groups sponsoring the day, which unites vessel owners and managers with unions and welfare organisations, include BW Shipping, Costa Cruises, Marlow Maritime, Tee Kay Shipping, and Wallem Ship Management .

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image: India Volvo freight trucks

Commercial Vehicle Cooperation to be "Most Advanced Manufacturer"

INDIA – VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), the joint venture between Volvo and Eicher Motors, is set to produce a new medium duty truck engine at it’s plant in Pithampur, India. We have looked before at the blossoming of freight truck development on the subcontinent and now VECV will invest £42 million to produce engines to Euro III and Euro IV emission requirements for all Volvo’s global markets. Development of the new engine has been led by Volvo Powertrain in Ageo, Japan who will attend to final assembly of the engines for the Japanese market. Final assembly of the engines for the European market will take place in Venissieux, in France.

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image: Asia India container shipping TEU inland clearance depot

CIMEX 2 is Direct Link from China to India and Pakistan

ASIA – INDIA – PAKISTAN – Maersk Line and CMA CGM are to operate a new service, CIMEX 2 linking Chinese and other Asian ports to the Indian subcontinent with faster transit times (15 days between Shanghai and Pipavav) and access to the ICD (Inland Container Depot) in Dadri and Nhava Sheva offering connections to all inland destinations in India.

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image: Libya rail freight

Russian Rail Company Project Under Way

LIBYA – RUSSIA – Russian Railways president Vladimir Yakunin is currently visiting Libya for the opening in Tripoli of Libya’s first international railway exhibition and conference, LIREX 2010. The exhibition will involve representatives of railway companies and administrations of virtually every major country. Mr Yakunin also attended the ceremonial opening of a rail-welding plant in the town of Ras Lanuf, built under Russian Railways’ contract for the construction of the Sirt – Benghazi railway line. The expected production capacity of the enterprise is 500 km of track per year, and the maximum capacity is 700 km of track per year.

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image: US freight trucking shipping LTL hauliers trucks logistics supply chain

Change of Direction May Roll Back More Carriers

US – Reports in the press this week indicate that the giant Wal-mart chain may be changing its policy with regard to deliveries from its hundreds of suppliers. It is quite common for large corporations to switch transport and warehousing strategies every few years, often following management changes. After a review companies which handle their own logistics often conclude that a specialist supply chain company would be more cost effective and palm off property and staff in an effort to reduce costs. A few years later someone concludes that the subcontractor is growing fat on the proceeds and an ‘in house’ operation would raise extra revenue, and so the cycle continues.

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image: Brazil shipping logistics ships spares

Port Agency Operation in Rio

BRAZIL – Dubai headquartered GAC, global logistics and shipping group have opened establish its latest port agency operation, with its coordination office at Rio de Janeiro. The port office will liaise with its agents to offer a wide range of port agency services, husbandry services, crew changes, medical assistance and provisions at all major Brazilian ports.

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image: Ireland road freight tachograph haulage trailers tractors

Irish Tractors Dice With Death On The Motorways

IRELAND – There is no doubt that one of the national characteristics, for which the country is much admired, include a sometimes ‘off beat’ attitude to rules and regulations. Now the Irish Road Haulage Association has pointed out a serious situation arising from a quirk regarding the haulage of trailers on the country’s roads disallowed in any other European Union state.

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image: US supply chain logistics trucks ocean freight rail

Costs and Tonnages Down and Recovery May Hold its Own Problems

US - The 21st Annual “State of Logistics Report®”, released by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and presented by Penske Logistics, reveals that, due to various factors, particularly continuing low interest rates, the cost of logistics to businesses fell by 1.6% to represent 7.7% of Gross Domestic Product during 2009.

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image: Italy logistics shipping trucking trucks eco friendly solar energy freight hub

Expansion of Eco Friendly European Hub

ITALY – When expanding their trucking and distribution hub at Novara, west of Milan, Ceva Logistics have followed a continuing policy of eco favourable development. The third and latest building at the ‘eco-sustainable’ warehouse at San Pietro Mosezzo has been fitted in total with over 9,600 photovoltaic panels, covering an area of 16,000 sq m. The plant can produce 2,500 MWh of energy per year, which is the equivalent of 700 households - saving on average 1,300 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The logistics hub is also equipped with 98 loading bays handling approximately 25 incoming and 40 outgoing trucks each day.

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image: Italy air freight cargo

Cargoitalia Campaign wins Media Plaudits

ITALY - Cargoitalia, the scheduled airfreight specialist carrier re-launched last year, always vowed to take a new approach to pursuing a market share and it seems the policy has paid off. The company has scooped awards from two leading Italian design bodies, for its distinctive “OUR NATURE IS TO TRANSPORT CARGO” advertising campaign, featuring a pelican whose head has been transformed to resemble an aircraft cockpit. The airline took the stage alongside major brand names at both awards ceremonies held in Milan.

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image: US Caribbean shipping container cargo pallets ports

Coast Guard Sets Out Sensible Precautions for Forthcoming Storms

US – CARIBBEAN - With the start of the hurricane season now officially upon us lives will doubtless be lost at sea, some unnecessarily, and the advice from the Texas Coast Guard applies equally to all at risk from a big blow. The Marine Safety Information Bulletin regarding severe weather safety planning issued by the Houston – Galveston sector this week offers sound advice to all mariners, and port side operators, likely to be at risk from the storms.

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image: UAE multimodal logistics supply chain shipping cargo air ocean trucking warehousing services

Key Location for New Cargo Handling Facility

UAE – Shipping and logistics group Panalpina has begun operating from its new 450,000 square feet state-of-the art multimodal transit and logistics hub in the Dubai Logistics City free trade zone. The company believe the key position of the facility, adjacent to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and the Jebel Ali seaport between Dubai city centre and Abu Dhabi, will provide customers with improved cost and service efficiencies in the United Arab Emirates and across the Persian Gulf region.

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image: Australia air freight cargo trucking express parcels

Plan Seems to be Divest the Airline of Extraneous Services

AUSTRALIA – The news on Monday that Toll had acquired the Asian assets of DPex, express parcels arm of Qantas may only be the first tranche of changes which the national carrier has planned for its freight operations. CEO Alan Joyce, after 18 months in the job, appears ready to take the company in a new direction, consolidating the core business, including native cargo trade, whilst divesting it of anything the Irishman feels is unnecessary.

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image: UK Truck tacho professional driver artic training

Annual Professional Drivers Association Event For Cambridgeshire

UK - Once again, the Professional Drivers Association (PDA)will be holding their annual Training & Awareness day from 10 am on Saturday July 31st. Would be truckers will get the opportunity to practice reversing in an artic, to try a variation of auto, semi auto and manual gearboxes, to drive Scania, Volvo and Mercedes lorries within the confines of the premises of Brett’s Transport Ltd at Guyhirn near Wisbech.

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image: Spain TEU container terminal handling

TERCAT Announce Spanish Port Operations Will Begin Shortly

SPAIN- Terminal Catalunya S.A. (TERCAT), a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings, say they will shortly take over responsibility of the site for the proposed the Muelle Prat container terminal from the Barcelona Port Authority enabling construction to commence. The new terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 1.5 million TEU. The first berth is expected to commence commercial operations in late 2011/early 2012 after a short period of testing and commissioning of the container handling equipment and the terminal operating system.

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image: UK freight transport shipping van trailers alternative vehicle technologies

Utility Companies Need to Remain Up to Date

UK – Although not strictly a shipping or freight related matter, Handy Shipping Guide’s normal sphere of operations, the forthcoming Utilities and Civil Engineering Conference, held by the Freight Transport Association, may be of some interest to those companies which run vans, whatever their industry, much of the legislation covering all vehicles of type.

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image: UK short sea cargo shipping line container TEU reefer feeder service

PD Ports Greet Unifeeder Launch

UK – GERMANY – NETHERLANDS – By way of confirmation of our story of 28th April, PD Ports have formally announced that Unifeeder, one of the largest short sea cargo and container feeder operations in Europe, have chosen PD owned Teesport as one of the bases for their three times weekly service.

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image: US shipping dry bulk carrier Baltic Index ship charter

More Investment for Ship Charter Group

US - Genco Shipping & Trading Limited, the dry bulk shipping specialists, are to increase their fleet of 35 specialist vessels with the purchase of five 35,000 deadweight vessels, including three new builds, from companies within the Metrostar group of companies for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $166.3 million. The acquisition is subject to the completion of customary documentation and closing conditions.

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image: Luxembourg US air freight carrier cargo tonnes

Largest All Air Freight Carrier Chooses Livery for 747-8 Freighter

US – LUXEMBOURG – Cargolux, with Europe’s largest dedicated fleet of all cargo aircraft, has shown off the first B747-8 from Boeing in Seattle painted in the company’s new livery. The plane will be followed by the rest of the order of thirteen the airline has placed with their US suppliers. The first plane will be delivered into service later this year. Cargolux are particularly proud of their new, carefully chosen, colour scheme.

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image: Sweden Germany shipped rail freight containers supply chain logistics

Rail Containers to Supply Apartment Components

SWEDEN – GERMANY – With immediate effect DB Schenker will commence transport of approximately 12,500 tons of prefabricated concrete walls from Neubrandenburg to Sweden for the construction of apartment blocks via their rail freight system. On June 8, the experts at the Central Rail Logistics and Forwarding department (RLF) of Schenker Deutschland AG shipped the first eight of a total of more than 400 special containers by rail to Scandinavia. In the first stage of the project up to the end of July, the logistics specialists will supply these concrete elements to the construction site for 70 modern apartments in Västeras, 80 kilometres west of Stockholm.

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image: Dubai 3PL logistics supply chain express freight carrier

Aramex Pick up SCATA Awards for 2010

UAE – At the third annual Supply Chain & Transport Awards 2010 in Dubai last week Aramex,the logistics management and express freight carrier, was named as Express Logistics Provider of the Year and winner of the Outstanding Achievement of the Year award. In addition, Aramex was recognised for its exceptional performance in a range of other categories, including winning second place in the Corporate Social Responsibility and 3PL Service Provider of the Year categories.

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image: UK electric vehicle apprenticeship vans commercial freight trucks

Mechanics of the Future Get a Chance to Train with Smiths

UK – Smith Electric Vehicles, leading producers of electric commercial vehicles, have launched the first ever apprentice scheme aimed specifically at working with electrically powered cars, vans and trucks. As more and more freight firms and local authorities change over to the new technology it is envisaged there may well be a gap in the market for fitters, mechanics and design engineers properly qualified in all aspects of electric traction technology.

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image: US rail freight software

Norfolk Southern and GE Transportation Get the Edge

US – The use of new technology, rail computer software which analyses traffic flow information and planned schedules and then optimizing the routes that train should take has been undergoing tests on a 200 mile stretch of track in Georgia. The system, GE RailEdge Movement Planner, was thoroughly trialled by rail giant Norfolk Southern after an approach from GE Transportation, and the results appear remarkable.

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image: Australia express air freight cargo parcels

Expansion Continues Despite Recession

AUSTRALIA – It is reported today that the Toll Group have purchased DPEX, the Asian express air freight arm of national airline Qantas. The move is seen as strengthening Toll Priority, the groups own parcels division which has proved more profitable of late than the general freight arm.

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image: Chile deadweight ton bulk carrier vessel US

Vessel Left High and Dry After Tsunami

CHILE – Titan Salvage, a subsidiary of Crowley, the US marine services and logistics group, have joined with Santiago based local experts Remolcadores Ultratug to safely re-float the MV Laurel, a 26,800-deadweight-ton bulk carrier, which was in a dry dock undergoing routine maintenance in Talcahuano, Chile on the 28th February when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country.

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image: India rail freight cargo road trucks inter modal multimodal goods

New Draft Terminal and Rail Truck Schemes Published

INDIA – The Traffic Commercial Directorate of state run Indian Railways announced their plans last week to allow more commercialisation of the industry. A draft framework of the schemes to increase rail freight traffic and improve track infrastructure with the development of privately funded tracks, independent rail trucks and inter modal terminals has now been published.

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image: South Africa Asia CMA CGM container shipping TEU vessels teu

Asia to West Africa(WAX) Route Revision

SOUTH AFRICA – ASIA - CMA CGM have announced they will add Durban to the port rotation of their West Africa container service (WAX), appropriately launching it on the 11th June, the first day of the football world cup. WAX service, which deploys 11 vessels of 2,600 TEU capacity, will offer worldwide connections to CMA CGM services from Durban, in addition to those already available from Port Kelang or Colombo. This new weekly call will allow CMA CGM to directly connect South Africa to Asia (Eastbound and Westbound) and thus respond to the expanding trade from China to South Africa and to the growing demand from South African exporters towards Asia.

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image: Asia US break bulk heavy lift project cargo

Route Links North Asia with South America and the US East Coast

ASIA – US – SOUTH AMERICA - Rickmers-Linie, the breakbulk, heavy lift and project cargo specialist headquartered in Hamburg, has launched a new service linking North Asia with South America and the US East Coast. Four vessels, each capable of lifting 120-tonne indivisible loads and featuring stern ramps for rolling cargo, will maintain the monthly schedule. Rickmers sees this new service as complementing its existing Pearl String vessels which sail eastbound and primarily link Japan, China and Korea with the US Gulf on the transpacific leg of their fortnightly round-the world schedule.

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image: Dubai logistics shipping vessels transport infrastructure

IFC Stump Up $35 Million to Support GAC's Oil Supply Ships

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, who last year provided $14.5 billion in funding for the private sector to foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries whilst providing advice to governments and businesses, have agreed a $35 million loan for Dubai based logistics and shipping services group GAC. The money will finance the group’s purchase of up to six supply vessels to support offshore oil rigs.

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image: Germany project forwarder shipping line out of gauge goods heavy lift ferry

Beluga Continue to Push the Barriers

GERMANY – Few companies in the shipping industry demonstrate the innovation and willingness to research develop and undertake new methods and techniques to speed the throughput of goods, particularly out of gauge and heavy lift consignments like Beluga Shipping of Bremen. We have highlighted before some of the spectacular innovations and logistics problems which they have become involved with and the project forwarder and specialist fleet owner continues in the same vein.

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image: UK shipping warehouse freight port rates

Coalition Wins Friends By Delivering Policy

UK – Following our story last month outlining the new coalition government’s intention to suspend the previous administration’s Port Rates policy, comes news that the move is already having beneficial effects amongst freight and portside shipping tenants. According to a press release from the Department for Communities and Local Government this week, admittedly hardly a neutral source, the new tax freeze has been warmly welcomed by those affected.

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image: UK diesel price road haulage freight trucking truck lorries

But As Usual It's Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

UK – The Road Haulage Association (RHA) which represents a large proportion of British freight trucking companies, say they are pleased at the findings of the recent report from the Post Office regarding the price of diesel fuel in the country which they say the survey believes is ‘extortionate’. Other observers put an entirely different spin on the figures pointing out that, at £1.20 per litre, Britain has the sixth cheapest fuel in Europe.

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image: UK container shipping bulk carrier seafarers charity

Next Week Is Seafarers Awareness Week

UK - Seafarers Awareness Week will take place from Monday the 7th to the 13th June this year and Seafarers UK, the country’s leading charity for the maritime community, is asking businesses to join container and bulk carrier Maersk Line, in celebrating the huge role played by seafarers in our lives and the economy, by getting involved.

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image: Canada US trucking hauliers freight industry LTL drayage full load

More North American Hauliers Should Have Failed This Year

CANADA – US – Last week at the 45th annual Canadian Transport Research Forum in Toronto, President and CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) David Bradley came out and said what many freight industry analysts have been whispering for months now - not enough less than truckload (LTL), full load and drayage (container haulage) companies have gone into liquidation in the current recession to regularise the market.

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image: UK shipping directory freight comparison logistics fine art out of gauge shipments

New Free Category Open for Advertisers

UK – WORLDWIDE – Today Freightoption becomes the first company listed a new category in the Guide Directory. Up until now Handy Shipping Guide has resisted such sites as many are simply extensions of existing freight and logistics supply companies designed to attract shipments just to be quoted ‘in house’. Now, with the advent of price comparison sites, love them or hate them, invading every service industry from finance and insurance to white goods, we felt it time to include sites specifically aimed at our industry within our brief.

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image: US truck safety

Annual Commercial Vehicle Check Comes Around Again

US - The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will conduct its annual Roadcheck event, June 8-10, at more than 1,500 locations across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world. The event mobilizes thousands of federal, state, provincial and local inspectors to conduct comprehensive North American Standard (NAS) Level I Inspections and other related roadside enforcement activities.

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image: UK logistics temperature controlled storage cold store climate change

Logistics Providers Update Systems to Cut Costs

UK – TDG, since October 2008 a wholly owned DouglasBay Capital plc company, is striving to achieve energy savings of 12% within its temperature controlled storage units around the UK by September, set against a 2006 baseline. TDG have made recent investments which include over £1 million spent on a new refrigeration plant at Aberdeen and a range of energy saving measures at their Avonmouth cold store including separate pedestrian doors, new roller shutter doors for the main bays and the installation of liquid pressure amplification to reduce power consumption.

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image: Guatemala Pacaya Agatha logistics warehouse inventory goods

DHL Disaster Response Team Answer Guatemala's Call

GUATEMALA – The problems faced in Europe by the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland, with the resultant ash clouds disrupting air traffic, pale into insignificance when compared to the disaster unfolding this week south of Mexico. The double disaster of Pacaya, the giant active volcano which sits less than 20 miles from Guatemala City erupting, coupled with tropical storm Agatha sweeping the region has left over 100 dead, thousands homeless and the country virtually cut off from international assistance.

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image: Europe shipping agent export import consolidated cargo services full containers

Expansion of South American Export and Import Network

EUROPE – SOUTH AMERICA - Asia Shipping Transportes Internacionais, a multinational company which was founded in Brazil over 14 years ago, has just finished restructuring its European partnerships and is launching services to facilitate foreign trade shipping agent services to the continent. The company's commercial director, Alexandre Pimenta revealed that Asia Shipping plans to build partnerships with major players on the European market, expand their market share on the continent and consolidate its global presence.

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image: Somalia pirate piracy bulk carrier container ship Rim Arctic Sea

But What About the Mystery of MV Rim ?

SOMALIA – GULF OF ADEN – Just because pirate attacks don’t make daily headlines any more, they have become so common they are no longer ‘newsworthy’, this doesn’t mean the evil trade has ceased. The crime is somewhat seasonal, monsoons from May to September limit the attacks but this week alone a bulk carrier and container ship fought off attempted hijacks whilst a cargo ship, the 15,000-tonne Panama-flagged ship MV QSM Dubai, with 24 crew aboard, was reportedly captured yesterday by 6 pirates armed with rocket propelled grenades.

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image: Angola container shipping ports transport infrastructure

Progress in Angola Despite Years of Strife and Continuing Problems

ANGOLA – The country’s National Demining Institute, formed in 2004 to clear the thousands of munitions left scattered around the country after the debilitating civil war which wracked the nation between 1975 and 2002, have announced their progress toward ensuring the safety of the area designated for a new port at Barra do Dande, just north of Luanda.

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image: UK shipping navigation charts

Vessel Owners Can Ensure Navigational Data is Updated

WORLDWIDE – Shipping groups concerned that their vessels always have correct navigational data aboard can take advantage of a new addition to the range of electronic products from Kelvin Hughes Charts, the largest supplier of paper charts and publications into the maritime industry.

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image: US NAFTA freight road transport rail freight shipping

Year on Year Figure Leaps 37%

US – CANADA – MEXICO – Trade figures released this week by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) make interesting reading. The rise in traffic compared with last year during March 2010 for the three North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement partners was an astonishing 37% hitting just short of $70 billion. This represents the largest year on year rise for surface freight (road transport, rail freight and pipeline transfer) ever recorded but is shadowed a little by the fact that the value of goods moved cross border was down 1.2% against 2008’s high.

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South African Truck Freight Row Brews

Wednesday, June 2, 2010
image: South Africa road freight trucking hauliers cargo

Road Tolls Slammed by Hauliers Association

SOUTH AFRICA – An argument familiar to hauliers and their representatives is heating up after new road toll tariffs were introduced in March, with more toll road scheduled over the coming years. As in Britain, and indeed other countries world wide, the increased cost of shipping cargo on the nation’s highways has been declared a regressive move by the nations trucking representatives, the Road Freight Association (RFA).

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image: France container shipping agencies ecologic environment day

CMA CGM Look to Strengthen Corporate Environmental Policies

FRANCE – At the group’s headquarters in Marseille CMA CGM is holding conferences today and tomorrow in support of ‘World Environment Day’, this year on the 5th June. Following the success of the first similar events organised last year the container shippers have extended the initiative throughout the whole Group, with all the teams, agencies, subsidiaries and vessels joining in, and rewarding the best environmental actions by setting up “Think Ecologic Awards”.

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image: US rail freight infrastructure

More Investment for Machinery Giant

US – Like Warren Buffett before it the Caterpillar Corporation clearly wish to ensure they are at the forefront of any expansion of rail freight services across the country. Rationalisation and modernisation of the rail infrastructure in the US is the target of government and the company are clearly riding the wave having invested over $2 billion of their $32 billion annual turnover in rail related businesses in the past four years.

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image: Spain China supply chain shipping logistics

CEVA and K & N to Handle DIY and Agricultural Machine Stocks

SPAIN - ITALY -CHINA - CEVA Logistics last week signed a five year agreement, worth a total of €50 million, with AKI, leading DIY outfit which has 35 stores throughout Spain and is a sub brand of ADEO Group, one of the world's market leaders in DIY with presence in 11 countries. The contract sees CEVA managing AKI’s end-to-end supply chain across Spain and it includes the management of the Consolidation Centre for all products to be sold at AKI outlets.

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image: UK France rail freight cargo tonnage trucks

Natural Partner for Veolia Cargo Acquisition

UK - FRANCE – Europorte, a wholly owned subsidiary of Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel, have purchased First GBRf, formerly GB Railfreight and the third largest rail freight company in the country, from previous owners First Group plc. The deal, valued at between 24 and 31 million pounds, is a natural choice for Eurotunnel who purchased French operator Veolia Cargo just six months ago.

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image: China IATA supply chain logistics air freight

Time and Documentation Savings Predicted with e - freight System

CHINA – International Air Transport Association (IATA) describe their e – freight ‘Simplifying the Business’ standard as a programme that improves service and cuts overheads for the air freight industry. Facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities. IATA e-freight effectively eliminates the need to send 12 core paper documents with air cargo shipments, hence streamlining processes, improving speed and reliability and cutting costs.

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image: Africa Tanzania shipping transport infrastructure freight

Transaid Event Helping Transport Infrastructure in Third World

AFRICA - WORLD WIDE - This November, the great and good of the transport industry will abandon the swish interior of their company cars for a hard saddle and a set of pedals, as they set off to cycle 420 km of Indian Ocean coastline. They will be supporting international development charity Transaid in its sponsored event, Cycle Tanzania, which will raise funds to save and improve lives in Africa and the developing world. Big names in the world of freight movement DHL, Michelin, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) will be hitting the road to help fund a Professional Driver Training project in Tanzania, following the success of the charity’s first project to reduce road deaths in Zambia.

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image: Korea container shipping line tariff rates TEU KOSPI Transpacific Stabilization Agreement

Hanjin Strive for Profitability on All Fronts

SOUTH KOREA - No one could accuse Hanjin Shipping, the country’s largest container shipping line, of sitting on their hands after the record losses they incurred which we reported in February. Last month it was apparent that the company was improving its position, evidenced by its steady stock price rise, even more impressive considering the fall of some other stocks on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and intending to introduce further measures to stimulate growth.

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image: US high speed rail freight road haulage

US Situation Illustrates Potential Problems

US – The situation which has arisen around the planned High Speed Rail (HSR) links between Buffalo and New York City highlight a problem which is likely to be seen more and more often around the world as rail freight traffic is encouraged to grow as an environmentally acceptable alternative to road haulage, whilst the desire to take more cars off the road can only be answered with a more efficient HSR passenger network.

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image: France air freight cargo

Continuing Sea of Troubles for Flag Carrier

FRANCE – The woes for Air France continue to pile up relentlessly as today’s anniversary of the disappearance of Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris sees the carrier’s safety record called into question, this after last weeks figures revealed operating losses of almost €1.3 billion and rumours that today the airline will close down its air freight division and only move cargo on passenger flights where and when space is available.

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US Truck Freight Figures Rise Again

Tuesday, June 1, 2010
image: US truck freight volumes tonnage

ATA Guide Shows 'Sustainable' Growth

US – Once again the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) advance seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased for the sixth time in the last seven months, gaining another 0.9 percent in April. Together with a 0.4% increase in the previous month means the Index hit its highest level since September 2008 at 110.2 up six and a half percent in the last seven months. 2010’s year to date tonnage is up six percent against 2009.

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