Shipping Search - Archive

More Realignment of South American Services for CMA CGM

SOUTH AMERICA – BRAZIL - Following the end of its cooperation with Maersk Line on the South America East Coast, Caribbean Trade, French container shipping group CMA CGM has decided to maintain and upgrade its fixed-day weekly BRAZIL EXPRESS (BRAZEX) Service as from end August 2012 with the introduction of two new Brazilian ports on its rotation, Manaus and Salvador de Bahia.

Operations Commence from Davies Turner's New Depot

UK – Freight forwarder Davies Turner has started operations this month from the new facility the company recently purchased from a pension fund. The site is close to the company’s original location in Coleshill, Birmingham where all documentation will continue to be processed. The new warehouse is to handle all groupage trailer and container traffic and will be the recognised departure or destination address for all international movements.

K + N Continue Asia Pacific Development

HONG KONG – WORLDWIDE – As with many freight forwarding groups which developed in Europe Kuehne + Nagel’s parentage often has them seen as a traditional German logistics outfit but these days the group employs around 7,000 staff in one hundred and seventy Asian Pacific locations. Evidence of the company’s development in the region comes with the news this week that it has been selected to provide ocean transport management solutions for Metro Group Buying Hong Kong Ltd.

Successful Start for Muelle Prat whilst Country's Third Largest Forwarder Opens Offices

SPAIN – CANARY ISLANDS - Earlier this month, Terminal Catalunya (TERCAT), a member of the Hutchinson Port Holdings (HPH) group, subsidiary of Hutchinson Whampoa Limited (HWL), announced the first vessel call at its new terminal Muelle Prat, signifying the start of the testing phase which will cover all equipment and IT systems. The unloading of containers from the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Esha ran smoothly, demonstrating the successful integration of the terminal equipment with HPH’s proprietary terminal operating system nGen. It is expected that productivity at the terminal will set new standards for the Port of Barcelona, where Muelle Prat is located. A total of 436 containers were handled, achieving an average productivity rate of 30 moves per crane per hour.

DB Schenker Sign Up with Hacis

HONG KONG – Air cargo terminal operators Hong Kong Air Cargo Industry Services Limited (Hacis), the road haulage and added value logistics subsidiary of Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), has signed an agreement with the Hong Kong division of global logistics provider DB Schenker extending the scope of the relationship between the two companies. The new contract will see Hacis providing Schenker with its Airport Direct Export Services, for the company’s export airfreight traffic from China and Hong Kong. The Airport Direct Export Handling Centre at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will now handle around one third of all the freight forwarder's Hong Kong air cargo volumes.

Series of Plans to Stimulate Jobs Announced

US – Ray LaHood, US Secretary of Transport recently announced potential loans for up to $17 billion to fund infrastructure projects as a result of the surface transportation bill. The Bill provided $1.7 billion in capital over two years for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) credit assistance programme making it the largest transportation infrastructure finance fund in the department’s history. The TIFIA programme authorises the Department of Transport to provide credit assistance in the form of secured direct loans, lines of credit, and loan guarantees to public and private applicants for eligible surface transportation projects including multimodal and other logistics schemes with the hope to create jobs and encourage economic development and growth. Secretary LaHood said:

London Gateway Secures Chinese Multimodal Traffic

UK – China – UAE - Exporter of used paper for recycling, Cycle Link UK has selected DP World’s London Gateway new deep-water container port, which is due to open for multimodal freight late in 2013, in order to improve the company’s sustainability. By using Britain’s new container port, the company hopes to reduce its UK road haulage requirement thus saving carbon emissions. Gary Waters, Shipping Manager for Cycle Link UK, said:

Simple Practical Help Wanted from the Shipping Community

WORLDWIDE – Sometimes the normal stories which one associates with a freight publication such as the Handy Shipping Guide shrink into insignificance when one faces the reality of some of the environmental issues which affect the tenuous grip which the human race has upon this planet. Whilst organisations such as the IMO produce measures to control the pollution produced by ships, and the pollution from aircraft and road haulage outfits comes under scrutiny from beyond the world of logistics, there is one enormous problem which offers an insidious threat to many forms of life of which most people are completely ignorant.

Heavy Lift Vessel Waits Out the Storm

CHINA – NETHERLANDS – UK – The project freight forwarding team from Manchester based logistics group Tuscor Lloyds faced another big challenge recently when faced with the problem of an urgently required offshore crane due to be fitted out aboard their clients jack up rig. With the largest piece weighing in at 126 tonnes the company arranged to charter a heavy lift vessel to transfer the 6.7 metre long and 7 metre high piece, which measured over 23 metres long, together with the balance of the shipment, from Xiamen, China to Rotterdam as quickly as practical.

Olympic Protests Against National Carrier and Problems Reported at DHL

UK – TURKEY - Today in London the planned protest against the dismissal of 305 Turkish Airlines workers went ahead when around 50 trade unionists from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and Unite union plus representatives of London’s Turkish and Kurdish community turned out in London to urge visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, here for the Olympic Games ceremony, to ensure the reinstatement of the sacked staff. Freight and logistics giant DHL’s Turkish operation also came in for criticism during the rally.

Government Sponsors State Passenger Carrier and Enrages IRHA as Businesses Fold

IRELAND – The sore subject of illegal fuel is still top of the freight carriers agenda this month following a detailed presentation by the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) to the Dail deputies of a detailed analysis of the various benefits which would be derived from a fuel rebate mechanism, in particular, Irish international hauliers refuelling their vehicles in Ireland as opposed to abroad and ‘tank tourism’ gained from foreign operators refuelling in Ireland in order to avail themselves of the fuel rebate and by reducing the temptation to operate on washed/green fuel which is rampant in the industry at present.

Future is Golden for Gloucestershire Company

UK - To meet the growing demand from its freight and supply chain customers for its range of products, Golden Valley Pallet Wrap Specialists Ltd (GVPS) has opened a new warehouse and national distribution centre. The company produces environmentally friendly hand and machine pallet wrapping film and the apparatus necessary to utilise it properly. The new facility, which is next to the company’s existing site in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, enables Golden Valley to further increase its stock of pallet wrapping products.

10 Things to Consider When First Exporting

UK - WORLDWIDE - Most readers of the Handy Shipping Guide are familiar with the general rules and regulations regarding freight forwarding and the procedures to be adopted when sending items abroad whether they be personal effects or that important first export order. For the less informed it is essential to understand the variety of procedures one must undergo and probably the best advice is to ensure you get a decent agent to care for your precious cargo. This month’s guest writer is Nisha Sharma representing Staffordshire based Premier International Movers and here are the company’s top ten points to follow:

Nippon Buy Boeing Again Quoting Environmental and Economic Advantages

JAPAN - US -Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has announced that it has delivered a 747-8 Freighter to Narita-based air cargo transporters, Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), marking the Japanese debut for this model. The airline currently operates eight 747-400 Freighters with two more on lease with other airlines. Nippon Cargo Airlines, one of the team that helped develop the aircraft, plans to begin revenue service with its new 747-8 Freighter by mid-August on Asia and North American routes. Takuzo Nomura, Senior Executive Managing Director, NCA said:

Race Cars Delivered Safely Across the World

UK – NEW ZEALAND – Airfreight providers Air New Zealand Cargo shipped six rally cars from London to Auckland for the Brother Rally New Zealand, part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) series and a number of the same cars were then returned to the UK on completion of the rally (presumably those that survived!). Several months of planning by Air New Zealand Cargo and freight forwarder Delivered on Time went into the shipments which were moved on a total of four B777 flights via both Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Among the cars shipped out were the Fiesta RS cars of Ford World Rally Team's Finnish duo Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila along with US driver Ken Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino together with support equipment carried on all the flights. Finlay McArthur, Regional Cargo Manager UK & Europe for Air New Zealand commented:

Bunkering Problems of LNG Addressed by Industry Association

UK - WORLDWIDE - Just as the use of gas as a fuel for private cars has not caught on in many areas of the western world, primarily due to the shift required in both perception and infrastructure, so the uptake of liquefied natural gas (LNG) within the shipping industry as a fuel to power both cargo and passenger vessels has been somewhat slower than many, particularly the environmental lobby, would like. Gas has advantages, marine pollution springs to mind - and drawbacks, flammability and handling problems for example when employed as a marine fuel whether on a container ship or a bulk freighter and one of the major encumbrances is the difficulty of bunkering the product safely.

Students Quick to Praise Masters of Business Administration

UK – The first graduates have celebrated the completion of their Masters of Business Administration (MBA) course in Shipping and Logistics at Middlesex University and Lloyds Maritime Academy. A ceremony was held at the Hendon Campus acknowledging their achievements and was presided over by the Chancellor of the University, The Rt Hon Lord Sheppard of Didgemere with the scrolls handed out by Anna Kyprianou, a module leader on the course and Dean of the business school

More to South African Group than Bulk Freight and Logistics

SOUTH AFRICA - Port operator Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of freight and logistics chain Transnet, has reserved R12.1 billion of its R33 billion budget over the next seven years for new equipment acquisition projects at Richards Bay, the country’s largest bulk and break bulk export facility and formerly the biggest global export coal terminal. One of the facilities major cargo handling assets is to be a custom-built pneumatic ship unloader, only the seventh of its kind in the world, produced by Swiss manufacturer, Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) Alesa Engineering Ltd which will arrive at the end of the month.

Speciality Foodstuffs Contract Agreed

INDIA – Express distribution and supply chain solutions provider in India, Gati Limited have started a new partnership with GI certified haleem maker Pista House to distribute Hyderbadi haleem. Gati has linked its diverse distribution network to the online retailer Makemygiftz where haleem could be ordered and delivered in time for Ramadan this month.

Haulier's Behaviour Could Have Had 'Catastrophic' Consequences

UK– Scrap metal merchants and part time road haulage contractors, Highland Car Crushers has had its national goods vehicle operator licence revoked for five years after several safety breaches but, according to director Hunter Fraser, the company will not be closing down. The firm was called to a public inquiry last month after a lorry lost part of its cargo of vehicle batteries on the A96 at the Smithton roundabout last June spilling acid across the carriageway and leading to the road being closed for health and safety reasons. Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken announced this decision regarding the company’s future saying:

DHL Undertake Study as a Model for Future Growth

CHINA – Freight and Logistics specialist DHL’s cross-divisional department, DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation, will now start a comprehensive City Logistics Master Research Plan for Chengdu, China’s fourth largest city with a population of more than 14 million residents. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project was signed and discussed with the mayor of Chengdu during a recent visit to the city by Deutsche Post DHL’s CEO Frank Appel. The strategic cooperation in the field of City Logistics between DHL and Chengdu focuses on the analysis of the supply chain of fast-moving consumer goods from various sectors such as super markets, wholesale markets and franchised stores. Bill Meahl, Chief Commercial Officer DHL said:

PDF Continues to Raise Driving and Maintenance Standards

UK – Learning the intricacies of driving a road haulage truck involves many different skills and the Professional Drivers Foundation (PDF) held their annual Training Day on Saturday 21st July at Brett’s Transport Ltd, Cambridgeshire to teach both old and new facets of loading and carrying freight. People arrived from as far away as Glasgow, Billingham and Reading to have the opportunity to drive as many different makes of trucks as possible and practice reversing around the yard into bays. Additionally all attendees were supplied with a check sheet and a vehicle with twelve faults waiting to be found. The overall results were excellent, with all but a couple of more obscure defects tracked down by most of the twenty four people who attended.

Transaid Scheme Aims to Cut Death Toll

AFRICA – TANZANIA – UK – Once again a British freight company has stepped in to try and improve the horrific death toll seen annually on the African roads with Jon Aspden, Regional Driver Training consultant on secondment from Bibby Distribution, overcoming humidity, difficult road conditions and a Swahili language barrier, completing his second two-week project with Transaid in Africa, training a group of truck driving instructors to deliver better training at the National Institute of Transport in Tanzania.

200,000 Tonnes Moved Annually via dnata

UK - Virgin Atlantic Cargo has signed a new multi-year contract with dnata for air cargo handling in the UK, extending the partnership between the two companies to over 25 years. The new agreement covers all cargo handling for the airline at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports and at Manchester and Glasgow Airports. Virgin Atlantic Cargo currently carries some 200,000 tonnes of freight per annum through the airports. General Manager, Cargo Operations at Virgin Atlantic Neil Ferdinando said:

Jungheinrich Meets Sainsbury's Criteria - Again

UK – GERMANY - Back in 2005 materials handling and logistics solutions specialist Jungheinrich supplied over 140 forklift trucks to retail giant Sainsbury for operation at its St Albans distribution centre. Time has moved on and after six years of service at the warehouse facility, the fleet, a mix of low-level order pickers, reach and counterbalance models, was due to be replaced and, in line with Sainsbury’s corporate environmental responsibility policy, the company was keen to explore ways of upgrading their trucks in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.

Port is Central to Games Refreshment and Chinese Style

NETHERLANDS – Fifty containers loaded with beer and equipment for the Holland Heineken House during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London left earlier this month from the Port of Amsterdam. The containers were shipped from the SCS Multi Port international logistics shipping terminal. Ongoing shipments will be carried out in several sessions as containers move thrice weekly from Amsterdam to the UK.

Waters off Sri Lanka and India Produce Fresh Conflict between Ecological and Economic Lobbyists

SRI LANKA – The waters off the island are a battleground as opposing forces face off once again with the suggestion from environmentalists that the main shipping route is moved further out into the Indian Ocean to protect the dwindling stocks of Blue Whales which inhabit the region off Sri Lanka’s Southern Province. Our photograph shows the body of a dead whale draped across the bulbous bow of a container ship taken in March and is only one of several such incidents reported by bulk tankers and freight vessels recently. Speaking to Handy Shipping Guide one merchant officer said today:

Multi National Group Barloworld Celebrates an Anniversary

SOUTH AFRICA - For most of our freight and logistics readers, Barloworld is predominantly a materials handling supplier or a supply chain consulting and freight forwarding group. In fact the organisation has grown from a small garment trading company in South Africa which grew to be the country’s largest conglomerate employing 245,000 in the late 1980’s and this year Barloworld celebrates 110 years in business.

Bulk Cargo Outfit QR National Restructure Plan Hits Opposition

AUSTRALIA – Rail freight haulier QR National faces court action after a continuing dispute over the restructuring plans it recently announced. Just last Thursday the bulk cargo and container haulage company requested ‘expressions of interest’ from staff willing to take voluntary redundancy.

October Will See Chinese Customs Adopted - In Every Sense of the Word

NETHERLANDS – CHINA – The cultural differences between East and West can be a cause of celebration as well as consternation and the Chinese practice of giving ‘mooncakes’, small high calorie, decorated delicacies during the mid Autumn festival will form a key ingredient in a ceremony to mark the target date for the first e-freight shipments between China and Amsterdam following agreement between Schiphol Cargo, the dedicated air freight arm of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, IATA and the Central Customs Department of China.

Safmarine Staff Volunteer to Support their Communities

SOUTH AFRICA - Container shipping company Safmarine’s South African contingent were among thousands of volunteers around the world who supported the fourth Nelson Mandela International Day as they celebrated the great man’s 94th birthday, by assisting communities in need. The ocean freight company’s volunteers joined forces with cresylic acid producers Merisol and spent their time painting classrooms and planting lemon trees at Khensani School in Shoshanguve in Gauteng, Johannesburg. Other volunteers in Cape Town helped the local post office in planting 50 indigenous trees at the Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy BMX Oval in Khayelitsha.

Boeing Supply Yet Another Refurbished 747

CHINA – Plane manufacturers Boeing, global air cargo transportation company Evergreen International Airlines and Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Company (TAECO) celebrated the delivery of the fiftieth 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The aircraft is the first to enter the Evergreen fleet and the fortieth conversion completed by TAECO. Modifications made to the aircraft are done at TAECO’s Xiamen facility with Boeing managing the overall conversion including engineering and materials. Passenger aircraft properly converted to freight carriage can provide a comparatively inexpensive option for cargo carriers.

Freight Group Honoured Two Years Running

US – For the second year running supply chain provider Ceva Logistics has been awarded Lenovo’s Innovation and Operations Excellence award for North America. Ceva says the award recognises the company’s efforts around freight consolidation and optimising transportation resulting in substantial cost savings for their principals. Mick Jones, Vice President Global Logistics at Lenovo commented:

Geodis Supports Natural Gas Project

ABU DHABI – UAE – Freight forwarder and supply chain project management company Geodis Wilson Italia, a division of global logistics provider Geodis Group, has announced that it has begun the delivery of four absorber reactors to the Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company Ltd (AI Husn Gas), subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Shah Project Site, a new facility 250 kilometres south of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, where one of the biggest natural gas extraction and processing plant is to be built.

Full Details of Routes, Traffic, Expected Congestions All Easily Available

UK – The Freight Transport Association (FTA) announced the launch of a new app to keep the logistics industry informed regarding the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This will aid those in the freight industry, particularly road haulage outfits, by ensuring they have all the relevant information needed to operate smoothly. The app includes the latest news, traffic updates, details of Games Lanes and Olympic and Paralympic Route Networks, information on delivery arrangements, a calendar of dates showing the expected congestion on each day of the Games and a list of venues.

DHL Expands US - Australia Service Options

US – AUSTRALIA – Freight and logistics behemoth DHL announced today that its partner airline, Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, has strengthened its international air cargo network with the addition of a twice-weekly direct flight from DHL’s global forwarding hub in Cincinnati to Australia’s major commercial centre in Sydney, improving transit times by up to a day. The B747-400 freighter with a payload of up to 113 tonnes will make a refuelling stop in Honolulu, Hawaii and the new service will launch later this month.

Menu of Assistance Measures for NSW Rural Hauliers Announced

AUSTRALIA – Rural truckers in NSW were welcoming the news that, when the measure is passed by the New South Wales parliament, they will no longer have to pay stamp duty when purchasing a new trailer. A joint announcement by Roads Minister Duncan Gay and Treasurer Mike Baird also referred to a suite of measures, to take effect as from the 1st September, to include rebates on *dollies, 50% on tandem axles and full rebate on tri axles. The 50% rebate will also apply to spare trailers owned by haulage operators with one or two prime movers or rigid trucks and no more than five trailers, dollies excluded.

Bomb Disposal Expert Fails in Brave Attempt to Cross the Globe in Rowing Boat

JAPAN – US – UK - WORLDWIDE - Three years ago, Charlie Martell started planning an arduous journey from Choshi, Japan to San Francisco. That voyage meant a 4,500 mile trip around the unpredictable and dangerous territory of The Pacific Ring of Fire and he aimed to complete it unsupported in his rowing boat which was fitted with the most up to date equipment available, including a SatLink Inmarsat FB150 system, provided by maritime communications specialist Globecomm Maritime which usually supplies ocean freight and passenger vessel of a much greater magnitude, and with airtime provided by Inmarsat. During the voyage, Charlie wanted to set new world records for the fastest crossing of the North Pacific Ocean, the first unsupported row across the Pacific Ocean and be the first solo Briton to make the crossing.

Trans Ocean the First to Comply with Industry Code of Practice

UK – WORLDWIDE - Trans Ocean, the bulk liquid freight division of specialist logistics operators Hillebrand, has become the first company to fully comply with the Container Owners Association (COA) recommended Code of Practice for flexitanks. The Code is administered by a Management Group which includes two container shipping lines (Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd), a technical expert, Peter Hartwig from the Technical University of Dresden plus two flexitank companies, Braid Logistics and TransOcean itself.

Weekly Groupage to Key Island Ports

MALDIVES- SRI LANKA – Freight forwarders Famous Pacific Shipping (FPS) Lanka, a member of the FPS global network, has launched a weekly ocean consolidation service from Sri Lanka to key shipping ports throughout the Maldives Islands. The Maldives consist of hundreds of small islands that all provide many difficulties when it comes to shipping due to the varying and restricted port facilities. Vessel drafts are generally very limited, yard space is severely restricted and discharge facilities are often rudimentary.

REX 2 Service Deploys Vessel on Revised Rotation

FRANCE- ASIA- MIDDLE EAST - French container giant have announced a new service, named REX 2, which will be on the Asia - Red Sea route. It will be replacing the REX 1 service that was operating in a Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) with APL and that ceased at the end of June. Shipping on the new service will begin on the 22nd July 2012, CMA CGM Far East – Red Sea network will be covered by the REX 2 and will be operated under a VSA between CMA CGM, Hanjin, CSCL and YANG MING.

Attack on Box Carrier Causes Maritime Security Alert

WEST AFRICA – With rougher weather of late and increased vigilance and upgraded defences on behalf of merchantmen the number if pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean has declined of late. The safer waters of the Gulf of Guinea however have seen an increased threat and this week a pirate raid was made on the German owned container ship Olivia at around 04:00 hours on the 15th July.

Gebruder Weiss Wins Individual and Company Accolades

AUSTRIA - Global freight and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss now belongs to the top five family businesses in Europe, according to business magazine CampdenFB which has awarded the “European Families in Business Awards” in cooperation with leading bank Société Générale for the first time this year. The award ceremony took place within the course of the 9th European Families in Business Conference in Amsterdam and the judges also selected the freight company’s CEO Wolfgang Niessner as the joint Top Non-Family Director of the year.

Reinforced Designs Survive in North Sea Tempests

UK – EUROPE - When your business entails sending refrigerated trailers across the North Sea, year-round and in all weathers, you need to know they’re built to withstand the rigours of the voyage – for Shetland Transport, only a Gray & Adams ‘ferry spec’ trailer will do. The road haulage and freight forwarding operator has just taken delivery of its latest batch of temperature-controlled Gray & Adams trailers, all of which incorporate a series of measures and uprated components designed to increase rigidity and protect them from damage in the roughest seas.

Motorway set for renovation in 2013 as M1 system goes live and CLEAR traffic project gets under way

UK – The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has welcomed the announcement made last week that the hard shoulder on the M25 between Kent and Surrey is to be converted to a traffic lane. The plans, which are intended to add extra capacity to the notoriously busy 15 mile section between junction 5 near Sevenoaks and junction 7 where the M25 meets the M23 intersection, will delight road haulage interests, and delivers the first managed motorway scheme on the M25 of this type.

Union Tempers Simmer at 'Fantastical' Criminal Charges

MOROCCO – According to the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) cases dating back to last year when protests at a container freight terminal and the country’s Comanav/Comarit ferry company laid up eleven ships leaving hundreds of crew stranded in French, Spanish and Moroccan ports without food or pay has led to a situation in which union leader Said Elhairech, detained by the authorities on charges described by the ITF as ‘fantastical’, is about to begin a hunger strike.

ANAMA Honours Cargolux Again

ITALY – Cargolux Group, the freight only airline scooped the prestigious Best Cargo Airline prize this month at the annual Associazione Nazionale Agenti e Mediatori d'Affari (ANAMA) Quality Award Italy 2011. Winning the award means ANAMA, the Italian Freight Forwarders Association, has honoured Cargolux for the third time since 2008 when more than 250 invited guests from the Italian forwarding community and members of ANAMA, who cast their vote in a number of categories including their preferred airline, attended the gala dinner in Milan.

Government Announcement Receives Universal Praise from Industry

UK – Freight organisations across the country were unanimous in their support for the latest Government plans to invest in the rail freight sector which were revealed yesterday. Plaudits came from sections of the cargo community ranging from port representatives to Chambers of Commerce at the news that as part of a £9.4 billion rail funding package, Transport Secretary Justine Greening has announced a further £200 million for the development of the Strategic Rail Freight Network, enabling the development of schemes including the upgrade of the major container routes from the deep sea ports.

Reports of Deaths as Hostages Remain in Captivity

SOMALIA – With the news this week that there have been no recent major piracy incidents in or around the Gulf of Aden many in the ocean freight industry might allow themselves a wry smile after reports that the slim pickings seem to have engendered a spate of recriminations in the pirate community.

Safety margins Improved by Draft Information System

US – One of the principal barriers to opening up the St Lawrence Seaway, that complex system of canals, locks and channels which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, has traditionally been the uncertainty regarding the depth of water below a vessel’s keel. Traditionally used by bulk freight carriers up to Panamax depth levels the shallower sections can present problems for navigators and historically have stymied efforts to increase the amount of container cargo using the Seaway.

Three Week Voyage from China Brings Out Native Humour

US – CHINA – The three month old kitten found last week in a shipping container having survived three weeks without food and water joins a long list of stowaway’s both animal and human, which have made illicit sea voyages since the ubiquitous boxes began their rapid rise to popularity as a method to transport freight around the globe some fifty or so years ago.

Hong Kong is Home to International Transport Developments

CHINA – This past week has witnessed two of the major players in both the container shipping and freight and logistics fields open new Hong Kong operations. Mitsui OSK Lines wholly owned Chinese operation MOL (Asia) Ltd. announced the opening of Fuzhou and Zhongshan branches of Shanghai headquartered MOL (China) and the new operations commence their activities from today.

Improved Sales Gain Woodland Group Prestigious Placing

UK – Staff at Essex based freight forwarder The Woodland Group have been preening themselves this week after the company entered the Sunday Times International Track 200 league table, placed at 162 above household names including Specsavers, Virgin Active and GHD. The feat is more remarkable considering the tough time logistics operations have seen recently and follows the company’s success earlier this year when it picked up the airfreight prize at the British International Freight Association’s Freight Services Awards after impressing judges with a dedicated management plan to grow the group’s air freight business.

September Meeting Will Illustrate Benefits to North East Industry Professionals

UK – With every freight and logistics professional aware of the need to be more environmentally aware than hitherto inland and short sea water borne carriage is near the top of many company’s agendas. Now Freight by Water, these days under the management of the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is offering a free, one day conference to illustrate the many opportunities available to shipping and forwarding interests particularly in the north east of England and the North Sea.

Transpacific Increases Announced for Next Month

US – ASIA – It is one of the curious facets of the ocean container shipping trade that even the most hardened and experienced industry executive can continue to be puzzled by the question we posed in an article in February - When is a Container Shipping Rate Agreement a Freight Cartel? It seems to many that whilst the bastions of the transatlantic trade were forced by EU pressure to ensure no forms of tariff or surcharge agreements were in place, routes across the other great ocean, controlled by basically the same companies, could continue unaffected.

Norfolk Southern Route Suffers Huge Explosion

US – Generally rail carried cargo is considered to be one of the safest ways to move large amounts of hazardous chemicals, certainly, when compare to road haulage methods which would require multiple journeys given the quantities often involved, freight trains are usually seen as a reliable transport method.

5,000 Vacancies for Veterans Announced

US – UK –Nothing illustrates the attitude toward the fighting men of the two countries better than a recent blog by the US Secretary of Transport, Ray LaHood regarding the prospective fortunes of troops leaving the services. Whilst Britain announced the lay off another 18,000 plus soldiers from the Army, LaHood was blogging about the future prospects of veterans from the US forces with, amongst others, the freight transport industry, particularly on the country’s railroads.

Menlo Becomes Internet Supply Chain Provider

NETHERLANDS – Menlo Worldwide Logistics, a subsidiary of Con-way Incorporated, the US freight trucking outfit, has acquired the order to supply Dutch internet wine merchants WijnWagentje with a complete supply chain solution maintaining all aspects of the e-commerce function, including order processing, warehousing, packaging, stock control and distribution from its facility at Eersel in the southern part of the Netherlands. The scope of the operation covers all parts of the Netherlands and includes the whole range of the Italian wine specialist’s online inventory.

Polish Supply Chain Contract Goes to K+N

POLAND - PepsiCo, an iconic brand which needs no introduction, having decided to outsource its warehousing and distribution activities in Poland to a partner ‘in order to improve customer service by responding faster to changing market demands, to reduce supply chain costs and to minimise the environmental impact of its transportation operations’ has chosen German freight forwarding and logistics group Kuehne + Nagel to manage the operation.

Boeing Welcomes ICAO Progress on Global Carbon Standard

US – WORLDWIDE – The Boeing Company came out today four square behind the agreement reached by the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection on the metric system which will support the carbon dioxide (CO2) standard being developed for aircraft. The agreement sets the standard for emissions allowable for all freight and passenger aircraft.

Bilge Water Systems Approved by EU and Key Fluid Technology Acquisition

US – UK – EUROPE – Following the successful completion of its acquisition of the Olaer Group headquartered in Deeside, United Kingdom last week, the Parker Hannifin Corporation has announced that its Parker Racor division is now to release its bilge water treatment systems onto the European market. The group has supplied its reverse osmosis technology to the US coast guard and Navy plus merchant vessel operators for three decades.

Liebherr Continue to Supply Transnet Ship to Shore Needs

SOUTH AFRICA – The promised expansion of the giant Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT), which lies to the north east of Port Elizabeth, continues with the installation of two more Super Post Panamax ship to shore cranes supplied by Liebherr Container Cranes which brings a total of eight of the machines now operating at the Transnet operated freight facility. The cranes have an outreach of 52 metres and the acquisition of these two cranes increases to twenty seven the number of Liebherr ship to shore cranes operated by the South African ports group.

Further Asian Direct Service Expansion for Panalpina

SWITZERLAND – JAPAN – SINGAPORE – Freight forwarder and third party logistics provider Panalpina today announced the launch of three new direct Less than Container Load (LCL) services from Japan to the world’s second largest container port, Singapore. The new guaranteed weekly services from Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo are operated by the 3PL’s in-house carrier Pantainer Express Line with the intention of connecting with Panalpina’s global LCL network.

Five Year Negotiations Culminate in Massive Order

SWEDEN – QATAR – Swedish headquartered Trelleborg Marine Systems, part of Trelleborg Engineered Systems, has been awarded the contract to supply the largest marine fender solution project in history for the state-of-the-art New Port Project (NPP) in Qatar. Trelleborg will supply the port with 829 fender systems, including 557 super cone fenders for the port’s marine services terminal, container terminals, flour mill and main vehicle terminal. Each of the container terminals at the new Doha Port will have the capacity to accommodate the world’s largest container vessels.

Klinge Corporation Produce Innovative Solution to Temperature Control Problem

US – WORLDWIDE – One of the hardest things to achieve when deploying troops in a foreign field of operations is the logistics process necessary to ensure vital supplies such as foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals remain in useable condition no matter what the environment. Keeping items at the correct temperature whilst in the military supply chain is especially difficult hence the reason the U.S. Army Contracting Command subcontracted for a completely new and innovative system based on the standard ISO shipping container to the Klinge Corporation.

Government Promises Level Playing Field for Employees

UK – The disparity in wages which exists between workers of different nationalities can be a bone of contention in various industries but none more so than in the field of shipping where by its very nature the workforces of various cultures can become interchangeable. Now the union, Nautilus International, which represents 24,000 sea and shore based maritime professionals working in every facet of the industry from freight and container ships to fishing vessels and harbourmasters, has welcomed UK government moves to crack down on the employment of foreign seafarers around the country’s coastline.

Developments in Hungary and Thailand for Agility and Kerry

HUNGARY – THAILAND – Two of the worlds’ most notable freight and supply chain support groups have announced new expanded facilities this week. Agility, the Kuwaiti born operator has opened its fourth branch in Sarvar, Hungary whilst Asian headquartered Kerry Logistics plans to open a new plant in Thailand. Agility’s new production site was specifically designed to support its customer Lenovo’s assembly lines (operated by Flextronics) and fulfil its print-on-demand requirements. Lenovo, owners of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, claims to be the fastest growing computer supply group in the world.

Spain, Greece and Ireland All Suffer Import Slump

EUROPE – With the Eurozone crisis in full swing freight traffic for logistics operatives reliant on import and export trade with the worst affected countries is naturally far from buoyant. UK based container and international road haulage specialists trading with Ireland, Spain and Greece all report similar problems with imbalances between exported and imported cargo due to the drop in the value of the euro and the lack of funds available to consumers.

All Thirty Nine Offices Affected by Efficiency Measures

UK – Whilst officials and government figures are insistent that the swingeing cuts to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will lead to ‘quicker, better and more convenient services’ in the words of an explanatory DVLA video, the measures first proposed last December have critics amongst the road haulage industry, led by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) saying services will be slower and more expensive with the news that all thirty nine DVLA offices will be affected.

French Group Achieves Strategic Growth

SRI LANKA – INDIA - FRANCE – French road haulage and logistics group Norbert Dentressangle has confirmed the expansion of its freight forwarding empire after purchasing the interests of the Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings. The freight forwarding operations acquired employ 120 people and reported revenues of nearly $10 million (€8 million) for 2011, with a network of six offices in India, covering the main coastal regions, plus another two in Sri Lanka.

Confusion Over Previous Reports of Potential Bidders

IVORY COAST – The possibility of being involved in the development of a completely new container port has attracted the interest of many of the world’s leading shipping interests who have been attracted to the new scheme, particularly as the construction site in question is in Abidjan, potentially the ideal springboard for the Côte d'Ivoire's own cocoa exports and a route for freight from a variety of neighbouring countries including Ghana.

UK Company Needs Specialist Help with Temperature Sensitive Box Loads

UK – US – Here’s a challenge for our readers in the ocean container shipping market, one for all you project freight forwarders who like to solve a problem no matter how bizarre. Watco, the UK based paint and industrial coatings manufacturers are struggling to solve a problem which doubtless, although not unique, may require a little assistance from someone in the logistics field who knows their stuff.

Old Maintenance Techniques Cost Money Says Colfax

WORLDWIDE – When it comes to vessel maintenance the phrase ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ was long the watchword for engineers everywhere but now one company at least is trying to change attitudes to one of the vital components which every decent sized ship, from container vessel to LNG bulk carrier, needs to continue a voyage uninterrupted. With a view to upgrade the efficiency of those everyday but essential items, fluid pumps, such as those used for ballast water and cooling in the ocean shipping sector, Colfax Fluid Handling has come up with a concept they call Allmind.

New Euro 6 Engine to Beat 2014 Regulations

EUROPE – Volv o has announced details of its new 13 litre engine designed specifically tailored for the tough Euro 6 environmental standards. Nitrogen oxide emissions have dropped by 77 percent and particulate emissions have been halved. First off the mark is Volvo’s D13 460 hp engine, which today powers more than one-third of all Volvo trucks and a specification which is therefore already a firm favourite of the road haulage community.

Toll Group Sells Australian Trucking and Warehouse Operation

AUSTRALIA – The country’s largest logistics and transportation outlet, the Toll Group, has announced the sale of the Australian interstate long distant road haulage and warehousing operations of its Toll Refrigerated business to Automotive Holdings Group Ltd, owners of Rand Refrigerated Logistics (itself the country’s biggest East /West reefer transporter) which the freight group says fetched in A$6.5 million.

Tiny Wooden Aircraft to Conquer the Rockies

FPS New Zealand – a member of the growing FPS freight forwarding network - has helped a plucky Kiwi pilot to fulfill his long-held ambition of flying across America in a wooden plane that he built himself. The Italian-designed Falco aircraft was constructed by 49-year-old Air New Zealand pilot George Richards of Auckland in his spare time from 1994 to 2002, using an airframe kit imported from Canada. In the past ten years, he has flown the tiny plane (length 6.5 m/21 ft 4 in, wingspan 8.0 m/26 ft 3 in, dry weight 550 kg/1,212 lb) all over his native country, but never abroad.

Centres of Excellence to Support Teams in the Field

SWITZERLAND – CZECH REPUBLIC – SINGAPORE – ARGENTINA – US – GERMANY -With an eye to the future freight forwarding and third party logistics group Panalpina has announced it is establishing with four new Logistics Competence Centres (LCC’s) and a Supply Chain Solutions Centre with the aim of creating new and innovative solutions to help support its customers. Panalpina says it is becoming increasingly important for their clients to design their supply chains in a more flexible and efficient way. They need to consider market volatility and the impact of inventory levels, cost of capital, damage and loss, lost sales, time to market plus ‘asset velocity’ on supply chain costs.

World Prices Fluctuate at Source and the Pumps

WORLDWIDE – If anyone out there understands the complexities of the current oil market can they please comment appropriately? Whilst road haulage groups in the UK continue clamouring for a cut in duty rates Asian companies are already lowering their land based shipping rates as this week saw the fifth price fall so far this year in some states.

When a Giant Arrives and Size Matters Durban Brings on the Girls

SOUTH AFRICA – The past few years have seen the construction and use of ever larger container ships fuelled by the shipping boom a few years ago when freight tonnages were rising and all the world appeared rosy. Since that time ports worldwide have been deepening and widening harbours, berths and channels to host these behemoths and today Durban, Africa’s busiest and largest port witnesses the arrival of the MSC Sola, one of the largest ships ever to dock on the continent of Africa.

FIATA Annual Regional Field Meet in South Africa This Year

AFRICA – MIDDLE EAST - The Field Meeting of The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) Region Africa and Middle East (RAME) was held in Johannesburg/South Africa on the 25th and 26th of June 2012 at the Emperors Palace Complex. FIATA now represents 40,000 logistics companies with 10 million employees globally and this year’s field meeting was attended by 70 delegates representing 15 countries with a special honour going to the current FIATA President Mr. Stanley Lim.

Joined Again by the Trade Which Fostered Enmity

UK – In Britain there are traditional intercity rivalries which have developed over decades, often over centuries, some as in Glasgow and Edinburgh have their grounding in religion and football, others such as Newcastle and Sunderland simply born out of attempts to better ones close neighbours coupled with competition for jobs. Often these disputes were fostered by the working men of a community and none were more vehement than those who competed for cargo on their respective waterfronts as with the stevedores working the Port of Liverpool and the dockers who handled freight which came via the Manchester Ship Canal.

From India to Tasmania Nobody Likes to Pay Higher Environmental Costs

EUROPE – TASMANIA – WORLDWIDE – The problems associated with reducing carbon emissions to achieve the various targets agreed or aspired to by Governments and freight and passenger carriers across the globe normally come down to a single relevant factor – cost. Two schemes on opposite sides of the world illustrate the point perfectly upsetting freight and passenger carriers and importers and exporters alike.

Angolan Law Means Trainees Will Travel Thousands of Miles for Schooling

ANGOLA – INDIA – DENMARK - WORLDWIDE – A release this week from freight and transport giant AP Moller Maersk gives an idea as to why the group has developed into the largest container carrier and supply vessel operator in the world. The true internationality of Maersk can be seen with the latest training initiative which will see twenty five young Angolan nationals travel the 8,000 or so kilometres to India giving them the opportunity to acquire maritime skills and develop their potential through Maersk Supply Service’s new seafaring programme.

Good Week for the RHA - Bad Week for Irish Industry Cheats

UK – Seemingly it’s all good news coming from the Road Haulage Association (RHA) this past week with three separate issues at the very top of their agenda. Firstly of course the RHA has seen partial success following their support for the FairFuel UK lobbying to have the proposed August rise in fuel duty suspended for the rest of the year. The campaign, backed by other freight associations, now has over 300,000 signatures on their petition to have the duty rise scrapped altogether.