Shipping Search - Archive

SCS Expands Options Between UK and the Continent

UK – BENELUX – As from this weekend SCS Multiport will add a brand new route to their current feeder service between Amsterdam and Tilbury to deliver Far East deep sea transhipment and continental loads between the container ports of Tilbury, Amsterdam and Zeebrugge. The new regular service, which begins on August 3, will run twice weekly directly between Zeebrugge and Tilbury, connecting East / West shipping lanes with the main trade route for London and the South East bringing a new option for both imports and exports to reach the Far East or London and its surrounding areas.

Incentives to Switch Modern HGV Fleets to Urban Cycle

UK – Since Euro Standards were introduced in the early 1990’s to control the noxious emissions from diesel-engined HGVs we have witnessed a vast improvement in air quality in urban environments where their use is mandatory rather than using older trucks for day to day work. For new vehicles particulate emissions have dived 95% and NOx by 98% in just two decades. Now the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is pressing Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to increase incentives for fleets which have invested in the new technology.

Stakeholders Encouraged to Attend Forthcoming Forum

US – WORLDWIDE – Members of the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) are being encouraged to attend the advance data workshop at Air Cargo Forum 2014 to be held in South Korea in early October. The request has been reinforced by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and principally concerns one of the current topics key to the air freight industry, that of cargo security.

Aim is to Reduce Damages, Costs and CO2 Production

WORLDWIDE – Yusen Logistics has launched an innovative ocean transportation service which enables double stacking of products inside shipping containers, through the installation of specialised decks, which are designed to be suspended from the roof of the container, as demonstrated by our picture. This is of course not the first time such a technique has been utilised in a container or a trailer adapted to carry more freight securely whilst minimising damage, but is still worthy of mention.

Air Authorities Act in Unison Over War Zone Flights

UKRAINE – ISRAEL – WORLDWIDE – It has transpired that the relevant global aviation authorities were completely mislead over the safety of flight paths for cargo and passenger aircraft above conflict zones, which led to the tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17. Now, following a meeting called by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has joined with the Airports Council International (ACI) and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) in a declaration committing the four parties to review processes regarding future policy for freight and passenger flights.

Expansion Prompts a New Move for John Good

UK – The secret to longevity in business is to move with the times and now the John Good Group, which can trace its history back over 180 years of shipping agency management and freight forwarding, is to relocate from its home of twelve years at Maritime House, Kingston Street, Hull, to a bespoke 8,600 square foot office complex on the new Bridgehead business park and, in doing so, fulfil a very modern commitment to extend its green credentials.

Last Chance Saloon for MyFerryLink as Competition Authority Prepares Final Order to Close

FRANCE – UK – The controversy surrounding the cross channel RoRo freight and passenger service MyFerryLink, looks to be entering the final stages as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published a draft Order which will ban the parent company, Groupe Eurotunnel, from operating vessels under the MyFerryLink brand from Dover. This really is the last chance saloon for Eurotunnel, should the appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) fail, the final version of the Order awaits like the sword of Damocles and will come into effect immediately giving MyFerryLink that final six months and no more.

Having a Pair of Giant Saltwater Crocodiles as a Consignment Makes for an Interesting Shipment

AUSTRALIA – UAE – Two of the areas of logistics which can hold the most potential for problems are the worlds of project freight forwarding and international pet and animal transport. When the pair combine and include one of the world’s most deadly species, and additionally a natural water dweller, everybody involved has to be at the top of their game to ensure a satisfactory result.

Allseas Global Logistics Ventures Deeper into the Supply Chain

UK – WORLDWIDE – Allseas Global Logistics is starting an exciting new chapter in its development, following a change in ownership structure which sees Managing Director Darren Wright wholly owning the project freight forwarding outfit after having co-founded the company 11 years ago as the majority shareholder. As part of the new chapter, Allseas has also launched a dedicated air cargo service, Allair, following approval from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

(But Could Panama's Aspirations be Diluted by the Plans of Others?)

PANAMA – The ongoing Panama Canal Expansion project has reached another important milestone in its aim to meet the expected demand in traffic growth and keep up with the requirements of the international freight and shipping community, by transferring the first of the huge lock gates to the new complex on the Atlantic side of the project. The latest achievement comes nearly five years after work started on an expansion fraught with problems from labour disputes and cost overruns which has led the Panama Canal Authority to push back its provisional completion date from October of this year to Late 2015/early 2016.

Faster Lorries Mean Less Frustration Hopefully Leading to Fewer Accidents

UK – Players in the UK’s road haulage industry are celebrating this week as the Department for Transport has announced that the HGV national speed limit on single carriageway roads will increase from 40 mph to 50 mph, a decision greatly welcomed by all in the road freight industry and predicted by some to reduce accidents. According to DfT findings, hauliers across England and Wales could see more than an £11 million a year boost as the government also launches a 6 week consultation on plans to increase the speed limits for HGVs on dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60 mph.

Personnel News Worldwide This Week

UK – We begin this week’s staff changes in the world of freight, shipping, and logistics on a more sombre note with the death of the Port of Tyne’s Chairman, Sir Les Elton, following a recent illness. Sir Les joined the Board of the Port of Tyne in 2004, the same year in which he was knighted for services to Local Government, before taking over as Chairman two years ago. No successor has yet been named.

Fork Lift Manufacturer Celebrates Success

EUROPE – UK – For the second year in succession a model from the Jungheinrich range has picked up the prestigious International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) Award with the battery powered EFG S40s counterbalanced truck collecting the honour as Best Truck from 3.5 tonnes, a category which is a favourite of freight and logistics customers. The IFOY Awards are open to all manufacturers of materials handling equipment who supply products or services to the European market and identify and recognise outstanding achievements in the materials handling sector. Crown, Still and Toyota Material Handling Europe were the other companies picking up awards on the night with another electric truck, Toyota’s Traigo 80 getting the award for trucks below 3.5 tonnes.

Supply Chain Skills to be Gained for those 18+ Job Seekers

UK – Skills for Logistics (SfL), the government licensed Council for the industry, has developed a Pre-Employment Training (PET) programme in collaboration with unnamed employers operating in the supply chain. The objective is to support unemployed adults and deliver the skills, training and opportunities they need to find real jobs in the logistics sector. PET provides a structured, two-week training programme focusing on the knowledge, motivation, skills and confidence to get people, ‘work ready’ and into employment. It aims to help them realise their ambitions and to succeed in their career goals.

With Alliances Forged and Foundered Australia Reviews Anti-Trust Regulation

AUSTRALIA – UK – WORLDWIDE – The London based International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has submitted comments on behalf of the global shipping industry to a comprehensive competition policy review being conducted at the request of the Australian Government, which is looking at ways to ‘reinvigorate Australia’s competition culture’. In its submission, the ICS makes a firm point to support the maintenance of what it calls ‘important’ antitrust exemptions that currently apply to international maritime transport, particularly the container shipping sector, exemptions which it argues support the ocean freight industry in a myriad of ways, and the Chamber also draws attention to the practices and recent rulings of other countries that Australia has trade ties with.

Transaid Benefits from TfL Celebration of Iconic Designs

UK – Not strictly freight or shipping related, but international transport charity Transaid which trains professional HGV drivers in Africa and supplies bicycle ambulances and the like, has been chosen as a beneficiary for Transport for London’s ‘Year of the Bus 2014 sculpture trail project’. TfL has commissioned 60 sculptures of New Routemaster buses to be painted by established and up and coming artists in fun and fantastic ways, as demonstrated in our picture, and displayed across London. The buses will be auctioned off at the end of the year with all proceeds being split between Transaid, Kids Company and the London Transport Museum.

Lloyd's Register Called Upon to Classify All Manner of Shipping Using New Greener Fuel

UK – CANADA – WORLDWIDE – Lloyd’s Register (LR) might be the oldest known operation of its type but one doesn’t continue to be successful in any field for as long as Lloyd’s, which can trace it’s history back over 250 years, unless one is prepared to move with the times and evolve as the face of business changes. Lately many ship builders are switching to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for propulsion and power, usually in a dual fuel configuration as merchant vessels, from container ships to bulk freight carriers dip their toes in the waters of the new and cleaner technology.

Ships, Clocks and Stars - The Quest for Longitude Exhibition is for All Maritime Interests

UK – To most people this year’s big anniversary is, quite rightly, the centenary of the commencement of hostilities in the Great War. To maritime historians however there is a clear rival with the tercentenary of the Longitude Act 1714, a chapter in history that arguably produced a result even more influential in historical terms than the horrific slaughter which began two hundred years later. Now one of the most exciting collections of clocks ever amassed is going on show at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London to celebrate the event.

Maritime Rescues are a Regular Feature of Merchant Shipping Life

PHILIPPINES – INDIAN OCEAN – A regular feature of freight and logistics news, and one that all too often gets bypassed as a result, is the contribution made, often on a daily basis, which merchant shipping makes to the safe passage of others, usually suffering as a result of accident or illness. This week it is the terrible devastation caused by Typhoon Glenda (Rammasun) and she rages on toward mainland China after leaving dozens dead and half a million displaced in the Philippine archipelago which has caused problems for seafarers.

Uproar at 'Unjustified Penalties' Including EUR 30,000 Fines and Imprisonment by French Authorities

EU – BELGIUM – FRANCE – The new reinforcement of regulations, ostensibly to ensure French drivers take their weekend breaks out of their cabs, has produced harsh criticism from road haulage bodies who say the move is little more than blatant protectionism, foreign drivers waiting to reload freight being far more likely to remain in their vehicles over long breaks than native hauliers.

Volvo Teams with Telogis for Fleet Management Application Software Solutions

US – Volvo Trucks has turned to the clouds with the latest innovation for its range of freight and heavy haulage vehicles introducing fleet management services provided by Telogis, a leading provider of cloud-based location intelligence software. The company says road haulage outfits can now avoid the costs traditionally associated with purchase and installation costs as the integrated connected vehicle hardware, is now standard on new Volvo-powered Volvo trucks, allowing motor carriers to utilise Telogis’ best-in-class Fleet, Compliance and Navigation applications.

The 'Final Decision' is to Proceed with Development

UK – The long, ongoing dispute over the controversial rail freight terminal in St Albans once again seems to be over, with the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles once again ruling in favour of the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange. The ‘final’ decision has been welcomed by industry bodies, the Rail Freight Group (RFG) and the Freight Transportation Association (FTA), but criticised harshly by the local council which said that it is a ‘slap in the face for residents’.

Places Available as University of the Year Trains Industry Players of the Future

UK – As time passes so more and more we hear of the importance of logistics, and the supply chain, to the British economy and we have pointed out before the benefits of youngsters signing up to the courses offered by the NOVUS Trust which guarantees a job for students graduating with the necessary criteria. Now the not-for-profit degree courses stretch to a four year offering which ranges over supply chain management, finance, statistics, organisational structure and methods, sociology and psychology, transport network design, warehouse design, inventory management, supply chain IT and HR management and NOVUS has published a short film explaining the advantages.

Boeing Order Adds Full Load Cargo Capability to Fleet

UK – ALGERIA – US – With the world’s air carriers focused on Farnborough this week most of the activity centres on military and passenger aircraft, freight aeroplanes simply don’t have the cachet associated with the others, but a Boeing order announced today shows a class that deserves mention for its own versatile properties combining the flexibility of both a passenger and cargo aircraft.

Switch from In House Recharges Magazine Business

UK – After extending its offering to another similar client last month Keswick Enterprises Group subsidiary Spatial Global has entered into an agreement to provide supply chain and freight services to Practical Publishing International Limited, a leading publisher of craft magazines and books. The logistics company is providing Practical with all its warehousing, import freight and e-commerce fulfilment services, including pick and pack, mail delivery, express freight and courier services.

Ground Breaking Ceremony Launches Multi Million Square Foot Development

UK – Following on neatly from our last story comes the news that a ground breaking ceremony, held on the proposed site for the logistics park which lies directly behind the container berths at London Gateway deep water port in Essex, means development of the 386,102 square foot Common User Facility (CUF) has begun. The multipurpose specialist cargo handling centre will enable occupiers to share warehousing and transportation, materials handling equipment and labour. Designed to operate 24/7, it will include cross-docking, storage, distribution and multi-user ‘pay-as-you-go’ value added logistics services.

London Gateway now Served by FreightArranger System

UK – Online cloud based multimodal broker FreightArranger which last month announced new routes between Southampton and Leeds and Manchester respectively has done it again with three new routes running to and from London Gateway giving access to deep sea import and export traffic. The new services to and from the Thames side container port will also serve Daventry as well as the other two northern cities and transport will incorporate both rail and road haulage to final destination should customers so require.

TT Club Once Again Backs the FIATA Award

WORLDWIDE – TURKEY – Winning the FIATA Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award must be about the most prestigious accolade one crossing the threshold of the logistics profession can achieve, just getting into the short list means counted as joining an incredibly select team. This year the FIATA award is once again being sponsored by leading insurance provider to the freight transport industry, the TT Club, and the relationship between the two organisations in relation to this training and development award now stretches back sixteen years.

Seven Year Sentence for Gang Boss Who Swindled HMRC with Complex Red Diesel Offences

UK – Anyone familiar with the British road haulage sector will be aware that there is a certain underground, criminal element who view crimes such as tampering with tachograph operations or using illegal fuel as simply a business advantage to be gained, shipping freight more cheaply than competitors and justifying it to themselves as ‘part of the game’. One such seems to have been Michael Wilmot who with a bunch of others emanating from the Market Rasen area of Lincolnshire were sentenced this week for a crime diabolical in its complexity and aimed at defrauding HM Revenue and cheating honest hauliers of their living.

Grimsby Sees Commando Squadron Exercise for Four Days

UK – This year with a century since the commencement of the Great War and more particularly the seventieth anniversary of the Normandy landings in mind there can hardly have been a more appropriate time for Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Grimsby to volunteer as the location for a four day logistics exercise by 75 Royal Marines from 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines who needed to hone their skills.

No Other Aeroplane Can Come Close to the Mighty AN-225

GERMANY – ICELAND – CANADA – Most articles in the trade press are by their very nature, pretty boring, notwithstanding informative fare, something that can never be said when they include the world’s largest aircraft, the unique Antonov AN-225. This leviathan, the world’s largest aircraft, was originally designed by Antonov Design Bureau for the Soviet space programme to airlift the ultimate export air cargo consignment, the Buran space shuttle and the Energia rocket's boosters. Two aircraft were ordered, but only one single An-225 was actually completed which first took to the skies in December 1988 and this month it played its part in a truly multimodal freight forwarding movement.

Current Industry Transfers, Appointments and Departures

UK – The British Shippers’ Council (BSC), administered by the Freight Transport Association (FTA), has confirmed its new Chairman and Vice-Chairman for 2014/2015. Taking over as Chairman from Roy Bufton of 3M UK is Gillian Scott, Import Logistics and Compliance Manager for the John Lewis Partnership. Barry Wallace, International Operations Manager for Marks and Spencer has been appointed as Vice Chairman.

UK Government Responds to Latest House of Lords Committee Report on Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

UK – EUROPE – US – Today the British government published its response to the House of Lords report on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement, a deal which, assuming it ever actually gets off the ground, could see a huge reduction in trade barriers and bureaucratic obstructions to free trade between EU countries and the US, with duty tariffs abolished, customs paperwork cut back and reduced export/import costs

As Things Have Slowed off Somalia However We Give a Dubious Welcome to the New Piracy Hotspot

INDIA – SOUTH EAST ASIA – The protracted saga of the anti-piracy protection vessel, the Seaman Guard Ohio, belonging to private maritime security group AdvanFort, appears at last to be more or less over with the news that the Chennai Court has dropped all charges related to the carriage of illegal arms. The ship was detained by Indian authorities along with her 35 strong crew last October as detailed in our previous articles, following her latest tour to protect shipping in the region from pirate activities. In other piracy news it seems Somalia is no longer the first place to avoid when operating any sort of merchant vessel.

Shipping and Supply Chain Industries Look Toward the Future as Opportunities Arise

UK – In a generally brighter climate various freight and shipping interests around the country have made acquisitions or announced plans to invest in the past week or so. News comes of major multimodal associated works with the development of eight million square feet of rail linked distribution space in Rugby by Prologis. The site, an extension of Daventry Rail Freight Terminal, DIRFT lll, is expected to fetch thousands of jobs to the region and has been welcomed by trade bodies such as the Rail Freight Group (RFG) with Executive Director, Maggie Simpson, commenting:

Port Doubles its Box Handling Capacity with New Order

NORWAY – In one fell swoop last month the Port of Drammen doubled its container handling capacity with the delivery of a second LHM 550 Liebherr mobile harbour crane following an original order which saw the delivery of an LHM 400 in 2008. Additionally, the versatile LHM 550 is also capable of moving all manner of freight, including bulk, general cargo and particularly heavy lift operations with its lifting capacity of 144 tonnes, over 40 tonnes more than any other machines currently in use at the port.

New 10 Year Arrangement Will Replace All Previous Deals with No Central Management

SWITZERLAND – DENMARK – WORLDWIDE – The two big hitters in container shipping, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk Line are to join together in a Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) which will cover all the three main East-West trade lanes: Asia-Europe, Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic, despite the recent rejection of the P3 Agreement by the Chinese authorities which was to see the two join up with CMA CGM in a tripartite concord moving freight under a common management structure.

Especially with Multimodal Solutions for a Frozen Cargo to an Icy Destination

RUSSIA – As if parts of the country didn’t get cold enough our picture shows a truck borne delivery of liquid medical oxygen bound for the hospitals of Altai Krai of Russia (winter temperatures down to −45 °C have been recorded) which borders Kazakhstan. The traffic is organised by Russian Railways Logistics (RZDL), the subsidiary of RZD Holding formed to encourage expanded multimodal supply chain operations handled by the country’s principal rail freight carrier.

European Rules Will Bite Shortly and Need Concerted Efforts to Ensure a Level Playing Field

WORLDWIDE – Freight and passenger ocean shipping has long been criticised by some for producing unacceptable amounts of air and water borne pollutants and now the Trident Alliance, a coalition of vessel operators and ship owners, many of whom are principally car carriers, focused on the robust enforcement of lower maritime sulphur emission regulations throughout the shipping industry, has now been formally launched, naming the eleven companies which will work together with other relevant stakeholders to ensure that compliance becomes an industry-wide norm.

Serious Flaws in Security as Nigerian Factions Squabble Over Primacy

NIGERIA – The situation with regard to piracy, hijackings and theft of all types from freight and passenger vessels and particularly those concerned with energy extraction, transiting the waters off the country’s coast is already dangerous and confused enough without an element of political infighting and the confusion which has arisen when personnel from different branches of local law enforcement have clashed over who has primacy on the open sea. Last October a skiff approaching a Romanian owned oil tanker was fired on by the Nigerian police security team aboard which believed it to be manned by a pirate group. The boat actually contained a Nigerian Naval patrol which drove the shooters into the vessel’s citadel from which they were later extracted and arrested.

Professional Education with Approved Equipment is the Key to Safety and Efficiency at Sea

JAPAN – SWEDEN – WORLDWIDE – Classification society ClassNK, and global specialist in maritime simulation, navigation and surveillance systems, Transas Marine, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop new standards, rules, procedures and guidelines related to classification of maritime simulators. The new requirements will aim to address the need for improved quality of both traditional and special areas of training, like offshore, LNG, tug and VTS operations. ClassNK Executive Vice President Koichi Fujiwara commented:

Eurotunnel puts a Positive Spin on Breakdown and Cites it as Evidence UK Competition Body is Wrong

FRANCE – UK – The secret of a good campaign, military or otherwise, is the ability to turn adversity into advantage, very much the thinking it appears behind Groupe Eurotunnel’s recent release regarding the Shuttle which was left immobile in the North Tunnel* earlier this week. Rather than speculate on the dangers of a live cable presumably falling from above, the company has chosen to use the incident to have another dig at the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has deemed it necessary for the French outfit to close its subsidised MyFerryLInk RoRo freight and passenger service within six months.

Allseas Global Head of Sales Explains His Approach to a Successful Pitch

UK – WORLDWIDE – No argument known to nature rages like that between the operational staff of a freight forwarding or ocean carrier with their counterparts in the sales department. One side committed to getting work, sometimes seemingly at almost any cost, the other destined to try and fulfil the customers dreams built on the back of those silkily delivered promises. In some ways the world of project forwarding can be the best, and worst, of both worlds when it comes to preparing quotations, every job requiring a tailored response. We asked Richard Dale who heads up Allseas Global’s sales team why, when it comes to logistics solutions, one size never, ever fits all.

Freight Boxes Used as Pixels in Collage Hundreds of Metres Long

FRANCE – WORLDWIDE – More on last month’s piece about the French container ship transformed into high art by artist JR, who has used 151 containers as pixels to create a visually stunning and thought provoking collage to conclude his ‘Women are Heroes’ project. The CMA CGM Magellan, a 13,900 TEU vessel measuring 365 metre long bears the final chapter of the ‘Women are Heroes’ project which JR started in 2007, to highlight the women who are often targets during conflicts. For this concluding project, the picture that was assembled on the CMA CGM Magellan are the eyes of Elizabeth, a Kenyan woman living in Nairobi’s Kibera slums. Departing for Port of Le Havre, the ship sailed taking Elizabeth’s eyes on the Mediterranean Sea, she will then pass the Suez Canal and head for Asia. Upon the completion of the project, JR said:

Reliable Staff with Good Youth Training and an Eye for the Supply Chain Environment an Advantage.

UK – Yes, it’s that time again to start the search for the ideal freight forwarding group which can boast all the usual attributes required in a modern shipping environment. The annual honour fest which this year will be the British International Freight Association (BIFA) 2014 Awards has begun the search for candidates to enter the nine categories which honour the best of the best. Categories range from Greenest Group to Staff Development, Young Forwarder to Project Specialist plus of course the standard modal acknowledgements for land, ocean and air cargo categories.

Broken Down Train, Evacuation and Major Delays Take the Shine Off New Infrastructure Investment

UK – FRANCE – Good and bad news today for Groupe Eurotunnel with an early morning service of ‘Le Shuttle’ being incapacitated in the Channel Tunnel link causing the mass evacuation of hundreds of passengers via the service tunnels on the very day a major new investment project to make life better for freight trucks and their drivers was announced.

Another Stakeholder Joins Global Campaign for Fairer Business

WORLDWIDE – Alongside its parent Wilh. Wilhelmsen group which specialises in RoRo automobile shipping and port service requirements worldwide, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has now become a full member of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), and will be adding its presence to the campaign to eliminate corruption across the maritime industry. Speaking as the membership was announced, Bjørge Grimholt, WSS President said:

Import Development for Existing Retail Client Warrants Opening of Another Storage and Distribution Terminal

ROMANIA – Tibbett Logistics, a subsidiary of the Keswick Enterprises Group, has further extended its interest its storage and distribution interests with the inception of an 8,500 square metre facility in Europolis Park on the western edge of Bucharest, its tenth distribution centre in the country and close to its neighbouring 22,000 square metre freight and distribution facility, the import contract principal being an ‘unnamed leading European multi-national retailer’.

Manufacturer Acquires IT Firm as Airport Trials Revolutionary System

GERMANY – UK – Jungheinrich, which did such a good job sponsoring last week’s UKWA bash, has finally announced it has fully acquired warehouse management systems software company ISA-Innovative, in which it has held a significant shareholding since 2009. The fork truck producer views the development of an independent software facility key to staying in front of next generation truck production and says acquiring full control of ISA, Jungheinrich has expanded its software capabilities significantly. Steve Richmond, director of Jungheinrich UK Ltd’s Systems & Projects Division, commented:

Advanced Systems Weigh Less and Stow More than Traditional Pallet Products

LUXEMBOURG – US – WORLDWIDE – Cargo only air carrier Cargolux, has become the first airline to carry the full line of CAEROe® (pronounced zero) advanced light-weight unit load devices (ULDs), created by Telair providers of advanced cargo-handling systems and aftermarket services and a subsidiary of US group AAR. The Luxembourg based freight airline has launched the CAEROe® product portfolio of cookie sheet pallets, heavy gross weight pallets and fuel-saving containers on its fleet of Boeing 747s.

An Interview with Branch Manager Caroline Goodricke Reveals the Secrets of Success

UK – Allseas Global Logistics has built a prize winning reputation for project freight forwarding, a market which as anyone in the industry knows requires both top class management and concerted teamwork to avoid the pitfalls which come with handling specialised, often out of gauge consignments. Although known best for its Nottingham and Felixstowe operations the company has several other UK based facilities and now, after rapid expansion, Allseas’ Tilbury team has moved into smart new offices, with plenty of room to grow. We talked to Branch Manager Caroline Goodricke about expansion, variety and the company’s collaborative approach.

UKWA Awards Turn In Another Excellent Performance

UK – The first week of July always sees the Annual General Meeting of the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) followed by the yearly awards for achievement in the fields of storage and logistics. Once again this month’s event saw both happen in the palatial surroundings of London’s Dorchester Hotel where a who’s who of the warehouse and supply chain industry gathered to celebrate. An excellent lunch was sponsored by freight exchange Shipntrak whilst fork lift truck manufacturer Jungheinrich was the main awards sponsor.

Who is Turning Up Where (and Who Isn't Any More)

US – We start this week’s movements of shipping, freight and logistics staff with a Presidential appointment as Barack Obama has nominated Christopher Hart to head the National Transportation Safety Board, succeeding Deborah Hersman, who left the NTSB to head the National Safety Council.

French Purchase Offers More Environmental Advances

FRANCE – ASIA – Last week saw the maiden voyage of the CMA CGM Danube, the first of a series of 28 container ships with capacities ranging between 9,400 and 10,900 TEU. Sailing under the Maltese flag and under bareboat charter to CIMC, the Danube is the first ship of this class built at the Chinese construction site DSIC (Dalian PRC) and delivered to the CMA CGM group, with her sister ships to be delivered between now and the third quarter of 2016. At 300 metres long and 48 metres wide she is designed to offer maximum loading capacity while meeting the technical constraints necessitated by the Strait of Bosphorus, where which she is operating.

Support Teams Arrive as Congestion and Diversion Warnings Go Out

UK – As the UK gears up to host the first three stages of the Tour de France this weekend, British freight operators are also saddling up to keep the wheels of the road haulage industry turning during the world’s biggest bike race, not to mention helping to get the Tour de France off to a flying start as nearly 80 support vehicles destined for the upcoming Grand Départ made their way through Associated British Port’s (ABP) Port of Hull this week.

Autumn Term Training Days Give an Opportunity for Industry Leaders to Connect with Next Generation of Freight Forwarders, Warehouse and Transport Managers and Retail Staff

UK – We recently covered the introduction of the innovative board game from Business on the Move designed to excite and inform young people about logistics and the complexities of the market and the supply chain. The operation behind the game however is worth looking at in some depth as it encapsulates much of the new attitude which is essential to the business of moving everyday items, whether by road haulage or air and ocean freight.

GOSH! A Monkey Gets You a Place On OSCAR's Dragon!

UK – WORLDWIDE – An appeal to the international shipping, freight forwarding and logistics community to sign up for a dramatic, yet fun, event taking place in London on Tuesday September 16. OSCAR (The Ocean and Shipping Community Advancing Children's Health and Research) is organising a Dragon Boat Race at the award-winning Docklands Water Sports Centre to raise money for lifesaving research into childhood cancers and immune diseases as part of the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) campaign.

Latest Statements Confirm Positions of Participants

US – UK – FRANCE – Following two recent stories we have received updates on the US West Coast labour negotiations from the parties involved in thrashing out a new, long term, dock working contract, and a clarification of the position of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has ruled that Groupe Eurotunnel must close its MyFerryLink cross channel RoRo freight and passenger services within the allotted six months.

Third Country's HGV Sector to Benefit from Hands On Instruction

UGANDA – International transport development charity Transaid is expanding its successful Professional Driver Training Project (PDTP) into its third country, after the programme successfully increased standards of commercial truck and PSV driver training methods in Zambia and Tanzania. The initial 12 month programme will be rolled out in Uganda, a country which has one of the world’s highest road traffic fatality rates with an estimated 28.9 road traffic deaths per 100,000 population, compared to 3.7 in the UK.

Study Attempts to Reveal Accurate Statistics for Boxes Overboard

WORLDWIDE – Proper packing, stowage and securing of shipping containers is of course of prime importance to the safety of a container ship, its cargo and its crew, and to shore-based workers and equipment without even considering the environment. Even with proper packing of the cargo into the container, accurate container weight declaration, and correct stowage and securing aboard ship, a number of factors ranging from severe weather and rough seas to more catastrophic and rare, but increasingly prevalent events like ship groundings, structural failures, or collisions can result in containers being lost at sea.

Central Location Gradually Makes Inroads into Available Routings

UK – WEST AFRICA – London’s new deep water container port, DP World’s London Gateway is gradually picking up business thanks to its central location and has just announced a new service to connect the UK with West Africa, to be operated by two of the world’s largest container shipping lines Hapag-Lloyd and MOL. The new service starts with Hapag-Lloyd’ Frisia Lubeck which is due to call at the port on the 22nd of July. DP World London Gateway Port Commercial Manager, Tabare Dominguez, said:

As Usual Nobody Really Knows the Damage a West Coast Dock Dispute Could Cause the American Economy

US – So, here we go again, the analysts and experts speaking volumes and saying little as the spectre of a West Coast port strike looms, or doesn’t dependant on who you read. The facts are simply that a contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the employers representative group, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), expired yesterday (June 30) meaning from today, all freight passing through the ports responsible for around 35% of all US imports, will be at the whim of union workers.