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Second Ship in Class Named This Week

KOREA – GERMANY – This week saw the latest vessel in the Hamburg Süd container fleet christened with a ceremony at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. The 9,034 TEU ship is the second newbuild in the series of three new ‘San’ class ships and, in keeping with the German shipping line's tradition of carrying temperature controlled freight, each vessel includes 1,370 reefer slots.

Established African Links with Partners Leads to Training Cooperation

ANGOLA – SWEDEN – Swedish maritime group Stena has reinforced ties with the Southern African Republic with the official launch on August 27 by the freight and RoRo ferry company, together with Angolan public sector energy company Sonangol, of the Centro De Formação Maritima De Angola (CFMA) a world class maritime training facility, the first of its kind in Angola and believed to be the most modern maritime campus in Africa.

Two Significant Changes at Major Western European Airports

DENMARK – ITALY – It has been a busy week for air freight handling specialist group Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), with the company signing an agreement to acquire competitors Swissport’s, cargo business at Copenhagen Airport, as well as winning the handling concession for a new 5,000m² cargo terminal at Milan Malpensa Airport.

Dentressangle Picks Up 3PL Provider to Boost Earnings from America to 14% of Group Revenue

FRANCE – US – Road haulage and logistics group, Norbert Dentressangle has completed the acquisition of all the shares of privately held US third party logistics (3PL) provider, Jacobson Companies from Oak Hill Capital Partners, having received all the necessary regulatory approvals. The transaction was valued at $750 million (€560 million) in cash on a debt-free and cash-free basis, plus a capped earn-out relating to future performance. The acquisition is financed through a combination of Norbert Dentressangle reserves and available credit lines.

New South East Asian Market Comes with Both History and Contemporary Difficulties - the Role of Geopolitics in Transport and Infrastructure Development

BURMA – MYANMAR – Much is made currently about how Burma, otherwise known as Myanmar, is 'the last great investment frontier'. Emerging after decades of brutal military rule (though the situation is far from stable according to local NGO's) Burma is experiencing a flood in foreign finance as companies rush to get a piece of the pie and be in at the start of what is expected to be a highly profitable boom in a blossoming economy, and freight forwarding and other logistics related groups have been amongst the first to join the rush. However as investors fight for position in the new market more powerful forces are shifting behind the scenes to attempt to make Burma fit into their own power plays and counter one another's influence.

Specific Design Required RoRo Transport

MEXICO – LIBYA – Despite all the woes of late in the North African country life, and business, goes on as a recent consignment shipped by project freight forwarding specialists Tuscor Lloyds demonstrates. The shipment comprised 80 tonnes of asphalt plant and scalping screen from a Mexican supplier which needed particular attention as regards lifting and therefore had to be shipped as a RoRo movement.

New Tranche of Applications Available for One Month

UK – More road haulage operators will be given the chance to join a trial to allow the use of longer trailers to transport goods on UK roads, in an attempt to see if it would reduce road miles significantly and potentially boost trade and industry. The government’s 10-year longer semi-trailer trial was launched in 2012 and enabled freight operators to bid for a share of 1,800 vehicle allocations, but not all of the slots were filled with only 750 allotted at the commencement of the trial.

Demand for Scotland's Whisky Results in Further Storage Requirements

UK – Aside from the plastic strapping our photograph could represent a scene dating back literally hundreds of years and showing something inextricably linked with Scotland – a whisky storage facility holding the barrels in which the spirit ages over time. Now Carntyne Transport, a specialist handler of bulk liquids and one of the largest logistics providers to the Scottish whisky industry has expanded its storage for the precious cargo by over 100,000 square feet.

Lloyd's Register Studies the Possibilities for an Under Used Gas

UK – US – WORLDWIDE – Of late Lloyd’s Register (LR) has been devoting more resources to the carriage and use of liquefied gas with regard to equipping and classifying ships of various types. The organisation’s latest report studies the commercial landscape, regulatory issues and technical realities of a new trade in ethane emerging as a result of increased US gas production, including the technology required for future very large ethane carriers (VLECs) merchant vessels potentially powered by the very cargo they carry.

Expansion of Services Down to Customer Demands

UK – WORLDWIDE – A sign of rising confidence can always be detected in the logistics sector before signs tend to be noticed in industry as a whole, and one Midlands based group has recently expanded from a domestic British courier, delivery and warehouse service supplier into a international freight forwarding player.

New Lagos Call en route to South Africa

GERMANY – NIGERIA – Air carrier Lufthansa Cargo is further integrating Lagos into its own network through twice-weekly freight flights. From 15 September, a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 freighter will take off from Frankfurt for the Nigerian city every Monday and Thursday.

Repeated Offences Result in Three Month Sentence for Liberian Ship

AUSTRALIA – The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has issued a direction to the Liberian flagged container ship Vega Auriga that prohibits the vessel from using or entering any Australian ports due to repeated breaches relating to seafarer welfare and maintenance of the ship. The direction will remain in place for three months on the ‘Flag of Convenience’ vessel.

Controversy Over Old Airport Development Sees Yet Another Court Battle

UK – St Albans City and District Council’s protestations against the planned Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) at the site of the former aerodrome on Park Street near St Albans, trundles along with the Council lodging a formal complaint in the High Court challenging the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles’ decision to grant planning permission to developers Helioslough for the rail freight terminal.

The Cartel Squabbles Go on and On

US – WORLDWIDE – Schenker, the freight forwarding and logistics subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, has filed a complaint in New York federal court claiming damages from air cargo carriers Air France, KLM, Martinair, Cargolux, Qantas, SAS, and All Nippon Airways. Schenker alleges that the defendants illegally conspired to fix fuel and security surcharges for airfreight shipments from, to and within the United States beginning in 1999 until at least 2006, though the exact amount of the damages suffered by Schenker and its affiliated companies has not yet been determined.

Time of the Essence as Mine Capacity Reduced and New Part Needed

CHILE – AUSTRALIA – No one with any commercial knowledge needs to be told how much money can be haemorrhaged when a vital part of a bulk production operation goes down. When an existing mill head at a mine in Chile became badly eroded and cracked and was therefore running at a significantly reduced capacity a replacement part had to be sourced immediately and transported as air cargo as quickly as possible. A new large replacement ball mill head was available, but located in Australia and of such a size that this became a very special project for the freight forwarding outfit involved, DSV.

IATA Boss Says Industry is Prepared for Virus

VIETNAM – As one of the potential commercial rising stars of South East Asia Vietnam is being taken seriously by cargo carriers and logistics groups and International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Tony Tyler was on hand for Vietnam Aviation Day, organised jointly by IATA and Vietnam Airlines, to give the keynote speech urging the country’s government to promote both passenger and air freight sectors and concentrate on upgrading infrastructure.

Six Decade Pedigree to Add to Western European Portfolio

SINGAPORE – UK – Singapore Post has, through its subsidiary Famous Holdings, purchased the entire issued and paid-up share capital of Basildon headquartered freight forwarding company F.S. Mackenzie, for approximately £7 million. F.S. Mackenzie is a member of the Famous Pacific Shipping (FPS) Group family of forwarders, which is part of Famous Holdings. Singapore Post says that the acquisition will help it to establish an entry point into the Western European freight market and strengthen its ability to provide customers with integrated e-commerce logistics solutions, which complement its existing postal and parcel networks. Alfred Stienen, who will remain Group Chairman of F.S. Mackenzie, said:

Town and City Helped to Host Separate Celebrations

UK – Any major port tends to be at the very heart of the local community, often generations have grown up with the docks as a background to a town or city providing employment and shaping local businesses and even culture. For Associated British Ports (ABP) the last few weeks have provided an opportunity to celebrate in two different ways a pair of the places in which the company’s activities handling containers and general freight have been an essential part of their identity for many years

French Giant Jumps into Bed with Asian Rivals

FRANCE – ASIA – AUSTRALIA – NEW ZEALAND – French container giant CMA CGM, one third of the recently ill-fated P3 route sharing scheme, has announced a co-operation agreement with some of the Asia’s biggest shipping companies, China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL) and Pacific International Lines (PIL), to service routes in the North East Asia, Australia and New Zealand Trade, commencing from Shanghai in early of November. This week saw the other two potential P3 partners, Maersk and MSC, confirming the commencement of their own 2M vessel sharing agreement.

Extension of Existing Relationship Offers Advertising Opportunities Along with On Line Delivery Orders

GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – With so much of the world now shopping online to the detriment of traditional methods many logistics groups are benefitting from the rapidly rising numbers of home deliveries, and that seems to be the impetus behind express freight and parcels group DHL which has just signed up as an official platinum partner and the new international logistics and eCommerce full-service partner of German football giants FC Bayern Munich.

2M to Become Operational in Six Months

WORLDWIDE – The vessel sharing agreement (VSA) between the world’s top two container freight operators, Maersk Line and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), in the wake of the failed P3 network, is planned to start in early 2015, pending regulatory approval from, according to Maersk, only the American authorities. Under the moniker ‘2M’, both Maersk and MSC will team up to cover the Asia-Europe, Transatlantic, and Transpacific trade routes. Maersk Group CEO Nils Smedegaard Andersen said:

Reversal of Lower Court Decision After Seizure Made Before Debt Became Due

SINGAPORE – The High Court has upheld a previous judgement which struck out an action undertaken by Singapore based bunkering group Transocean Oil Pte Ltd against the troubled Korean shipping group STX Pan Ocean and also set aside the arrest of that company’s vessel the STX Mumbai, a 2,742 TEU container ship and the third company vessel to be arrested in Singapore in a three week spell in mid 2013.

Overseeing Authorities Must Audit Their Own Regulations More Rigorously Whilst Operators Must Raise Standards

CANADA – The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) investigation into the horrifying Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA) freight train derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, concluded that a multitude of factors led to the accident which left 47 people dead. Shipping cargo can occasionally be very dangerous and when via rail and things go wrong, as in this case, it can be really serious so a year on from this, the most deadliest Canadian rail disaster since 1864, the TSB is now calling for additional physical defences to prevent runaway trains, and for more thorough audits of safety management systems‎ to ensure railways are effectively managing safety.

Changes at the Top Worldwide

WORLDWIDE – This week’s round of staff changes in the freight and logistics industry kicks off with the Shipowners’ Club which has offices in London, Luxembourg and Singapore, with news of the appointment of Philip Orme as its new Chairman, following the end of Donald MacLeod’s six year tenure at the top. Orme is currently based in Dubai where he serves as CEO of Ocean Power International.

Technology Update for Booking and Payments Systems

UK – As time moves on and becomes ever more precious we have witnessed a host of new ways to ensure people can reserve, and pay for, services more quickly than before. Number plate recognition technology, RFID readers, all the new technology is aimed at producing faster results, many of which, road and tunnel tolls and Eurovignettes, have a direct effect on the freight and logistics sector. Now award-winning ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which operates vital northern island RoRo services has moved to stay abreast of the trend by issuing a contract to Worldline, the European leader and a global player in the payments and transactional services industry.

Specially Strengthened Boxes Show Off Automotive Royalty for Popular Media Production

UK – Pentalver is, like any other container company which offers a full portfolio of services including supply, transport, storage and inland logistics, often asked to perform bespoke operations. Last month however came a unique request for the Pentalver Cannock facility when it was asked to host a very special photo-shoot. Top Gear Magazine, the monthly publication of the BBC’s celebrated car show, used the depot as the venue for the front cover photography of the magazine’s August edition.

Latest Port Numbers Reflect Growing Confidence

IRELAND – The latest figures published by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) would seem to confirm the mood throughout the shipping and forwarding community in the UK and Ireland that things are looking up of late. Irish shipping and port activity rose by 2% in the second quarter of 2014 when compared to the corresponding period of 2013, according to the latest quarterly iShip Index which reviews freight across several sectors.

Studies Can Build Networks and Promote Corporate Growth

JAPAN – Any major corporate body, whether involved in logistics and freight forwarding or any other industry, takes the precaution of ensuring the company will pass into good hands in the future. This month container and general shipping group Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced a programme to train candidates for the next-generation of executive management, targeting employees who work in MOL Group companies all over the world.

Thirteen Years of Support Leads to Continued Support

POLAND – Danone, a name familiar to many worldwide as one of the most successful fast moving consumer (FMCG) groups, has extended its existing supply chain logistics contract with freight forwarding group Kuehne + Nagel for a further three and a half years. K+N in Poland has now been providing contract logistics activities for the Polish dairy division of Danone since 2001.

Union Congress Criticises Conditions for Workers Outside Germany

GERMANY – COLOMBIA – BULGARIA – Once again express freight and logistics group DHL finds itself accused of repressive tactics in its employment policies outside of the company’s home country. At the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) congress in Sofia, Bulgaria, agreement was reached to support Colombian union SNTT and its leader José Ignacio Garzón in their fight with a subsidiary of German multi-national shipping giant.

Christmas Rush Demands Extended Hours of Opening

UK – It may be Summer, but for those enmeshed in the supply chain Christmas looms larger on the horizon day by day. Recognising this DP World Southampton will open its container terminal facilities all day on Sundays in the run up to the annual sales fest to give shipping agents and cargo owners an extra day to collect their freight and ensure they can make deliveries on time.

Political Shenanigans Begin Prior to Election as Lib Dems Offer Deal on Road Pricing

UK – As the political parties scrabble around prior to the forthcoming election, searching for policies which will have almost universal appeal and make headlines, without breaking the bank with unsustainable investment requirements, the Liberal Democrats have revived an old cherry long supported by all those in the freight and logistics sector and indeed by British industry as a whole, with the latest proposal to ban road tolls, this time on the Severn Crossings.

Still Time for Potential Winners to Register and Raise Their Profiles

UK – Once again the great and the good of the country’s forwarding community will gather next January for the 2014 British International Freight Association (BIFA) Awards and this year’s host will be the financial journalist and regular 'BBC Breakfast' presenter, Naga Munchetty, who will take to the stage to present the finalist certificates and, along with the category sponsors, to award well-deserved trophies to the winners of the nine award categories, and there is still time for full and probationary Members of BIFA, the trade association for UK freight forwarding companies, to enter this year’s contest.

Underlying Problems for Country Remain Off the Menu for Discussion However as Whispers of Ethnic Cleansing Persist

MYANMAR – JAPAN – US – Shipping group Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), has supported the Japanese non-profit organisation working for health and medical development, Peoples' HOPE Japan's (PH-Japan) Myanmar healthcare programme, to provide free transportation of PH-Japan's container filled with 2000 units of digital thermometers and electronic blood pressure manometers to hospitals and medical facilities in the country. This is the first instance of MOL support in the form of free transport of goods to Myanmar.

Poor Reporting Contributes to Lower Numbers

ASIA PACIFIC– Supply chain security provider FreightWatch International has released its semi-annual report on cargo theft in the Asia Pacific region for the first half of 2014, which found a total of 53 truck theft incidents were recorded for the area for the year so far, a decrease from the 115 recorded incidents from the same period in 2013. FreightWatch attribute this drop to irregular reporting rather than a sign of improving conditions and standards of freight security.

Japanese Box Line Moves to Clean Up Image

JAPAN – WORLDWIDE – Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) has become a member of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), a global business network dedicated to achieving the vision of a shipping industry free of corruption and one that enables fair trade to the benefit of society at large. K Line is of course no stranger to the odd antitrust suit having been accused of cartel behaviour on multiple occasions (as recently as April this year) in cases right across the globe and incurring millions in fines.

Thirty Four Survivors Rescued After Screaming for Help

UK – A police investigation is under way after 34 people thought to be of Indian sub-continental origin were found early today (August 17) in an import shipping container at Tilbury Docks, together with a man’s body. The survivors were discovered after screaming and banging on the steel sides of the box to attract attention. After treatment one man was being questioned by police. The container had arrived on a P&O freight ferry from Zeebrugge.

Charges Against ex Senior Employee of Shipping Group for On Going Fraud

US – This month Kathleen Creel, a former employee of Wilhelmsen Ships Service, part of the Scandinavian headquartered WW group with shipping interests ranging from RoRo car carriers to maritime logistics, has been arrested and charged with defrauding her company and causing a loss of more than $4.1 million. Charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, based on the electronic transfers into her bank account, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count as well as a $250,000 maximum fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss, if she is found guilty of defrauding the international shipping company.

Swedish Freight Group Opens New Base and Extends Routes

SWEDEN – UK – Thor has established its first UK base at Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Hull. Obviously not the hammer-wielding God of thunder, but the Swedish shipping company which operates three vessels whose name all relate to Norse mythology, the Odin, the Alrek and the Frej, and will now use the former Transatlantic terminal for handling 300,000 tonnes of steel and other cargoes each year.

UN Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport Named

WORLDWIDE – This week’s freight industry staff movements start with the announcement from the United Nations of the appointments of the 12 members that will make up the advisory group on sustainable transport. Olof Persson (Sweden), President and CEO of the Volvo Group, and Carolina Tohá (Chile), Mayor of Santiago, have been appointed as co-Chairs. Other notable names from the shipping and logistics industry who are joining the board include Frank Appel (Germany), CEO of DHL; Morten Engelstoft (Denmark), CEO of Services & Other Shipping at Maersk, Jean Pierre Loubinoux (France), Director-General of the International Union of Railways; and Len Roueche (Canada), CEO of Interferry.

Liverpool 2 a Step Closer With Huge Crane Order

UK – CHINA – The Liverpool2 project, the new deep water port designed to accommodate the bulk of new generation container shipping being launched globally, has taken another stride forward with the signing of a contract between developers the Peel Ports Group and Chinese engineering giants Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. (ZPMC), for the supply of eight ship-to-shore (STS) megamax quay cranes and 22 cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs).

As Traditional Ocean Shipping Lines Expand Energy Operations Advances in Underwater Technology Makes for Faster, Safer Subsea Operations and Longer Lasting Equipment

GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – More and more traditional ocean freight carriers are opening up specialised divisions and subsidiaries to become involved in the discovery, recovery and storage of energy sources including of course oil and gas and the logistics involved in the construction and maintenance of wind farms. Now German based materials handling group J D Neuhaus (JDN) has produced a series of specialist equipment for working at depth in one of the most demanding of environments.

40th Anniversary for WISTA - But Still Work to be Done

UK – Last week saw WISTA-UK, the founding body of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, celebrating its 40th anniversary in some style with a sumptuos gala dinner held in the restaurant of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on London’s South Bank. Burgundy coloured sashes decorated the dining chairs, calling to mind the ruby anniversary, and on a more sombre note the sacrifice in blood of seafarers in the course of their sometimes risky profession.

Night Time Attempt Mirrors Traditional Somali Hijacks

NIGERIA – Problems pile up in the region as an Ebola infection was not the only ‘first’ for a form of attack this week as maritime security specialists, Dryad Maritime, tells us there has been a night time attack on a product tanker in the Gulf of Guinea using automatic weapons, a tactic which mirrors the pirate activity we had grown more used to on the opposite coast before better policing and tactics were introduced. The vessel was set upon by up to three skiffs working from a mother ship nearby.

ITF Takes Issue With Panamanian Government over Working Conditions as Canal Redevelopment Goes Ahead

BULGARIA – PANAMA – WORLDWIDE – The largest ever world congress of the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) began today in Sofia, Bulgaria and one of the first items up for discussion was the safety and pay levels at the Panama Canal which is undergoing major works at the moment to accommodate larger vessels. In order to increase revenues by transiting ever larger freight and passenger vessels more than 9,000 affiliated maritime workers are currently employed within the canal zone as the 44-mile canal currently undergoes a $5.25bn redevelopment, which will see the addition of two new locks and two new channels.

Iron Man or Aliens - Who Wouldn't Want a Robotic Suit?

SOUTH KOREA – Many a little (and not so little) child dreams of possessing superpowers, and for most it remains just that, a ridiculous dream. Every year we hear tales of scientists seeking to create invisibility cloaks and such like but now there are people out there currently working on creating a way to give any normally proportioned human Herculean strength. The Iron Man concept could be one step closer with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) trialling a special, wearable robotic suit designed specifically for lifting heavy objects with minimal effort to aid the construction of a variety of items, particularly freight and passenger ships.

Can Thunderbird 2 Be Here At Last?

UK – WORLDWIDE – We, have it must be said, looked a little doubtfully at some of the claims made for drone technology as a suitable mode of transport for ferrying freight around. Now a UK based company is seeking investment for a project to take drone technology to the next level with the development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed specifically for use in intermodal freight transportation. Whereas the smaller drones could easily fall foul of a youth with a catapult or hunter with a rifle, not these craft, as Kent based 4X4 Aviation has gone a whole step further by designing an unmanned aircraft big enough to move a shipping container as a way to compete with the road haulage industry.

Acquisition of Outstanding Shares in Joint Venture for German Company

VIETNAM – GERMANY – JAPAN – With many freight forwarding and logistics outfits looking to South East Asia as the place to expand, one company which has traded for many years in the region has consolidated its position this month. Schenker Vietnam Co. Ltd., DB Schenker’s business entity in Vietnam, was established in 1991 and is one of the leading and earliest established logistics companies in the country offering a full panoply of supply chain services from removals to air and ocean shipping and contract logistics.

Tree Planting Scheme Matches Aspirations of Freight Forwarding Group

GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – German headquartered logistics group Dachser has made something of a speciality in running supply chains for the DIY and Garden Centre industry, offering bespoke solutions ranging up to actually putting the stock on the retailer’s shelves, and ensuring goods are always available from stock it has previously collected, collated and stored. To emphasise the green credentials of this service Dachser is to give the impression at the entrance to the Cologne DIY and Garden Fair (spogagafa 2014) that someone has stepped in a can of paint before proceeding into Hall 6.1.

Giant Plane Once Again Proves its Value

TURKEY – MIDDLE EAST – Once again the 17-strong fleet of giant Antonov An-124 aircraft managed and marketed by Ruslan International, has proved its worth with the shipping of an entire portable hospital. Leading air charter broker, Air Partner arranged for the air freight contract which saw the demountable, modular clinic comprising 10 individual units, all based around ISO 20ft containers for ease of transport and assembly on site, shipped to the customer, a Middle Eastern ruling family.

Improving Trade Figures Boost Statistics with Only Latin America in Decline

WORLDWIDE – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data for the global air freight industry showing overall growth for the first half of 2014. According to IATA, current freight tonne kilometre (FTK) levels are the highest they have been since mid-2010, outside of the volumes recorded in January 2014. This means that demand conditions throughout 2014 have been strong enough to support these improved FTK levels, but there has been no sustained acceleration in growth over recent months.

Sustainable Biofuel May Keep Planes in the Air and Farmers in Business

SOUTH AFRICA – WORLDWIDE – Who says tobacco is bad for us (apart from the vast majority if not all of healthcare professionals)? A different way of burning the substance may in fact be good for the environment if aircraft manufacturer Boeing, South African Airways (SAA) and SkyNRG are to be believed. The trio have announced that they are collaborating to make sustainable biofuel for use in both the passenger and freight aviation markets, from a new type of tobacco plant as Ian Cruickshank, South African Airways Group Environmental Affairs Specialist, explains:

FLTA Requests Nominations for 2015 Materials Handling Awards

UK – Anyone who has worked in a busy freight warehouse, cargo terminal or wholesale facility will know there is often competition between staff as to the level of skill possessed by each one, particularly with regard to competence when operating fork lift trucks. Now is the time for those who supply the necessary hardware to make the lives of those on the front line easier to demonstrate their organisation’s skills in development of materials handling with the invitations out for the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) Awards for Excellence 2015, but remember, this is a chance for group wide glory, not simply individuals who excel at their jobs.

Busy Time for Some of the Big Industry Names

WORLDWIDE – We begin this week’s freight forwarding, logistics and shipping appointments and departures with the announcement from John Fredriksen’s Seatankers Group that Tor Olav Troim has decided to step down from his role as of July 31, in order to focus on his responsibilities elsewhere within Fredriksen’s group of companies. Troim will remain with Seatankers in an advisory capacity.

Traditional Roles for Dock Workers Relegated to History

UK – Britain’s latest deep water port, DP World’s London Gateway project which sits on the River Thames at Stanford le Hope is looking for a further fifty staff to move the freight across the quayside, and women are a prime target for work often seen as a ‘men only’ environment. The newly-opened international container terminal is looking for ‘Terminal Operatives’ to operate a variety of high-tech cranes and vehicles to move goods from ship to shore as well as support all other aspects of the terminal’s operations.

Trio of Industry Representative Bodies Warn of Dire Consequences if Steps Are Not Taken

WORLDWIDE – Three global shipping organisations have issued a joint advisory note aimed at guiding its members on the risks posed to merchant ships’ crew in countries affected by the ever growing and worrisome Ebola virus. This outbreak has claimed nearly 900 lives and centres on countries in western Africa, mainly Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with increasing reports from Nigeria and both air and ocean freight carriers need to be aware of all aspects of the disease

Dual Power Defeats the Problem of Inadequate Electrical Supplies on Rail Routes

NETHERLANDS – WORLDWIDE – A Rotterdam container manufacturing specialist appears to have solved a problem which often afflicts boxes which are required to be subjected to intermodal carriage, specifically reefers intended to be switched between road haulage and rail freight. UNIT45, has developed an innovative long range diesel-electric refrigerated container which contains an independent fuel supply enabling carriage when electrical power from the rail carrier is unavailable.

Composite Construction Helps Reduce Fuel and Pollution

UK – WORLDWIDE – These days the attention to detail being paid by shipping companies and others in the logistics supply chain when it comes to decreasing pollution and stretching out fuel use, somewhat resembles the world of Formula 1 racing, with every effort made to cut wherever possible. Now air freight carrier Virgin Atlantic Cargo has taken delivery of its first 802 lightweight air cargo containers and will add a further 250 new units in the coming weeks as part of its sustainability programme to save fuel and reduce its carbon footprint.

Several Leading Logistics Players Ring the Changes

INDIA – US – GERMANY – CHILE – CHINA – Several moves by freight forwarding and logistics outfits in the past few days starting with the news that the Martin Bencher Group has made an exclusive agency agreement covering India with MB Prolog, launching under the name MB Projects and Logistics (India) Pvt. Ltd. The aim is to develop and extend the group’s current business in the subcontinent.

Recommended Reading for Industry Stakeholders and Interested Parties

UK – Although rail accounts for only a small proportion of the freight carried throughout the country, around 7%, the recently published Rail Delivery Group’s Freight Group report ‘Keeping the lights on and the traffic moving’ highlighted that each year rail freight moves goods worth more than £30 billion and provides economic benefits of more than £1.5 billion whilst avoiding the need for 7.6 million HGV road haulage movements.

More Targeted Approach Required to Better Cyclist Safety

UK – Despite widespread acceptance of the changes made in an attempt to improve the design of the London Safer Lorry Scheme (SLS), not everybody concerned is entirely happy that all that could be done, has been done and last week the Freight Transport Association (FTA) spoke out to express the concerns of the road haulage industry. Meanwhile the consultation process for the scheme remains open until September 22.

Good News Keeps Coming in from Hactl

HONG KONG – It’s all good news for Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl), the territory’s largest cargo handler, which earlier this month revealed an 11.5% growth in freight tonnage through its SuperTerminal 1 base in the first half of 2014, compared to the same period of 2013. Now the group has become the first handling facility at the airport to achieve Good Distribution Practices (GDP) accreditation, bringing it in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) quality assurance guidelines for the handling of pharmaceuticals.