Shipping Search - Archive

Double Trouble Persists in Northern France

FRANCE – Problems escalated once again in Calais and surrounds over the August Bank Holiday weekend with a fairly low profile protest by the unhappy ex ferry workers whose contract ended in July when Eurotunnel sold two of the MyFerryLink RoRo freight and passenger ferries to DFDS Seaways (a story told here seemingly endlessly). Despite the protest taking the form of two small lifeboats mooring across the entrance to Calais harbour it seems there was sufficient clearance for other vessels to pass between them but this was prohibited by the port authorities.

Leukaemia Research Benefits from Record Money Raising Effort

UK – It is always a pleasure to hear how the freight and logistics community stands up year after year for good causes and GB Railfreight today (28 August) said a big thank you to all the staff and customers who together contributed to make up a record amount for blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. Not so much stand up as sit down however as this time the money came from the receipts for the second of two Charity Railtours run this year, making it the most successful single charity event in the company’s history.

Siberian Pedigree Outfit Offers Extended Options

SWEDEN – RUSSIA – LUKOIL Marine Lubricants, which has a pedigree formed in western Siberia, has expanded its network into Scandinavia with a new warehouse the company has just opened in Gothenburg. The stand-alone subsidiary of its similarly named parent, which claims the title of the largest privately owned Gas and Oil company in the world by proven reserves of crude oil (the company was formed by the merger of three competitors from the cities of Langepas, Urai and Kogalym – hence LUK oil) says it feels the reduction in lead time and increased flexibility will win it more market share in the region.

Red Duster to be Seen All Round the UK

UK – The Handy Shipping Guide has a special duty to celebrate the 3rd of September each year, since 2000 this has been Merchant Navy Day, and it was the Merchant Navy that first launched the Handy Shipping Guide in its original printed form way back in 1887. What is less well known is that the day marks not only the day that war was declared in 1939, but also marks the first major British maritime casualty, the merchant vessel SS Athenia, torpedoed just a few hours after hostilities were declared with the loss of 128 passengers and crew.

Universally Recognised Customers Need Individual Supply Chain Solutions

AUSTRIA – LIECHTENSTEIN – When a brand name is universally recognised it is a tempting target for any international freight and logistics group worth its salt. With scale however come problems and when a customer ships around 650,000 consignments in over 50 countries each year it takes a great deal of meticulous planning to keep things on track. Austrian based Gebrüder Weiss is fortunate enough to be the forwarding agent and transporter for just such a brand, Hilti, a name familiar to any professional construction worker.

Q) What Weighs 21 Tonnes, is Over 3 Metres Wide and Must Be Kept Cool? A) (Not the World's Largest Martini)

SWEDEN – JAPAN – RUSSIA – Ultra delicate yet oversize cargoes are always nerve wracking for any shipping group and, after six months of planning and preparation by heavy lift and project air freight specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines, delicate laser technology from Orebro, Sweden has finally arrived safely in Japan. The high value industrial laser equipment required a non-standard engineering solution and a controlled temperature environment to complete its journey on board one of Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD freighters. Alexey Stepanov, Leading Engineer at Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said:

Another Sign Up for John Good

UK – TURKEY – When it comes to ships agencies very few freight companies anywhere in the world can quote a pedigree to match that of the John Good Group, and now John Good Shipping continues to expand its Port Agency business with the company’s latest appointment as Owner’s Agent for Turkish RoRo Operator, U.N. RO-RO, based in Istanbul. U.N. RO-RO was established in 1994 and today operates 12 owned RoRo vessels within its core markets, all under Turkish registry. Vessel capacity ranges between 200 - 240 trailers and the mv Cemil Bayulgen is a third generation building (FSG) with an operation speed of 21.5 knots and a LOA of 193metres.

CEO Tours the Region to View Facilities Personally

AFRICA – GERMANY – In line with its group ‘Strategy 2020: Focus Connect Grow’, a programme designed to mould the company fortunes over the next few years, Deutsche Post DHL has emphasised the importance of emerging markets with a whistle stop tour by CEO Frank Appel to appraise the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The express freight forwarding and postal group boss visited South Africa and Nigeria meeting with employees and customers, and visiting several logistics facilities.

Department of Transport Recognise the Need for 'Jason's Law'

US – UK – In 2010 we wrote a piece illustrating the work being done by Hope Rivenburg to persuade US politicians to provide more safe overnight truck parking for drivers waiting to deliver or collect freight. Hope’s husband Jason had been brutally murdered a year earlier for a paltry $7, when he was forced to stop in an unlit abandoned gas station for lack of proper facilities. The problem of course is not limited to the US and a later story told of a UK trucker almost burnt alive in his cab whilst sleeping after an arson attack.

Who is Moving Where in the World of International Transport

US – This week’s round-up of staff changes and appointments in the world of freight and logistics begins with the sad news of the death of John Correnti, a member of Navistar Board of Directors, who passed away on August 18, at the age of 68. Correnti had a long and highly successful career in the steel industry, serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Big River Steel. He died in his Chicago while he was visiting the city to attend a Navistar board meeting.

Time is Running Out to Register for Life Changing Event

UK – For women keen to have a career, as opposed to just a ‘job’ in the freight sector there is still time to join with other fellow professionals at this year’s everywoman Academy: Advancing Women in Transport and Logistics, described as a ‘must-attend event’ for those who wish to compete on an even playing field and make their mark on an industry crying out for people with the right attitude.

Korean Air Comfortable with Intercontinental Aircraft

SOUTH KOREA – US – Korean Air is one of the world's top 20 airlines with a fleet of 161 aircraft, the cargo element of which is entirely made up of Boeing aeroplanes. A mixed bag of 28 Boeing 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters has obviously influenced the latest decision by the company to invest in an order for ten 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplanes, the first of which was delivered this week.

Supply Chain Group Expands Paris Presence

FRANCE – One could hardly call freight forwarding and logistics group Dachser underrepresented in France, but the supply chain specialist has added two more locations in the Paris area bringing the number of facilities in the country to 72. Paris Wissous, located near Paris-Orly International Airport, now serves as a transhipment point for industrial goods whilst the new Pantin location, northeast of the French capital, is in charge of supply to downtown Paris.

Six Incidents in Just Two Days

ASIA – The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has reported six pirate attacks in two days while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The first half of the year has already seen an 18% increase in the number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia during January-June 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, with the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in particular seeing the most significant jump in incidents.

Airport Scheme Designed to Achieve Environmental Benefits

NETHERLANDS – Sometimes the simple answers can solve the trickiest problems and long queues of traffic around Schiphol Airport as freight forwarders' chosen hauliers jockey for priority, each pursuing their own small consignments, certainly fall into that latter category. The streams of vehicles around the site produce unnecessary dangers and unacceptable pollution at a time when all serious players in the logistics industry strive to reduce these.

Virgin Outstrips Rest of the Market

UK – DUBAI – Our recent article regarding the year’s air freight situation so far as reported by IATA showed the Middle East as the market which had developed the fastest, with growth for the year to date of 14%. Now the latest figures released by Virgin Atlantic Cargo confirm the carrier is outstripping the rest of the market, transporting over 30% more cargo from Dubai in the first half of 2015, boosted by additional US routes and frequencies, and traffic generated as a result of the American port disruptions.

With No Government Benchmarks Employers Must Aim for Their Own High Standards

UK – It is one of the anomalies in the logistics sector that, in an age when Health and Safety issues are ever more high profile with the passing of time, that fork lift truck training is not actually mandatory, and that there is no official licensing body overseen by government, as with road going vehicles. The potential for injury, and even death, is an ever present in busy freight warehouses and, thankfully, the majority of those involved take their responsibilities seriously. Now one fork lift manufacturer has issued a timely reminder regarding properly supervised training on machines which have the potential to cause untold damage in the wrong or inexperienced hands.

West Coast Needs Faster Cargo Turnaround After Dispute

US – It seems the recently resolved dock labour problems which once again crippled US ports on the West Coast may have engendered some action in an attempt to restore confidence. Las week the Port of Oakland sent an open letter from Executive Director Chris Lytle to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) following a request from the port’s terminal operators to enable them to work on Saturdays, loading import and export containers to and from trucks and adding a sixth day to the working week to allow freer movement of freight.

Maine Sail Shipping Programme Pushes Ahead with Timetable of Events

US – Last month we featured a Freight by Water story which included a timetable of events for the schooner Harvey Gamage, due to load several tonnes of cargo consisting of organic produce and carry it, in the most environmentally friendly way, the 100 or so miles down the coast to Boston, Massachusetts. The farmers’ organisation Greenhorns is, as its name suggests, both young and dedicated to green food production and delivery, and the Maine Sail Freight project is a logistics initiative with just this in mind.

Questions Posed as Verbal Battle Includes Cargo Sector

UK – Gatwick Airport has given a scathing response to the Airports Commission’s long awaited Final Report into options for providing new airport capacity by 2030, which recommends an expansion at Heathrow airport, including increased air freight facilities, a decision which was greeted by mixed feelings by many with interests in the air cargo sector, when it was finally released last month. Gatwick claims that there are several ‘key errors, omissions, and flaws’ in the report, questioning various aspects and predicted outcomes in a 48-page reply, ultimately asking for the ‘Airport Commission’s work to be critically reviewed and corrected’, something the government is charged to do.

Two More Ideas on How to Provide the 'Fuel of the Future' to the Merchant Fleet

US – Crowley Maritime naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary Jensen Maritime, has announced the development of two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge concepts that can be fully customised to meet a customer’s unique needs. According to the parent company the new vessel concepts are exciting for several reasons, but perhaps most notably because bunker barges offers a ‘solution for the maritime industry, which is currently struggling with the decision over which to develop first, LNG infrastructure or the vessels powered by it.

Pressure from HGV and Rail Cargo Interests to Resolve the Problem

UK – FRANCE – The proposed meeting today (August 20) of UK Home Secretary Theresa May and French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve in Calais has been welcomed by freight and logistics stakeholders and the news comes just as the police forces of both countries have sworn to work more closely together to resolve the migrant situation which is plaguing the region and causing damage and expense to road haulage interests, and injury, and even death, to the displaced persons involved.

Well Known Shipping Executive Passes Whilst Others Just Move On

US – A sad start to this week’s staff changes in the freight and logistics industry following the death of retired shipping Executive Niels Winchester Johnsen, who died at his home in New Jersey on August 7, at the age of 93. Johnsen joined the US Merchant Marine in World War II where he survived two torpedo attacks that sank the ships he served on. After coming ashore in 1946, Johnsen began a long career in the maritime industry and retired in 2003 as Chairman of the International Shipholding Corporation, the parent company of Central Gulf Lines and Waterman Steamship Corporation.

Allseas Global Logistics Offers Customers Guaranteed Space

UK – CHINA – As all shippers and forwarding agents are aware, container freight rates tend to jump a certain times of the year as peak season surcharges are introduced across the board. Now one company is offering importers the chance to cut their potential costs with a simple pre-booking scheme.

Massive Piece Safely Delivered and Installed to Pacific North West Port

CHINA – US – Out of gauge and project cargo specialist shipping line Hansa Heavy Lift Gmbh has successfully transported a giant shiploader weighing over 560 tonnes from Nantong in China to Portland, Oregon on behalf of Sandvik Mining and Construction. The massive device, which comes in on a base of over 2,000 square metres and equates to around 65,000 m³, is designed to load a vessel with bulk, solid cargo at great speed.

NVOCC Conglomeration Appoints Morocco Based Agent

SINGAPORE – MOROCCO – Break Bulk Ocean Lines (BBOL), the network based NVOCC which groups together a global assortment of out of gauge freight, project cargo and heavy lift specialists has welcomed a new representative into its fold with the announcement that Naxco Shipping & Logistics Maroc has become the exclusive partner in Morocco.

Second Year Celebration for Conference Features Technology, Management and Blue Growth

DENMARK – Coming off the back of 2014’s successful inaugural event, the Danish Maritime Fair has announced an impressive conference programme for its second year, when it opens its gates to leaders from across the global shipping industry from 6th to 8th of October 2015. Taking place at the Train Workshop in Copenhagen, the Danish Maritime Fair will form part of a week-long event, Danish Maritime Days, which integrates a multitude of activities dedicated to the maritime sector, under the same umbrella.

One More Cartel Member Puts Their Hands Up

US – JAPAN – A settlement has been reached with Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines in a major class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by a group of plaintiffs which include freight forwarding groups, indirect purchasers of millions of vehicles transported to the US, and car, truck and equipment dealerships. The plaintiffs claim that more than a dozen international RoRo cargo companies unlawfully conspired in a cartel to rig bids, fix prices and overcharge for their services.

From New York to Florida for Piece of 9/11 History

US – Just occasionally a comparatively small shipment has a value or importance which transcends its actual size or value, a Picasso painting, perhaps an historical relic, but particularly a consignment that weighs heavily on the collective consciousness of a nation. So it is then that the shipment last week of an otherwise inconsequential metal beam from the 2001 World Trade Centre's foundation drew attention as it was originally extracted from the wreckage of the World Trade Centre following the 9/11 attacks some fourteen years ago.

Familiarity Breeds Success for Yorkshire Headquartered Supply Chain Group

UK – The latest addition to the name of fashion has chosen Leeds headquartered logistics group Torque to handle its freight, warehouse and distribution operation. Hope is a start-up fashion house backed by, amongst others, Lord Stuart Rose the ex Marks & Spencers boss. The company is to target women over 40 with an online catalogue of various fashions mainly limited to just three sizes. Hope boss Nayna McIntosh selected the supply chain provider having worked with Torque for over twenty years, partly when she herself worked at M&S and also at ASDA when helping launch the ‘George’ brand.

Lloyd's Register Grants Type Approval to Off the Shelf Monitoring and Control Product

UK – Essex based Servowatch Systems is celebrating a ‘double whammy’ this month having just received type approval from classification society Lloyd’s Register for the company’s commercial-off-the-shelf alarm, monitoring and control system ServoCore which extends the company’s range of management systems for the merchant fleet and is suitable for all shipping sectors including bulk carriers, containerships, tankers, passenger ships, offshore support vessels, tugs and salvage vessels, inland waterway and small leisure craft.

Transaid Helps Out With a Low Tech Solution to Aids Thousands

MADAGASCAR – In more developed regions one often talks casually of slums without ever really realising what living in conditions which often have no power, running water or even proper shelter can mean. The transport charity Transaid is ably supported by the freight and shipping community and last month completed a project which assisted a population of Malagasy natives by providing transport infrastructure at the very lowest level, yet which has the ability to help thousands in their daily lives.

No Longer Can an Employee Clamber Up to Load a Waste Skip

UK – Any company which has a warehouse presence is likely to produce copious quantities of waste, and freight and logistics operations are certainly no exception. Despite the governments, and many companies, desire to engender a waste free society, there will always be the broken pallets and scrap packaging that form an everyday part of transport and distribution operations.

French Group Expanding After Consolidating Business as One Brand

FRANCE – US – WORLDWIDE – Geodis, the French based supply chain operator and 100% owned subsidiary of SNCF Logistics, has entered into an agreement to acquire OHL (Ozburn-Hessey Logistics) for an undisclosed amount. OHL, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee is one of the largest 3PL outfits in North America. With in excess of 120 distribution centres worldwide and over 36 million square feet of warehouse space, OHL was undoubtedly a juicy target for the French group which sealed the deal, subject to the usual regulatory approval, with current owners private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe.

Owner of NFT Wants Pallet Distribution Company with Road Haulage Shareholders

UK – CHINA – The owner of Britain’s leading chilled food logistics distributors, NFT, has made a £30 million bid for pallet distribution network Palletforce. With over 100 freight depots managed by its 88 road haulage operator shareholders Palletforce saw increased volumes for the first half of its financial year, up by 20% to almost 1.5 million collections and deliveries. It is claimed the deal would see investment group EmergeVest, which already has interests in freight forwarding operations and logistics interests, offer an opportunity for Palletforce to expand globally.

Transnet Publishes Aid for Customers Prior to Carbon Tax Introduction

SOUTH AFRICA – State-owned freight transport and logistics company, Transnet, has developed a new carbon calculator app to allow users to calculate potential carbon emissions savings if they elect to move their freight on rail instead of road. South Africa is set to introduce a carbon tax in 2016 in an attempt to account for the environmental cost of greenhouse gas emissions and incentivise the use of cleaner energy sources. The proposed carbon tax rate is currently R120 a tonne of CO₂ equivalent, to be levied by government on the use of fossil fuels.

Why Take One Huge Plane When Two Will Do?

RUSSIA – KUWAIT – Heavy lift and project air freight specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines, has completed two simultaneous IL-76TD-90VD cargo flights to ensure the fastest possible delivery of urgent mobile drilling equipment for an oil and gas customer in Kuwait. The flights from Liege, Belgium carried the 16-tonnes mobile installations, both of which drove into the cargo holds of the giant freighter aircraft under their own power. Rinat Akhmetov, Sales Executive at Volga-Dnepr UK, explained:

Caspian Sea Rig Demanded a Bespoke Solution

CZECH REPUBLIC – DUBAI – CASPIAN SEA – ACO Marine, the Czech Republic headquartered subsidiary of the German based ACO group, has been developing two waste water processing systems over the past five years to be approved by Bureau Veritas and meet the latest IMO Type standards. Now one of the systems, a bespoke version of the company’s new Clarimar MF wastewater treatment plant, has been selected for supply to the CFT 623 wellhead platform under construction for Dubai’s Dragon Oil. IMO Regulations for freight and passenger vessels vary, as do those for inland waterways, and the new system is headed for the largest enclosed body of water in the world.

Two Day Autumn Events Offer Chance of Top Prizes

UK – This Autumn forklift truck users in Scotland and South West England will have the chance to buy state-of-the-art new and refurbished materials handling equipment at discounted prices and on zero per cent finance packages at two special two-day promotional events taking place at intralogistics solutions specialist, Jungheinrich UK’s showroom facilities in Cumbernauld and Bristol. Attendees in Scotland will have the chance to demonstrate their golfing skills on a special golf simulator and win top prizes.

Heavy Penalties for Transgressors Expected

UK – Against a backdrop of resistance from freight interests the new Safer Lorry Scheme is to come into force in London on September 1, and road haulage operators are advised the precise nature of the new regulations will need to be carefully adhered to. The scheme will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will require all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with sideguards and kerb view and front mirrors. The enforcement area is the entire London Low Emission Zone and operators breaching the rules face £50 fixed penalties or £1,000 court fines.

Number of Extra Reefer Plugs More than Trebled

UK – Forth Ports is to more than double its refrigerated container capacity at the Port of Grangemouth to support Scotland’s fresh produce import/export freight trade. A significant investment in extending the electricity supply infrastructure at Scotland's largest container port has enabled Forth Ports to increase the specialist power supply plugs from 126 to 432. Reefers require power immediately upon arrival at the port to keep their contents fresh until either being loaded onto vessels for export or collection by haulage firms for delivery across Scotland.

Shippers and HGV Road Haulage Drivers Choose Alternative Routes by Sea and Air

UK – FRANCE – It seems the disastrous situation which has occurred at the crossing points in, or adjacent to, Dover and Calais may not have been such bad news for one interested party. RoRo freight and passenger ferry firm P&O Ferries has announced that it has seen a sharp rise in HGVs using its alternative routes to cross the Channel, with east coast British ports seeing road haulage operators choosing to pay increased fares and mileage to get their vehicles overseas. Whilst problems at the Channel Tunnel persist, with both targeted vandalism and the now ever present migrant crisis, elsewhere the situation is more relaxed.

New Programme in the Constant Battle Against Organised Crime

US – Our photo shows the Coast Guard cutter Stratton with, inset, some of her crew after docking at San Diego, showing off the largest total drug seizure in Coast Guard history. The vessel has just returned from another four month deployment and this time offloaded around 32 tonnes of cocaine seized from traffickers caught at sea during her latest voyage, scouring the waters off the Mexican Pacific coast and Central and Southern America.

Staff News in the Shipping Sector This Week

US – A sad beginning to the weeks appointments and departures in the world of freight and logistics with the announcement by the Journal of Commerce of the death of its former Maritime Intelligence Editor, Ronald J. ‘Pee’ Spina, who died at his home in Palmer Township, Pennsylvania at the age of 74. Spina retired from the JOC in 2002 having worked for the Journal for his entire professional career. The family had also lost George Jr., Ron’s brother, who passed away earlier on the same day.

Partnership Between American and Finnish Groups Will Cheat US Taxman

FINLAND – US – Anyone who thinks the just announced merger of crane and materials handling manufacturers Konecranes and Terex is just about constructing a more efficient group for the benefit of customers should probably think again. Both companies supply port equipment such as ship-to-shore and mobile harbour cranes to ports around the world and, with a portfolio including straddle carriers and fork lift trucks, the general freight and container shipping market is well catered for. This latest move, certainly on the part of the US headquartered Terex, is however principally about one factor which outweighs any other – tax.

Confidence in New Fuel is Growing as Bunkering Infrastructure Develops

US – WORLDWIDE – A year or so ago Lloyd's Register North America pronounced an ongoing interest in the classification of vessels carrying gas, specifically ethane, and last month, expanding its portfolio to cover the fuels it seems likely will power much of the merchant fleet in the future it announced it has teamed with Penn Oak Energy Corp to help companies raise much needed capital and mitigate the technical risks associated with retrofitting ships fuelled by liquid natural gas (LNG), by providing a ‘one-stop-shop solution’ to the industry.

El Nino Causes Problems for Ships in Transit

PANAMA – The Panama Canal Authority has announced a temporary restriction on the maximum draft of vessels transiting the waterway due to the effects of unstable weather caused by El Niño. From September 8, the maximum allowable draft will be 11.89 metres (39 feet) in tropical freshwater, down from the current 12.04 metres (39.5 feet), though not a big change the limit is thought to affect 18.5% of the vessels that regularly transit the route.

Parcel Giant UPS Looks to Thames Side Dock Hinterland as New MSC Box Service Starts

UK – WORLDWIDE – Global express freight giant United Parcel Service (UPS), has submitted plans to develop a massive distribution hub covering around two million square feet at DP World’s London Gateway logistics park. As the plans makes its way through Thurrock Council for approval, this latest grab by London Gateway signals what is shaping up to be a very successful year so far, with John Good and Pentalver both recently deciding to work within the deep water Thames container port. The UPS plans have been granted fast-track planning permission with a determination deadline set for September 28. Despite the public record a spokesman for London Gateway would not confirm or deny anything, saying:

Many Operators Still Unaware That New System Has Been Amended

UK – In April we forewarned readers of the upcoming changes to British driving licences and how it would affect everybody, as it meant the withdrawal of the paper part of the two part licence with all the relevant information stored and accessible using the digital photocard. There were obvious flaws in the system, which came into force on 8 June 2015, and pressure was brought on the government by lobby groups such as the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and Freight Transport Association (FTA) to make a radical change.

Expedia Tool Shows Airline Baggage Allowances at a Glance

UK – WORLDWIDE – OK, so it’s not something we would ordinarily cover as a freight industry publication but airline baggage allowances are something that affect virtually all of us from time to time and it’s good to go a little off piste occasionally. Coming from travel firm Expedia the ‘Ultimate Hand Luggage Cheat Sheet’ may be well worth a place in the bookmark department.

Storage Equipment Trade Association Looks to Raise Safety Standards

UK – Any freight forwarder, or indeed other company in the supply chain, which runs a storage warehouse, will be familiar with both the advantages and dangers associated with racking systems. What many smaller companies in the logistics sector are often unaware of is that there is a British Trade Association, SEMA, which represents the UK’s storage equipment industry, and which is dedicated to raising safety standards in the design, installation and use of these systems.

Four Transport Leaders Form Coalition to Boost Sector Profile

UK – Four leading trade bodies that represent the UK logistics industry have pledged to work together to improve the industry’s public image and attract more staff, at a time when the supply chain industry is facing an ever increasingly worrying skills shortage. The two founding members, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA), have been campaigning for some time now for the government to implement some sort of action to encourage new blood to enter the sector, particularly given the number of HGV drivers required. FTA Chief Executive David Wells said:

Lavish Ceremony Sees Egyptian Government Gamble Officially Opened

EGYPT – WORLDWIDE – The official opening of the ‘new’ Suez Canal this week has not been greeted with the wave of global enthusiasm which the Egyptian government clearly would have wished for, and possibly, expected. The ability for vessels to transit both ways with the addition of a twenty two mile parallel waterway and the overall deepening of the main canal, will certainly mean the ability to handle more and larger container and bulk ships and increase the freight tonnage carried.

Legalisation Leads to US Self-Test Kit Whilst UK Safety Group Pleads for Zero Alcohol Levels

US – UK – In the US a small start-up company has produced an app suitably titled ‘Canary’ which is intended to help car and freight truck drivers decide whether they are fit to take control of a vehicle. Whilst not condoning the practice of taking drugs, prescription or otherwise, if they are likely to affect performance, this application is clearly aimed at those who smoke marijuana, particularly where it is no longer proscribed.

Major New Cargo Facility for Scotland

UK – Proposals for a new international rail freight terminal at Mossend in Bellshill, Scotland have been given the go ahead by Scottish Ministers, paving the way for one of country’s most significant private sector infrastructure projects and creating a state-of-the-art rail cargo development with claims the development has the potential to deliver around 4,900 new jobs during the construction and operational phases.

Dachser UK Joins the Ranks of the Trusted

UK – EUROPE – Freight forwarding and logistics outfit, Dachser UK has been granted full Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status by the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), recognising that the company’s organisation and processes are secure, and its customs controls and procedures are suitably efficient and compliant.

Once Again EC Has Doubts About Competition Issues

EUROPE – The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether the proposed acquisition of TNT Express by FedEx Corporation is in line with the EU Merger Regulation. With both companies being major global players in the small package delivery sector, the Commission has concerns that on a number of European markets for international express and regular (so-called ‘deferred') small package deliveries, the merged entity would face insufficient competitive constraints from the only two remaining players in this sector of the international freight market, UPS and DHL.

Some Bright Spots but Trade Overall Slower Than it Has Been

WORLDWIDE – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global air freight market data for year to date and for the month of June, confirming that growth in air cargo volumes has slowed down, consistent with declines in trade activity, mostly in emerging markets. The decline in world trade reflects a combination of weaker than expected global economic growth, in emerging markets and the US, as well as shifts toward the domestic market in China.

More Financial Penalties for Shipping Companies Which Deny Actions Were Improper

US – The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has recovered a total of $1,227,500 in civil penalties after completing several separate compromise agreements with various ocean freight companies. The agreed penalties resulted from investigations conducted by the Commission’s Area Representatives from around the country and the parties, seven non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) and one vessel-operating common carrier (VOCC), settled and agreed to penalties, but, as with so many other previous and similar cases, did not admit to violations of the Shipping Act or indeed agree with the Commission’s regulations. FMC Chairman Mario Cordero however said:

Lorries to be Charged on Mileage, not Time as at Present

BELGIUM – GERMANY – A new satellite based system of charging freight trucks over 3.5 tonnes for road use in the country is to be introduced on 1 April 2016. The Viapass toll system will apply to the existing Eurovignette route network within the regions of Flanders, Vallonia and Brussels from that date. The registration phase for the new toll in Belgium starts on 1 October 2015 whilst the same day will see changes in the existing scheme in Germany.

Ability to Work In or Out of Warehouse Yet Function in Tight Aisles

UK – In a bid to appeal to a wider range of customers very narrow aisle (VNA) equipment manufacturers Flexi Narrow Aisle, which produces a range of articulated fork lift trucks specifically designed for use in cramped conditions, has introduced a low cost, entry-level Flexi Ac model, the NANO, specifically designed for customers in the high street and SME sector, as opposed to the usual large warehouse, freight based clientele the company serves.

Staff Moves Throughout the Industry

GERMANY – As we reported last week and as part of its major restructuring programme, Deutsche Bahn has announced several changes to its management team. The multimodal freight group has reduced the number of Group Management Board Members from the current eight members to six, with the position of Chief Representative eliminated.

Technology Take Up Just Keeps Growing

THAILAND – WORLDWIDE – The August issue of BIFA link, the British International Freight Association’s magazine, carries an homage by Director General Robert Keen to Leslie Spicer OBE, a driving force behind computerised air freight customs procedures in the UK who sadly died this year. Nowadays we consider the spread of ‘e’ technology in the industry to be essential and the power of the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) is crossing borders in an unstoppable, common sense tide.

New Belfast Scheme Targeted to Educate HGV Operators

UK – The problems of a transport infrastructure which mixes HGVs with vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists, have been widely aired of late, particularly after numerous accidents and several fatalities in London, with various schemes introduced to aid both sides understand the problems faced by the other. As from this week a new programme – Safe Urban Driving – will be available in Belfast as a Driver CPC accredited course thanks to the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and walking and cycling charity Sustrans.

Thousands Continue to Assault Both the Channel Tunnel Terminal and Truck Drivers

FRANCE – UK – As road haulage drivers tell us the situation regarding the migrants massing in Calais and surrounds are becoming more militant by the day the number of ‘intrusions’ at the Channel Tunnel facility is rising once more with 1,700 break ins at the terminal during Sunday night alone whilst freight truck drivers face a continual threat. Confidence in the French police’s ability to manage the situation, and in the figures they have produced regarding the dispersal of the migrants, has waned amongst the drivers at the cutting edge.

Ocean Freight Carrier Successfully Transports Fourteen Long Metre Buses Overseas

AUSTRALIA – CHINA – SINGAPORE – AAL, the break bulk and project cargo specialist headquartered in Singapore and a subsidiary of the Schoeller Group, has just beaten off competition from the traditional RoRo carrier fleets and successfully transported eight newly-built airport shuttle buses from Xingang, China to Melbourne, Australia for its customer, JC Trans Shanghai. The consignment of eight buses was moved in two separate shipments on the A-class multi-purpose vessel AAL Hong Kong, which operates on AAL’s Australia East Coast and New Zealand (AUEC) liner service, connecting key ports across the Australasia region.

John Good Move London Operations to the New Deep Water Thames Container Port

UK – In another coup for DP World’s new container port London Gateway, one of Britain’s oldest and most respected shipping agencies is moving its London operations into the recently opened Logistics Centre. John Good Shipping, whose portfolio encompasses the whole gamut of industry sectors, from freight forwarding to liner and port agency services, has chosen the Thames side location to consolidate operations currently handled by its Brentwood and Tilbury offices as part of its strategic goal to create a larger, more streamlined central hub.