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Economic Measures Start to Hit the Logistics Community

FRANCE – CHILE – US – AUSTRALIA – NEW ZEALAND – FINLAND – PORTUGAL -The general unrest which has arisen across the globe in the past few months as economic reality dawns was illustrated in our recent article indicating that the freight trade was certainly far from immune and this week we have seen further unrest with the suspension of Brittany Ferries RoRo services and a complete shutdown in the Chilean port of San Antonio causing a cessation of both container and conventional services.

Second Consecutive Award for Michigan Based Outfit

US – For the second consecutive year Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload (LTL) road haulage carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc, has been named LTL Carrier of the Year by home appliance manufacturers Whirlpool Corporation. This is the third time Con-way Freight has earned the award since it became a primary cargo carrier for Whirlpool in 2007. Con-way Freight has provided LTL service to Whirlpool for more than a decade, serving its inbound transportation needs moving consolidated freight from plants to production facilities.

Calmer Weather Sees First Assault for Some While

TANZANIA – SOMALIA – INDIAN OCEAN - The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has completed the programme it entered into over a year ago along with its partners, the Tanzanian and US governments, to install an integrated radar and automatic identification system (AIS) coastal surveillance system in Tanzania to assist in the ongoing offensive against the pirate gangs operating throughout the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Channel which have regularly attacked freight, fishing and passenger craft over the past few years.

RzD Take the Plunge in Long Predicted GEFCO Deal

FRANCE – RUSSIA – PSA Peugeot Citroën has announced that it had finalised negotiations with Russian Railways (RzD) following a binding offer to acquire 75% of its shares of the freight forwarding and automotive logistics specialists GEFCO, a PSA Peugeot Citroën subsidiary. The implementation of this strategic partnership is intended to benefit both groups and enable GEFCO to increase its growth by combining its strengths with those of RzD.

Fire Trucks Carried Successfully to Afghanistan

UK – AFGHANISTAN – Volga-Dnepr Airlines once again operated one of its IL-76TD-90VD cargo carrying aircraft to transport two Amdec Carmichael mobile fire fighting trucks from the UK to Afghanistan on behalf of freight forwarding company Transact International. The 30 tonnes consignment was carried from East Midlands Airport to Afghanistan’s second largest city located in the south of the country. After expanding its fleet at the beginning of the year, the freighters had previously been used to deliver supplies ahead of the APEC 2012 summit.

Fight to Become Top UK Shipping Destination is on

UK – With the ceremonial lifting of the first paving slab at Southampton’s 201/202 berths today the battle to be the premier British export – import and transhipment container port has taken another step forward. The fight between the deep sea accessible terminals is well and truly underway with works on berths 8 and 9 in Felixstowe completed and the new rail terminal being developed there, plus the construction of the London Gateway on the Thames within the key concrete girdle of the M25 it is essential for the South coast port to stay ahead of the game.

Ceva Awards See Fifty Suppliers Take a Bow

SPAIN – WORLDWIDE - Supply chain management company Ceva Logistics has announced the winners of its second annual Global Supplier Awards which were held last week in Spain. The awards are designed to recognise best practice and excellence among Ceva’s suppliers worldwide in all fields from multimodal freight provision to warehouse supplies and materials handling and to honour organisations which support its quest for what the company terms ‘Impeccable Execution’.

DSV Achieve Required Safety Standards Once Again

UK – These days success in business, whether it be freight transport or manufacturing buttons, depends often on qualifications and certification of benchmark standards which is why global logistics company, DSV Road was pleased to announce this week that it has once again achieved SQAS (Safety and Quality Assessment System) at its site in Manchester. SQAS is a system to evaluate a number of areas of concern for shipping service providers and chemical distributors. The assessment takes place over a two day period and includes a site inspection by an external assessor.

Scandinavian Outfit Looks East for Growth Spurt

SCANDINAVIA - SINGAPORE – Swedish cool chain logistics company, Envirotainer has opened a new office in Singapore to improve customer access to its active temperature-controlled air cargo containers and cold supply chain management services across Asia Pacific, which it says is now the world’s fastest growing pharmaceuticals market. The company expects the Asia Pacific’s regional market to grow by 97% and account for 29% of global pharmaceutical sales by 2016 and Envirotainer’s increased investment in Asia is part of its strategy to be leading the market and to build on its partnerships with healthcare companies and its air cargo and freight, shipping and logistics partners across the region. Gustaf Ljunggren, CEO of Envirotainer, said:

Brittany Ferries Talks Continue but No Sailings until Further Notice

FRANCE - UK - SPAIN - The situation regarding freight and passenger services on Brittany Ferries services remains unchanged with management and unions in deadlock after the wildcat strike last week deteriorated into a suspension of most of the company’s RoRo services. The two sides are meeting again in Roscoff today at the firm’s headquarters and a statement from Brittany Ferries says that it is ‘cautiously optimistic that a binding resolution will be reached’.

French Airport enjoys a Mooving Experience

FRANCE - MONGOLIA – Some consignments need to be handled with a little more care than others and when EFIS Air, part of the ECS conglomerate group which features a host of air cargo industry stakeholders, were approached to handle a particularly delicate shipment, the freight compound at Châteauroux-Déols airport in France took on more of the look of a farmyard than a cargo transit terminal.

Logwin Continues Expansion in India

INDIA - Air and ocean freight and logistics providers Logwin has announced the opening of its new sales office in Ahmedabad, India. The company hopes that the new office will help expand its business in the textile sector by providing a range of freight and logistics services for local and international shippers. There is also the opportunity for Logwin to deliver logistics services to meet growing consumer demand for imported high-value goods and the company also aiming to secure new business in the machinery, pharmaceuticals and chemicals sector. Vijay Nair, Country Director of Logwin in India said:

.........Abroad the News is Not So Good

GERMANY - TURKEY - Freight and logistics behemoth Deutsche Post DHL announced today that it has been honoured with the Total E-Quality award for the fifth consecutive year in recognition of human resources policies that are designed to create equal opportunities for women and men. The award, presented every three years by the organisation Total E-Quality Deutschland e.V., recognises companies and organisations that demonstrably promote the work, abilities and qualifications of women. Currently 47% of the workforce for DHL in Germany is female. Angela Titzrath, Board Member for Personnel at Deutsche Post DHL said:

Foundation Money Funds Outstanding Achievement

GERMANY - Just two years after it was founded, the Kuhne Logistics University (KLU) has reached the top tier in the recently published Handelsblatt research rankings for 120 business study faculties in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The university offers qualifications in the fields of freight and logistics, supply chain management and business management and is sponsored by the Kuhne-Stifung Foundation.

RzD at the Centre of InnoTrans 2012

RUSSIA - GERMANY - Much happening in the Russian rail freight sector at the moment with the news that two offers seem to be on the table for the remaining 25% holding in Freight One due to be sold off by state carrier Russian Railways (RzD). Sistema is said to be ready to bid for the share in the cargo carrier and will apparently be up against UCL Holdings which already owns the remainder of stock in the intermodal group.

Who's Gone Where and Why in the Global Cargo Market

The past few weeks has witnessed the usual batch of appointments, resignations and retirements in the freight, road haulage and logistics sectors so here is a run down of staff movements within the global cargo community. If you have staff movements to report send in the appropriate information using the Press Release box on the Handy Shipping Guide Homepage and we’ll endeavour to include the details in our next HR review.

New Technology Now Affordable Enough to Warrant Installation

UK - With the road haulage industry particularly vulnerable to the whims of the insurance market it is every operator's interest to ensure costs are minimised and the extremely high cost of premiums for adequate cover, coupled with the advances in technology, has meant that it is now possible to install a system which protects the driver from unfounded accusations of negligence. We wrote recently on the new methods being used to help avoid accidents but sometimes other road users have suspect motives or simply little sense.

Ethiopian Airlines Takes Delivery of First 777F on the Continent

AFRICA - Ethiopia is not the first name one might associate with innovation with regard to air transport but Ethiopian Airlines was the first air carrier in the world outside of Japan to operate the 787 Dreamliner and the first African airline to operate the 777-200LR in 2010 and yesterday the company received from Boeing the first 777 Freighter to be operated by an African carrier. The new plane is an addition to an all Boeing fleet and the cargo aircraft can carry 102 tonnes of freight up to a range approaching 5,000 miles.

Philippines Recruits are Vital to Continued Success

PHILIPPINES - The Filipino based K Line Maritime Academy (KLMA) tells us its Ship Simulator and Bridge Teamwork (SSBT) training course has now been certified by Japanese shipping classification register Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Japan (NK) as an SSBT training course. To qualify the programme had to satisfy the model course set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the field of seafarer's maritime education. K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha) although principally known for its container operations, also has a fleet including bulk freight and product tankers as well as RoRo ships and general cargo vessels. With the manning of the world's merchant fleet so important to the Philippine nation, K Line's success means the continuation of native workers employed as officers aboard its fleet.

Ngqura TEU Totals Up Again

SOUTH AFRICA - The Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT) operated by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) hit a record level for container handing volumes during August. The month saw the terminal handle a record 63,857 TEU's of which 18,725 was imports, 16,444 exports and 28,688 transhipment cargo destined for other regional ports, with the facility consistently achieving 29 moves per gross crane hour (GCH). Compared to June, which saw the terminal handle 47,614 TEU's, these freight volumes for August signal the highest ever handled in one month shipping via the container terminal.

Military Exercise Aimed at Defeating Closure of Choke Points

MIDDLE EAST - The situation in and around the Arabian Gulf continues to be a constant worry for the shipping community, home as it is to the traffic lanes for both container vessels and of course oil tankers. This week the largest ever military exercise in the region in terms of the number of nations involved demonstrates the concern which all maritime nations have, particularly with regard to the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Con-way Group Expands in Texas to Develop Logistics Options

US - Con-way Multimodal, a freight brokerage division of Con-way Incorporated's operating unit Menlo Worldwide Logistics, this week announced Dallas is to be the location for its business headquarters. The headquarters reside at the same location as the new operations office that Con-way Multimodal opened last November in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Con-way Multimodal arranges third-party carriage by way of road haulage, intermodal, flatbed, heavy haul and specialized freight transportation and logistics. Tommy Barnes, president of Con-way Multimodal said:

Savannah Trials New Construction Technologies

US – With Americans always willing to be at the cutting edge of environmentally friendly technology it is no surprise that one of the East Coast’s leading ports for container traffic and the shipping of general freight has been used as a test bed for a new type of concrete which might be used in the construction and repair of docks, wharves and cargo terminals and which can conserve and encourage the underwater flora and fauna traditionally repelled by normal alkaline cement compounds.

Eighth Ship to Shore Machine from Liebherr for Argentinean Terminal

ARGENTINA - Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. has recently commissioned its eighth ship to shore container crane at Exolgan Container Terminal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The crane was officially welcomed to the terminal in a ceremony at Exolgan at which the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, along with local dignitaries and representatives from Exolgan attended. Speaking at the ceremony the president of Argentina strongly praised the commitment to growth shown by Exolgan Container Terminal and noted that the company currently handles a third of all containers shipping into and out of Argentina

SDV Pursue Growth through Multimodal Acquisition

ITALY - Europe - Supply chain and logistics provider SDV has announced acquisition of a majority equity holding in Getco, an Italian multimodal transport operator headquartered in Milan, Italy, resulting in an 80% stake in the company. Getco offers ocean freight consolidation services out of Livorno, Italy, with annual revenues of €15 million and the forwarding of around 8,000 TEU's. Guido Noe, CEO of Getco said:

What Will Become of the Once Vital Bunkerage Point in Troubled Yemen?

YEMEN - DUBAI - MIDDLE EAST - As tensions in the region rise in the light of the recent hue and cry over a film said to slight the Prophet other aspects of the political changes are causing concern and nowhere more than in Yemen where last month the National Unity Government tore up an agreement which profoundly affects container shipping to the region and throws transporting import and export freight to the ports' terminals into question.

Boeing and Partners Forge Ahead with Fuel and Pollution Reducing Programme

US - WORLDWIDE - With fuel now the leading operating expenditure for air cargo carrier's worldwide and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon and noise emissions is a top priority for the air freight industry. That's why Boeing and American Airlines this week showcased a Next-Generation 737-800 airplane known as ecoDemonstrator in Washington DC, to highlight testing of environmentally progressive technologies.

Permitted Sulphur Levels Drastically Reduced

EUROPE – Following a lead set by places such as California, where health considerations for those living adjacent to the coast have long been a priority, the European Parliament last week approved a reduction on the amount of sulphur allowable in bunker fuels regularly used in ships including the container carriers and other merchant freight vessels which make up the majority of fuel consumers.

Emirates Cash Boosts Goodman Portfolio

JAPAN – ABU DHABI - The Japanese arm of international property specialist Goodman has established the ‘Goodman Japan Development Partnership’ (GJDP) which is a 50/50 venture between Goodman and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (Adic) with the avowed intent of developing a more extensive property portfolio to service the freight and logistics sector in the country.

Scottish Conference and Dinner Go Ahead Next Week!

UK - The Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) have reiterated details for the CILT's Scottish Annual Dinner and the FTA's Scottish Supply Chain Conference with a final reminder that tickets for the events are still available. Tickets for the dinner are being offered as a special deal to attendees of the Supply Chain Conference. The dinner, held on the evening of 27th September at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow costs £50 + VAT per head, a discount of £35 on a full price ticket.

Charity Aims to Restore Confidence

UK - Earlier this month over a hundred immaculately turned out businesswomen descended on Australia House on London's Strand for a networking event in honour of Dress for Success, a charity that assists disadvantaged women find employment. Attending the function was international removals and personal effects shipping specialist Anglo Pacific in the form of its Australian-born Baggage Manager, Bianca Robinson, who commented:

Heightened Asian Tensions In More than Japan and China

CHINA – JAPAN – TAIWAN – KOREA – VIETNAM - WORLDWIDE – Everyone in the logistics field is aware of the threat posed by the pirate gangs who roam the Indian Ocean and various other crime hotspots around the globe. Such attacks are minimised by the use of Best Management Practices and the increasing use of armed security aboard the larger merchant vessels. There is however growing concern amongst the entire shipping fraternity over what may prove to be a much more dangerous threat with the heightening of political tensions in certain areas of the world which are also home to some of the most crucial arterial freight routes. Whilst tankers regularly ply the Straits of Hormuz and everyone in the rest of the world is concerned over the disintegration of relations with Iran, other main container routes are also under an ever increasing threat, once again with a link to energy ad food supplies.

RFG Award Winners Announced

UK - POLAND - The Rail Freight Group (RFG) celebrated its annual awards last week and the big winners were the Group's sponsor partners DB Schenker which collected not only the Business of the Year and Environmental Innovation awards but saw Production Manager Adrian Hibbard pick up the title of Outstanding Contribution by an individual. Meanwhile reports from Europe indicate that the economic situation is having a drastic effect on building companies associated with rail infrastructure development projects.

Kuehne + Nagel Will Look to Air Cargo Carriers for Some Recompense

US - SWITZERLAND - With the revelation at the end of last week that they are to stump up $28 million dollars to their accusers in a US based class action lawsuit which sought civil damages for conduct previously investigated by the US Department of Justice, freight forwarding group Kuehne + Nagel says it has reached a conclusion to the unholy affair which saw anti trust charges brought against K + N and a host of others.

New Charges Could Raise 20 Million Pounds for Exchequer

UK - New Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has wasted no time in setting his stall out as he announced the publication next month of draft legislation to impose up to £1000 per annum charges for foreign commercial vehicles entering the UK. The move, welcomed by road haulage groups, was first proposed in January by Transport under Secretary Mike Penning and details of the likely Eurovignette scheme was outlined in our story at the time.

CSX Rewarded for Openness on CO2 Production

US - Rail freight and intermodal group, CSX Corporation has announced that once again the company has earned recognition for its ongoing efforts to protect the environment by appearing on the CDP Global 500 Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index and also earned a place on the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the S&P 500 Disclosure Index (CDLI). CSX maintains its own social responsibility website to self police its performance and these leadership indices recognise companies that display a strong commitment to climate change information disclosure. Michael J. Ward, chairman, president and CEO of CSX said:

GAC South American Network Continues to Grow

BRAZIL - In common with other major world freight groups Dubai headquartered GAC is continuing the expansion of its offerings in the BRICS countries and this week the company advises us that it has opened its third office in Brazil and now has a presence in the Port of Santos to add to its other agencies in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Pipeline Flows and Infrastructure Construction Investigations also Initiated

UK - Earlier this week it was announced that grants totalling £13.6 million have been awarded to three ground-breaking engineering research projects that promise to help solve major problems facing the UK. The flagship research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), embraces three distinct areas. Re-using carbon, the fundamental design of major infrastructure constructs, and the way the complex behaviour of fluid flows is predicted. These projects have implications in the transportation of oil and gas in pipelines and far beyond. EPSRC Chief Executive David Delpy said:

Three year Agreement Signed for China to UK Consignments

DENMARK - CHINA - UK - It was announced this week that BT Retail has awarded a three year ocean freight contract to Danish-based global transport and logistics services suppliers DSV Air & Sea. The contract, to manage air and ocean cargo volumes from China to the UK for BT Retail, has already been implemented according to BT Procurement's John Morgan, Senior Buyer Distribution Services, with an almost seamless changeover taking place. He said:

New Plans Submitted Just Hours Before Government Funding Deadline

UK - Once again we turn to a story which we have been writing about for the past three years. In a last minute move Penzance Town Council submitted revised plans to develop the harbour at Penzance merely hours before today’s Government funding deadline. The maintenance of an efficient freight and passenger service to and from the Scilly Isles is seen as vital by many locals whose livelihoods depend on trade between the Island and the mainland.

Uniserve Buys Portall Solutions

UK - Freight forwarding and logistics company Uniserve announced yesterday that it has acquired finance and management consultants Portall Solutions Ltd. which describes itself as a '4PL' company. Uniserve says the acquisition signals its intention to redefine supply chain management services and to raise current standards of industry capability with a new concept of Global Trade Management (GTM). By extending beyond the traditional freight forwarding competencies, the Portall product is intended to provide Uniserve's GTM service with a degree of flexibility designed to tackle today's economic situation and to exploit opportunities, an alternative approach to existing supply chain solutions which the group believes reflect past conditions.

IT and Meteorology Marry Up in Joint Venture

NORWAY – WORLDWIDE – Studying the weather whilst at sea used to be an art which the captain of any freighter or other vessel needed to cultivate if his ship was to make land safely, and, in some part that remains true. Today however rapid developments in technology are making the science of meteorology somewhat more precise and now, with the blending of two Norwegian headquartered companies we see firms from the IT and weather prediction sectors coming together to search for and develop a range of innovative software solutions for the offshore and shipping industries.

Air China Services Commence into Schiphol

CHINA - NETHERLANDS - Schiphol continues in its quest to move two rungs up the ladder and become the largest cargo airport in Europe with the news that this week saw the first freight services by Air China into the Amsterdam airport. The inaugural Air China Cargo scheduled flight arrived on September 12th, following ad hoc charters in August, and was met with the customary water arch salute courtesy of Schiphol’s Fire Brigade.

Former Inbound Routing both Slower and Less Green

ASIA - EUROPE - In ocean freight news, freight forwarder and logistics company Panalpina announced this week that it has launched three new direct LCL services from Asia to Europe. Operated by in house subsidiary Pantainer Express Line, the weekly guaranteed services from Singapore to Prague, Singapore to Budapest, and Shanghai to Graz, Austria, cut transit times and CO2 emissions. Panalpina now offers a dozen LCL services from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore into this region where formerly they ran via Hamburg by rail to Linz in Austria where the cargo was transhipped for carriage by road haulage. Panalpina Regional Head of Ocean Freight LCL Europe and Middle East Christian Kruse said:

New Proactive Systems can Warn Customers and Save Downtime

CANADA - GERMANY - CHINA - The remote diagnostic service which we mentioned recently which Volvo is now to include as a standard feature on every Volvo-powered VN model highway truck has seen its first outing with the latest order from Purolator Inc., Canada's leading integrated freight and parcel solutions provider which has received the first remote diagnostics equipped Volvo trucks as part of their recent order for 80 Volvo VNL 300 daycabs. The interconnected system of vehicle management tools provides proactive diagnostic and repair planning assistance with detailed analysis of critical diagnostic trouble codes for road haulage operators.

Import Export Opportunities Expected to Increase

CHINA - AFRICA - As China announces a new package of investment and development measures to African countries, South African based supply chain providers Barloworld Logistics, part of the Barloworld Group, says it is well placed to help clients with new opportunities which arise across the continent and on key import/export trade lanes. At the recent meeting 4th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing ministers and government officials from China and 48 African countries announced that joint trade for 2011 hit a record high of US$166.3 billion an increase of 83% from 2009.

British Company Introduces Latest Kit for Truckers

UK - WORLDWIDE - With safety uppermost in everybody’s minds these days, particularly with regard to the heavy haulage trucks we see on the roads, some companies have been innovative in their use of technology to assist with the avoidance of accidents and even to record such incidents for full analysis later. Drivers delivering freight to a consignee often have to manoeuvre blindly and we have recorded before the tragic occurrences when a cyclist travels in a lorry’s blind spot and opined the probability that more camera technology will eventually become compulsory despite schemes in both the UK and US which have tried to make cycling safer.

Box Carrier MSC Flaminia Arrives in Port at Last

US - GERMANY - NETHERLANDS - UK - BELGIUM - FRANCE-The operation to salvage the MSC Flaminia, crippled by a dramatic explosion and subsequent fire in mid Atlantic looks to be finally over. The 85,823-tonne container vessel was laden with a cargo of 2,876 twenty and forty foot boxes around 150 of which were known to hold a variety of hazardous goods. The ship was abandoned by her crew and drifted afire in the ocean for around seven weeks until salvage could be undertaken whilst governments argued as to where the ship could be towed. The ship was en route from Charleston to Bremerhaven and amongst the freight aboard was said to be a cocktail of chemicals which, meant that the salvage crews were in terrible danger from the very start of the rescue operation.

Last Chance to Get on the Blocks for Prestigious Award Nominations

UK – The guest speaker and host for the always eagerly anticipated British International Freight Association’s (BIFA’s) Freight Services Awards 2012 luncheon ceremony is already in the starting blocks for what promises to be a gold medal event. Former Olympian, Derek Redmond, who achieved gold medals at World, European and Commonwealth levels will take the podium at the Awards luncheon to be held in London in January 2013 and all in the British logistics industry are reminded that the time to nominate for one of the sought after awards is itself fast running out.

Damco to Relocate to The Hague by Next Year

NETHERLANDS - DENMARK - WORLDWIDE - Damco, the logistics arm of Danish container and bulk shipping giant Maersk, is to relocate its global headquarters from Copenhagen to The Hague. A statement says the intention is to 'bring Damco closer to the heart of the European logistics community and supports its strategy to become a Top-5 industry player in the years to come.'

Expansion by Way of other 'Asset Light' Companies

EUROPE - US - Logistics company C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., announced last week that it has agreed to acquire Warsaw based freight forwarding group Apreo Logistics SA. Founded in June of 2007, Apreo provides European truckload services including dry van and temperature controlled and liquid and dry bulk capabilities. To complement its road haulage offering, the company also offers additional warehouse, air and ocean services.

Union Federation Especially Busy During Harder Times

CHILE – TURKEY – EGYPT –MOROCCO – PANAMA -WORLDWIDE - As economic reality starts to bite across the globe so we hear yet more cases of strained industrial relations within the freight and logistics sector. The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) which represents millions of staff employed in the industry has currently a host of cases worldwide demonstrating that when things get tough they can also become confrontational, usually to the detriment of all sides. Sadly the final case mentioned here arose after the tragic death of a young woman aboard a Panamanian tanker which, despite huge global advances in the care of crew, seemingly exposes the casual attitude of some shipping companies in the world toward their staff.

Controversy Over Early Import Declarations

UK - The British International Freight Association (BIFA) says it will be meeting again with HMRC later this week to further discuss proposals covering the movement of goods to Enhanced Remote Transit Sheds (ERTS). HM Customs made a strong statement in an information paper published in March 2011 saying unequivocally that freight forwarding companies which created arrival notices or cleared goods prior to their arrival at a temporary storage facility had undertaken 'an illegal movement of goods.'

Only a Matter of Time Before New York App Hits the UK

US - One of the things which contemporary American culture has 'gifted' to the UK and other countries in the past few years is what is known in the vernacular as the 'Claim Culture' which has seen insurance and Court cases for such outlandish appeals for compensation as the various 'Fast Food Made Me Fat' farces. Now Truckers particularly beware, the latest US import may soon be a mobile phone app to aid cyclists involved in road traffic accidents.

Payload Asia Celebrates Different Industry Skills

ASIA - As one would expect the awards handed out by air cargo magazine Payload Asia at their latest industry promotion last week were very much centred on local continental suppliers with AirAsia Cargo awarded the 'Rising Star Carrier of the Year' against outside freight trade opposition from the likes of other finalists such as Delta Airlines and Saudia Cargo. Other major winners were Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) which picked up the 'Ground Handler of the Year' title and the Indian base of IBS Software, which collected the IT Provider award.

Tales of Rescue and Despair from the Coasts of Africa

SOMALIA - INDIAN OCEAN - AFRICA - According to the House of Lords EU Committee for External Affairs which reported at the end of August, Operation Atalanta 'has turned the tide on Somali pirates' a statement that will do little to console the 200 plus hostages being held in often appalling conditions in Somalia which the report admits are still imprisoned by the hijackers. The situation it must be admitted has improved considerably since Naval and land based military efforts have been redoubled and private security appearing more frequently aboard tankers and container shipping but major concerns remain including the exporting of pirate techniques to other poor countries, the cold blooded callousness of the kidnappers and the seeming disregard of the threat to smaller vessels.

Spectacular Ad Campaign Launches New FH Series

EUROPE – Earlier this week, Volvo unveiled its new FH series which the company says will provide road haulage operators with better fuel economy, superior handling and is built with the driver in mind. Ahead of the launch during a spectacular ad campaign a young woman walked a slackline between two Volvo trucks driving at speed to demonstrate the handling of the new model and the resultant video has become an internet hit with over 5.4 million views to date.

No More Convois Exceptionnel for Geodis Wilson

GERMANY - DENMARK - EUROPE - Freight forwarding and logistics group Geodis Wilson has been patting itself on the back this week following the successful shipment of several 55 metre long wind turbine blades by rail. This is the first time rail cargo has been used in Europe to solve the obvious problems associated with the transport of such huge yet delicate pieces and results from a suggestion made two years ago by Henrik Funk, Global Manager for Wind Energy Projects at Geodis Wilson, Denmark when he proposed the idea of electrically powered rail transport to Vestas, the world's leading wind turbine manufacturer, as opposed to traditional haulage by road. The sheer scale of the project can be appreciated by watching the video .....

Blue Giant Expands Overseas Operations

SOUTH AFRICA - CANADA - Blue Giant, the Canadian based docking systems specialist group has announced two new dealers which have contracted to represent the company's dock handling equipment portfolio in South Africa and surrounding regions. The first of the new dealers, SA Vertical Lifting in Germiston, Gauteng, specializes in the planning and design of integrated dock solutions for warehouses and distribution centres in South Africa and the surrounding markets. Additional areas of expertise include overhead doors, residential elevators, and hoisting equipment. Director Allen Lotter said:

Transaid Looks for Support to Aid Transport Development in Africa

UK – AFRICA – FRANCE - There are still a few places left for this year’s Transaid 2012 London to Paris bike ride due to take place from the 5th to the 8th of October and which aims to raise £100,000 for the Professional Driver Training Project charity in Zambia and Tanzania. The ride, as organised in partnership with CILT, the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and Transport for London (TfL), has already attracted great interest within the industry, and has also acquired the sponsorship of tyre company Bandvulc whose founder and director, Richard O’Connell said that the company have supported Transaid over the years and how pleased he was to have the opportunity to support this latest exciting event.

IATA Boss Speaks Out and Encourages Data Analysis

AFRICA - Ahead of the 2013 IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit which will be held in Cape Town, IATA's CEO and Director General Tony Tyler spoke at the recent IATA Aviation Day to reinforce his organization's commitment to African aviation safety issues which Tyler said is 'the most pressing problem for African aviation today'. In 2011, the continent experienced an average of one accident for every 305,000 freight and passenger flights using Western built jet aircraft. This was a vast improvement over 2010, when the average was one accident for every 135,000 flights but still compares poorly to the global scenario, still as they are nine times worse than the worldwide average.

Industry Warms to Fuel Review but Concerned Over DfT Disruption

UK – There was unconcealed pleasure from all sectors of the British freight industry yesterday when news of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) enquiry into fuel prices was revealed. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) was quick to issue a statement but celebrations were tinged with a note of caution as the British International Freight Association (BIFA) pointed out the hazards of changes at senior level within the Department for Transport (DfT) following the recent Government reshuffle.

Economy and Culture Make Routes from Asia to Europe and the US Different Animals

US – ASIA – EUROPE - As we predicted last November there are signs that the number of vessels parked in bays, fjords and lochs around the world has increased over the past months as the excess capacity in new builds continues to bite. During that time many companies have cut their losses to some extent by scrapping a larger than normal proportion of older fleets to mitigate the fall off in freight but such tonnage is of course finite. Shipping intelligence agency Alphaliner estimates the capacity of the world’s ocean cargo fleet lying idle in July at over 460,000 TEU as the container shipping lines negotiate the vessel oversupply and this despite slow steaming having become now an industry standard on many trade routes in an attempt to keep ships reasonably fully loaded.

SDV Gets the Nod to Work on New Gas Development

AUSTRALIA - Supply chain and logistics providers SDV Australia announced that the JKC joint venture has awarded the company the integrated freight forwarding services contract for the Ichthys Onshore LNG Facilities Project. With the contract amounting to more than US$100 million SDV Australia will provide support for JKC's logistics activities from various sources to multiple worksites for the enormous LNG Facilities project. JKC is a joint venture enterprise formed by the JGC Corporation, Kellog Brown and Root and the Chiyoda Corporation.

First Patrol Boats and then TV Vehicles to Support Asia Pacific Summit

RUSSIA - Following our story last month telling how two patrol boats as support for security were airlifted by Volga-Dnepr Airlines to the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit taking place in Vladivostok, Russia, the company has successfully completed the latest in a series of cargo flights delivering equipment needed for the event, carrying well over a hundred tonnes of freight in all from Moscow by air.

Kerry Invest in Local Company

CHINA - WORLDWIDE - Whilst most shipping operators favour particular insurance groups for their marine and goods in transit insurance policies, and freight forwarding collaborations negotiate collective deals to benefit their members by way of reduced premiums, some companies can afford to take more drastic action when it comes to ensuring they can get proper cover at the right rates. Kerry Logistics with its historical involvement in the Asian market has now decided to go one better with its latest investment.

Faster Transit for Exotic Produce whilst CMA CGM Sheds Subsidiary

MOROCCO - EUROPE - With the need to ensure maximum returns in the light of increased fuel costs, excess available tonnage space and stagnant traffic levels the container shipping companies have had to adapt with slow steaming techniques and the reshuffling of routes and sailing schedules. Now, French box carrier CMA CGM has tailored a particular service to accommodate a specific seasonal export freight market.

Like Heathrow's Third Runway St Albans Development Still Lumbers Onward

UK - Following yesterday's Cabinet reshuffle much is being made regarding the divisions between Conservative and Liberal Democrat interests in Government and no issue illustrates the potential relationship problems more than the seemingly never ending rows over schemes like the third Heathrow runway or the development of the disused Radlett airfield near St. Albans into a fully inter modal rail freight terminal. We have been covering this multi modal facility story for some years and yet, like the phoenix from the flames, the old bird keeps flapping despite several 'final decisions' to kill it off completely.

Chinese and Irish Developments for German Headquartered Group

UK – IRELAND – CHINA – Dachser UK’s European logistics network, providing direct pallet and part-load deliveries for UK exporters, has been further extended with the introduction of a daily service to Ireland from the company’s northern hub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. This augments Dachser’s UK/Ireland freight services which also run daily from its depots in Northampton and Dartford. The service is provided in cooperation with long-standing partner of Dachser, Johnston Logistics Ltd., which provides coverage via its headquarters in Dublin and three regional facilities. Nick Lowe, Managing Director of Dachser UK said:

TT Club Assistance 'Invaluable' to Japans Shipping Community

UK - JAPAN - Following on from our recent piece on the liabilities of freight forwarders both when entering into contracts of carriage and when they are found to be caring for shipments which transpire as counterfeit the TT Club has recently made use of its established reputation to clarify the risks and liabilities involved in transportation and supply chain services for cargo owners. Recent industry feedback has confirmed that many forwarders continue to be unclear of the extent of their exposure to losses and other liabilities during the course of international trade and it was this that prompted the opportunity to work with the Japan International Freight Forwarders Association's (JIFFA) initiative to introduce a new Forwarder's Cargo Receipt (FCR) Form.

Recession Spawns Counterfeit Goods Epidemic

UK – The British International Freight Association (BIFA) issued a warning this week to all forwarding agents to be on their guard against the carriage of counterfeit items which it says anecdotal evidence indicates is on the increase. Evidence however is not purely anecdotal as a company which is a regular user of the Handy Shipping Guide testified to following a raid on their premises by officers of the local Trading Standards Office a few months ago.

Flags of Convenience Targeted by ITF

EUROPE – As we write this the latest International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) maritime week of action begins today in Baltic Sea ports, and runs from 3rd to 7th September. Trade unions in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden have formed joint inspection teams that will check conditions and pay on ships across the region and promote the advantages of being part of a trade union. Freighters and other vessels from numerous shipping companies will be looked at closely, particularly if flying one of the ITF’s listed ‘flags of convenience’.

100th Customer for Browser Based Product

UK – Speak to the average shipping or freight forwarding executive about IT processes and you can be expected to see eyes glazing over before your sentence is finished. That said all would recognise the vast improvements in systems which streamline the entire import/export process compared with twenty or so years ago. Whereas custom built systems were the expensive order of the day for major individual logistics groups the smaller operatives simply found themselves lagging behind, at a distinct disadvantage, until that is, progress rendered the ad hoc systems themselves redundant.

Giant New Concept Wind Turbine Moves into Position

DENMARK – CHINA – With the energy market still very much in the foreground for modern logistics companies heavy lift and project freight forwarder Martin Bencher has been chosen as a main transport contractor to a Danish prototype project for the Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Envision Energy. The project has involved a medley of the agency’s talents ranging from transport and packing consultancy through loading supervision at source in China for the range of outsized castings and tower parts up to transport planning and port operations in Denmark.

Association Member Service Will Assist Truck Operators

UK – In our piece last week we examined the particular vulnerability of logistics operators to unforeseen hazards associated with employment law and the legality or otherwise of agreements forming a shipping contract yet these are only a tiny portion of the legal minefield that companies within the freight sector can be vulnerable to. Now the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has re-committed to its long standing policy of assisting its members with such matters by offering a comprehensive new legal service.

Survey Predicts Future of Marine Fuels whilst Tariffs Increase

WORLDWIDE – With container vessels and bulk freight carriers likely to be the big consumers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the new bunker fuel for maritime users in the coming decades, the findings of the latest study by Lloyds Register into the likely uptake of the technology by the global cargo shipping industry at first sight seem hardly surprising. Meanwhile the world’s largest box carrier has announced a freight rate increase between Asia and Europe.