Friday, April 7, 2017

The Friday Freight News Round Up

Items of Logistics and Shipping Industry News that did not hit the Headlines
Shipping News Feature
WORLDWIDE – The Woodland Group has been signed by the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) as their official logistics partner. The new partnership will see Woodland oversee all of the Championships logistic requirements on an ongoing basis across three continents. Kevin Stevens, CEO of Woodland Group, spoke positively about the new partnership. He explained:

“World RX and Woodland Group share a similar growth strategy, innovative approach and continuous drive to be thought-leaders within our respective industries. Rallycross is fast-paced, quick-changing and demands agility and attention to detail - characteristics we very much identify with at Woodland.”

CANADA – US – TST Overland Express and Saia announced an exclusive partnership to serve both companies’ US - Canada cross-border less-than-truckload (LTL) customers. As a result of the partnership, Saia will service TST Overland’s LTL freight entering the United States, and TST Overland will service Saia’s LTL freight entering Canada. The partnership will go into effect from 22 May, 2017. Cross-border freight will be serviced as usual during the transition period. Wayne Gruszka, President of TST Overland Express, said:

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with Saia. Our Canadian customers will benefit from Saia’s extensive network of terminals in the US and, with access to the largest LTL network in Canada, we offer Saia’s US customers unparalleled LTL service in Canada.”

UK – Supply chain software provider BluJay Solutions, has acquired Blackbay, providers of mobility-enabled solutions for the transport and logistics industry. With the acquisition, BluJay expands its mobile offerings with comprehensive shipment tracking and proof-of-delivery capture. Doug Braun, CEO of BluJay Solutions said:

“Intelligent mobility solutions have become an indispensable part of delivering a world-class experience for our customers and their customers. Adding Blackbay to our Global Trade Network is a highly valuable and ideal extension of BluJay’s offering, expanding customers’ visibility into the supply chain and each stage of delivery.”

UK – MIT talks will be holding a presentation in May, the subject of which is ‘How Green is your Offshore Footprint – Why Moving to Hybrid & Electric Propulsion Supports the Green Port Vision’.

National Maritime MIT TALKS is a series of technical talks intended to give marine professionals the opportunity to listen to the latest sector technical developments, discuss current issues and network. The talk will take place at Hull Trinity House Academy in Hull on 10 May.

PUERTO RICO – Two massive cryogenic storage tanks were delivered and are being installed by Eagle LNG Partners for Crowley Maritime at a new shore-side liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility being constructed at the Port of Jacksonville’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal (JAXPORT).

The LNG bunkering facility is among the first of its kind in the US and will fuel Crowley’s two new LNG-powered, combination container/Roll-on Roll-off (ConRo) ships. The 260-tonne tanks, which measure 170 feet long – exceeding the width of an American football field – were manufactured by Chart Ferox in the Czech Republic. Crowley’s logistics division managed the transport of the tanks, first via river barge to Hamburg, Germany, and then via a specialised heavy-lift ship that sailed more than 4,000 nautical miles to arrive in Jacksonville on March 26 for offloading. Tucker Gilliam, Crowley’s Vice President of Special Projects, said:

“The new bunkering facility, which we are developing with our partners, Eagle LNG and JAXPORT, demonstrates Crowley’s commitment to service innovation, particularly as it relates to utilising a cleaner, more eco-friendly fuel for our new ConRo ships. The net result of this and other major investments in our Puerto Rico service will be a faster, more efficient and environmentally-friendly supply chain solution for our customers.”

POLAND – Kuehne + Nagel and Bosch Thermotechnology, manufacturers of heating products and water, have signed a deal for Bosch’s Polish operation. Kuehne + Nagel will be responsible for consolidating three existing warehouses in Poland and stock in Germany into one site which will be located in Piotrków Trybunalski in Central Poland.

Kuehne + Nagel has been supporting Bosch in Poland since 1992. The logistics provider operates Bosch’s distribution centre for power tools and automotive aftermarket in Wrocław and for marketing materials in Warsaw. Ingo Goldhammer, Managing Director of Kuehne + Nagel in Poland said:

“We are very pleased to add a new chapter to our long-time cooperation with Bosch. The new contract we signed with Bosch Thermotechnology reinforces the partnership that we have on a global basis and especially in Poland, where we already operate several facilities. It underlines our customer focus and confirms our strategy to offer industry-specific solutions tailored to their requirements.”

UAE – UK – Seko Logistics has delivered two 92-tonne transformers to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) 260 Megawatt Solar PV project. The transformers were shipped to Dubai to support the latest phase of construction at The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which will generate 260 megawatts (MW) of electricity by April 2017 using 2.2 million photovoltaic solar panels. Chaminda Gunasekera, Director Network Development – Middle East, Africa and Indian Sub-Continent at Seko Logistics, said:

“The delivery of two such heavyweight pieces of cargo represented another significant milestone for SEKO Logistics’ renewable energy services in the Middle East region.”

Seko is planning to expand its services in the UAE and the neighbouring region by offering customers more technology and visibility solutions for their renewable energy projects.

Meanwhile in the UK, premium lifestyle brand Joules has signed a three-year contract with Seko Logistics to support its global expansion, deliver total visibility of its supply chain, and generate cost benefits through improved business performance.

Under the terms of the agreement, Seko will manage Joules’ global supply chain from all of their sourcing locations in Asia and the Indian Sub-continent into their distribution centre in Corby in the UK and into the United States, including all customs and compliance requirements. SEKO is also responsible for managing the global supply of products to Joules’ other wholesale markets through its Bonded Logistics Park (BLP) in Shanghai. David Emerson, SEKO Logistics’ Group Sales & Marketing Director, said:

“Joules is a great brand for us to be working with and we are a strong fit. Our track record of working with multichannel retailers and ability to quickly implement our own software and shipping solutions means we’ve already identified savings and cost controls for Joules, such as offering a direct pick and pack solution in Shanghai for customers outside of the UK and US We’re also looking at other areas of expansion and assistance, including cross border e-commerce delivery into key markets and customs warehousing in the UK. Over the next three years, we will play an important role in helping to facilitate Joules’ strategic growth in both its existing and new markets.”