Weekly Summary of Smaller Freight and Logistics Stories Starts with a Competition

WORLDWIDE – With some 300,000 mariners trapped by the Covid virus situation the 'Still At Sea' photography competition from the ITF Seafarers' Trust is likely to see a bevy of entries this year. Open to currently serving seafarers and with a 1st prize of £1000, the competition invites seafarers to submit digital photos of their lives at sea during the pandemic.

Seafarers can submit their photographs on the competition’s website between now and 30 September 2020. The winning photographs will be announced on the Trust’s Facebook page on 30 October 2020 and digital and physical exhibitions of submissions are planned to follow.

EUROPE – The acquisition of KGH Customs Services, a pan-European customs services provider, by Maersk which we revealed in July has now been finalised. During the remainder of 2020, Maersk and KGH teams will work together on establishing a joint operating model and optimal structure to serve their customer base going forward. Customers will meanwhile continue to interact with their current contacts in both organisations and enjoy the usual level of service.

US – In the wake of Hurricane Laura’s strike in Louisiana, American Trucking Associations (ATA) has despatched its Mack Heroes Truck to deliver relief supplies to citizens of Lake Charles. The Heroes Truck made the first of several planned deliveries on August 31 and will continue to make deliveries over the coming days in coordination with the Louisiana Motor Truck Association, supported by donations from the trucking industry, including a $10,000 contribution from ATA Chairman Randy Guillot, president of Triple G Express and Southeastern Motor Freight.

ATA’s Heroes Truck honours America’s veterans with the support of Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. and Mack Trucks. John Walsh, Mack Trucks vice president of marketing said the entire Mack family is grateful that the Mack Anthem sleeper the company provided for the ATA Workforce Heroes programme is being used to deliver water to those in need in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area.

WORLDWIDE – Australian headquartered Verton, which produces what is claimed as the world’s first remote-controlled load orientation system, has announced a new partnership with international heavy lifting and transport specialist, Mammoet in a drive to raise safety standards in crane operations around the world.

This new collaboration will mean Verton’s equipment and solutions are made available to Mammoet’s network of clients, which includes the likes of Shell, Chevron and Keltbray, providing easier access to improved rotational capacity, exact orientation, and exceptional safety for even the largest and most complex loads.

UK – Berkshire based Beaverswood, which specialises in visual communications has come up with a new range of routing products to guide pedestrians and vehicles in warehouse, logistics and storage environments. The range provides end-users with a high visibility crush and bend resistant self-righting post system, which can be used effectively to indicate and protect specific zones and areas around an industrial building or complex.

The 100% recyclable polyurethane, 80mm diameter, one metre high posts are available in a range of unmissable eye-catching colour options with reflectors for heightened visibility and can be linked with strong lightweight polymer chain and easily affixed to either tarmac or concrete industrial floors.

UK – Ship repair and marine engineering business SMS is to relocate its headquarters to Western Avenue, within ABP Southampton’s footprint adjacent the King George V dry dock and will be the only such facility in the port there. The company says the time is right as are the location and the fact that Ocean Quay, where the company moves from, is changing to a non-marine profile.

UK – Logistics UK has pointed out the paucity of information for workshop engineers on the rash of incoming Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology. To clear up the matter of effective maintenance practices and functionality checks as best as is possible, the group has produced a generic ADAS guidance document available free of charge for members and non-members.

UK – OPITO, the global skills organisation for the energy industry, together with the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB), has launched a new standard to support the transition of marine personnel into the oil and gas industry. While the maritime sector has always played a key part in offshore operations, the opportunity for employees to transition between the two industries has been impacted by differing training practices and procedures, something the new course aims to change.

The two sectors share similar hazards and practices and the one day course, OPITO Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) with Compressed Air Breathing System (CA-EBS) Standard, can be undertaken by learners who hold a valid Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) STCW95/2010 Basic Safety Training Certificate and OPITO Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) certificate / OPITO International MIST certificate.

The conversion course was successfully piloted in early 2020 at Clyde Training Solutions in Glasgow with the centre recently achieving OPITO-accreditation for delivering the course to interested learners. Places should be booked on the company website.

Photo: Trainees learning the ropes under instruction from Clyde Training Solutions, Glasgow.