Traffic World articles from April 2006

Traffic World archives from April 2006

Charged Again for Brokered Loads.(Freight transportation charges)
April 30, 2006... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: I have recently been hired in a financial role and I ended up getting involved in a situation where our company engaged a transportation company to haul loads for us to different facilities. The transportation...

Nowhere man: shippers who thought there something of a war over transportation investment turn out to be more accurate than they could have imagined.(Editorial)(CSX Corp.)
April 24, 2006... It turns out the war effort in Iraq stretches right to the coastline of Mississippi, where the state's senators believe funds for Fullajah are best spent building a rail line that's already been built. After full-throated wailing over...

Energy prices.(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Energy prices climbed to new record levels last week, with oil in New York and the national diesel prices climbing to new highs. Oil prices in New York topped $72 a barrel last week, the highest level seen since shortly after Hurricane...

Bankrupt Delta Air Lines.(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Bankrupt Delta Air Lines reached a tentative deal with its pilots union, just in time to avert a strike that could have put it out of business. The Air Line Pilots Association said it would not release details of the accord until a...

Mind the gap.(trade deficit report)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Manufacturers were cheering the latest trade deficit report from the Commerce Department, saying the increased exports is reason enough for optimism for the industry. The trade balance bit $65.7 billion in February, less than the $68.6...

This week at Traffic World online.
April 24, 2006... Web-only extras available at www.trafficworld.com/extra * AFL-CIO's report on Wal-Mart and port security * The Retail Industry Leaders Association's rebuttal to the AFL-CIO allegations News updates on events throughout the...

A slow February could have the global semiconductor industry playing inventory catch-up for the rest of the year.(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... A slow February could have the global semiconductor industry playing inventory catch-up for the rest of the year. The Semiconductor Industry Association says sales in February, a historically weak month for the industry, dipped more than...

Taking trucking's new measures: size and weight battle lines being drawn as trucking productivity moves to forefront.
April 24, 2006... Technically, at least for now, the truce isn't t over. But with capacity, costs and investment still high on the nation s transportation agenda, truckers and shippers appear increasingly anxious to revive long-dormant calls for greater...

Labor's security alert: AFL-CIO says Wal-Mart, RILA 'undermine' security; retailers call container inspection goals not feasible.(Government & Regulation)(AFL-CIO Employees Federal Credit Union)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
April 24, 2006... In a new twist to the highly public battle between Wal-Mart Stores and organized labor, the AFL-CIO is accusing the retail giant and trade association of thwarting efforts to improve container security at U.S. ports. The charges landed...

Explosive debate: explosives industry asks FMCSA for exemption to sleeper berth restrictions in driver HOS rules.(Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, hours of service rules)
April 24, 2006... The explosives industry is asking the federal government for a break from the hours of service rules, saying the rules that have been enforced since January are unworkable. The Institute of Makers of Explosives wants team drivers carrying...

NTSB's Engleman Conners resigns.(National Transportation Safety Board, Ellen Engleman Conners)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... National Transportation Safety Board member Ellen Engleman Conners plans to leave the board at the end of May. Engleman Conners, former chairwoman of the board, announced her resignation in an April 17 letter to President Bush. Her term...

ATA intervenes on HOS.(American Trucking Associations, hours of service rules)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The court reviewing the latest challenge to the truck driver hours of service rules will allow the American Trucking Associations and other companies and organizations to intervene in the case. The ATA asked to join the case on the side...

Trucker blamed for crash.(fatal 2003 accident in Illinois)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The National Transportation Safety Board blamed a trucker for a fatal 2003 accident in Illinois. The board renewed its call for collision warning systems in new trucks, saying such a system could have prevented the crash, which killed...

Panel disowns ownership rule.(foreign ownership rules for U.S. airlines)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Bush administration wants to advance aviation treaty negotiations with Europe, but it will have to make more progress with Congress first. A key Senate panel voted this month to bar the Department of Transportation from liberalizing...

Hold out for approval.(Government & Regulation)(Senator John Ensign appoints Thad Allen as coast guard commandant)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... With several transportation-related federal nominees caught up in the shadowy "hold" process in the U.S. Senate, one senator is trying to change the venerable practice. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, sponsored a successful Senate...

White House fills highway panel.(Government & Regulation)(United States. Executive Office of the President. Chief of Staff )(appoints Raymond Geddes, Stephen Odland and Mary Peters)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... With its three final members in place and a host of competing interests anxious to steer, a new commission prepared to set off down the politically charged path toward setting strategies for planning and funding the nation's transportation...

Robinson pays in suit: denies wrongdong in $15 million settlement, attorney says more complaints outstanding.(Logistics & Technology)(C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.)
April 24, 2006... C.H. Robinson Worldwide is hoping preliminary settlement of a class action lawsuit over gender discrimination in pay and promotion will take the heat off the company, but the plaintiffs' lawyer says more employees are pursuing claims against...

Panalpina World Transport opens India center.(Logistics & Technology)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Panalpina World Transport opened its first logistics center in India and plans to open four more on the subcontinent over the next two years. The 40,000 square-foot center, in Whitefield, Bangalore, is managed in partnership with Lagiwiz...

Pricy pallet protection: new global pallet standards add confusion, and maybe costs, for shippers in the supply chain.(Logistics & Technology)
April 24, 2006... Government and industry efforts to sanitize billions of wooden pallets are creating confusion, and potentially higher costs, for some shippers. Starting Jan. 1, the industry began implementing the International Standard for Phytosanitary...

End of the middleman: IMC Supply Chain Services says its load-matching technology can bring shippers, carriers closer together.(Logistics & Technology)(IMC contracts with BestTransport.com Inc. for web based transportation management system)
April 24, 2006... Even in logistics, no one wants to be the "monkey in the middle." Executives at start-up IMC Supply Chain Services say they are middlemen who want to eliminate the middleman from shipper-carrier relations. "At the end of the day, I think...

AmeriCold adds space at Alabama facility.(Americold Logistics Inc.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... AmeriCold Logistics, a third-party provider of temperature controlled supply chain services, will double capacity at its Albertville, Ala., facility in response to increased demand from consumer packaged goods producers in the southeastern...

Menlo leases Ohio distribution site.(Menlo Worldwide signs contract with ProLogis)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Menlo Worldwide leased more than 237,000 square feet of warehouse and distribution space near Columbus, Ohio, from developer ProLogis to serve a major consumer products company and other clients. Menlo will provide inventory control,...

Distribution's new strategies.(BiRite foodservice distributors)(warehouses are an increasing focus for logistics planners )(Company overview)
April 24, 2006... Operations used to be strictly manual at BiRite Foodservice Distributors' 235,000-square-foot warehouse near San Francisco; pickers were simply given a stack of labels and told to go out and pick. Things ran pretty smoothly, with an average...

Confronting cargo crime: carriers deploy more sophisticated countermeasures to fight thieves who see cargo as 'low risk' target.(Transportation: Trucking)
April 24, 2006... They pick targets with precision, tracking trucks from terminals and striking when drivers pull into rest stops. They use the same high-tech equipment favored by police and run highly organized, efficient networks. Thieves steal tens of...

Truckload pricing softens: J.B. Hunt, Werner, Heartland see higher 1Q profits, but analysts warn of pricing slowdown this year.(J.B. Hunt Logistics Inc., Heartland Express Inc., Werner Enterprises Inc.)
April 24, 2006... Despite higher reported revenue and profits in the first quarter, truckload carriers saw softer pricing, and some warn the pricing slowdown could stick around. The pricing slowdown follows retailer inventory corrections and an apparent...

Teamsters target UPS freight.(Transportation: Trucking)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Teamsters union is planning another run at organizing UPS Freight, the nonunion LTL carrier formerly known as Overnite Transportation. The union is encouraging UPS package car drivers and Teamster drivers from other LTL carriers to...

Moyes moves on Central: takeover picks up pace as LTL carrier files statements with SEC describing merger plans.(Central Freight Lines Inc.)
April 24, 2006... Jerry Moyes' planned takeover of Central Freight Lines is gathering steam. The financially challenged regional LTL carrier, based in Waco, Texas, filed a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission describing a...

TCG names Lana Batts chairman.(Transportation Costing Group)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Long-time trucking advocate Lana Batts is joining Rockville, Md.-based Transportation Costing Group as chairman. Batts, a former president of the Truckload Carriers Association and American Trucking Associations senior vice president,...

Allied seeks more cuts.(Allied Holdings Inc.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Claiming it could go belly-up by May, bankrupt carhauler Allied Holdings is seeking an immediate 10-percent wage cut from its Teamster employees. Nine months into the Chapter 11 restructuring process, Allied Holdings, Decatur, Ga., said...

Goodbye CNF, hello 'Con-way': Con-way regional carriers regroup as Con-way Freight as $4.2 billion trucking giant rebrands.(Transportation: Trucking)(CNF Inc. changes its name to Con-way Inc.)
April 24, 2006... Look to see the venerable Con-way name reemerge in grand fashion now that the corporate title CNF has been retired to the scrap heap of trucking history. CNF shareholders meeting April 18 approved a management proposal to change the...

EEOC sues Pitt Ohio.(Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sues Pitt Ohio Express )(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Pitt Ohio Express for allegedly discriminating against women seeking jobs as truck drivers and dockworkers. The action stems from hiring practices at Pitt Ohio's Cleveland, Cincinnati,...

Losing rail connections: grain shippers fear proposed new short line abandonment rules will dry up service.(Transportation: Rail & Intermodal)(National Grain and Feed Association)
April 24, 2006... Grain shippers concerned about a general lack of rail capacity fear a proposal that would make it easier for short lines to abandon track will further erode service. The proposal, filed in 2003 at the Surface Transportation Board by a...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 24, 2006... A story on railroad industry infrastructure in the April 10 edition of Traffic World ("Rails Public Trust") describe grades given to the nation's transportation systems that were cited by UPS CEO Mike Eskew. The grades were given by the...

Clearing the speedway: STB approves KCS-NS intermodal joint venture, while similar deal with BNSF is in the works.(Transportation: Rail & Intermodal)(Kansas City Southern)(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.)(Norfolk Southern Corp.)
April 24, 2006... Kansas City Southern is negotiating with BNSF Railway to expand capacity along a key East-West intermodal route similar to a deal KCS worked out with Norfolk Southern. This month, the Surface Transportation Board approved the deal in...

BNSF Railway opens office in Shanghai.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... BNSF Railway will open an office in Shanghai, China, in the second quarter to expand its presence in Asia. It joins Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway which also have offices in China. BNSF and its predecessor...

KCSM names director of transportation.(William H. Nolen, Kansas City Southern de Mexico S.A. de C.V.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Kansas City Southern de Mexico named William H. Nolen its director of transportation. KCS said his knowledge of the Management Control System, a railroad operating system on sister company Kansas City Southern Railway and which will be...

Boston seeks hazmat ban: city wants to create hazmat exclusion zone, reroute chemical shipments to reduce risk of terrorist attack.(Transportation: Rail & Intermodal)
April 24, 2006... Boston joined the growing number of cities calling on railroads and truckers to reroute hazardous materials away from highly populated downtown areas. Boston officials say the city's "unique status in American politics and history" and...

Precedent tracking: BNSF employee discrimination case expected to define what constitutes retaliation against employees.(Transportation: Rail & Intermodal)(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.)(Sheila White)
April 24, 2006... BNSF Railway, considered by many to be the foremost intermodal railroad, may be known a year from now as the company that helped define what constitutes retaliation by employers in job discrimination lawsuits. The Supreme Court is...

Forwarder suspension lifted: AIT Worldwide removed from government list after forwarder caught up in military shipments case.(Transportation: Air & Expedited)(AIT Worldwide Logistics)
April 24, 2006... Forwarder AIT Worldwide Logistics says it is again eligible for government contracts after spending B three months on an "excluded parties list because of a case involving illegal gratuities and an AIT agent in Virginia Beach, Va. The...

Atlas gains altitude: carrier shifts toward wet leasing, military freight to boost revenue, utilization; sees ACMI market softening.(Transportation: Air & Expedited)(Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc.)
April 24, 2006... Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings regained financial altitude last year, at the world's largest 747 freighter operator foresees a weaker wet-leasing business in 2006. The Purchase, N.Y.-based parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo enjoyed a...

China opening cargo.(International Air Cargo Association Summit update)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... With several express carriers moving to ramp up services in and through China this month, the head of civil aviation in China says the country will open its air cargo market still more in coming years. Yang Yuanyuan, director general of...

ASTAR talks go to mediation: DHL sub-service carrier latest cargo airline to take pilot negotiations to National Mediation Board.(Astar Air Cargo Inc.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... ASTAR Air Cargo, locked in the second year of contract talks with its pilots, this month asked the National Mediation to help get talks moving toward a resolution. The company asked the NMB to "assist us as we focus on trying to get...

BAE eyes selling its airbus stake.(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... British defense and aerospace firm BAE Systems is in talks to sell its 20 percent share of European aircraft maker Airbus. With a stake that has been valued at about $4.3 billion, and which analysts say could bring even more based on...

UPS hikes cargo fuel fee.(UPS Airlines)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... PS Air Cargo raised its fuel surcharge for freight forwarders, ending several months in which UPS held steady while jet fuel prices moved higher. The new fuel fee on U.S.-origin freight is 55 cents per kilogram, up from 50 cents and...

APX fallout claims more: smaller postal parcel consolidators boxed out, express carriers, USPS ramp up to meet market.(Transportation: Air & Expedited)(APX Inc.)
April 24, 2006... More third-party firms in the package market tied to the U.S. Postal Service are folding their tents, hit hard by trends that drove the giant parcel consolidator APX Logistics out of business. DDU Express and Parcel Corporation of America...

Cargolux penalized on exports.(Commerce Department crackdown)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Freighter operator Cargolux is the latest target of a U.S. Commerce Department crackdown on cargo operators at violate export regulations. The airline will pay $9,000 to settle charges that it violated rules on the transport of some...

World Air names CFO.(appointment of Michael Towe )(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... World Air Holdings picked former Roper Industries and General Electric executive Michael Towe to be its CFO. Towe was most recently CFO at Roper, a $1.5 billion diversified industrial firm. Before that, he worked 27 years for GE, with...

Dray's pay problem: capacity shortage may prop up drayage rates, but wages must go higher to attract truckers.(Transportation: Maritime)
April 24, 2006... Harbor trucking companies hope to leverage capacity shortages into a modest rate increase this year, but they question whether that will be enough to draw drivers to drayage. Trucking executives say they can't replace drivers that leave...

Cosco's banner year: China shipping line's container volume shoots up, sending revenue 22 percent higher to $4 billion.
April 24, 2006... Strength in the overall global economy and in international container shipping helped China Cosco Holdings see double-digit increases in revenue, profits and TEUs in 2005. The group's 2005 revenue surged nearly 22 percent to $4.9 billion...

Gallwey promoted at Port of New Orleans.(Patrick Gallwey)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Patrick Gallwey will take over the chief operating officer position at the Port of New Orleans on June 1 when gave Wagner retires. "Pat has worked hard over his entire career here and has dedicated himself to making this organization the...

Union to cooperate with security program.(local longshore union to ensure safety at the Port of Oakland)
April 24, 2006... A local longshore union head pledged to work with the government to ensure safety at the Port of Oakland after a Coast Guard official threatened to unilaterally impose federally mandated access-control measures at marine terminals there. ...

More ship calls for Everett.(Transportation: Maritime)(Eastern Car Liner partners with FESCO Ocean Management Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Beginning this month, two major shipping lines at Washington's Port of Everett will form a partnership, creating 12 additional ship calls annually for the port. In late March, Eastern Car Liner and Fesco Ocean Management Ltd. entered...

Chinese stowaways caught in Seattle.(human smuggling attempt)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Twenty-two people--18 men and four women - were arrested this month after they arrived at the Port of Seattle in a 40-foot cargo container from Asia. Port security guards spotted the stowaways at about 1 a.m. April 5 at Seattle's...

Sanborn to head DP World Americas division.(David C. Sanborn)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... David C. Sanborn's nomination to be the next U.S. Maritime Administrator was sunk by the controversy surrounding Dubai Ports World's acquisition of P&O, but he found a safe harbor with his former employer. Sanborn had been BP World's...

N.C. Ports completes site purchase.(North Carolina State Ports Authority)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The North Carolina State Ports Authority completed the purchase of a 600-acre undeveloped site for a new international port and container terminal April 12. The site, on the west bank of the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County, is key to...

Arpin Group.(Capt. Matt Dolan appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Arpin Group, East Greenwich, R.I., named retired U.S. Navy Capt. Matt Dolan vice president of military services. Dolan served 23 years with the U.S. Navy, and has held multiple leadership, instructional and advisory positions throughout his...

NYK Line.(Saburo Yamagata appointed at Nippon Yusen KK)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Saburo Yamagata is the new chairman of marine transportation and logistics provider NYK Line (North America). He will assume the responsibilities previously held by Hiroyuki Shimizu, who will return to NYK Tokyo headquarters as director and...

Saia.(People)(Robert Reveal, Don Langford appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... LTL carrier Saia named Robert Reveal terminal manager in New Orleans. Reveal joined Saia in 2004 and has nearly 10 years of industry experience in operations and sales management. He was most recently manager of its Des Moines, Iowa,...

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association.(People)
April 24, 2006... The American Road and Transportation Builders Association named Larry C. Russell national field director. Russell joined ARTBA in 2005 as director of Western operations.

PathGuide.(Eric Allais promoted at PathGuide Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... PathGuide, Mukilteo, Wash., promoted Eric Allais, former vice president of marketing and sales, to president and CEO. Allais has lead PathGuide's marketing and sales efforts for the past seven years. Prior to joining the company, he held...

Celadon Group.(Brett Terchila and Jeff Bryant appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Truckload carrier Celadon Group, Indianapolis, appointed two vice presidents for its Celadon Trucking Services division. Brett Terchila became vice president of recruiting. Terchila joined Celadon in 1998 as operations manager and earlier...

The Transportation Sales and Marketing Association presented its annual communications awards.(People)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Transportation Sales and Marketing Association presented its annual communications awards. Roadway Express won first place in the audio-visual division. SMC3 and Pitt Ohio Express were the winners in the print advertising division....

Truck Renting and Leasing Association.(Robert Shingle, Charles Sommer, James Rosen appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Truck Renting and Leasing Association, Alexandria, Va., elected Robert Shingle, president of Primms, as its 2006-2007 chairman. The TRALA board of directors elected Charles Sommer, president of Public Service Truck Renting, vice chairman;...

Total Quality Logistics.(Kevin Loney, Marc Ring, Brian Hill appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Total Quality Logistics, Cincinnati, a third-party logistics provider named Kevin Loney, Marc Ring, Brian Hill, Jon O'Neil and Josh Wagner as Logistics account executive trainees. The company also appointed Sara Long and Jennifer Dozier...

The Allen Lund Company.(Steve Doerfler promoted and Cynthia Lupica appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Allen Lund Company, a third-party transportation broker, promoted Steve Doerfler to chief financial officer, succeeding Joe Hillman who retired. Doertier most recently served as controller. Cynthia Lupica joined as in-house corporate...

BAX Global.(Michael Tung appointed)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... BAX Global named Michael Tung logistics director for Southern China. Tung rejoins BAX after a year-long stint at power tools manufacturing and distribution business. Tung was previously BAX Global's regional commercial manager, Greater China.

DOE diesel price index.(Update)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 24, 2006... National & Regional Averages: April 17, 2006 United States $2.765 East Coast $2.788 Midwest $2.735 Gulf Coast $2.725 Rocky Mountain $2.756 West Coast $2.881 Note: Table made from bar...

TW calendar.
April 24, 2006... APRIL 24-26. Animal Transport Association 2006, Amsterdam. (903) 769-2847 or www.animaltransport.org. 25-26. RFID Solutions Conference (SoftMatch), Montreal. (416) 756-3221 or www.softmatch.com. 26. Retail Cargo Security...

Shipper's load and count.(Q&A)
April 24, 2006... Q: Our terms of sale are f.o.b, origin and we ship freight collect. Some of our larger customers do not want their carriers tied up counting cartons on our dock and require us to load their shipments under the condition of SL&C (shipper's...

Ideas.(Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The Transportation Intermediaries Association took it well when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stood them up, sending no one to speak as promised. Instead, the brokers had their own session with attendees giving ideas on...

Trained.(new TV commercial poorly portrays the railroad industry)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... We're surprised the Association of American Railroads isn't up in arms about a new TV commercial that appears to feature a speeding train dressed up as a Coors can. Maybe the American Trucking Associations can step in and loudly complain...

Gassed.(Lee Raymond retires from Exxon Mobil Corp.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Exxon Chairman Lee Raymond is retiring comfortably. The man who told Congress last year of rising fuel prices, "We're all in this together, everywhere in the world" is getting a package worth nearly $400 million, including pension, stock...

Scale.(The Back Page)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Many truckers in Brazil are refusing to haul fish, particularly the highly prized dried and salted codfish called bacalhau. Seems too many of the fish shipments are among the more than 10,000 sometimes deadly truck hijackings the country sees...

Rethinking DHS.(Department of Homeland Security)(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... Shippers looking for a green lane to speed their imports through border crossings may find it in Congress, where the nomination of Ralph Basham as the next commissioner of Customs and border protection is on the fast track for approval. ...

Capacity's perception gap.(infrastructure capacity )
April 17, 2006... The freight industry needs reminding that infrastructure capacity constraints hamper operations and could impede long-term economic growth. And there is wide recognition that situation can only get worse if nothing is done to generate more...

U.S. diesel prices.(Weekly Perspective)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... U.S. diesel prices climbed again last week, hitting fresh highs as oil prices topped $69 a barrel in New York. The Energy Information Administration said the national average price at the pump last week was $2.654. Last week's retail...

Kansas City Southern.(forms joint venture with Norfolk Southern Corp.)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern cleared the last regulatory hurdle for their proposed joint venture on the Meridian Speedway when the U.S. Surface Transportation Board concluded its environmental review and approved the venture. ...

Smoother sailing.(traffic congestion reduced)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... A major shipper group says the nation is steering toward peak season with channels to container ports looking clear and free of congestion despite projected record volume. The National Retail Federation and Global Insight, in their...

"China's thirst for oil could add up to 38 cents to fuel prices".(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... Manufacturers, shippers and transportation carriers wondering where all the oil is going can find it in China. That's according to a new government report that suggests China's growing profile in world trade is adding to the volatility in the...

Preparing for pandemic: if an avian flu outbreak happens, distribution channels may not be ready.(Cover story)
April 17, 2006... Health experts say it might start like this: A contract manufacturing worker in China goes home sick with a fever and sore throat to his tiny peasant chicken farm. His family, alerted by months of government warnings about bird flu, packs the...

TWIC getting closer: DHS says rules for long-awaited biometric transport ID almost ready; users may have to pay for ID cards.(transportation worker identification card proposed by Department of Homeland Security )
April 17, 2006... The Department of Homeland Security insists it is nearly ready to put some identity into the Transportation Worker Identification Card, a key security program that has barely moved since it was tested nearly two years ago. DHS officials...

FMCSA blocks truck hazmat bar.(Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)
April 17, 2006... The District of Columbia has no are right to bar the transport of hazardous materials by truck than by train as far as the federal government is concerned. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ruled last month that two new...

Hoemann leaves FMCSA.(United States. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Warren Hoemann)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is losing its No. 2 official just weeks after the departure of the head of the agency overseeing the trucking industry. Deputy FMCSA Administrator Warren Hoemann announced his resignation a...

Basham in Customs fast lane.(Ralph Basham nominated for Bureau of Customs and Border Protection)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... Secret Service Director Ralph Basham is on his way to becoming the next Customs and Border Protection commissioner. Earlier this month, the Senate Finance Committee gave Basham a warm reception at his confirmation hearing. Committee...