Traffic World articles from April 2008

Traffic World archives from April 2008

AirNet Sold to Bayside.(AirNet Systems acquires Bayside Capital )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Cargo airline AirNet Systems, facing the collapse of its foundation business transporting bank checks, agreed this week to be acquired by private equity firm Bayside Capital for $28.7 million. The price of $2.81 per share for publicly...

Trans-Pac Fuel Fees to Fall, then Rise.
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Armbruster The roller coaster ride for fuel surcharges on trans-Pacific container trade will last at least another two months. Both the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, composed of lines in the eastbound trade from...

U.S., EU Agree to Security Roadmap.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson WASHINGTON -- Customs officials in the United States and Europe have agreed on what steps to take to reach an agreement on mutual recognition of supply chain security programs by 2009. During a meeting last week...

Manufacturing Activity Declines.
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Manufacturing activity contracted in March, according to a survey of the nation's supply executives. New Orders, production, employment and inventories all declined, but the overall economy advanced, albeit...

Truckers Staging Freight Walkout.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Independent truckers were planning to idle their trucks and planning protests across the United States today in a loosely organized "strike" against rising fuel prices. Owner-operators were staging demonstrations in Harrisburg, Pa., and in...

NS Hikes Capital Expenses.
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Citing better tax rules under the new Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Norfolk Southern Railway said it will boost this year's capital budget by $64 million to buy about 750 more railcars for its coal-hauling fleet. ...

Trans-Lucent to Launch Rate Tool.(Trans-Lucent Markets )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Trans-Lucent Markets will launch on Wednesday the AccuFreight Index, Canada's first web-based freight rate benchmarking tool. Effective April 2, shippers, carriers and third party logistics companies that...

Schenker Drives Deutsche Bahn Profit.(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Profit before interest and taxes at Deutsche Bahn increased 16.9 percent to $4.46 billion in 2007 as the Schenker logistics division improved its profit picture. Earnings before interest and taxes at...

Boeing Names Treasurer.(appointment of David Dohnalek)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The Boeing Company on April 1 appointed David Dohnalek as its corporate treasurer, succeeding Paul Kinscherff, who has been named president of Boeing Middle East. Dohnalek will be responsible for the company's corporate finance and...

NYC Approves Congestion Plan.(New York City )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The New York City Council passed Mayor Bloomberg's controversial congestion fee plan. The proposal now goes to the state legislature for approval before it can be implemented. By a slim 30-20 majority, the...

Lock Repairs Jam Mississippi Traffic.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Nearly 200 barges with many thousands of tons of cargo are waiting at anchor in the Mississippi River while the Army Corps of Engineers makes emergency repairs to a rundown, old lock. Lock 25, just northwest...

Cargo Connections Reduces Losses.(Cargo Connection Logistics Holding revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Cargo Connection Logistics Holding generated $17.2 million in the full year of 2007. That figure was 4 percent lower than in the previous year as the company sloughed off unprofitable business arrangements. ...

T&I Committee to Eye FAA.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Transportation and Infrastructure )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter The "cozy" relationship between the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines it is charged with overseeing will be the subject of a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing Thursday, said its...

Clifford Lynch Joins CTSI.(appointment of Clifford F. Lynch )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Memphis-based third party logistics provider CTSI named supply chain consultant Clifford F. Lynch as executive vice president responsible for quality and processes. Lynch worked the last 14 years heading up his...

MOL Improves Outlook.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Japan-based MOL Group's "most urgent task" is to revitalize its container ship business, company president Akimitsu Ashida said Tuesday. In a speech in London Tuesday marking the company's 124th anniversary,...

ANA, Forwarders Set Up Joint Venture.
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Hisane Masaki Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. and two major international airfreight forwarders established a new joint venture company on Tuesday to provide business-to-business international express delivery services in Asia. ...

MOL to Keep Some Boxes in Seattle.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto SEATTLE -- MOL, which is shifting a major portion of its container volume to the Port of Tacoma from the Port of Seattle this year, has reached an agreement that will keep some of its box traffic in Seattle for a...

S&P Puts Evergreen on CreditWatch.(Standard & Poor)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey Standard & Poor's Ratings Services placed its ratings for Oregon-based Evergreen International Aviation - one of the leading air cargo carriers for the Pentagon and once reputed to be in the employ of the CIA -- on...

United Airlines Grounds 777s.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher United Airlines grounded 52 aircraft for overdue safety inspections on components of their fire suppression systems in the cargo hold. The grounded planes amount to approximately 11 percent of the airline's...

Manufacturing Orders, Shipments Fall.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed Wednesday that new orders and shipments for manufactured goods declined in February. The fall was not as bad for durable goods as previously reported, but new orders for all...

4E Opens Seattle Branch.(4-Elements )(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher 4-Elements opened its 9th branch office in Seattle this week. Expansion into the Northwest increases coverage for the rapidly growing 3PL founded in Bentonville, Ark., in 2006. With offices in the Midwest...

Freight Costs Amtrak: IG Report.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Freight rail delays cost Amtrak $137 million in 2006, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Inspector General. Freight railroads own and maintain more than 97 percent of the...

Jet Fuel Reaches Record $3.455.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher As March came to a close, the cost of jet fuel hit a new record price of $3.455 per gallon in New York. After rising 10 cents per gallon from January to February, jet fuel prices have soared another 69 cents...

BA Brings in FedEx.(British Airways PLC)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey British Airways canceled 50 flights at London Heathrow airport's new Terminal 5 and hired FedEx to carry about 20,000 pieces of luggage to the airport to reunite the bags with passengers after nearly a week of...

American Airlines Cargo Unveils New U.S. Customs Import Status Functionality on AACARGO.COM.
April 2, 2008... FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines Cargo Division (AA Cargo) announced today the launch of new functionality via its AACargo.com Web site that provides online access to import status details from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S....

SATO Corporation Licenses NCR Two-Sided Thermal Printer Technology.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... CHARLOTTE, NC - April 2, 2008 - SATO Corporation, a leader in barcode printing, labeling, and EPC/RFID solutions, has signed an agreement to license two-sided thermal printing technology from NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR). NCR's patented...

Shipments Decline, Expenses Increase.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Freight shipments fell 5.27 percent in February, compared with the same month a year earlier. Shippers paid 3.1 percent more for those shipments than they did a year ago, according to the latest index of freight...

USPS Board Approves Technology.(United States. Postal Service)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher In a move to enhance mail sorting technology, the Postal Service Board of Governors on Wednesday approved funding to purchase technology to postmark letters faster and sort them smarter. USPS will buy 550...

ACL Acquires All of Summit.(American Commercial Lines acquired Summit Contracting)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Jeffersonville, Ind.-based barge operator American Commercial Lines acquired the remaining 70 percent of the environmental and civil engineering services firm, Summit Contracting. ACL bought a 30 percent...

Port Traffic Slumps.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Retail container traffic at the nation's largest container ports fell 5.4 percent in February, compared with a year earlier. Ports on the three U.S. coasts handled 1.24 million twenty-foot-equivalent units...

Bombardier Earnings Take Off.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Canadian aircraft and railcar manufacturer Bombardier earned net income of $218 million in the fourth quarter, 95 percent better than a year ago and far outpacing earlier quarters in 2007 as well. Net income for...

Airlines Ask Congress to Fund R&D.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher In testimony April 2, the head of the Air Transport Association urged Congress to reinstate funds that have been cut from environmental research and development programs. "We urge Congress to reinvigorate...

Roadway Receives 2008 Nasstrac Carrier of the Year Award.(Company overview)
April 3, 2008... Akron, OH, April 3, 2008 - Roadway, a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW), announced today that it was named "2008 Carrier of the Year" by the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council (NASSTRAC) and Logistics Management...

Wal-Mart Awards Horizon Lines 2007 Jones Act Carrier of the Year.
April 3, 2008... CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 3, 2008) - Horizon Lines, Inc., (NYSE:HRZ), the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company, has been awarded the Jones Act Carrier of the Year for 2007 by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. The award is...

Rail Traffic Fades in March.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Both carload and intermodal freight were down on U.S. railroads during March, but the month ended with a stellar week for coal and grain, the Association of American Railroads reported today. Railroads...

Maersk Details Fuel Surcharges.
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: William Armbruster Maersk Line on Wednesday announced new rates for fuel surcharges that will take effect on May 1 in the trans-Pacific trades as well as other routes. The surcharges are based on a new bunker adjustment factor...

Feds Seek Second Delay in ILA Case.(International Longshoremen's Association)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Joseph Bonney Government lawyers have asked a federal judge to give them more time to respond to defense motions to dismiss a civil racketeering case against the International Longshoremen's Association and its top officers and...

Vancouver Port Bars 250 Trucks.(Vancouver Fraser Port Authority)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Courtney Tower A total of 250 trucks of the 5,500 serving the four Vancouver Fraser port container terminals in British Columbia, Canada were reportedly barred from harbor service in the first two days of enforcement of North...

CSCL Profit Almost Triples.(China Shipping Container Lines)(Financial report)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach China Shipping Container Lines on Wednesday announced that net profit in 2007 increased 397 percent to 3.32 billion yuan ($468 million) from $122.3 million the previous year under Chinese accounting standards, on...

Pacer Stacktrain Expands on BNSF.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Pacer International announced that as of April 1 it began offering expanded intermodal services through its Pacer Stacktrain unit on BNSF Railway's full network within the United States. The new Pacer Stacktrain BNSF Double Stack Service...

Pilot Dispute Threatens Aloha Sale.(Aloha Airlines)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... A labor dispute is threatening the sale of the air-cargo operations of Aloha Airlines, the bankrupt Hawaii carrier which shut down its passenger flights on Monday. The company was in federal bankruptcy court Tuesday seeking an injunction...

California Sues EPA.(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher California and a host of other states, local governments and national environmental groups joined Wednesday in a suit to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to follow through on action already...

Hewko Nominated to DOT Post.(The White House this week nominated John P. Hewko)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... The White House this week nominated John P. Hewko, a veteran of international business to be assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and international affairs. Hewko has been vice president of compact development at the...

ATA Airlines Shuts Down.(ATA Airlines)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... ATA Airlines, a passenger carrier and sister company to freighter operator World Airways, ceased operations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday. The Indianapolis-based airline shut down after what it called a key...

Volga-Dnepr Revenue Tops $1B.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Volume growth in heavy cargo projects and scheduled air freight boosted revenue for the Volga-Dnepr Group to $1.045 billion in 2007. Revenue increased 51 percent due to a 62 percent surge to $767 million in...

AA Cargo Triples Weight Limit.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... American Airlines Cargo increased its weight limit for expedited freight from 100 to 300 pounds on narrowbody aircraft.  The expansion applies to Expeditefs, AA Cargo's service which provides priority boarding, a 97 percent service...

DHL Earns Cargo 2000 Phase 2.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... DHL Global Forwarding achieved Phase 2 certification for Cargo 2000's quality management system that covers the planning, control and measurement of the door-to-door process for air cargo shipments at House air waybill level. All DHL...

Southwest, American Win XLA Awards.
April 3, 2008... Southwest Airlines Cargo and American Airlines Cargo took first place honors in the domestic and international airline categories in the 2007 Express Delivery & Logistics Association's Airline of the Year Awards. For the fourth consecutive...

CFO Resigns at Horizon.(Michael T. Avara has resigned from Horizon Lines)(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... The chief financial officer for Horizon Lines, the country's largest Jones Act maritime carrier, is resigning to return to the private equity world. Horizon said M. Mark Urbania will be replaced by Michael T. Avara, the company's vice...

ANA Ups 767-300 Orders.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher All Nippon Airways exercised the last two of its remaining options for 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters. ANA launched the 767-300BCF program with a 2005 order for three conversions and four options. The...

Etihad Crystal Cargo Chooses OAG.(Etihad Crystal Cargo chools OAG Cargo Solutions)(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Etihad Crystal Cargo, a division of UAE-based Etihad Airways, signed a contract to publish airfreight rates and post important operational announcements to freight forwarders on OAG Cargo Solutions' worldwide...

ITI Elects Chairmen.(Intermodal Transportation Institute has appoints Steve Branscum, Gil Carmichael and Tom Finkbiner to its board of directors)(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... The board of directors of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver elected three people to its highest positions and installed another on the board. Steve Branscum of BNSF became chairman of the board. Tom...

Harman Outsources to Ryder.
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Audio and electronics manufacturer Harman International Industries awarded a warehousing and distribution management contract to Ryder System. "Our supply chain is a critical part of our commitment to...

Foss Maritime Refocuses, Sells Assets.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Foss Maritime will no longer provide river barging of grain, wood products and containers. The Seattle-based global maritime service and project management company said it found the timing right to sell its...

Pelosi Calls for Second Stimulus Package.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Increasing gas prices are among the reasons Washington's most powerful woman is rekindling calls for a second economic stimulus package. "When congressional leaders meet with the President next week, I will urge him...

LA OKs TraPac Terminal.(The Los Angeles Harbor Commission)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Thursday approved a memorandum of understanding that will allow expansion of the TraPac terminal, a project that has been delayed by environmental...

PMA, ILWU Make Progress in Talks.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo In the first update on contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association since the talks began three weeks ago, the sides on Thursday said...

Va. Port Rail Traffic Climbs.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... Rail volume to and from the Midwest handled by the Virginia Port Authority totaled 345,128 TEUs from July 2007 to February 2008, an increase of 20 percent from the same period a year ago. At Virginia Inland Port, 46,139 TEUs were handled,...

Seattle, Tacoma Discuss Collaboration.
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto SEATTLE -- Port commissioners at the rival ports of Seattle and Tacoma this week met in a rare joint study session and stressed the need for increased cooperation on a range of issues, including transportation...

Fewer Firms Plan Expansion.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Fewer small transportation companies plan to expand in the coming year, according to a recent poll. Those who do plan expansions are looking increasingly to customer centered opportunities, as opposed to...

PLS Aims at $1B in Business.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... Pittsburgh Logistics Systems is launching its extension into new industries and a wider service area with the goal of becoming a billion dollar transportation logistics company. Rebranding as PLS Logistics Services, the company expanded its...

Whitbread Awards New Food Logistics Contract to Kuehne + Nagel.
April 4, 2008... London/UK, 3 April, 2008 - Global logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel has successfully secured a new contract to manage the distribution of food on behalf of Whitbread plc, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group. Whitbread, which...

APL honored for shipping wheelchairs to kids in need.
April 4, 2008... Ocean carrier named 'International Partner of the Year' by United Cerebral Palsy LOS ANGELES, APRIL 2, 2008 - In the past year, container shipping leader APL has volunteered its vessels to transport 875 wheelchairs to impoverished people -...

Campaign Lights Up Opportunities For Underprivileged Students.(Fubon Charity Foundation)
April 4, 2008... Fubon Charity Foundation, FedEx and Philips Join Forces to Deliver Lighting Equipment to Remote Areas HONG KONG, April 3, 2008 - Fubon Charity Foundation (Fubon), FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the...

TCI Pushes Back on CSX Suit.(Brief article)
April 4, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd TCI, one of two activist hedge funds trying to pry their way into some CSX board seats, charged in a new court filing that the railroad had sued those investors because they appeared close to winning the boardroom...

Fuel Waves.(Transportation industry and fuel prises)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: Paul Page As names for rail lines go, the "Container Express" doesn''t have quite the exotic ring of the "Orient Express," but the train may reverberate across the freight transportation industry for years to come. That''s...

Logistics for the Defense.(Atlas hired retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Kane as vice president of defense and government)(Computer Sciences Corp. is now working under a $628 million contract to deliver a software system )
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey Like any massive global corporation with far-flung transportation needs, the U.S. Defense Department is trying to absorb sky-rocketing fuel costs while navigating through the logistical logjams caused by an overseas...

National in the Crossfire.(National Air Cargo)(Statistical data)
April 7, 2008... A guilty plea to settle charges that it overbilled the federal government will cost National Air Cargo $28 million under the forwarder''s guilty plea. But the company insists the issues that prompted the government''s investigation and led to...

Ready or Not.
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Whether shippers like it or not, the Transportation Security Administration''s answer to Congress'' 100 percent air cargo screening mandate is starting its rollout. The certified cargo screening program, which will...

Funding Doubles Down?(House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
April 7, 2008... Highway reauthorization season has officially begun, and the next bill is likely to top out at $500 billion, a top aide to the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said. "It''s clear that we have problems and...

FRA Proposes Tank Car Rules.(Federal Railroad Administration)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter New rules could mean railcars carrying chlorine, anhydrous ammonia and other poison-by-inhalation hazards would be required to double their current puncture resistance and abide by new speed restrictions, according to a...

Shipping Closer to Home.
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman While many shippers scour the world seeking the lowest cost materials and labor, a small but growing number are "near-sourcing," looking closer to home and trading off a whole series of logistics challenges. "I...

Logistics Talent Hunted.
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Mix three global transportation and logistics companies with one worldwide economic slowdown and you get three distinctly different strategies to addressing it. "It''s difficult times for everybody, not just in...

Indian Software Companies Merge.(Four Soft and Take Solutions plan to merge their operations )(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Two Indian software companies, Four Soft and Take Solutions, plan to merge their operations into one provider of supply chain management tools for both enterprises and service providers. Hyderabad, India-based Four Soft offers Web-based...

Supplying Sustainability.(Environmental sustainability)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman hose supply chain planners who for years have pushed RFID technology with limited success can only pine for the enthusiasm with which shippers are embracing environmental initiatives. The pursuit of...

Yellow''s 100-day Challenge.(YRC Worldwides management)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher YRC Worldwide is throwing down the gauntlet at its Yellow Transportation subsidiary, challenging employees to "change the course and performance" at the LTL long-haul carrier within the next 100 days. A March...

Oil Heats Up Prices.(Survey)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher The soaring price of diesel the trucking industry faces is hitting consumers in the wallet. According to an informal survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the total cost of 16 basic grocery...

ATRI, FMCSA Team on Technology.(American Transportation Research Institute)(Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration )(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... The trucking industry''s research arm and the federal government are laying the groundwork for new field tests of onboard truck safety technology. The goal is to come up with a blueprint that will help carriers better assess the impact of...

A. Duie Pyle Racks Up.(Duie Pyle opened its largest service center in Northborough, Mass)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... A. Duie Pyle opened its largest service center in Northborough, Mass., a move the company says will bring it closer to customers in New England and the Northeast and provide room to grow. The company had previously operated a service center in...

Estes Secure in the Air.(Estes Express one of the carriers to meet the Transportation Security Administrations requirements for air cargo transportation)(Brief article)
April 7, 2008... Estes Express said it is one of the first major LTL carriers to meet the Transportation Security Administration''s requirements for air cargo transportation. The Richmond, Va.-based multiregional LTL said all drivers and other key...

Off-Road Fuel Effort.(Fuel prises and transportation industry)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher A nationwide truck "shutdown" April 1 temporarily inconvenienced fellow motorists but appeared to have little impact on the movement of goods or the rising fuel costs that are breaking the backs of smaller carriers....

Surcharges Go To Court.
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Big U.S. railroads and their shippers are locked in an important battle over fuel costs, with courthouse fights flaring even as diesel prices burn their way to new highs. One of the nation''s largest food...

UTU Fight at Boiling Point.(United Transportation Union)
April 7, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd A fight within the United Transportation Union is escalating toward an internal trial that could push a well-known labor lobbyist from his job. The UTU said its executive board voted to hold internal trials of...

NS Stimulates Spending.
April 7, 2008... Citing better tax rules under the new Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Norfolk Southern Railway said it will boost this year''s capital budget by $64 million to buy about 750 more railcars for its coal-hauling fleet. In a filing to the...