Traffic World articles from August 2008

Traffic World archives from August 2008

LA Port Claims 4,000 Trucks.(Port of Los Angeles)
August 29, 2008... The Port of Los Angeles announced that about 40 trucking companies that serve the port have applied for operating concessions under a new clean-trucks program, and that six motor carriers plan to begin service at the port under a new subsidy...

IANA Backs Trucks Suit.(Intermodal Association of North America)(American Trucking Associations)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... The Intermodal Association of North America announced today it will back the American Trucking Associations' motion for an injunction against the concession plans of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. While the group said it...

Trucker Introduces Obama.
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: William B. Cassidy A truck driver frustrated by the loss of manufacturing jobs in Michigan was among the speakers at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 28. Roy Gross, a Teamster official and former carhauler, was tapped...

Lauder Names Supply Chain Chief.
August 29, 2008... Estee Lauder named former Unilever supply chain leader Gregory Polcer as executive vice president for its global supply chain as the company looks to make over its logistics and distribution operations. Polcer said he will work toward...

Construction Equipment Exports Surge.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Exports of construction equipment surged 24 percent in the first half of 2008, according to a mid-year report from a manufacturing group. Purchases of U.S.-made construction machinery totaled more than $10...

ATA Says Ports Act Illegally.(American Trucking Associations)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The American Trucking Associations says Southern California ports are illegally and unfairly using subsidies to "entice national motor carriers" to operate under a "draconian regulatory system" that goes far...

Con-way Settles SEC Suit.(United States. Securities and Exchange Commission)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Con-way agreed on Aug. 27 to pay $300,000 to settle a dispute with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In an SEC filing on Wednesday,...

NS Disputes NTSB Finding.(National Transportation Safety Board)(Norfolk Southern Corp.)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Norfolk Southern is disputing a government finding in the case of an Oct. 20, 2006, derailment in New Brighton, Pa., and filed a petition for reconsideration. In a formal petition filed Aug. 29 with the...

Trucking Coalition Fights I-80 Tolls.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Americans for a Strong National Highway Network, a coalition of truckers and other highway users, urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to reject Pennsylvania's request for permission to toll Interstate...

DP World Volume, Net Soar.(Dubai Ports World)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... Dubai-based port operator DP World's profit more than doubled during the first half of the year to $287 million from $129 million in the first half of 2007, as revenue increased 32 percent to $1.6 billion. Gross container volume at all...

Gulf Ports Prepare For Storm.
August 29, 2008... As Gustav churns northward, the Port of New Orleans has entered the first stage of hurricane preparation ahead of the storm's expected landfall Sept. 2. The preparations come nearly three years to the day after New Orleans and the region...

A&B Promotes Top Executives.
August 29, 2008... Shipping and real estate firm Alexander & Baldwin promoted top executives for the parent company and its two divisions. Stanley M. Kuriyama will be president of parent company Alexander & Baldwin. He moves up from the position of...

C.H. Robinson Names Forwarding Director.
August 29, 2008... C.H. Robinson Worldwide named Brian Harms director of global forwarding business development. Harms will be based in Eden Prairie, Minn., C.H. Robinson's global headquarters. "We are excited to have Brian in this role. Brian's...

YRC Cuts Workforce.(Brief article)
August 29, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher YRC Worldwide is cutting "several hundred" non-union jobs as a result of weak freight volume in the third quarter and a worrisome sign the freight economy could remain slow well into 2009. "We've seen another...

Alitalia in Bankruptcy Protection.
August 29, 2008... Alitalia filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday after failing to arrange a sale or come up with a plan to stave off mounting losses at Italy's national flag carrier. The sixth-largest cargo airline in Europe and an operator of five...

Guangshen Railway Profit Dips.(Guangshen Railway Company Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Despite weather related disruptions early in the year and rising costs throughout, Guangshen Railway, increased revenue and operating profit in the first half of 2008. But increased debt and taxes reduced net...

Mexico Plans Baja Port.(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The Mexican government is expected to announce Thursday a plan to build a port and rail connection in Baja California to compete with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest in North America. ...

GDP Surges 3.3 Percent.(Gross domestic product)(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Revised government figures released Aug. 28 beat all estimates for second quarter growth. Real gross domestic product surged 3.3 percent in the three months ending June 30, said the U.S. Bureau of Economic...

UPS Won't Refund Surcharge.(United Parcel Service Inc.)(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... Bowing to high fuel prices, UPS will change its policies on parcel service guarantees next month and no longer include the fuel surcharge in its refunds to customers. The shift effective Sept. 2 means UPS will only refund the basic...

Asia Airlines Cargo Falls 5.5 Percent.(Asia Pacific Air Cargo Ltd.)(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... Cargo traffic for Asia-Pacific airlines fell for the second straight month in July, dropping 5.5 percent from the same month last year, according to the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines. The drop was the worst for Asian carriers in...

NAFTA Trade Gains 6.6 Percent.(North American Free Trade Agreement)(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Strong exports carried by rail and truck boosted surface trade with Canada and Mexico in June. Imports via pipeline also surged. Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North...

Canadian Rail Freight Drops in June.(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Canada's railways handled less freight in June, according to Statistic Canada. Traffic declined 6.7 percent compared with a year ago to total 22.4 million metric tons. The decline was due primarily to a...

U.S. Rail Traffic Declines.(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher U.S. rail traffic declined during the week ending Aug. 23 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported Aug. 28. In a sharp turnabout, grain...

Rails Take Hurricane Precautions.(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Major railroads began re-routing freight traffic bound for New Orleans on Aug. 28 and alerting customers that facilities there would soon close, with powerful storm Gustav expected to hit the Gulf Coast with...

Buttrey to Leave STB.(Surface Transportation Board )(W. Douglas Buttrey )(Brief article)
August 28, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Surface Transportation Board Commissioner W. Douglas Buttrey will leave government service soon, he announced Thursday. Buttrey said he would remain in office until the Board completes several pending...

Durable Goods Orders, Shipments Grow.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher New orders for manufactured durable goods improved for the third month in a row in July, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Aug. 27. Shipments, too, gained in July, for the third of the last four months. New...

China Shipping Container Net Plunges.(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... China Shipping Container Lines, a division of China Shipping Group, reported profit fell 45 percent through the first six months of the year on higher fuel costs and weaker demand amid the global economic slowdown. First-half net income...

RedPrairie Adds Yard RFID.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... RedPrairie Corp., a logistics technology firm, today announced that it has upgraded its warehouse and yard management system with radio-frequency identification technology. The Milwaukee, Wis., company said integrating RFID into its yard...

Lufthansa Cargo Expands U.S. Security.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Lufthansa Cargo is adding technology at every destination it serves in the United States to beef up security and scan cargo ahead of the schedule set by the federal government. The carrier will install...

Volvo Deliveries Increase in July.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The Volvo Group in July delivered 2 percent more trucks than a year earlier. Total deliveries of trucks from the Volvo Group's four truck companies in July amounted to 19,243, the company said. The...

CMG Logistics Uses Blink Logic.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Freight auditor CMG Logistics will incorporate Blink Logic into their Transportation Data Management software as a service. "With Blink Logic, we're leveling the playing field for you," said Tom...

DOT Refuses to Stop DHL Move.(DHL Express)(Department of Transportation )(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The U.S. Department of Transportation will not block DHL in its attempt to hire UPS to handle its domestic air cargo. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters informed Ohio Governor Ted Strickland that the...

ThyssenKrupp to Sell Logistics Unit.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp plans to sell off its maintenance business unit, including logistics, a $2.49 billion division with 23,000 employees, sometime in the coming year. "This business unit is highly...

Third Trucker Joins Clean Trucks.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher National Retail Systems will join truckload carriers Swift Transportation and Knight Transportation and make a major fleet commitment to the Clean Truck Program at the Port of Los Angeles. Secaucus, N.J.-based...

Celadon Aids Regional Trucker.(Priority Transportation)(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Priority Transportation is handing over its over-the-road customer base to Celadon Group after Priority lost the battle over weak demand, soaring fuel costs, and tight credit. Priority Chief Executive Officer...

USDOT Awards Road Safety Funds.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The U.S. Department of Transportation presented awards Wednesday to fourteen states, three counties and two parishes which competed for funds in the Rural Safety Innovation Program. All the participating...

FedEx to Launch Mexico Service.
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher FedEx Express will launch Oct. 6 FedEx Express Nacional, a domestic next-business-day service for express shipping across Mexico. The expansion will be the company's first domestic service offering in...

TWIC Compliance Extended.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential )(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... The Coast Guard has announced that it will begin to check for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential in seven captain-of-the-port zones, beginning Dec. 30. The areas in which TWIC compliance will be enforced include the...

Customs Sets ACE Testing.
August 27, 2008... Customs and Border Protection announced plans to conduct a National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning Automated Commercial Environment Entry Summary, Accounts and Revenue (ESAR) capabilities. The agency said these new...

A.P. Moller Buys Brostrom.(A.P. Moller-Maersk Group)(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard A.P. Moller-Maersk, parent of the world's largest ocean container carrier, Maersk Line, today became the biggest product tanker operator, too, after agreeing to acquire Swedish shipowner Brostrom for $570 million....

Hurricane Threatens Jamaica.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: Rick Eyerdam A hurricane watch remains in effect for Jamaica as Category One Hurricane Gustav re-enters Caribbean waters in the vicinity of southwestern Haiti. On its forecast track, the center of the hurricane should begin...

Jaxport Hires Crane Clean-Up.(Brief article)
August 27, 2008... The Jacksonville Port Authority has awarded a $1.6-million contract for the clean-up and repair of several container gantry cranes involved in a weather-related accident at the Blount Island Marine Terminal earlier this month. Rigging...

Maersk Box Results Improve.(financial news)(Financial report)
August 27, 2008... On Wednesday A.P. Moller-Maersk said results from its container activities showed marginal improvement during the first half of this year while overall group profit soared because of petroleum price increases that benefited the company's oil...

Va. County Fights Intermodal Site.
August 27, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Virginia's Montgomery County board of supervisors says it will fight the state's plan to help Norfolk Southern Railway build a new Roanoke Region Intermodal Facility there. The supervisors directed staff "to...

Diesel Drops 6.2 Cents to $4.145.(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The average price of diesel fell 6.2 cents this week to $4.145 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Prices fell across the country to the lowest average price in four months....

Agility to Store Marine Corps Gear.(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... Agility Defense & Government Services announced that its Taos Industries subsidiary has won a contract to store, distribute and maintain equipment for the Marine Corps at 15 bases within the United States and five others around the world. ...

ILWU Caucus Approves Pact.(International Longshore and Warehouse Union)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo International Longshore and Warehouse Union caucus members voted unanimously over the weekend to send to the union's membership the tentative six-year contract negotiated in July with waterfront employers. ...

U.S. Fines Johnson Trading.(Johnson Trading & Engineering Co., Ltd.)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... Johnson Trading & Engineering Co., Ltd. of Taiwan has agreed to a $90,000 civil penalty to settle charges that it knowingly caused the unlicensed export of computer chips to China in violation of the Export Administration Regulations, the...

Trans-Pacific Fuel Surcharge Spikes.(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... Container lines in the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement on Monday confirmed that their floating bunker fuel surcharge, adjusted monthly according to a formula that tracks world fuel prices at key loading locations, will spike to a record...

Quality Distribution Shifts Top Executives.(appointments of)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Quality Distribution is making changes at the top level as part of its comeback from almost a year of losses. Timothy Page will complete his separation from the company effective Nov. 28. He was, until...

Ex-Gemini CEO Named to AirNet.
August 26, 2008... The private equity owners of niche cargo operator AirNet Systems named George Gonzalez, the former interim CEO of failed airline Gemini Air Cargo, chief executive of AirNet. AirNet owner Bayside Capital also owned Gemini and shut down...

Consumer Confidence Lacks Power.(Survey)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Consumer confidence lacks power in the latest survey conducted by a national research firm. A small improvement in August suggested the economy is "stuck in neutral," said Lynn Franco, director of The...

CN, Joliet Sign Pact.(Canadian National Railway Co. acquired with Joliet & Eastern Railway Company)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher CN and the city of Joliet, Ill., reached an agreement regarding CN's proposed acquisition of the major portion of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company. The agreement is the first between the...

Lan Cargo in Central America.
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Lan Cargo said it will launch service between Miami and Guatemala City, Guatemala, and San Jose, Costa Rica, in September. "This is another step in our goal to connect Latin America with the world," Lan...

County Asks CN to Pay for Improvements.(Canadian National Corp.)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Kane County, a suburban community outside Chicago, wants CN to pay for improvements connected to the proposed purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad. The demand is firm in a resolution passed...

Delta Builds Cargo Team.(appointment of Neil O'Sullivan, Jaswant Gill, Maurice Fuchs and Nathalie Garabige at Delta Air Lines Inc.)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Delta Air Lines appointed four account managers and one operations manager to its cargo team for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. The airline also opened two offices for cargo operations, one at...

World Adds 747 to Lufthansa Service.
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher World Airways, a subsidiary of Global Aero Logistics, added a 747-400 to its services for Lufthansa Cargo. The freighter is making two weekly round trips between Frankfurt, Germany, and Curitiba, Brazil. ...

Cass Index Dives 13 Percent.(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... A key index of shipments from U.S. manufacturers fell 13 percent in July, reaching its lowest point of the year so far in the fourth straight month of accelerating declines. The Cass Freight Systems index of shipments reached 1.096 in the...

Tompkins Enters Supply Chain Agreement.(Tompkins Associates Inc. cooperation agreement with ROI Management Consulting of Munich)(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Raleigh, N.C.-based Tompkins Associates reached across the Atlantic Ocean to forge a cooperation agreement with ROI Management Consulting of Munich, Germany, that includes the exchange of an unspecified amount of...

AFCEA International Announces Strategic Partnership with RFID4U.
August 26, 2008... Free and Paid Radio Frequency Identification Courses Now Available Through AFCEA Professional Development Center FAIRFAX, VA - The AFCEA Professional Development Center (PDC) is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with RFID4U', the...

BNSF Thanks Truckers for Helping Deliver America.
August 26, 2008... BNSF Railway Company says thank you to the nation's truck drivers this week by hosting events at its intermodal facilities in Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago and Willow Springs, Ill.; and San Bernardino and Los Angeles, Calif., in celebration of...

Fastrax Unveils New Track&Trace Platform For Faster Development of Asset Tracking Applications and Location Based Services.
August 26, 2008... - The Integrated Hardware and Software Platform Provides a Cost-Effective and Powerful Toolset for Telematics Applications Helsinki, Finland - August 26, 2008 - Fastrax, a provider of programmable GPS receivers and software solutions for...

Truck Tonnage Falls In July.(Brief article)
August 26, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Truck tonnage fell in July in the first month-to-month decline since April. Although the weakness compared with June indicates a softening economy, the year-over-year comparison was positive. The American...

August 25, 2008.(briefs)(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... Tested. The U.S. Department of Transportation is out with its "Specific Collection Guidelines" for drug testing and let's just say we haven't seen such, well, detailed descriptions of bathroom activities since we read the graffiti on the...

Clarifying Wording for Prepaid Shipments.
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q:Your article from July 21, 2008 ("Choice Words for Bills of Lading," pg. 38) deals with a subject in which I have had considerable involvement. The reader asked, when "the bill of lading is marked as prepaid...

Too Much Freight, Not Enough Drivers?
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Joe White The fuel crisis in the trucking industry will soon pass. Regardless of whether and when diesel prices stabilize, carriers will work through this crisis as they continue to improve mileage performance, shed empty miles...

Taking Obama's Measure.(Barack Obama)
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter This the second in a two-part Traffic World series on the Republican and Democratic candidates for president in this November's election, looking at the policies and potential impact of a possible McCain or Obama...

Inventory's New Dimensions.
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Shippers and their service providers relied for years on low-cost transportation to help keep inventories lean. Now that higher energy prices have made pure shipping costs an item that can't be taken for granted,...

Virginia Consolidates Box Operations.(Virginia International Terminals Inc.)
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach This month's maiden call by the Turkon Line container ship Cafer Dede at Portsmouth Marine Terminal marked the beginning of change in operation for two of the Virginia Port Authority's marine terminals, which are...

Jaxport Re-Opened.(United States. Coast Guard)(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... The Coast Guard re-opened the Port of Jacksonville at noon Saturday following Tropical Storm Fay. Coast Guard inspectors and Coast Guard aids to navigation crew members found minimum discrepancies as a result of the storm. Mariners are...

Merger Inevitable, Qantas Chief Says.
August 25, 2008... Qantas Airways Ltd. will inevitably merge with another major airline as part of the global restructuring taking place in the aviation industry, the Associated Press quoted the company's chief executive as saying on Friday. Geoff Dixon,...

FedEx Launches Capital Plan.(FedEx Express)(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... Having a regional express hub just 20 miles outside the nation's capital wasn't quite close enough for FedEx Express. With postal business now in the mix and a new plane in the fleet, FedEx launched 757 freighter operations into Ronald...

Iowa Rail Loans Come Up Short.
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd A group of Iowa short line railroads is still trying to rebuild from devastating June floods, and looking for money beyond $4 million in no-interest loans that the state awarded for in-line track work. Click to...

Infrastructure Cost Estimates Questioned.(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Just how much money is needed to improve the nation's highways and bridges? It all depends on how you add up the numbers. Lobbyists and lawmakers often cite the American Society of Civil Engineers' estimate of $1.6...

Seven FedEx Drivers Earn Honors at National Truck Driving Championships.(achievements of)
August 25, 2008... MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Three drivers representing FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) operating companies were crowned National Champions at the 2008 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Houston Aug. 20-23. John Smith Jr., a contractor for FedEx...

YRC Worldwide Subsidiary Drivers Capture Two National Champion Titles at the 2008 National Truck Driving Championships.
August 25, 2008... USF Holland driver Herschel Evans Placed 1st in the 5-Axle ClassRoadway driver Vic Wheeler Placed 1st in the 3-Axle Class Overland Park, Kan., August 24, 2008 - The operating companies of YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ: YRCW) announced today that two...

UPS Freight Goes Faster.(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... UPS Freight improved transit times on more than 1,200 traffic lanes. The second enhancement to its heavy freight network in four months focuses on points of origin in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Lanes from Chicago to...

Amazon to Open Fulfillment Center.
August 25, 2008... Amazon.com, the online retailer, plans to open a fulfillment center in Plainfield, Ind. The company's third facility in the state will open in October in time for the holiday peak season. The warehouse is a 950,000 square foot space...

Indiana to Build Port Infrastructure.(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The Ports of Indiana authorized $500,000 worth of infrastructure projects at a meeting Thursday. Five local firms will perform work to maintain two of the system's three ports. "Port operations...

Indiana Lt. Governor Presents ATA First Vice Chairman With AgriVision Award.(Charles Whittington)(American Trucking Associations)
August 25, 2008... ARLINGTON, Va. - Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman recently presented ATA First Vice Chairman Charles "Shorty" Whittington with the state's AgriVision Award in recognition of his commitment to Indiana agriculture. The AgriVision Award is...

NRS Earns Top Score on SmartWay Test.(National Retail Systems Corp.)(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... National Retail Systems aced its SmartWay environmental performance test. The logistics provider achieved the highest possible score in its annual evaluation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partnership....

Schenker Probes Accounting Fraud.
August 25, 2008... The parent of logistics giant Schenker is investigating possible accounting fraud at its Belgium operation the company says could amount to tens of millions of dollars. Officials at Schenker, a sister company of BAX Global and one of the...

Shortfall.
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Paul Page So did you really want transportation to take a more prominent role in national politics? From logistics managers to carriers and road builders, the transportation world has long lamented that the serious,...

Too Much Freight, Not Enough Drivers?
August 25, 2008... BYLINE: Joe White The fuel crisis in the trucking industry will soon pass. Regardless of whether and when diesel prices stabilize, carriers will work through this crisis as they continue to improve mileage performance, shed empty miles...