Traffic World articles from December 2007

Traffic World archives from December 2007

Hillwood Builds Up Charleston.(Hillwood Development Corp)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Increased global trade through East Coast ports inspired commercial real estate developer Hillwood to start building the 750-acre Charleston Trade Center in South Carolina, along Interstate 26 between the Port of Charleston and the I-95...

Loonie Outsells Dollar.
December 1, 2007... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach There may be worse things, Canadians are finding, than a weak dollar. For example, having a stronger currency than your largest trading partner. Propelled by insatiable demand for Canadian oil, minerals and other...

FreightCar Retools for Sales.(Financial report)
December 1, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Amid shriveling demand for new railcars, FreightCar America's recent news of plunging third-quarter sales and earnings was actually better than analysts predicted, and its share price even rose. But the glow didn't...

Cathay Orders More Freighters.(Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Already one of the world's largest international air freight carriers, Cathay Pacific Airways is adding even more scale with orders for 10 747-8 freighters and options for 14 more. It also ordered seven 777-300 extended-range passenger...

DOT Changes Push Congestion Plan.(Department of Transportation)
December 1, 2007... BYLINE: Ari Natter Like many truck drivers, finding a place to park for the night is not usually easy for Jim Leatherman.   "Northeast is terrible, anywhere in New England. In the Boston area there are only three truck stops in...

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Roughing It.(Book review)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Paul Page When looking for insight into bold new transportation initiatives, government programs and shipping strategies, most of us turn to the logistics industry''s leading experts, thoughtful scholars and the latest academic...

Trucking on the Record.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Ari Natter Responding to two high-profile truck accidents in her state, a leading Democratic senator is joining those calling for tougher standards regarding the use of electronic on-board recording devices in trucks - an expense...

Parallel Parking Plans.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Ari Natter Like many truck drivers, finding a place to park for the night is not usually easy for Jim Leatherman. "Northeast is terrible, anywhere in New England. In the Boston area there are only three truck stops in the whole...

China''s Advantage Slipping.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman China''s position as the undisputed king of low-cost manufacturing labor is facing new challenges from rising supply chain costs. Some if not most of the cost advantages that lured Western manufacturers and...

SAP Eyeing TMS.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman An anticipated SAP software upgrade could bring not only improved transportation capabilities to some shippers'' systems but a changed landscape for enterprise resource planning competition. SAP is expected to...

Hillwood Builds Up Charleston.(Hillwood Investment Properties)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Increased global trade through East Coast ports inspired commercial real estate developer Hillwood to start building the 750-acre Charleston Trade Center in South Carolina, along Interstate 26 between the Port of Charleston and the I-95...

Bordering on Frustration.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: William B. Cassidy Perrin Beatty knows how difficult crossing borders can be. When the head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce drove through the tunnel connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit in September, he handed a U.S....

Singing the Loonie''s Tune.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach There may be worse things, Canadians are finding, than a weak dollar. For example, having a stronger currency than your largest trading partner. Propelled by insatiable demand for Canadian oil, minerals and other...

Fueling for the Long Haul.(high cost of fuel in 2008)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: John Gallagher The specter of $100-a-barrel oil is hitting the ledger desks of companies trying to budget for the high cost of fuel in 2008. Carrier executives believe that unless oil producing countries agree to increase...

Clarification.(Correction notice)
December 3, 2007... The term "balance sheet" used in "A Truckload of Trouble" (Nov. 26) may have incorrectly implied inherent or long-term financial problems at Schneider National, which wasn''t the intent. The term "income statement" would have been more...

Volvo Hit by Slump.(Volvo Truck Corp.)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: John Gallagher Truck manufacturer Volvo Group is getting slammed by a freight recession in its North American market severely curtailing the company''s growth in 2007. Deliveries of Mack trucks, the company''s dominant North...

New Alliances for LTLs.(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Estes Express Lines and Lakeville Motor Express will disband in March their 12-year partnership to form new alliances in the Midwest that both carriers say will upgrade service for their customers. The ExpressLINK network that includes...

Roadrunner Dawes Moves Into Caribbean.(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Trucking company and broker Roadrunner Dawes Freight Systems is starting service to and from Puerto Rico through a partnership with Multipoint, a Charlotte, N.C. freight forwarding company. Cudahy, Wis.-based RDFS, a $351 million carrier,...

Fast Track for CN''s Buy.(Canadian National Railway Co.)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Canadian National Railway''s planned purchase of most of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern''s lines around Chicago can proceed for fast regulatory review as a "minor transaction" under a ruling by the U.S. Surface...

FreightCar Retools for Sales.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Amid shriveling demand for new railcars, FreightCar America''s recent news of plunging third-quarter sales and earnings was actually better than analysts predicted, and its share price even rose. But the glow...

CP-DM&E Deal Given Long Look.(Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad)(Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The Canadian Pacific Railway won''t get the fast regulatory review it wanted for its purchase of the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, but it could absorb the regional line by the end of 2008. The Surface Transportation Board ruled...

Qantas Pleads Guilty.(Qantas Airways )
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Michael Fabey The international investigation into price fixing in the air cargo industry is expanding, as a third airline agreed to cooperate with U.S. investigators and pay a criminal fine. Qantas Airways agreed to plead...

Surcharge Probe Targets Billing.
December 3, 2007... Authorities who manage the air freight industry''s main payment settlement system have turned over records of forwarder-airline payments to investigators looking into cargo pricing practices. Executives at Cargo Network Services, an arm of...

Forward Air Buying Black Hawk.
December 3, 2007... Forward Air is taking advantage of weakness in the domestic U.S. economy to shore up its trucking network. The Greenville, Tenn.-based air freight trucker agreed last week to buy the assets of Black Hawk Freight Services, a private trucker...

Cathay Orders More Freighters.(Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Already one of the world''s largest international air freight carriers, Cathay Pacific Airways is adding even more scale with orders for 10 747-8 freighters and options for 14 more. It also ordered seven 777-300 extended-range passenger...

Night Makes Right.(Container ports and terminal operators)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Container ports and terminal operators will resist for as long as possible the costly and divisive exercise needed to establish a program of extended gate hours, but experts believe busy ports on both coasts...

California Ports Eye Growth.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Now that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are within grasp of an environmental plan that will allow them to expand while reducing pollution, an executive says it is time to move forward on costly but...

McLean Family Selling Stake.(Trailer Bridge Inc.)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The family of maritime pioneer Malcom P. McLean is selling its stake in Trailer Bridge, the Jones Act carrier founded by McLean. Jacksonville-based Trailer Bridge said it intends to work with the family to help them sell their 47.8 percent...

''K'' Line Files Complaint.(Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Limited)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... K" Line claims in a complaint to the Federal Maritime Commission that it was required to make "royalty payments" and "association dues" to two shippers associations for moving containers under the service contracts it had negotiated. The...

People.
December 3, 2007... SkyLink USA, Herndon, Va., named Colleen Henry as a program support specialist for peacekeeping and international relief services at the logistics and aviation services company. She had been a staff assistant for the International Monetary Fund...

Does BMC-32 Coverage Never Apply?
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: We filed a claim against a motor carrier''s BMC-32 endorsement (the minimum insurance required "for the protection of the public" for carriers providing common-carrier service). The carrier''s insurance...

The Back Page.(National Truck Driving Championships)(Alphonso Lewis, a driver for Roadway and the national grand champion )(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Ringing. We were glad to see Alphonso Lewis, a driver for Roadway and the national grand champion in the recent National Truck Driving Championships, ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock market Nov. 23. But if you know the Wall Street area...

December 3, 2007.(National Truck Driving Championships)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Ringing. We were glad to see Alphonso Lewis, a driver for Roadway and the national grand champion in the recent National Truck Driving Championships, ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock market Nov. 23. But if you know the Wall Street area...

Does BMC-32 Coverage Never Apply?
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: We filed a claim against a motor carrier's BMC-32 endorsement (the minimum insurance required "for the protection of the public" for carriers providing common-carrier service). The carrier's insurance adjusters...

Delivering the Goods.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Michael Fabey At the ripe age of 20, Aaron Buchanan could care less about far-reaching and contentious pension fund changes in the new contract between UPS and the Teamsters union. And as a business major at a Kentucky...

China's Advantage Slipping.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman China's position as the undisputed king of low-cost manufacturing labor is facing new challenges from rising supply chain costs.  Some if not most of the cost advantages that lured Western manufacturers...

Fast Track for CN's Buy.(Canadian National Railway Co.)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Canadian National Railway's planned purchase of most of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern's lines around Chicago can proceed for fast regulatory review as a "minor transaction" under a ruling by the U.S. Surface...

SAP Eyes TMS.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman An anticipated SAP software upgrade could bring not only improved transportation capabilities to some shippers' systems but a changed landscape for enterprise resource planning competition. SAP is expected to...

Mulvey Named to New STB Term.(appointment of Francis P. Mulvey at Surface Transportation Board)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd President Bush plans to name Francis P. Mulvey to another term on the Surface Transportation Board, the White House said, which would keep Mulvey on the board for five more years after his current term expires the end...

NTSB: Amtrak Train Was Speeding.(National Transportation Safety Board)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Federal investigators looking into Friday's collision between an Amtrak train and a Norfolk Southern freight train in Chicago say the Amtrak train was speeding at the time of the accident. The speed limit for the stretch of track where the...

Fuel Fee Hike for Cargolux.(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Cargolux announced Monday that it is increasing its fuel surcharge on all cargo shipments to 85 cents per kilogram as of Dec. 17. The Luxembourg-based all-cargo carrier said the hike reflects the rising costs to which it is exposed. ...

CN, Union Reach Deal.(Canadian National)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Canadian National Railway announced on Friday that a tentative five-year labor agreement has been reached with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to replace a four-year contract expiring Dec. 31. The agreement covers about...

Matson Raises Hawaii Rates.(Matson Navigation Company Inc.)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Matson Navigation Co. announced Friday that it will raise its rates for Hawaii service by $75 per westbound container and $40 per eastbound container, effective Jan. 6. The Oakland-based carrier estimated that the increase will raise rates...

Diesel Dips Slightly.(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Average diesel prices across the country slipped 2.8 cents over the past week, the second decline in three weeks and a new sign that the rapid growth in fuel prices has leveled off. The decline for the period ending Dec. 3 left the average...

Port of LA Channel Reopens.(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The Coast Guard has re-opened the main channel at the Port of Los Angeles, hours after a suspicious bag was discovered at a cruise terminal. Ship traffic is resuming as normal, the Marine Exchange of Southern California reported, and the...

CMA CGM Buys U.S. Lines.
December 3, 2007... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach French carrier CMA CGM on Monday announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire United States Lines, a four-year-old niche carrier in the trans-Pacific. U.S. Lines, which is headquartered in Santa Ana,...

Ports America Signs Bayonne Contract.(Ports America Group)(Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority)(Brief article)
December 4, 2007... Ports America Group has signed an agreement to pay $90 million to buy a Bayonne, N.J., waterfront tract that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also contends it has a contract to purchase. The Bayonne Local Redevelopment...

Manufacturing Index Slips Back.(Brief article)
December 4, 2007... The United States manufacturing economy slipped back slightly in November but still grew for the 10th straight month, according to the Institute of Supply Management's monthly index on economic activity. ISM's monthly PMI index fell...

More Delays for LA Expansion.(Los Angeles, California)
December 4, 2007... The long-awaited expansion of the Trans Pacific Container Service Corp. terminal at the Port of Los Angeles could be further delayed following a letter from California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown seeking additional mitigation of greenhouse...

TWIC Sign-Up Expanded.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)(Brief article)
December 4, 2007... The Transportation Security Administration has announced two new enrollment centers for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Enrollment will begin Dec. 12 at the port of Tulsa, Okla., and Dec. 13 at the port of Albany,...

U.S. Airlines' International Cargo Grows.(Brief article)
December 4, 2007... International air cargo traffic for U.S. airlines grew 4.3 percent in October, the strongest expansion in that business in a year, led by rapid growth and record numbers in the Atlantic and Pacific markets, according to the Air Transport...

Fenway Adds to Portfolio.(Fenway Partners Inc. buys East Coast Warehouse and Distribution's interest)(Brief article)
December 4, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman Private equity firm Fenway Partners' Refrigerated Holdings unit for temperature-controlled logistics bought a majority interest in East Coast Warehouse & Distribution, an important step in Fenway's quest to create a...

Cosco Busan Pilot Suspended.(cases of environmental law breach)(John Cota)(Brief article)
December 4, 2007... California's Bar Pilots Association has suspended the pilot of the Cosco Busan, who was at the helm of the containership when it struck the San Francisco Bay Bridge Nov. 7. The ship suffered a gash in its side and spilled tens of thousands...

Canada Cuts Interest Rate.(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Canada's central bank trimmed its key overnight target rate a quarter-point to 4.25 percent on Dec. 4, surprising financial markets with its first cut since April 2004 as that country's monetary policymakers cited...

Flooding Hits Highways, Rails.(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd The severe rainstorm that hit Washington state Dec. 3 and 4 caused widespread flooding and disrupted key freight operations in the Pacific Northwest. Both major U.S. railroads operating there, Union Pacific and...

GE Leases DC in Mexico.(General Electric Co.)(ProLogis)(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... GE Commercial Materials, a unit of General Electric, added 125,000 square feet of industrial space in Monterrey, Mexico, to distribute lamps, fixtures and electrical distribution and control components to customers throughout that country. ...

Truck Fuel Vote Pending.(fuel efficiency standards )(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... The House could vote as soon as today on fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty commercial trucks, part of fuel efficiency standards wrapped up in pending energy legislation. Lawmakers are eyeing trucks that weigh more than 10,000 pounds,...

Senate Subcommittee Eyeing HOS.(hours of service)(Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... A Senate subcommittee will be taking a look at truck driver fatigue and safety in relation to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's soon-to-be-published interim final rule on hours of service. The agency, along with truck...

Storms Block Canada Rails.(Canadian National Railway Co.)(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Canada's national rail lines are reporting delays from snowslides, rockfalls and other problems caused by severe winter weather conditions, mainly in the west coast province of British Columbia. Freezing rain has...

Container Traffic Continues Slide.(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... As retailers kept a close check on inventories in anticipation of a weak holiday shopping season, November container traffic dropped below last year's levels for the fourth month in a row, according to the National Retail Federation's Port...

Everglades Plan Approved.(County Board of County Commissioners)(Broward County, Florida. Port Everglades Authority)(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... Port Everglades on Tuesday received approval from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners to move forward with its long-term development plan. The port said Wednesday the board approved its comprehensive Master/Vision Plan,...

Oil Prices Dip.(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... Oil prices continued to dip on Wednesday despite a mixed government inventory report, as well as the decision by OPEC to keep production levels steady. Crude oil futures fell 92 cents to $87.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange,...

Emirates Air Building Evacuated.(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... A cargo building at JFK Airport partly operated by Emirates Air was closed, evacuated and reopened Dec. 4 after a package that had tested positive for bomb-like materials turned out to apparently be nothing more than a shipment of laptops. ...

Report: Maersk to Restructure.(Maersk Line)
December 5, 2007... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard The parent of Maersk Line, A.P. Moller-Maersk, is about to undertake a major restructuring of its container operations and remove several senior executives, the Financial Times reported, citing two letters to senior...

Mineta Calls for Maritime Changes.(Norman Y. Mineta)
December 5, 2007... BYLINE: Rick Eyerdam Former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta on Tuesday called for consolidation of all United States government maritime agencies and functions into a single body with a dedicated funding source and a West...

Factory Orders Rise Unexpectedly.(Brief article)
December 5, 2007... The Commerce Department reported that orders to U.S. factories unexpectedly rose in October, although much of the gain reflected higher energy prices. While little improvement had been expected, orders actually increased by 0.5 percent for...

CP, Union Revise Settlement.(Teamsters Canada Rail Conference)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... In a step toward resolving long-standing labor issues, engineers and conductors represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and Canadian Pacific Railway reached a revised tentative five-year contract settlement. The revision...

UTi Profit Up 14 Percent.(UTi Worldwide Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Logistics operator UTi Worldwide reported a $34.9 million net profit in its quarter ending Oct. 31, 14 percent better than a year ago, as sharp growth in volume and new business pushed gross revenue up 25 percent to $1.2 billion. Net...

Feds Bust Port Newark Smuggling Ring.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Authorities said they broke up a global crime ring in Newark, N.J., that smuggled more than $200 million worth of counterfeit consumer goods. Ten people have been arrested following an undercover investigation into an elaborate scheme to...

New Jersey Dredging Begins.(New Jersey. Department of Transportation)(Port Jersey Channel )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... The New Jersey Department of Transportation on Thursday announced the start of the 50-foot Port Jersey Channel deepening project in Bayonne and Jersey City. The agency, along with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Army...

House Passes Energy Bill.(Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007)(United States. Congress. House)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... BYLINE: Ari Natter The House voted 235-181 Thursday to pass a massive energy bill that eyes fuel economy standards for commercial heavy-duty trucks, renewable fuel for railroads and grants for Class II and III railroads. The Energy...

Union Pacific Offers Rail Transportation Solutions to Emerging Wind Energy Industry.(Union Pacific Corp.)(American Wind Energy Association)
December 6, 2007... OMAHA, Neb. - In anticipation of increasing growth of wind power as a viable renewable energy source, Union Pacific today announced that it is the first railroad to join the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and first to offer...

PierPass Aids LA-LB growth.(marine terminal operators)
December 6, 2007... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The PierPass extended gates program bought the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach at least two years of congestion-free growth by channeling about 40 percent of container volume to off-peak hours, according to a...

TWIC List Expands.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)(Transportation Security Administration )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... The Transportation Security Administration announced the addition of eight more enrollment centers for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Three centers will open in the Port of New York-New Jersey: Staten Island on Dec....

Maersk Hikes Mideast/India Rates.(Maersk Line )(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Maersk Line announced it will implement a general rate increase on the trades from the United States and Canada to ports in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, effective Jan. 1. The increases will be $120 per TEU, $160 per FEU for dry...

Bush Would Drop Port Security Grants.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... President Bush is asking Congress to kill the port security grant program, a central piece of the maritime ports' anti-terror efforts, as part of a plan to dramatically cut funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The plan, first...

Dollar Boosts Dynamex Earnings.(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 7, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Dynamex improved earnings in its first fiscal quarter, which ended Oct. 31, benefiting from a higher exchange rate for the Canadian dollar and from higher fuel surcharges. The provider of same-day delivery...

Patriot CEO to Step Down.
December 7, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher John E. Anderson will retire Feb. 6 from his position as president and CEO of Patriot Transportation Holding. After 19 years as head of the company, Anderson will remain as a director after his retirement....

Velocity Calls for Reverse Stock Split.(Brief article)
December 7, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Velocity Express is shoring up its stock price with a 1-for-15 reverse stock split. In an announcement Dec. 6, the time definite regional delivery provider said that its common stock would begin trading Dec....

CSCL IPO Raised $2.1B.(initial public offering)(China Shipping Container Lines)(Brief article)
December 7, 2007... China Shipping Container Lines announced Friday it had raised 15.5 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) from its initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, which was priced at the top of an expected range. The share offer was heavily...

LA Port Approves Environmental Report.(Los Angeles )(Brief article)
December 7, 2007... The Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Thursday approved an environmental impact report that clears the way for long-delayed expansion of the port's Trans Pacific Container Service Corp. terminal. The commission hearing lasted more than six...