Traffic World articles from January 2009

Traffic World archives from January 2009

Lufthansa Cargo Cuts Staff Hours.
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Lufthansa Cargo will reduce the hours for approximately 2,600 employees in Germany as it adapts to declining demand. The company's executive board and the works council representing employees reached an...

GDP Plunges 3.8 Percent.(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Real gross domestic product plunged at an annual rate of 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter, according to advance estimates released Jan. 30 by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The fall in output of...

KGL Transportation Company Leads Competition with Fleet Management Solutions All-Satellite Tracking.
January 30, 2009... Significant Advantages Tied to Implementation of GPS Tracking and Logistics Application in Middle East Transportation Market San Luis Obispo, CA - When it comes to safe, reliable and cost-effective movement of goods in the Middle East,...

Con-way Freight Names Timothy P. Dell Area Vice President of Sales, Western Area.
January 30, 2009... Promotion Recognizes Distinguished Sales Career and Commitment to Customer Service ANN ARBOR, Mich. ' Jan. 29, 2009 ' Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), today announced that it has...

NS Plans Furloughs, Names VP.
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Norfolk Southern this week promoted one employee and said it will furlough at least 100 others. NS moved Michael J. Wheeler to the office of vice president transportation, effective Feb. 1, with...

Hub Net Falls.(Hub Group Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Intermodal marketer and truck broker Hub Group saw its profit shrink 21 percent in the fourth quarter to $14.2 million, as traffic and pricing weakened. Although intermodal traffic on major railroad slid sharply...

Caterpillar Cuts More Jobs.(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Caterpillar said Jan. 30 it will lay off 2,110 workers in addition to the 20,000 employee terminations announced earlier in the week. The manufacturer of trucks and mining and construction equipment is...

Recession Clips Saia Earnings.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Saia net earnings fell 30 percent in the fourth quarter from approximately $2 million a year ago to $1.4 million. Revenue was down 5 percent to $231 million, reflecting softer tonnage and declining fuel...

New Penn Not for Sale.(New Penn Motor Express Inc.)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: John Gallagher YRC Worldwide Chairman, President and CEO William D. Zollars denied his company was ready to sell regional subsidiary New Penn. "Rumors of a divestiture of New Penn are not true," Zollars said. "They're a...

Paccar Profit Falls.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Truck manufacturer Paccar took a solid hit from reduced gross margins, lower build rates and temporary plant shutdowns in 2008 as the recession took hold. The maker of Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF trucks...

FMC Wants More TSA Info.(Federal Maritime Commission)(Transpacific Stabilization Agreement)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... The Federal Maritime Commission asked members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement for more information on a proposed amendment that would allow members to discuss capacity management. The request delays the effective date of the...

Buy American Provision Stirs Conflict.(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Within the massive stimulus bill designed to boost jobs and the economy, a provision requiring projects to use only American-made goods and equipment could sour the appeal of the whole package. The "Buy...

Charleston to Lose Another Maersk Loop.
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The Port of Charleston will lose another weekly vessel call in March as a result of a new vessel-sharing agreement between Maersk Line and CMA CGM that will combine two loops from the Mediterranean to the U.S. East...

Weak Finish for Seattle TEUs.(Port of Seattle)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto The Port of Seattle staggered to the finish line with its worst month of 2008 by a wide margin, and its worst month since 2004. December container volume plummeted 27.6 percent to 112,135 TEUs, compared to...

Tacoma Boxes Slide.(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto The Port of Tacoma closed out 2008 with a 12.3-percent decline in container volume to 146,175 TEUs. December marked the port's worst percentage drop of the year and its third-lowest monthly TEU total of the...

Tacoma Expands Transload.(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... The Port of Tacoma is expanding its container transloading service to make it available to more shippers. "A growing trend is to de-van at ports of entry and transload into domestic boxes," said Susan Becklund, the port's director of...

Vancouver Boxes Dip 3 Percent.(Vancouver Fraser Port Authority)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Container traffic remained nearly stable in 2008 at Port Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, while total cargo tonnage dropped 10 percent to 114.6 million metric tons from 127.8 million in 2007. Shipments of...

Port of Baltimore Adds Land.(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... The Maryland Port Administration bought a parcel of land in East Baltimore for storage near the Port of Baltimore. Duke Realty sold the 14.6 acres Dec. 19 for $5.3 million. The land came out of a 184-acre site Duke is developing into a...

Horizon Lines Lost $18M.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach Horizon Lines today swung to a fourth-quarter loss of $18.8 million from a profit of $10.7 million in the prior-year period. The largest Jones Act carrier said revenues fell to $314.7 million from $316 million...

K Line Lost $115M in Q3.(Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach Japanese carrier "K" Line today reported a loss of 10.5 million yen ($115.2 million) in its third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008, on operating revenue of $3.5 billion. Japan's third-largest shipping company by...

Houston Tabs New Port Chief.(Wade M. Battles)(Brief article)
January 30, 2009... The Houston Port Commission today named Wade M. Battles as the interim executive director of the Houston Port Authority. Battles will serve as port chief while the commission conducts a search for a permanent replacement for H. Thomas...

International Air Cargo Plummets.(traffic fell to 22.6 percent in December)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher In the biggest decline ever, global international cargo traffic plummeted 22.6 percent in December compared with a year earlier, according to the International Air Transport Association. Asia-Pacific carriers,...

Durable Goods Demand Slumps.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher New orders and shipments of manufactured durable goods slid deeper into decline for the fifth consecutive month in December. New orders dropped $4.7 billion or 2.6 percent to $176.8 billion, the U.S....

Global 3PLs Grew 6.5 Percent.(third-party logistics)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto A new survey finds that the global Fortune 500 third-party logistics market grew 6.5 percent to $199.7 billion in 2008, from $187.4 billion in 2007. The report, "Trends in 3PL/Customer Relationships - 2009",...

NAFTA Trade Drops 14 Percent.(North American Free Trade Agreement )
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Trade between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners took a dive in November, one of the biggest drops in the 15 year history of the NAFTA agreement. The value of trade...

Nationwide Strike Hits France.(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Rail, airports and seaports in France are facing disruption today as more than a million workers take part in a 24-hour nationwide strike to demand government action to protect jobs and living standards. ...

AMB Property Warns on 4Q.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher AMB Property warned Thursday that its fourth quarter earnings would be reduced by impairment charges and the non-occurrence of a sale. Other charges include restructuring as the commercial property developer...

Steep Rail Freight Decline Slows.(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Freight traffic on U.S. railroads dwindled further in the third week of 2009, the Association of American Railroads reported. But the big drops from week to week may be starting to slow. The steep slide in...

ABF Loses $11M.(Arkansas Best Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Arkansas Best Corporation, parent of LTL carrier ABF Freight System, lost $11 million in the fourth quarter and took dramatic steps to cut costs in 2009. As the recession deepened and price competition...

No Rate Hike for Averitt.(Averitt Express Inc.)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: John Gallagher Averitt Express is taking a pass on a general rate increase in 2009, another sign that demand for truck transportation continues to fall as carriers work to adjust their hauling capacity. "At a time like this,...

Shevell Reappointed to NJ Transit Board.(Myron Shevell)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... Does it take a trucker to keep the trains running on time? They think so in New Jersey, where NJ Transit reappointed Myron Shevell to its board of directors. Shevell is chairman and CEO of The Shevell Group, the parent company of LTL...

Knight Profits Rise on Falling Revenue.(Knight Transportation Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Knight Transportation's net income increased 16.8 percent to $16.1 million in the fourth quarter on revenues that decreased 6.3 percent to $174.8 million amid weak demand and falling rates. In 2008,...

USA Truck Ekes Out Profit.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: John Gallagher Truckload carrier USA Truck eked out a $600,000 profit in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to a loss of $1.6 million during the same period a year earlier, even as revenue decreased 2.9 percent in the '08...

Landstar Earnings Fall.(Landstar System Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Landstar earned 15 percent less in the fourth quarter than a year ago. Net income of $24.6 million on revenue of $603.8 million resulted from lower freight demand, the company said. Revenue was down 6 percent...

J. B. Hunt Earnings Flat.(J. B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher J. B. Hunt Transport Services earned slightly less in the fourth quarter than a year ago as softer demand and lower fuel surcharge revenue offset intermodal volume increases. The carrier earned net income...

ODFL Profit Falls 30 Percent.(Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Old Dominion Freight Line earned 30 percent less in the fourth quarter than a year ago as the recession hit tonnage levels hard. Revenue for the quarter was $335.8 million, a decline of 6.4 percent from...

YRC Lost $244M in 4Q.(YRC Worldwide Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: John Gallagher YRC Worldwide lost $244 million in the fourth quarter as impairment charges, network integration issues and plummeting demand for freight transportation service ate away at the LTL giant's finances. The loss...

NAM Asks CPSIA Rules Delay.(National Association of Manufacturers)(Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act)(Brief article)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson The National Association of Manufacturers, representing a coalition of more than 60 manufacturing and retail trade groups, has asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission for a six-month rollback of deadlines for...

House Approves Stimulus Bill
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Ari Natter The U.S. House of Representatives approved an $819 billion economic stimulus bill Wednesday, legislation that includes more than $46 billion for transportation spending. "For years, state departments of transportation...

USPS Proposes Cuts in Service.(United States. Postal Service)
January 29, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The U.S. Postal Service is hemorrhaging money and needs to stop the flow with dramatic measures, according to testimony before a Senate subcommittee. Postmaster General John E. Potter on Wednesday...

Customs to Hold 10+2 Meetings in Miami.
January 29, 2009... The headquarters staff of Customs and Border Protection will hold two conferences at the Port of Miami on Feb. 10 to explain the requirements for the new Importer Security Filing rule and new additional carrier requirements, known as 10+2,...

UPS Freight Forwarding Names President.(Ken Torok)(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... Ken Torok has been named president of global freight forwarding operations for UPS. Torok, 55, most recently served as president of the company's Asia Pacific Region through mid-2008. In his new post, Torok will direct the UPS global...

Boeing Loses $56M, Plans Job Cuts.
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher A strike by machinists, technical delays and litigation ate up billions of dollars in the fourth quarter, pulling aircraft manufacturer Boeing into a loss of $56 million. Facing lower demand in the coming...

LAN Airlines Profit Climbs in 4Q.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher LAN Airlines made solid gains in the fourth quarter driven by strong operating performance and a significant decline in fuel prices. LAN earned $117.1 million in net income, up 16.1 percent compared with...

JAL Cuts LA Cargo Flights.(Japan Airlines Corp.)(Los Angeles, California)(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Hisane Masaki Japan Airlines Corp., Asia's largest carrier, announced that it will cut the number of weekly cargo flights between Tokyo Narita and Los Angeles from the current five to four and suspend cargo flights on seven other...

C.H. Robinson Growth Slows.
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: William Hoffman C.H. Robinson Worldwide's asset-light business model helped keep the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based truck broker and third party logistics provider in the black through 2008, though management said warning signs...

Target Closes DC, Cuts Jobs.(distribution centers )(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Discount retailer Target will close one of its 34 distribution centers and let more than 1,000 people go from their jobs. In a rapidly weakening U.S. economy, same store sales fell 4.1 percent in December....

France Faces Freight Chaos.
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard France is facing severe disruption of freight traffic Thursday with rail and airport workers set to join a one-day general strike. The stoppage, due to start at 8 p.m. local time, is expected to halt most rail...

OceanSchedules.com Celebrates Second Anniversary with Introduction of Web Services for Carriers.
January 28, 2009... - Leading Shipping Schedules Site Uses Technology to Improve Access to Global Ocean Schedules - PARSIPPANY, NJ, January 28, 2009 - OceanSchedules.com the leading global schedules site that provides the easiest and fastest way to search...

NS Joins Railroad Profit Parade.(Financial report)
January 28, 2009... Norfolk Southern Corp. today reported a better-than-expected quarterly net profit, as strong pricing offset falling freight volumes due to the slowing U.S. economy. The Norfolk, Va.-based railroad reported fourth-quarter net income of...

NS Improves Central Fla. Service.
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher As volumes fall for Norfolk Southern, the railroad is seeking new markets via improved service in central Florida. NS said freight volumes slid 8 percent in the fourth quarter and intermodal revenue was...

Marten Transport Profits Jump in 4Q.(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: John Gallagher Truckload carrier Marten Transport increased profits 96.4 percent in the fourth quarter to $5.8 million as a result of aggressive cost controls and increased focus on profitable freight. Operating revenue,...

Providers Step Up to 10+2 Needs.(FedEx Trade Networks Inc.)(Descartes Systems Group Inc.)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Two large logistics companies put filing services online right away as the 10+2 rule went into effect. FedEx Trade Networks and Descartes Systems Group both offer Web-based systems to file the needed...

Former S.C. Port Director Don Welch Dies
January 28, 2009... W. Don Welch, who guided the development of the Port of Charleston into a modern container port during 26 years as head of the South Carolina State Ports Authority, died Tuesday in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 78.   Mr. Welch joined the...

Japan to Launch Port Security Program.(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Hisane Masaki TOKYO -- The Japanese government announced that a pilot project of the United States-led Megaports Initiative will be launched at the Port of Yokohama, near Tokyo, on March 2. The announcement was made in a...

Northwest Ports Expand Emissions Program.(Port of Seattle)(Port of Tacoma)(Brief article)
January 28, 2009... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto The ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency announced they have approved a total of $318,000 in additional funding for a program to lower diesel emissions of port cargo-handling...

Maersk to Share with CMA CGM.
January 28, 2009... Maersk Line and CMA CGM announced they are joining forces on the U.S. East-Coast-Mediterranean trades in a two-year vessel sharing agreement effective in mid-March. The new WestMed service will replace the Danish and French carriers'...

CP Profit Falls.(Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Canadian Pacific earnings suffered from more than a bad economy in the fourth quarter. A tough comparison based on a tax benefit a year ago left net income down 41 percent. Canada's second largest railroad...

DHS Goes Ahead with 10+2.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson The importer security filing, or 10+2, interim final rule took effect Monday as planned, Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed. The rule was one that could have been affected by a White House...

FedEx Plane Crashes in Texas.(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... A subcontractor for FedEx on Jan. 27 crashed a cargo aircraft upon landing at an airport in Lubbock, Texas, according to news reports. The crash occurred in a freezing mist at 4:30 a.m. at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. The...

Consumer Confidence Sinks.(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Consumer confidence hit a record low in December and in January went even lower, according to a national survey. Respondents to the survey of U.S. households conducted for The Conference Board by TNS...

S&P Revises Ryder to Negative.
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Jan. 26 revised its outlook on Ryder System to negative from stable. The company's long-term corporate credit rating remained the same at BBB "The outlook revision...

Fiery Freight Train in Scotland.(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher A train operated by D B Schenker derailed with a cargo of kerosene and diesel on a bridge in central Scotland. Several carloads caught fire and shot flames 50 feet in the air, said some observers. Local...

Vancouver Labor Talks to Resume.(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Contract negotiations are scheduled to resume between 450 union foremen for more than 5,000 dockworkers at British Columbia ports and their employers. Negotiations with the help of federal mediator John Rooney...

Houston's Kornegay to Retire
January 27, 2009... H. Thomas Kornegay, the long-time executive director of the Port of Houston Authority, today announced his intention to retire, anticipated to become effective Feb. 1. Kornegay's retirement brings to a close his 37-year tenure with the...

FMC Cancels Meeting.(Federal Maritime Commission)(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... The Federal Maritime Commission has cancelled its Jan. 28 meeting. Officials said inclement weather in the Washington area was the reason for the delay. The Commission's next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Feb. 11.

Fog Halts Houston Ships.(Port of Houston )(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... Dense fog halted ship traffic to the Port of Houston at the north end of the Houston Ship Channel on Tuesday morning, the Coast Guard said. Vessels continued sailing to the ports of Galveston and Texas City at the south end of the...

MOL to Scrap 17 Ships.(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... Japan's second-biggest shipping firm, MOL, will scrap 17 aging ships - 15 automobile carriers and two Cape-size bulkers - by the end of March, a company spokesman said. The scrapping comes in response to a sharp slump in demand for sea...

Emirates Hikes India-ME-East Africa Rates.(Emirates Shipping Line )(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... Emirates Shipping Line announced plans to implement a rate increase for the trade from India, Pakistan and the Middle East to East Africa. Effective Feb. 17, the increase will be $300 per TEU, the Dubai-based carrier stated in a notice to the...

Hellmann Picks GT Nexus.(Hellmann Worldwide Logistics USA)(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher GT Nexus agreed to provide a global sea freight contract management system for Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. Hellmann will consolidate contracts and rates for all of its containerized shipments into a single,...

Truckers Battle Over Green.(Brief article)
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher An organization representing large trucking corporations offered recommendations for environmental sustainability. An organization representing small business truckers thinks those suggestions move in the...

Consultancy Acquires Charles River.
January 27, 2009... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Steer Davies Gleave, an independent transportation consultancy acquired the former transportation planning practice of Charles River Associates. CRA International is a global consulting firm headquartered...

NCBFAA Welcomes Release of CBP's 10+2 FAQs.
January 27, 2009... Washington, DC: The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc. (NCBFAA) welcomed release on Sunday, January 25, by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of its long-awaited Frequently Asked Questions on the Importer...

Estes' debt-free status a welcome sign in today's transportation market.
January 27, 2009... Richmond, VA-While the freight transportation industry has experienced substantial setbacks recently, Virginia-based Estes has remained a solid and dependable resource for its customers. "It would be impossible to remain untouched by the...

Logistics, Now.
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: Paul Page Now, to paraphrase an old television advertisement, is where the questions about logistics get interesting. Those include the questions not only about what logistics operators can do to help shippers survive an...

Supply Chains Get Tighter.
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: William Hoffman If you want to get a sense of just how bad the U.S. economy really is, visit a shirt factory in China. You''d better hurry: Chinese apparel manufacturers that outsource to American customers are going out of...

Chump Change?
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: Ari Natter The economic stimulus package, it turns out, isn''t quite shovel ready. Lawmakers and lobbyists disappointed with the amount of transportation infrastructure funding included in the House proposal are fighting for more...

Security ''In Progress''.
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: Ari Natter The woman who will be the first Democrat to head the Department of Homeland Security has surface transportation and supply chains in her sights. Under her watch, the department will reach far beyond seaports and...

T&I Committee Sets Priorities
January 26, 2009... The next highway bill may top the 2009 agenda at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but it''s not its only priority. Infrastructure investment, transportation safety and security and global climate change are all at the...

Logistics Prescription.
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: William Hoffman UPS landed a significant catch in health care logistics when pharmaceutical giant Merck decided to let the consolidator handle the bulk of its U.S. distribution business. Drug manufacturers and health product...

Tracking Expansion.
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto In perilous economic times, selling a menu of satellite-based tracking sensors and software to the transportation and logistics sector might be a daunting assignment. But Homaira Akbari, chief executive of...

Evans Forms Staffing Service.(Evans Distribution Systems)(Evans Resource Solutions)(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... Third-party logistics provider Evans Distribution Systems formed a new temporary staffing subsidiary to meet the demands of companies that need qualified logistics personnel but are hesitant to hire in the shaky economy. Evans Resource...

Wal-Mart Taps McMillon.(Doug McMillon)(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... Wal-Mart named Doug McMillon, the head of its Sam''s Club stores, to lead the merchandiser''s international division, whose own chief, Mike Duke, is set to succeed outgoing CEO Lee Scott. McMillon will oversee an international division of...

Backlash at the Gates.
January 26, 2009... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo When business was booming at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, there was strong support for longer hours at terminal gates. Now that cargo growth has slackened, terminal operators are finding that cutting...