Traffic World articles from July 2008

Traffic World archives from July 2008

'No Stampede' on Rate Cases.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... A railroad industry analyst says he does not expect "a stampede" of rate cases against railroads after the Surface Transportation Board handed shipper DuPont a key victory in a closely watched "small shipper" case against CSX. "More small...

NAFTA Trade Reaches Record.(North American Free Trade Agreement )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Surface trade with Canada and Mexico reached $74.3 billion in April, the highest monthly level ever recorded, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. ...

Maersk Trims Capacity to Save Fuel.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Maersk Line on Monday announced it will temporarily suspend one of its Asia-Europe services in early July in a bid to control operating costs in the face of rising fuel bills. The world's largest ocean container...

Jordan, Canada Join C-TPAT.(Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Customs and Border Protection on Saturday signed mutual recognition agreements with customs administrations in Jordan and Canada during the World Customs Organization annual council meeting in Brussels. The agreements signify that the two...

Factory Business Expanded in June.(Survey)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Manufacturing activity expanded slightly in June after four months of contraction, according to a survey of supply executives. Production and inventories grew while new orders and employment still...

Exel Earns Smartway Partnership.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Exel Transportation Services, an operating unit of Exel and a Deutsche Post World Net company, earned a SmartWay Partner designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The SmartWay Transport...

Duke Builds Green DC in Texas.(distribution center )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Duke Realty will build a 750,000 square foot "green" distribution center in Waco, Texas, for Caterpillar's stock and emergency parts operation serving regional dealers in three states. Duke will use recyclable...

ABX Parent to Redeploy Aircraft.(Air Transport Services Group)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Air Transport Services Group, formerly ABX Holding, plans to step up efforts to find customers other than its largest one, DHL, and to redeploy its aircraft among them. The company hosted a conference call...

Fifteen Employers Nationwide Receive Top Honor for Guard and Reserve Support.
July 1, 2008... Department of Defense Announces 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Recipients ARLINGTON, VA -The Department of Defense has announced the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award recipients.  The...

Schneider Recruits Veterans.(Schneider National Inc.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Schneider National is recruiting veterans to drive trucks. In an approach to the driver shortage that also rewards veterans for their service, the truckload and logistics services company launched a program in concert with the U.S....

Postal Service Realigns.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher In a move to take advantage of recent changes in the law, the United States Postal Service is realigning its services to take a more competitive position in the shipping market. USPS will group all major...

Highway Construction Costs Spike.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The price of iron and steel scrap rocketed 93 percent above last year's level in May due to booming international demand. The out of control surge pushed the average cost of all highway construction materials 15...

K+N Signs with Airbus.(Kuehne & Nagel International AG contract with Airbus S.A.S.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Swiss forwarder Kuehne + Nagel won a six year contract with a unit of European aircraft consortium Airbus that will extend the logistics provider's presence into the French and United Kingdom aviation logistics...

Logistics Booms in China.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Despite slowing demand for its goods and creeping inflation in labor costs, China's logistics industry grew 26.2 percent in 2007, to nearly $250 billion. China's logistics industry accounted for 17.6 percent of...

DHL, Airbus Sign Agreement.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Express and logistics company DHL inked a five year deal to become the lead transportation provider for Europe's Airbus. DHL will implement its transportation system, optimization program and fourth-party...

International Air Freight Growth Stalls.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher An earthquake in China and weakness in the economy of Japan led causes of a serious slowdown in international air freight growth in May, according to a report from the International Air Transport Association. ...

CMP Information reorganised into four independent media and information services businesses.
July 2, 2008... New market-focused businesses to leverage UBM global resources and infrastructure July 2, 2008 -- United Business Media Limited today announced that it will reorganise its CMP Information division (CMPi) into four market-focused...

Orders, Shipments Increased in May.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Orders and shipments of manufactured goods got a boost in May from nondurable goods, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall shipments gained less than one percent but nondurable goods, led by...

RoadLink Buys American Freight.(American Freight System Inc.)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Intermodal service provider RoadLink made its third purchase in the intermodal transportation segment with its acquisition of Vancouver, Wash.-based American Freight Systems for an undisclosed sum. Pacific...

Russian Optimism Grows.
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Robert W. Moorman Russia's growing importance in the global air cargo market will help lead the industry out of the doldrums over the next several years. So said Denis Ilyin, senior vice president for strategy and commercial for...

Truckload Carrier Names Presidents.(U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc.)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... U.S. Xpress Enterprises this week named new presidents for its main truckload operators, U.S. Xpress and Arnold Transportation. The Tennessee-based company, which was taken private last year in a management buyout by co-chairmen Patrick...

Auto Sales Drop.
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher America's top three automakers saw sales dive in June as record fuel prices discouraged buyers. Sales at General Motors, still by a nose the largest retailer of automobiles in the United States, fell 19...

West Coast Labor Talks Pass Deadline.(International Longshore and Warehouse Union)(Pacific Maritime Association)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Cargo-handling operations at West Coast ports are expected to remain normal on Wednesday even though longshoremen are working without a contract. Negotiators for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union...

RailAmerica Names Top Rail Team.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd RailAmerica, the short line holding company that is owned by private equity firm Fortress Investment Group, unveiled a restructured senior management team that will oversee the Florida East Coast Railway as well as...

ProLogis Leases in Dallas.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Dallas again demonstrated its strategic position in North American distribution networks as commercial real estate developer ProLogis announced three leases totaling 500,000 square feet in the centrally located...

MOL Americas President Steps Down.(Osamu Suzuki)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... On Wednesday MOL (America) announced that it had appointed Noboru Kitazawa as its new president, chairman and chief executive, effective June 24. He replaces Osamu Suzuki, who is retiring after a three-year term in that position. ...

DHS Report Urges ACE Changes.(Department of Homeland Security)(Automated Commercial Environment)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General gave Customs and Border Protection high marks for protecting the data collected by the Automated Commercial Environment, but said more should be...

BNSF Restores Flooded Tracks.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher BNSF is beginning work to restore tracks in the Midwest following the recent floods. The main lines between Chicago and Kansas City via Fort Madison, Iowa, and Marceline, Mo., and via Quincy, Ill., were open...

Alliance Signs with Va. Ports.
July 2, 2008... The Virginia Port Authority announced that its operating company, Virginia International Terminals Inc. has signed the CKYHU alliance to a 10-year contract valued at more than $500 million. The consortium composed of five carriers was...

NWA Cargo to Hike Surcharges.(Northwest Airlines Cargo Inc.)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher NWA Cargo will raise fuel surcharges effective July 15. The airline cited soaring jet fuel costs as the cause. The average price of jet fuel at New York harbor in April was $3.5555 per gallon. In May, it was...

Landstar Global Logistics Names FFE Transportation 'Specialized Carrier of the Year'.
July 2, 2008... DALLAS, July 2, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- FFE Transportation Services, Inc. ("FFE") announced today that at last week's annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Landstar Global Logistics, Inc. named FFE as its 2007 "Specialized Carrier of the...

Employers Press ILWU for Extension.(International Longshore and Warehouse Union )
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Waterfront employers on Wednesday said the refusal by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to extend the previous contract while negotiations continue on a new pact sends the wrong...

Lautenberg Introduces HMT Exemption Bill.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach In an effort to promote the development of short-sea shipping, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., has introduced a bill to exempt international shipping on the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway from the harbor...

West Coast Port Volumes Rise.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Buoyed by a 17-percent increase in containerized exports in May, West Coast ports turned the corner and are showing a slight gain in cargo volumes for the year. West Coast ports in the...

TSA, WTSA Hike Surcharges.(Transpacific Stabilization Agreement )(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Bunker fuel surcharges are going up substantially on the eastbound and westbound trans-Pacific container trades. The 15-member Transpacific Stabilization Agreement disclosed that effective Aug. 1, container...

Agility Acquires CF Geologistics.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Agility acquired all of the Danish company CF Geologistics. The Copenhagen-based forwarder customizes air and ocean freight services for the chemical, pharmaceutical and technological industries. Its staff...

Roads, Bridges Reopen as Floods Recede.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Flood waters along the Mississippi River began to recede far enough to allow roads and rails to reopen Wednesday and Thursday. Bridges at Quincy, Ill., and Louisiana, Mo., were scheduled to reopen on...

Ports of Indiana Makes Name Official.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher As of July 1, the Ports of Indiana are legally what they've been for years commercially: the Ports of Indiana. Legislation to change the organization's name from the Indiana Port Commission to the more...

Evans Network Agents Gather in the Nation's Capital for Trucking Seminar and Awards Ceremony.
July 3, 2008... More than 70 Evans Network agents from across the U.S. attended to sharpen their skills and understanding in the trucking industry WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2, 2008) - "Fuel costs have almost tripled since 2004 and will most likely continue to...

OH Logistics Receives Recognition for Global Marketing Campaign.(Ozburn-Hessey Logistics )
July 3, 2008... 3PL Recognized in Industry and Local Awards Ceremonies Brentwood, Tenn. (July 2, 2008) - Ozburn-Hessey Logistics was recently awarded twice for their global brand awareness initiative, a marketing effort positioning the 3PL as an...

Five Air Cargo Firms Fail.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Five air cargo firms either sought bankruptcy protection or went completely out of business in the month of June. The skyrocketing cost of jet fuel and the slowing U.S. economy are taking a toll. Greensboro,...

Oil Records Keep Coming.(Brief article)
July 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher For the fourth time in seven days, crude oil futures broke a record Wednesday, selling at $143.57 per barrel at the close of trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In after hours trading, it went even...

Jet Fumes.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Paul Page Shippers, truckers and others facing skyrocketing fuel costs this year may soothe the pain with at least one unassailable positive amid all the grim reports about energy prices - at least they are not in the airline...

Questions and Answers with Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.(dialogue with Mary E. Peters )(Interview)
July 7, 2008... Like many secretaries of transportation, Mary E. Peters has found her ambitions for government actions sidetracked by events far outside the department''s control. But in her nearly two years on the job, Peters has displayed a clear and...

Potholes in Road Privatization.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter There are some potholes in the push for highway privatization and they''re in one of the leading examples of the transportation financing plans. Some two years after the highly trumpeted privatization deal that...

Trucks Get an Ear.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Those who want to increase the maximum truck weight say they have studies and a convergence of rising fuel costs and increasing highway congestion to make their case. Next week they will have something else - a...

Ruane Sees Shift from ''Cold War'' to ''Road War''.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Road building advocate Peter Ruane last month hailed a plan to spend $570 billion on new highways and bridges over the next seven years. There''s just one catch: that $570 billion will be spent not in the United States, but in Russia. ...

Shippers Taking Stock.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Shippers are keeping a hawk''s eye on their inventory levels as soaring fuel prices and a faltering U.S. economy challenge established distribution networks and supply chain management practices. By just about...

Formula for Fees.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Dow Chemical''s answer to its ballooning transportation and manufacturing costs may prompt some customers to question whether they can get their products somewhere else. Dow hiked the price of its materials and...

ProLogis Waltzes In.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... ProLogis will open its first distribution facilities in Austria early in 2009, moving the commercial real estate developer farther into growing markets in Central and Eastern Europe. "We have been investigating the country''s property...

LaCrosse Changing Its Footprint.(LaCrosse Footwear Inc.)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Commercial real estate developer ProLogis will team with Indianapolis-based builder Browning Investments to produce a 380,000 square foot build-to-suit distribution facility for LaCrosse Footwear. LaCrosse will consolidate two existing...

Where''s the Peak?
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Can a peak still be called a peak if it''s flat? That''s the new question facing shippers and carriers alike in a world where declining freight volumes and accelerating fuel price increases are deflating...

Autos Stalling Out.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher The haul-away carriers serving the automotive and heavy truck industries are going through a major overhaul of their own in an attempt to get a fresh start at a stalling market. JHT Holdings, the largest hauler...

Michigan Trucker Folds Up.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Midwestern regional LTL carrier Alvan Motor Freight ceased operations June 28, becoming the second significant trucking company to shut down in as many months because of a faltering domestic economy and soaring fuel...

ODFL Tonnage Grows.
July 7, 2008... Old Dominion Freight Line says tonnage in the second quarter grew 9 to 10 percent over last year and that pricing in the troubled trucking market appears to have stabilized. Speaking at a Wachovia Securities investment conference on freight...

RoadLink Buys in Canada.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... RoadLink USA bought Montreal-based CP Ships Trucking from container line Hapag-Lloyd as RoadLink continues to bolt assets onto an intermodal network already generating $500 million in revenue. RoadLink, which provides drayage and other...

Scanning Distant Peaks.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd This is the time of year when intermodal container traffic from Asia to the West Coast normally ramps up toward the autumn peak season. But the 2008 summer rush is suffering from weak traffic flows and a darkening...

Funds Claim Four CSX Seats.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Eastern U.S. railroad CSX and two dissident hedge funds continue their efforts to win friends and influence people, after a showdown board vote in which CSX closed the tally and the funds claimed they won four of the...

STB Orders CSX to Pay Back Dupont.(Surface Transportation Board)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... In a key ruling, the Surface Transportation Board said CSX Transportation is charging "unreasonably high" rates to chemical shipper Dupont, and ordered the railroad to both cut its charges on the specified shipments and pay the company...

Justice by Air.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey The rogue''s gallery of airlines to plea-bargain their way out from under the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust investigation more than doubled with the total fine amount topping the $1 billion mark. Five more...

Teamsters Taking Freight Flight.
July 7, 2008... The Teamsters union is pressing its efforts in the air and expedited freight industry with a ratification of a national DHL contract, stepped-up organizing efforts at Atlas Air and Polar Air and a strong showing of support at the DHL Wilmington...

ABX Freighter Burns.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fire that burned an ABX Air 767 freighter operating out of San Francisco for DHL. The aircraft was fully loaded and parked at San Francisco International Airport the night of June...

U.S., Brazil in Air Accord.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... A new air services treaty between the United States and Brazil will allow cargo flights to nearly double within two years and eliminate restrictions on the number of airlines that can serve the key north-south trading corridor. "This...

Running on Empties.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo U.S. exporters have plenty of customers. What they need are containers. Export demand is growing by 20 percent a year, but shippers are losing sales because they have to wait three weeks or more for ocean...

Tacoma Drops Multimodal Center.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Dibenedetto The Port of Tacoma is abandoning a plan to build an inland rail-truck logistics and distribution center that was aimed at improving freight capacity in the Pacific Northwest. Citing a weak economy and slumping...

New Short-Sea Barge Service in Texas.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... New Short-Sea Barge Service in Texas Richardson Marine and Schaefer Stevedoring will launch an express barge service linking Houston and Brownsville, Texas, early next month. The dedicated short-sea service will call at Houston and...

Maersk to Hike Export Rates.(Maersk Line)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Maersk Line will hike general rates from $200 to $400 per TEU July 1 on exports of containerized and reefer cargo from North America to northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The world''s largest container carrier said the...

Kirby Remains Above Water.
July 7, 2008... Inland waterways specialist Kirby says its earnings will not be hurt by Dow Chemical''s decision to cut back production and shipping. Kirby confirmed its second quarter and full year guidance despite the Dow actions and the massive...

New Orleans Cargo Down.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... General cargo at the Port of New Orleans fell 26 percent in the first four months of 2008, and container traffic was nearly flat. A national decline in steel exports has brought volume near its lowest point since 1991. If the rest of the...

People.
July 7, 2008... Polar Air Cargo promoted Ellen Murphy to sales manager for the U.S. Midwest region and Canada at the freighter airline. She has experience in freight forwarding and as an account executive, and has worked at Pan Am and United Cargo. She also is...

Carrier Diverts Shipment, Bills For It.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: We ship rail carloads of a raw material from the U.S. West Coast to a major Midwestern center for diversion. On the shipment in question the railroad waybill shows the destination of the major center. It...

The Back Page.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Appreciated. It''s never too early to prepare for Truck Driver Appreciation Week, coming up Aug. 24. This year''s top-rated gift for shippers to show truck drivers that they really care is an auxiliary power unit. The No. 2 gift is a backhaul...

July 7, 2008.(Truck Driver Appreciation Week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Appreciated. It's never too early to prepare for Truck Driver Appreciation Week, coming up Aug. 24. This year's top-rated gift for shippers to show truck drivers that they really care is an auxiliary power unit. The No. 2 gift is a backhaul...

Carrier Diverts Shipment, Bills For It.(West Coast to the major center)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q:We ship rail carloads of a raw material from the U.S. West Coast to a major Midwestern center for diversion. On the shipment in question the railroad waybill shows the destination of the major center. It was...

Q & A with Mary Peters.(secretaries of transportation)(Interview)
July 7, 2008... Like many secretaries of transportation, Mary E. Peters has found her ambitions for government actions sidetracked by events far outside the department's control. But in her nearly two years on the job, Peters has displayed a clear and...

Where's the Peak?(increase in fuel prices are deflating shippers)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Can a peak still be called a peak if it's flat? That's the new question facing shippers and carriers alike in a world where declining freight volumes and accelerating fuel price increases are deflating shippers'...

Build-A-Bear Builds a Network.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher HA Logistics will manage outbound transportation and distribution for Build-A-Bear Workshop. The toymaker and retailer signed an initial two-year contract with the Pleasanton, Calif.-based supply chain...

ProLogis Sells Italian Facility.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Commercial real estate developer ProLogis usually makes news for buying properties, but a deal in Italy demonstrates why the company sometimes sells property, too. ProLogis sold Zibido DC1, a 137,700 square foot...

ABX Threatened Before Fire.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Cargo airline ABX Air received a threat against its planes less than a week before one of the carrier's freighters was damaged in a fire at the San Francisco International Airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The...

Arbonne Canada Opens DC.(distribution center)(Arbonne International)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Arbonne International, a manufacturer and distributor of personal care and skin care products, opened a second Canadian distribution center and training facility near Calgary, Alberta. The company, which...

Kalitta Plane Crashes in Colombia.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher A Kalitta Air cargo plane crashed into a house Monday in Colombia. Initial reports say two occupants of the house near the town of Madrid were killed on impact. However, eight crewmembers survived and were...

Air Freighter Crashes in Mexico.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of a USA Jet freighter in Mexico on Sunday that killed the pilot and seriously injured the co-pilot. The DC-9 cargo plane crashed while on approach to land at the Ramos...

Amerer Air Acquires BAE 146 Freighter.(acquisitions )(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Robert W. Moorman Amerer Air, a privately held Austrian all-cargo carrier, is the first customer for the re-launched BAE Systems Regional Aircraft 146 Quiet Trader freighter program, ordering one Series 200. The four-engine jet...

ILWU, PMA Take Holiday Break.(International Longshore and Warehouse Union)(Pacific Maritime Association)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Negotiating committees for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association were caucusing separately Thursday morning and planned to take a break over the...