Traffic World articles from June 2003

Traffic World archives from June 2003

Roadmap to peace?(trucking, railroad industries)
June 30, 2003... The trucking industry and the railroad industry called a truce of sorts on Capitol Hill last week. The truce in their ancient feud, which most likely dates back to the first commercial use of a motor truck almost a century ago, might be less...

Saving the Fourth of July: railroads act fast after federal turf war threatens fireworks deliveries, displays. (Up Front).
June 30, 2003... Did the railroads save Independence Day 2003? The association that represents those who put on fireworks shows in cities and towns around the country believes the rails had a lot to do with it after a dispute among three federal agencies...

'Harry Potter' disappears: thousands of copies of latest novel stolen from logistics firm's warehouse; sales outstrip supply.
June 30, 2003... In years to come, they may call it the Great Potter Caper, a crime worthy of Lord Voldemort himself. Thieves in England stole thousands of copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" just days before the book's launch June 21. The...

Roadmap to TEA-3: truckers, rails agree on 'continuation' of current laws on truck sizes, weights. (Washington).(Transportation Equity Act)
June 30, 2003... Trucking and railroad interests, in an attempt to put differences aside and jump-start highway reauthorization legislation, have agreed to maintain the status quo on truck size limits, the most contentious issue between the two modes. In...

'Gaping' security hole? Legislator proposes universal cargo screening on passenger planes as early as Nov. 27. (Washington).(Rep. Edward J. Markey)
June 30, 2003... Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., is tired of what he sees as the foot-dragging pace of the federal government as it ponders air cargo security measures. Markey, a member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, has introduced...

Grow up, buddy: Truckload Carriers Association rejected on pilot program for under-21 truck drivers. (Washington).
June 30, 2003... If you are 18 years old in this country, you can vote and you can serve in the armed forces but you cannot operate an 18-wheeler. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rejected a petition of the Truckload Carriers...

Changing priorities: global retailers' major challenge since 9/11 is ensuring security standards of foreign suppliers. (Logistics).
June 30, 2003... A retailer involved in counter-terrorism is "a spectacular change" from the pre-9/11 days when the focus was protecting supply chains from theft, said Alan Fletcher, manager of global operations and investigations for Target Corp. These days...

Compliance tools in demand. (Logistics).(supply-chain security requirements)
June 30, 2003... Shippers are looking to technology to help them comply with increasingly stringent supply-chain security requirements, as evidenced by a clutch of new orders for global trade solutions. Visual processing products specialist NVIDIA Corp....

Hong Kong-based TAL Apparel Ltd. (Briefs).(TradeCard Inc. system used)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Hong Kong-based TAL Apparel Ltd., the world's largest producer of dress shirts, is using TradeCard's web-based global trade transaction platform to manage its global trade business with multiple customers and suppliers. TradeCard Inc. is the...

EAN International. (Briefs).(name changing to GS1)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... EAN International, the global supply-chain information management standards body, is changing its name to GS1. The target date for the changeover is January 2004. EAN said the new name reflects its global reach, following its expansion in...

Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corp. (Briefs).(planned acquisition of Nordstrom Freighting Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corp., the Danbury, Conn.-based 3PL that specializes in outsourced logistics management services to process manufacturers, will acquire Nordstrom Freighting Corp., a freight forwarding company. Since its...

Houston-based 3PL. (Briefs).(new office in South Africa)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Houston-based 3PL Elite International Transportation is expanding its global presence with the opening of a new office in Fontainbleau, a suburb on the north side of Johannesburg, South Africa. The new office was opened to meet increased...

HeavenSpa. (Briefs).(Hires Ensenda Inc., local delivery company that services all of North America)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... HeavenSpa, the host for spa websites, has selected Ensenda Inc., a local delivery company that services all of North America, to provide express delivery of gift certificates and spa products to customers nationwide. HeavenSpa is a directory...

Purolator Courier Ltd. (Briefs).(Jointly forms Purolator Trade Solutions Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Purolator Courier Ltd., based in Mississauga, Ontario, and PBB Global Logistics Inc., of Fort Erie, Ontario, are creating a company to provide Purolator clients with customs brokerage services. Purolator is the first major Canadian-owned...

Supply-chain services group. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Supply-chain services group Exel has opened a 52,000-square-foot distribution and logistics center in Toronto. Operations began last month with the center housing domestic consumer and high-tech distribution accounts with responsibilities for...

Hershey Foods Corp. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Hershey Foods Corp. has selected Gateway Commerce Center in Madison County, Ill., as the site for its new 1.1 million-square-foot super-regional distribution center. The company projects that the $65 million facility will open in March 2004....

The U.S. District Court. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... The U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn., has ruled that approximately 4,000 additional potential class members may proceed with their claims against C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. for failing to pay them overtime payments as required by law,...

Global supply-chain group Exel. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Global supply-chain group Exel is to acquire Transbeynak, a regional supply-chain management business based in Turkey. Transbeynak provides supply-chain services to the pharmaceutical and health care markets. The acquisition is expected to...

Wait and see: PeopleSoft's board rejects Oracle offer; market waiting for shakeout. (Technology).(Industry Overview)
June 30, 2003... Whether enterprise resource planning software companies Oracle Corp. and PeopleSoft, or PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards & Co., or all three will merge remains to be seen. Most customers and analysts are adopting a "wait-and-see" attitude until...

OMI buys Supply Science: acquisition lets supply-chain software vendor combine RFID technology, stock-replenishment applications. (Technology).
June 30, 2003... Supply-chain software provider OMI International acquired Supply Science, a retail and forecasting software provider based in Boston and Tel Aviv. The deal closed June 12; terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Jim Meece, OMI's...

Carmack rolls in his grave. (Commentary).
June 30, 2003... If Sen. Edward W. Carmack, author of the Carmack Amendment in 1906, could see what Congress did to his landmark legislation in 1995, and how it is being interpreted and applied by the motor carrier and railroad industries to the disadvantage...

Northern exposure: Mexico's La Corona partners with 3PL CaseStack to expand market for its products in United States. (Distribution & Warehousing: 3PL Partners).
June 30, 2003... The largest producer of laundry detergent in Mexico is expanding by leaps and bounds in the United States. Eighty percent of Fabrica de Jabon La Corona S.A. de C.V.'s exports are to the United States, said Gunnar Hallgrimsson, manager of...

Facing changes: Yellow Transportation planning first operations change under new NMFA; targets regional, next-day markets. (Trucking).(Company Profile)
June 30, 2003... Yellow Transportation, in a sign of things to come from long-haul unionized LTL carriers, is planning a multiregion change of operations to reduce line-haul and handling costs while maintaining high service levels to regional shippers. ...

American Trucking Associations. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... The seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index published by the American Trucking Associations shows an increase to 153 (1993 as the base year equals 100), or 5.4 percent in April 2003 compared with March 2003. The unadjusted index increased 4.9...

Customers of Averitt Express. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Customers of Averitt Express, Cookeville, Tenn., now can access an online Shipper Center that provides new access to important shipping documents and valuable shipping information. Averitt's new online Shipper Center provides access to...

Schneider National. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Schneider National, North America's largest truckload carrier, is seeking $10 million from what it calls illegal assessments of its trailers in California. Schneider is asking a California Transportation Department administrative law judge...

Profits, profits, profits: announcement of record earnings leads to $1.52 drop in FedEx stock vis-a-vis $8 drop last year. (Air & Express).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Weeks after opening its new fiscal year by announcing buyout and early retirement plans, FedEx June 24 reported another year and fourth quarter of strong earnings. The Memphis-based company didn't double its fourth-quarter profit, as it did a...

Bad news, good news: 80 companies how hiring but research group says more pilot furloughs coming before outlook improves. (Air & Express).
June 30, 2003... An aviation employment research firm predicts there will be more pilot furloughs before the outlook improves. "Overall, I don't think it's peaked," Air Inc. President and Publisher Kit Darby said in an interview with Traffic World. "I wish I...

United Airlines Cargo Division. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... United Airlines Cargo Division has begun daily service between San Francisco International Airport and Seoul Incheon Airport. The service operates on Boeing 777 aircraft.

Menzies Aviation Group. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Menzies Aviation Group's Madrid Airport operation has received ISO-9000/2000 quality accreditation. Spanish quality certification agency AENOR examined Menzies Madrid operations before awarding the qualification.

Swiss Skies, a new Geneva, Switzerlandbased air transport company. (Briefs).
June 30, 2003... Swiss Skies, a new Geneva, Switzerlandbased air transport company, has formed a partnership with Atlanta-based World Airways. Swiss Skies will offer twice-weekly direct scheduled air service from Washington, D.C., to Kabul, Afghanistan via...

Reconsidering the U.S.: CP's plans for Delaware & Hudson operations to include new partner or sale by end of year. (Rail & Intermodal).
June 30, 2003... Canadian Pacific Railway is restructuring its Delaware & Hudson Railway subsidiary as a means of seeking "value creation" for the company. The D&H, which represents CP's northeastern U.S. operations, could be leased or sold by the end of the...

Florida East Coast Railway. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Florida East Coast Railway has named John C. Lucas vice president and general manager of intermodal, reporting directly to FECR President John D. McPherson. Lucas will be responsible for all sales, marketing, customer service and drayage...

Leaders are essential. (Commentary).
June 30, 2003... In 2001, I was at a meeting of logistics professionals where some controversial issues were being discussed. These important proposals portended significant changes for the organization. I walked away from the meeting a bit frustrated and...

Slow recovery: Iraq's Umm Qasr port reopens as security, dredging, commercial traffic gradually advance. (Maritime).
June 30, 2003... The Iraqi port of Umm Qasr is back in business, albeit with the help of a heavy military presence, as the country slowly rebuilds its freight routes. "The port was opened officially June 16 for commercial traffic," said Capt. Hakon Vik,...

Picking up steam. (Maritime).
June 30, 2003... Shipping companies are making significant headway on the security front but most are delaying the completion of plans until more stringent regulations are unveiled in the United States next month, according to a new study. Consulting...

All-water alternative: Panama Canal, major East Coast ports partner to promote 'all-water' supply chain from Asia. (Maritime).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Several East Coast ports will partner with the Panama Canal Authority to boost the amount of traffic flowing to the eastern United States from Asia through the canal. The Panama Canal Authority said June 17 that it will sign memorandums...

Lynden Air Freight Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Lynden Air Freight Inc. announced that Duryel Thomas has joined as Midwest regional manager at the company's Chicago-based regional office.

Landstar System Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Landstar System Inc. named Heather Keating, an agent sales coordinator at its Rockford, Ill., service center, and Tami Ellison, a support trainer in information services at its Jacksonville, Fla., service center, employees of the month of May.

CP Ships Ltd. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... CP Ships Ltd. appointed Jared Henry vice president of supply-chain security; in conjunction with his existing duties as vice president of customer service, based in Tampa, Fla.

Baan. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Baan, an enterprise application provider for industrial enterprises and part of Invensys plc, appointed Charley Powell vice president of worldwide indirect channel sales. Bill Gerrish was named vice president of North American channels.

Alaska Air Group. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Alaska Air Group announced that Chairman John F. Kelly has retired. William S. Ayer, president and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group and president, chairman and CEO of Alaska Airlines, succeeds Kelly. Ayer also assumes Kelly's...

AMSTED Industries. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... AMSTED Industries named Paul E Fischer vice president and chief financial officer; he will continue to serve as corporate operating officer for ASF-Keystone. Stephen Gregory was appointed senior vice president of finance.

Waterways Works. (People Watch).(John S. Doyle Jr., vice president )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Jones Walker announced that John S. Doyle Jr., vice president of government relations for Waterways Works!, has joined the firm's Washington, D.C., office as special counsel.

EGL Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... EGL Inc. announced the appointments of Milton Carroll and Dr. James C. Flagg to serve as directors of the company.

The American Association of Port Authorities. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... The American Association of Port Authorities appointed Maureen Ellis director of communications.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc announced the appointment of John Diet rich as vice president and general counsel.

TOTALogistix Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... TOTALogistix Inc. appointed Robert J Basso director of business development.

V3 Systems. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... V3 Systems announced the appointment of Scott Vanselous to the position of executive vice president of worldwide marketing and alliances.

PeopleNet Communications. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... PeopleNet Communications named Ron Konezny chief operating officer.

UAL Corp. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... UAL Corp. announced that Dipak C. Jam, dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, has joined its board of directors.

United Airlines. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... United Airlines appointed Jane Allen to the position of senior vice president of onboard services. Allen will be responsible for its flight attendant, food and beverage and duty-free operations worldwide.

Alaska Airlines. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Alaska Airlines named Thomas G. Romary vice president of marketing, and Stephen B. Jarvis staff vice president of e-commerce and distribution.

United Van Lines and its parent company UniGroup Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... United Van Lines and its parent company UniGroup Inc. elected nine agent representatives to its board of directors: Kathy Holman, Holman Moving Systems; Dave Harrison, Conlon Moving Systems; Darrell Home, Home Moving Systems; David Corrigan,...

Sunco Carriers Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Sunco Carriers Inc., a subsidiary of Watkins Associated Industries, announced the following appointments: John Whitfield, president; Hunt Berryman, vice chairman; Ron Williamson, vice president of sales and marketing; and Mark Stidham,...

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (People Watch).
June 30, 2003... Genesee & Wyoming Inc. appointed Adam B. Frankel senior vice president, general counsel and secretary.

P&O Nedlloyd Logistics (North America). (People Watch).
June 30, 2003... P&O Nedlloyd Logistics (North America) announced that Michael Vaccaro and Dominic Sun have joined as director of business development, Eastern region, and business development manager, Pacific Southwest, respectively.

Menlo Worldwide, a unit of CNF Inc., appointed Tom Doyle director and dean of the newly opened Menlo University. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Menlo Worldwide, a unit of CNF Inc., appointed Tom Doyle director and dean of the newly opened Menlo University. Darlene Ferguson was named director and global owner for the organization and leadership development.

The National Tank Truck Carriers Inc. (People Watch).(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... The National Tank Truck Carriers Inc. elected Jack E Schwerman, chief executive officer of Tankstar USA, chairman of its board. Harold Sumerford Sr., J&M Tank Lines, will chair the executive committee.

The Transportation Lawyers Association. (People Watch).
June 30, 2003... The Transportation Lawyers Association announced its newly elected officers: President Catherine A. Pawluch of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP; President-elect Kathleen Jeffries of Kathleen C. Jeffries; 1st Vice President Brian J. Smith of...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 30, 2003... Last week's People Watch column incorrectly identified Eric L. Zalud. Zalud has been a partner at the law firm of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff since 1994. He was recently named chair of the Trial Department. Pete Elliot was named...

DOE Diesel Price Index.(Illustration)
June 30, 2003... DOE Diesel Price Index (cents per gallon) National Average -- 142.3 June 23, 2003 REGION 1 142.9 REGION 2 140.1 REGION 3 136.5 REGION 4 144.8 REGION 5 * 156.3 * Includes Alaska and Hawaii. Regional...

Weekly Traffic of Major U.S. Railroads.(Illustration)
June 30, 2003... Weekly Traffic of Major U.S. Railroads for the week ending June 14, 2003 Traffic Originated Week 24 Ending June 14, 2003 ...

Calendar.
June 30, 2003... JUNE 30-July 2. HMT-608 Performance-Oriented Packaging (Dangerous Goods Advisory Council) Orlando, Fla (202) 289-4550 or www.dgac.org. JULY 7. HMT-115 Preparing Hazardous Materials for Transportation by Motor Vehicle, Recurrent...

The back page.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Toast to Carmack. Ever wondered who the heck Carmack was? Of course not, but we're going to tell you anyway. The congressman and senator who gave his name to the Carmack Amendment concerning carrier liability for damaged freight was a...

Tranny fever.(Yellow Corp. wins best in show at Transportation Marketing and Communications Association's Tranny Awards)(Editorial)
June 23, 2003... Down in the fever swamps of South Carolina, the Transportation Marketing & Communications Association's annual conference is wrapping up and the folks from Yellow Corp. are celebrating. Yellow's entry has won best in show at the...

Deflating profits: potential threat from deflation puts pressure on 3PLs, manufacturers to cut more costs from supply chains. (Up Front).
June 23, 2003... With inflation tamed, deflation is the hot economic issue. Will it suppress a recovery and drive the U.S. economy further downhill? Is it real or overrated? The debate was fueled by the release on June 13 of the Federal Reserve Board's...

Inside job: Yellow hit by $1 million-plus embezzlement in Overland Park home office claims scam. (Up Front).(Yellow Transportation)
June 23, 2003... Yellow Transportation, the nation's second-largest LTL carrier, has suffered thefts of more than $1 million by two clerks working in cargo claims, Yellow Corp. CFO Don Barger has confirmed. It is one of the largest known scams to hit the...

Gas tax axe: Mineta says Bush won't accept higher fuel taxes; Young challenges administration to find alternative. (Washington).(Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Congressman Don Young)
June 23, 2003... In a rare speech focusing on freight, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta told an audience at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that the Bush administration is committed to passing a six-year highway bill this year and is unequivocally opposed...

Security payout: second round of Homeland Security port grants, OSC funds top $300 million. (Washington).(Operation Safe Commerce)
June 23, 2003... The Department of Homeland Security has named recipients for $245 million worth of federal port and maritime security grants. The department also announced an additional $58 million in Operation Safe Commerce money it is distributing. The...

Mainstreaming freight: DOT's Shane helps freight get more attention, says rejecting SAFETEA would be 'tragic mistake'. (Washington).(Jeffrey N. Shane, Safe and Flexible Transportation Efficiency Act of 2003)
June 23, 2003... Last month Congress balked at the Bush administration's version of the surface transportation reauthorization package, calling the administration's $247 billion funding level inadequate to meet the nation's growing transportation needs....

Bottom line leaders: study documents importance of supply-chain performance to market cap growth. (Logistics).
June 23, 2003... Supply-chain winners tend to be stock market winners too, according to a new report. That is not news for companies such as Wal-Mart and Dell, but the work provides some empirical evidence of the link and sheds light on how the leaders apply...

Silicon Graphics. (Briefs).(UPS Supply Chain Solutions wins contract)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Silicon Graphics, the company that provides high-performance computing, visualization and storage solutions, has selected Atlanta-based UPS Supply Chain Solutions as its 3PL for service parts logistics in Asia and Latin America. UPS Supply...

Pacer International. (Briefs).(long-term debt refinancing)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Pacer International said it has completed the refinancing of its existing long-term debt. The Concord, Calif.-based logistics and transportation provider said it has entered into a new senior credit facility with a syndicate of financial...

Caterpillar Logistics Services. (Briefs).(joint venture with LSH Logistics Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Caterpillar Logistics Services, Morton, Ill., has entered into a strategic venture to market and provide a wide range of logistics services to China and other Asian markets. The third-party logistics provider signed a joint venture agreement...

GAC Logistics. (Briefs).(new offices in South Africa)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... GAC Logistics, the global supply-chain services provider, has established three new logistics offices in South Africa. The offices, in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, provide freight forwarding and warehousing services. GAC has been...

The new edition of "Who's Who in Logistics?" is available from Stoughton, Wis.-based supply-chain consultants Armstrong & Associates Inc. (Briefs).
June 23, 2003... The new edition of "Who's Who in Logistics?" is available from Stoughton, Wis.-based supply-chain consultants Armstrong & Associates Inc. The two-volume edition includes detailed profiles, industry summary information and two research papers....

Pegasus Logistics Group. (Briefs).(new business unit formed)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Pegasus Logistics Group has created its first industry-focused business unit, based at the company's new sales office in Atlanta. The high-tech industry unit will be headed by Barry Stephens, a 20-year veteran of the high-tech industry.

Panalpina. (Briefs).(regional management structure revision)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Panalpina, a global forwarding and logistics group headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is revising its regional management structure in the Americas. Panalpina is dividing the Americas into two separate regions, North America--Canada and the...

Houston-based third-party logistics provider Elite International Transportation has unveiled a new corporate brand and is implementing a new product naming convention. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Houston-based third-party logistics provider Elite International Transportation has unveiled a new corporate brand and is implementing a new product naming convention. The company is also adopting the name of its parent company, Elite Group...

Ryder System Inc. (Briefs).(contract from Vecta)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Ryder System Inc., the Miami-based logistics and transportation group, has been awarded a multiyear, multimillion-dollar transportation management contract with Vecta, a wholly owned subsidiary of office furniture manufacturer Steelcase Inc....

Mixed message. (E-Strategies).(reverse online auctions)
June 23, 2003... Reverse online auctions offer a less hostile buying environment than they did a few years ago, but as a recent survey in the materials handling industry underlines, buyers seem more amenable to the concept than sellers. The online survey...

Strike and parry: Oracle ups bid offer in hostile takeover attempt; PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards fight back. (Technology).
June 23, 2003... Last week Oracle Corp., the third-largest enterprise resource planning software vendor after SAP AG and PeopleSoft, upped its offer in a hostile takeover bid for rival company PeopleSoft to approximately $6.3 billion in cash. The initial...

Heads up: J.D. Edwards wraps up user conference with more attendees, product enhancements. (Technology).
June 23, 2003... Despite lawsuits and mergers, the show must go on. J.D. Edwards & Co. recently wrapped up its annual user group conference, Quest Global User Conference 2003, while its merger with PeopleSoft remains up in the air because of the possible...