Traffic World articles from June 2007

Traffic World archives from June 2007

Unlocking Value.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Paul Page While the railroads have been looking for new capital from some familiar sources in Washington, they''re finding capital coming from new directions. Unfortunately, they''re also finding it comes with strings attached. ...

Midwestern Rail Needs Public-Private Partnership.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Keith J. Bucklew The rail system increasingly is not meeting the needs of the nation, and especially the Midwest. Six Class I railroads converge in Chicago, resulting in a chokepoint that keeps rail freight from being timely, safe...

Is Railroad Service an Investment?
June 4, 2007... A dance of sorts took place under the crystal chandeliers and gilded ceiling of Washington''s Mayflower Hotel ballroom. Rail executives swept shippers onto the floor for an investment tax credit tango, but they gave investors the cold shoulder,...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 4, 2007... The reference to Pacer International earnings in the May 28, 2007 special report on intermodal operations (p. 16), should have said Pacer reported first-quarter net income of $7.8 million, down 44 percent from a year earlier. Copyright...

Pushing to Privatize.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John Gallagher With support from Wall Street firmly in tow, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell took to his case for privatizing the money-strapped Pennsylvania Turnpike to an increasingly skeptical Congress. Rendell told the House...

China Welcomes Freighters.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Ian Putzger The trickle can turn into a full-blown stampede. U.S. airlines, which have had to compete for every slot that became available under the China-U.S. aviation bilateral agreement over the past few years, stand to gain...

Dynamic Duo.(mergers of CEVA Logistics and EGL Inc.)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Paul Page Officials at CEVA Logistics, moving to complete their hard-won acquisition of EGL, say they will keep the Houston-based freight forwarder as a separate operation in what will become a sprawling worldwide logistics...

Thinking Global, Locally.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman Perhaps it''s not a small world after all. Although companies of all types claim global supply chains, the global supply chain organization may be more hype than reality. That''s the conclusion researchers at...

GLAC Buys Clark Group.(Global Logistics Acquisition Corp.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Global Logistics Acquisition Corp., which last year raised almost $90 million on the American Stock Exchange to buy transportation and logistics companies, spent a big chunk of its cache to buy The Clark Group, a privately held supply chain...

From Silos to Warehouses.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: David Biederman Midwest cities that once were pillars of a heavy manufacturing economy have turned for growth, and jobs, to newer industries such as biotechnology, life sciences and renewable fuels. Now, many are adding logistics...

Corn-Fed Expansion.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... One of the most iconic images of the Midwest is fields of corn - acres and acres of it. With ethanol demand growing rapidly, it''s only natural that the nation''s heartland is providing a lot of the grain for production. According to the...

The Allen Group focuses on logistics park growth.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... The Allen Group, one the nation''s fastest-growing privately held commercial development firms, specializes in the development of high-end industrial, office, retail and mixed-use properties throughout the United States. The company''s major...

A Hit in the Short Haul.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John Gallagher The battle for regional freight is heating up as truckload carriers shorten their reach and leave smaller carriers more vulnerable in a shrinking market. Retailers looking to gauge the right amount of inventory...

YRC: Not for Sale.(overview of YRC Worldwide)(Company overview)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John Gallagher The "for sale" sign apparently is not on LTL giant YRC Worldwide''s front lawn - at least not yet. YRC Worldwide received a healthy financial boost from Wall Street after YRC Chairman, President and CEO Bill...

Detroit Ranks as Top U.S. Truck Port.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Trucks carried $116 billion in trade across the U.S.-Canada border crossing linking Detroit with Windsor, Ontario, in 2006, making Detroit the No. 1 truck port in the country, a government report says. Detroit was the gateway for $64...

E-Filing Starts in Michigan, New York.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Customs and Border Protection said electronic manifest filing is now mandatory for trucks at ports of entry in Michigan and New York. As with other border crossings, Customs officials will start a 60-day period of "informed compliance" to...

Boxed and Battered.(reports of Intermodal Association of North America about trends in Intermodal transportation)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Tough competition from increasingly shipper-friendly truck pricing, and a cooling container import market, are hitting rail''s intermodal sector even as a contraction in housing and auto building cuts the number of...

CP Shakes Off Strike.(Canadian Pacific)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd As the second major Canadian rail strike of 2007 entered its third week, there was little evidence that it had disrupted rail traffic and supply chains north of the U.S. border. The impact of a track workers''...

CP Banking on Tar Sands.(Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd When it comes to building traffic, Canadian Pacific Railway has its head in the sands - the tar sands of Alberta. CP is looking to pull more loads out of the heavy-oil tar sands fields, President and CEO Fred Green...

Irreconcilable Differences.(contracts between United Parcel Service of America Inc. and Dell Inc.)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman Like a celebrity breakup, there was lots of speculation about what happened, who came out better and who might be moving on already. But doubtless, UPS''s loss of Dell''s small package delivery business in the...

Booking''s Slow Upload.(usage of GF-X technology by Panalpina Group)
June 4, 2007... An early investor in one of the air cargo industry''s leading technology names is casting doubt on the future of the business. Panalpina President Monika Ribar offered the stark view of the Global Freight Exchange, more commonly known as...

UPS Rounds World.(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... UPS says its new daily "around the world" flight will nearly triple the number of weekly freighter operations it uses to circle the globe. The MD-11 freighter flights starting in July with operate through Singapore and connect to the main...

DHL Consolidates in Atlanta.(DHL Express)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... While most of the attention at DHL in the United States is being focused on its express operations, the forwarding business is ramping up, consolidating expanding operations in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. DHL Global Forwarding moved its two...

Rising Tide of Imports.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall With the U.S. economy undeniably slowing, is a drop in import volume in sight? West Coast ports have seen two uncharacteristically slow months this spring - containerized imports at the Port of Los Angeles...

An End to Immunity?(laws of International Air Transport Association)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto The maritime industry''s liner operator agreements will soon lose their remaining antitrust immunity, the former head of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement predicts. Liner agreements "have three years max...

Grand Alliance Expands East Coast Services.(Hapag-Lloyd AG, Nippon Yusen KK, Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. eyes East Coast)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Three Grand Alliance carriers - Hapag-Lloyd, NYK Line and OOCL - will launch two new all-water services from Asia to the East Coast via the Panama Canal this month. One service will connect the East Coast with ports in North and Central...

AIG Acquires MTC Holdings.(American International Group acquires Marine Terminals Corp.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Insurance giant American International Group is expanding its reach in maritime trade with its purchase last month of Marine Terminals, one of the largest independent terminal operators in the U.S. The sale follows AIG''s agreement last...

Zim Profits Sank in 2006.(Zim Israel Navigation Company Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Israeli shipping line Zim Integrated Shipping Services saw profits drop 57 percent in 2006 despite a slight increase in revenue as lower pricing sliced into net income. Zim reported net income of $80 million in 2006, down from $187 million...

People.
June 4, 2007... The National Tank Truck Carriers elected Liquid Transport President Lanny Wilhelm chairman of the group at the NTTC''s annual meeting in Las Vegas. Wilhelm is a past chairman of the Indiana Motor Truck Association who also was vice chairman of...

Are Bill of Lading Changes Legal?(customer relations of brokers)(Interview)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: Can a carrier change a signed bill of lading after the load has been delivered? I know what you have said about using brokers and listing them as the carrier on a bill of lading, but that is how we have...

The Back Page.(Morgan Stanley)(Bill Graves employee of American Trucking Associations uses Chevrolet Impala)(Postal Service and United Parcel Service of America Inc. and FedEx Express)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Studied. We hear that Morgan Stanley determined that leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike to investors is likely to generate the most money to repair roads and avert drastic public transit cuts. Also, foxes determined that chickens kept in coops...

June 4, 2007.
June 4, 2007... Studied. We hear that Morgan Stanley determined that leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike to investors is likely to generate the most money to repair roads and avert drastic public transit cuts. Also, foxes determined that chickens kept in coops...

Are Bill of Lading Changes Legal?
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: Can a carrier change a signed bill of lading after the load has been delivered? I know what you have said about using brokers and listing them as the carrier on a bill of lading, but that is how we have ours...

Midwestern Rail Needs Public-Private Partnership.(Column)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Keith J. Bucklew The rail system increasingly is not meeting the needs of the nation, and especially the Midwest. Six Class I railroads converge in Chicago, resulting in a chokepoint that keeps rail freight from being timely, safe...

Is Railroad Service an Investment?
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd A dance of sorts took place under the crystal chandeliers and gilded ceiling of Washington's Mayflower Hotel ballroom. Rail executives swept shippers onto the floor for an investment tax credit tango, but they gave...

CEVA Losses Mount in 1Q.(CEVA group)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Higher interest costs nearly doubled losses at CEVA group in the first quarter as it focused on acquiring EGL for $2 billion and becoming the fourth largest logistics company in the world. The former TNT...

FedEx Drivers Join Teamsters.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher A group of FedEx Home Delivery drivers, formerly classified as contractors, voted to join the Teamsters Union in Connecticut. The voting was held on May 11, but the twenty-one votes were not counted until June...

Diesel Drops 1.8 Cent to $2.799.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher As the price of crude oil futures slid down $2 per barrel and eased back up to just 12 cents less than a week earlier, the average retail price of diesel dropped 1.8 cent per gallon to $2.799, as of June 4,...

University Offers Air Cargo Certificate.(Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Robert W. Moorman Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, known for educating aerospace engineers and future professional pilots, is now offering an international air cargo management certificate program online. The program of 23...

UP to Monitor Crossings with Cameras.(Union Pacific Railroad Co.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The City of Grand Prairie, Texas, in cooperation with Union Pacific Railroad introduced June 1 the first railroad crossing photo enforcement system in Texas. At the 11 crossings in the town, the camera...

Genesee & Wyoming Names Top Executives.(promotions of John C. Hellmann and Mortimer B. Fuller III)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Short line and regional freight railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming promoted two top executives, effective June 1. President John C. Hellmann assumed the position of chief executive officer from Mortimer B....

Shipping Executive Urges Global Cooperation.(opinions of Ron Widdows)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Inadequate transportation infrastructure and congestion could slow economic growth and dramatically alter sourcing strategies in the next few years, said a shipping executive at an international conference of...

Trimac Closes Logex Deal.(mergers of Trimac Equipment Leasing and Logistics Express Inc. )(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: John Gallagher Trimac Equipment Leasing finalized the asset purchase of Orange, Calif.-based Logistics Express Inc., an industrial gas carrier. The buyer, a subsidiary of Alberta, Canada-based bulk commodity carrier Trimac,...

Shipments Slowed in April.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Growth in new orders for the manufacture of durable goods was slower in April than in the previous month, and shipments of nondurable goods declined, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. New orders for all...

Schenker Links Asia, Europe, U.S.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Schenker launched this week a round-trip flight connecting Dubai with Germany and the United States that is closely linked to an intermodal logistics service on main routes between Asia and Europe. The first...

CP Traffic Moves During Strike.(Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Courtney Tower OTTAWA -- As a strike by Canadian Pacific Railway track maintenance workers entered its third week, shipping executives said rail cars and containers continue to move freely along Canada's second-largest railroad,...

Box Charter Rates Climb.
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard LONDON -- Container ship charter rates are climbing strongly as carriers compete for a dwindling number of vessels to bolster fleets struggling to keep pace with double-digit cargo growth on main international liner...

Manufacturing Expanded in May.(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May to its best condition in the last twelve months, according to a monthly report from supply executives.  New orders and production led the...

SBA Helps Big Businesses, Too.(Small Business Administration)
June 4, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher An advocate for the commercial software industry secured the cooperation of the federal government in getting its warning out to small businesses to help protect copyrighted software. The Business Software...

Commonwealth Business Media Announces Major Restructure of Its OAG Business.
June 5, 2007... Global Focus on Customer Sectors Integration of BACK Aviation's Specialist Knowledge & Experience EAST WINDSOR, N.J., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Commonwealth Business Media (CBM), the leading information provider to the global trade and...

Averitt Puts SkyBitz to Work.(Averitt Express Inc.)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Averitt Express, a provider of freight transportation headquartered in Cookeville, Tenn., selected the Global Locating System trailer tracking technology from SkyBitz for its truckload fleet. If things work out with the first 4,000...

IKEA to Open Savannah DC.(IKEA International A/S)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... IKEA, the world's largest home furnishings retailer, will open a distribution center in Savannah, Ga., on June 27. The facility will serve as a regional hub for Texas and the Southeastern United States. This month, IKEA expects to receive...

Supreme Court to Hear FedEx Case.(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The Supreme Court said Monday that it will consider the right of a group of workers to sue FedEx for age discrimination. A group of 14 FedEx employees filed suit in April 2002 alleging discrimination. ...

Airlines Say Profits Growing.(International Air Transport Association )(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... The International Air Transport Association is doubling its forecast for airline industry profitability this year but the head of the group says the $5 billion projected profit is "peanuts" compared to what the industry needs. The improved...

Kuehne & Nagel Acquires Mexican Broker.(Romero and McNally Brokers )(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Forwarder Kuehne & Nagel has acquired Romero and McNally Brokers to increase its brokerage network to four facilities along the U.S.-Mexican border. No financial details were disclosed. The Swiss company said the June 1 acquisition of...

Japan Plans Deepest Box Terminal.(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Hisane Masaki Japan's deepest container terminal will be constructed at the Port of Yokohama adjacent to Tokyo, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Tuesday. The ministry's Kanto Regional Development...

UN Chief Backs Panama Plan.(Ban Ki-moon )(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week underscored his support for the planned expansion of the Panama Canal during a visit to the Central American country. Ki-moon toured the Miraflores Locks with Panamanian President...

Celadon Acquires Air Road.(Air Road Express)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Celadon purchased this week the truckload business as well as many of the tractors and trailers of Air Road Express. Air Road will continue to operate its less-than-truckload business independently. Celadon...

Ports Expect Aug. Box Record.(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Although retail containers have been moving at well below their year-ago level for the last several months, U.S. ports expect traffic to pick up steam in the summer and break records in August, according to a...

Grand Power Buys BSI.(Grand Power Express International acquires BSI Logistics)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Grand Power Express International, a growing Hong Kong forwarder, acquired a 51 percent stake in BSI Logistics. The other 49 percent is in the hands of Centervision International. BSI adds support and access...

Pacer Searches for CFO.(chief financial officer)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Intermodal service provider Pacer International said it hired a search firm to help find a replacement for retiring Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Larry Yarberry. Pacer said in a June 4 filing...

Savi to Track China-U.S. Cargo.(Savi Networks)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher In a partnership with the Shanghai International Port Group and the Georgia Ports Authority, Savi Networks plans to launch an RFID-based network that will automatically track the location and security of...

KCS Seeks RRIF Loan.(Kansas City Southern Railway Co.)(Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Kansas City Southern Railway is asking the Federal Railroad Administration to lend it $100 million under a low-interest credit program for track improvements. If approved, that would match the second-largest...

AirAsia to Boost Cargo Revenue.(Leisure Cargo)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Malaysian airline AirAsia expects to increase its cargo business dramatically in the next fiscal year through a contract with Germany-based air cargo provider Leisure Cargo. Under the terms of a two-year...

FedEx Kinko's Partners with Adobe.
June 6, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher FedEx Kinko's, an operating company of FedEx Corp., on June 6 launched a collaboration with Adobe Systems, makers of Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat software.  Both of the software applications will...

Logistics Spending Up 11.1 Percent.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... BYLINE: Paul Page Logistics spending for U.S. businesses jumped 11.1 percent to a record $1.305 billion in 2006, pushing the cost of logistics as a share of the national economy to its highest level in six years, according to the latest...

Carlyle Takes Major Piece of RMI.(mergers of Carlyle Group L.P. and RMI Co.)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd In another move by a private equity firm into a freight transportation-related enterprise, The Carlyle Group said it took a majority stake in RMI, a provider of rail information technology services. Atlanta-based...

Traffic World Names Natter.(Ari Natter appointed as associate editor)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Ari Natter, a journalist with experience in Washington and at daily newspapers in Maryland, has joined Traffic World as associate editor for government and regulatory affairs. Natter comes to Traffic World from the Carroll County Times,...

Air India to Launch Cargo Operations.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Air India plans to launch cargo operations on June 15 with two freighters flying to Frankfurt and Paris. As more aircraft enter service and more destinations are added, the carrier expects to generate cargo...

GTS Named as a Top Supplier for Sears Holdings Corporation.
June 6, 2007... Sears Recognizes Top Suppliers as "Partners In Progress" June 6, 2007 -GTS, a 3PD company, was one of the select companies to receive top honors at the Sears Holdings' 2006 Partners in Progress awards held June 5 at Sears Holdings...

John C. Emery Jr. Dies at 82.(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... John C. Emery Jr. is remembered in the air freight business as a major architect of expansion in the industry, a man who built the forwarding business that his father created into a dominant force in air shipping in the United States. That is,...

CP, Teamsters Reach Accord.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Canada's second-largest railroad, Canadian Pacific, and striking track workers reached a tentative contract agreement early on June 6, clearing the way for 3,200 railbed maintenance workers to return to their jobs...

AA Cargo Down in May.
June 6, 2007... American Airlines cargo traffic fell 2.6 percent in May in a fresh sign of weakness in the U.S. air freight industry. American's weak May left the largest cargo carrier among the U.S. passenger airlines down 0.3 percent in cargo in the...

Pirated Goods Topped $200B.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Counterfeit goods surpassed $200 billion in value worldwide in 2005, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has estimated in a new report. The 30-member OECD released the details of an...

Agility Wins $2.8B Iraq Option.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency on Tuesday announced it will continue to use Agility Defense & Government Services to provide food and other products for U.S. forces in Iraq. Agility, formerly PWC Logistics, was awarded the one-year...

Dynamex Increased Sales, Profit.(revenue report )(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Dynamex, a provider of same-day delivery and logistics services in the United States and Canada, had a strong quarter that allowed a stock repurchase and investment in electronic tracking equipment to improve...

CEVA Group Cut Loss in 2006.(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman Posting its first full-year fiscal report since its acquisition by private equity firm Apollo Management, CEVA Group reported 2006 gross revenue up 4 percent, to $4.72 billion, over 2005, while more than halving its...

UTi Revenue Surges.(UTi Worldwide Inc. revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman On the cusp of its next five-year plan, UTi Worldwide reported first quarter net revenues up 24 percent, to $336 million, from $271.6 million a year ago, and gross revenue up 22 percent, to $944.7 million. ...

Hub to Acquire Interdom Assets.(Interdom Partners)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman Hub Group, a major provider of intermodal services, is paying about $26 million in up-front cash to buy the assets of Interdom Partners, which markets 20- and 40-foot container moves. Interdom has 50 employees...

Menlo Worldwide Buys Cougar Express.(Cougar Holdings)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Menlo Worldwide, the contract logistics subsidiary of Con-way, added to its growing presence in Asia this week with the purchase of Cougar Holdings and Cougar Express Logistics. The $33.9 million deal...

Schneider Logistics Named Supplier of the Year by PolyOne.
June 7, 2007... Schneider Logistics, Inc., a leading international logistics provider and part of the Schneider National enterprise, has been named 2006 Supplier of the Year by PolyOne Corp., a leading global supplier of specialized polymer materials, services...

Savi Names CEO.(Savi Technology Inc. promoted Ron Nakamoto)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: William Hoffman Radio frequency identification systems provider Savi Technology promoted its COO, Ron Nakamoto, to the CEO's office. Nakamoto's appointment as CEO could help Savi in its efforts to win contracts with the...

Club Car, Inc. Honors Ryder as a 2006 Supplier of the Year.(Company overview)
June 7, 2007... MIAMI, June 6, 2007- Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a global leader in transportation and supply chain management solutions, announced today it was honored by Club Car, Inc., a division of Ingersoll Rand, with its "Supplier Performance...

Rail Decline Deepened in May.(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down even more sharply during May than in the previous four months. The monthly numbers reported June 7 by the Association of American Railraods were more negative than the...