Traffic World articles from June 2008

Traffic World archives from June 2008

Assets Based.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Paul Page The one-stop shop, if it ever really existed, looked to be closed for repairs last week. It was big in the 1990s, when expanding global supply chains, increasingly complicated logistics needs and growing transportation...

DHL Restructures Delivery.(Company overview)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey A Deutsche Post World Net "radical and decisive" plan to keep its beleaguered DHL Express network running in the United States with the help of a competitor promises to reshape the domestic delivery landscape even as...

UPS Eyes $10 Billion Boost.(United Parcel Service of America Inc. contract with DHL Express)
June 2, 2008... DHL''s solution to its express problems in the United States will create a bonanza for UPS. Although a contract between the carriers was not negotiated before DHL announced its restructuring, UPS said it anticipates getting up to $1...

Fuel Pleas Taking Off.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter The trucking industry is being joined by its counterparts in the sky in its quest for more government action to lower fuel prices. The Air Transport Association, contending with $176 a barrel jet fuel, is asking the...

Taking on Testing.
June 2, 2008... A federal report that found loopholes in the way the Department of Transportation conducts drug testing got major support on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers vowed to address the faulty system of drug testing for truck drivers and other commercial...

ATA Loses Highway Watch.(American Trucking Associations)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... After awarding $63 million in no-bid contracts to the American Trucking Associations, the Department of Homeland Security decided not to give them this year''s Trucking Security Program grant. Instead, HMS Enterprises, an Alexandria-based...

A Freight ''Safety Valve''.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A Southern regional planning commission hopes to build a "safety valve" route that would connect interstates 55 and 40 between Batesville, Miss., and Brinkley, Ark. Citing the devastation to roads caused by Hurricane Katrina, as well as...

Multitasking with RFID.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are pioneering a new system for testing radio frequency identification devices that could help the technology hasten its penetration into dramatically busier...

Regulation Revisits Recalls.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman The scandals involving tainted children''s toys and contaminated foods last summer may be touching other supply chains in coming months and years. Experts say the impact will be from new regulatory and...

Company Denies Being 3PL, Changes Name.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but a supply chain software company should be careful that its name doesn''t make customers think it''s a third-party logistics provider. Coppell, Texas-based Blue Sky Logistics changed its...

Fishing for Distribution.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Kansas City''s growing reputation as an inland logistics hub helped lure Pure Fishing, a maker of fishing tackle, rods and reels, to consolidate its distribution operations at Missouri''s KC SmartPort development. "The Kansas City facility...

Lone Star Logistics.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: David Biederman The North American Free Trade Agreement has brought widespread economic benefits to Texas, and something less welcome - chronic congestion on the Lone Star state''s 79,649-mile highway system, the largest in the...

Jevic Employees Sue.(cases )
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Jevic Transportation may have ceased picking up freight for its customers, but a group of employees that suddenly found themselves out of work when the LTL shut down May 19 say it must still deliver their pay. A...

Estes Pushes International.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Estes Express Lines is looking to pack more cross-border punch by bolstering its international service to better compete with the nation''s biggest LTLs. Estes, already a top-10 LTL that did close to $1.5 billion...

Freight Codes Online.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... The National Motor Freight Traffic Association released an online version of the Standard Carrier Alpha Code Directory, a list of codes used to identify carriers and transportation documents such as bills of lading. What differentiates...

Truck Tonnage Down in April.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Truck tonnage decreased 1.1 percent in April, according to the American Trucking Associations'' monthly for-hire tonnage index. Year over year, the seasonally adjusted index was 2 percent higher compared with April 2007, the sixth...

Melton Joins SmartWay.(Melton Truck Lines )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Melton Truck Lines recently joined the Environmental Protection Agency''s SmartWay program to help increase fuel efficiency and cut pollution. The Tulsa, Okla.-based flat bed carrier said it recently created a fuel conservation department...

NS Takes Bold, Short Steps.(Norfolk Southern Corp.)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd In a pair of bold marketing moves, Norfolk Southern Railway is attempting to remake rail operations for key segments along its northern tier. NS and Pan Am Railways agreed to launch to a joint venture rail...

Carlyle Buys Into Intermodal Operator.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Private equity firm Carlyle Group took a majority stake in intermodal facilities operator ITS Technologies & Logistics, the second move in a year by Carlyle into rail services firms. Carlyle said it bought the ITS...

China Express Pearl.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey With a new current of economic trading shifting the balance in Asia, air and expedited freight companies are looking at China as the best place to drop anchor. UPS is making such a move by relocating its...

Northwest Drops Guangzhou Freighter.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Last year, U.S. airlines were lining up for rights to add Chinese routes in the wake of a new air agreement between the United States and China. Now, skyrocketing fuel prices, a weak U.S. dollar and concerns about over-capacity are pushing...

Screening for the Future.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey It''s increasingly a foregone conclusion these days that tougher requirements will push still more domestic air freight away from passenger aircraft. The big question for forwarders and carriers is, where will the...

Kalitta Freighter Crashes.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Investigators were trying to determine the cause of a crash of a Kalitta Air freighter that split apart while attempting to take off from the Brussels airport May 25. The 747-100 aircraft, under charter to DHL and on its way to Bahrain,...

L.A. Charges Up Trucks.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo It sounds like a dream come true for Southern California ports - a zero-emission, heavy-duty electric truck that can shuttle containers within marine terminals and, more important, between the harbor and nearby...

PierPass Fees Defended.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The traffic mitigation fees PierPass collects are critical elements in the strategy to relieve congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, according to the president of the organization. In a...

Seattle, BNSF In Pact.(Port of Seattle contract with BNSF Railway )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... The Port of Seattle is set to enter the rail business later this year under an agreement the port signed this month with BNSF Railway and King County. Under the $107 million deal, the port will acquire a 42-mile rail corridor from BNSF for...

Intermarine to Charter New Heavy-Lift Ships.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Intermarine, the managing agent of Industrial Maritime Carriers, concluded agreements for the long-term charter of eight new vessels for heavy-lift cargo. Andre Gritikis, president of Intermarine, said that demand for higher-capacity...

People.
June 2, 2008... Veteran Department of Transportation senior official Jeffrey N. Shane rejoined the Hogan & Hartson law firm after resigning from DOT earlier this year under secretary for policy. Shane, who was at the firm from 1994 to 2001, will be a member of...

A Thorough Assessment of Brokers.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: Like many companies, we do a pretty thorough job of vetting out asset based motor carriers, both before using their services under contract and periodically on a set schedule through the course of the contract...

The Back Page.
June 2, 2008... Flagged. Like many mariners, we''re just back from celebrating National Maritime Day last May 22. That''s where we all try to keep up with Jones Act. Cutbacks. There was a shocking case in Harrisburg, Pa., when a pilot and flight attendant...

June 2, 2008.(briefs)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Flagged. Like many mariners, we're just back from celebrating National Maritime Day last May 22. That's where we all try to keep up with Jones Act. Cutbacks. There was a shocking case in Harrisburg, Pa., when a pilot and flight attendant...

A Thorough Assessment of Brokers.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: Like many companies, we do a pretty thorough job of vetting out asset based motor carriers, both before using their services under contract and periodically on a set schedule through the course of the contract...

DHL Restructures Delivery.(Company overview)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Michael Fabey A Deutsche Post World Net "radical and decisive" plan to keep its beleaguered DHL Express network running in the United States with the help of a competitor promises to  reshape the domestic delivery landscape...

U.S. Mandates Export E-Filing.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson WASHINGTON -- The long-awaited Census Bureau Foreign Trade Regulations will be published in the Federal Register on Monday. The regulations will require the electronic filing of export documents, and allow data...

Manufacturing Declines in May.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Manufacturing activity contracted for the fourth consecutive month in May, according to a survey of supply executives. New orders, employment and inventories all contracted; supplier deliveries slowed; but...

Customs to Focus on Exports.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach NEW YORK -- The United States and the governments of some of its major trading partners are slowly working toward developing mutual recognition of their trade security procedures. To facilitate mutual...

DOT Audits Maritime Security Program.(Department of Transportation)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson The Department of Transportation inspector general's office launched an audit of the Maritime Security Program. In a memorandum to Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton, Rebecca Leng, assistant inspector...

NYK Shuts Panama Units.(Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), Japan's largest shipping line by group sales, has decided to dissolve four of its wholly-owned vessel-owning subsidiaries in Panama. At a board meeting on Thursday, NYK Line decided to dissolve...

Maersk Sets Export Rate Hikes.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach Maersk Line on Friday announced it has filed general rate increases that will take effect July 1 on exports of containerized and reefer cargo from North America to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle...

UPS Pilots Support ABX/Astar Pilots.(United Parcel Service of America Inc. contract with DHL Express)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher As UPS negotiates terms of an agreement to take over flying duties for DHL, pilots' unions are concerned about the consequences for their members. The Independent Pilots Association and the Air Line Pilots...

DOT Seeks Congestion Plans.(Department of Transportation)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The U.S. Department of Transportation is requesting proposals for projects to end traffic tie ups at some of the nation's most congested border crossings. The Department will select at least two projects each...

Wincanton Buys British Defense Firm.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Wincanton planted its flag in the United Kingdom's defense and logistics sector with its $53 million purchase of Product Support Holdings. The buyout brings Wincanton new industrial customers such as Honeywell,...

FedEx Drops Kinko's Name.(FedEx Office)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher FedEx will drop the Kinko's name from its document and business services centers and rebrand them as FedEx Office. The strategic move comes with an $891 million one-time, non-cash impairment charge...

Choice Logistics Selected By Credence Systems As Exclusive Service Parts Supply Chain Partner.(contract)
June 2, 2008... NEW YORK - June 2, 2008 - Choice Logistics, the global leader in highly optimized, flexible, mission-critical service parts logistics systems, has been selected by Credence Systems Corporation, a global provider of automated test equipment for...

U.S., Kenya Sign Open-Skies Pact.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The United States and Kenya on Monday signed an Open-Skies agreement, which is the first aviation accord between the two countries.  The agreement, reached after two days of negotiations in Washington,...

Genesee & Wyoming Completes Acquisition.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Genesee & Wyoming on Monday completed its acquisition of CAGY Industries The international short line operator paid approximately $78.4 million in cash for the parent company of three Southeastern short line...

PTS Files for Bankruptcy.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Car hauler Performance Transportation Services last week filed for 1113-E relief in bankruptcy court and requested the court approve a 15 percent wage cut for its approximately 1,300 employees. The filing...

UPS Freight Extends Guarantee.(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher UPS Freight is expanding the performance guarantee it started in January to include freight moving between the U.S. and Canada. The guarantee promises that customers can request a waiver of their freight charges...

Carlton Takes NITL Office.(Bruce J. Carlton appointed at National Industrial Transportation League)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Bruce J. Carlton formally took the reins of the National Industrial Transportation League, assuming the post leading the nation's largest shipper group after a career in government. Carlton, a former senior staffer at the Maritime...

U.S. Xpress Completes Purchase.
June 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Xpress Global Systems, a subsidiary of truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Enterprises, on Monday completed the acquisition of Pinner Transportation. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Pinner is a...

China Southern Proposes Joint Venture.
June 3, 2008... China Southern Airlines on June 2 entered into a framework agreement with Air Bleu for a proposed joint domestic and international air cargo venture. Following the extension of a sales and marketing agreement between Lufthansa Cargo and...

Shippers Oppose Tank Car Rules.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... A major chemical shippers group came out against key elements of a proposed new federal rule to improve the safety of rail cars carrying hazardous materials. The National Association of Chemical Distributors said a proposal to limit the...

GM to Close 4 Plants.
June 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Falling demand for pickup trucks and SUVs brought General Motors to the decision to close four factories in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Calling a market shift to smaller vehicles permanent because...

Cummins Lays Off 125, Promotes Executives.
June 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher While Cummins is promoting two executives at the top management level, the Columbus, Ind.-based diesel engine maker also plans temporary layoffs at one of its factories. In the wake of an announcement that...

Factory Orders Grow in April.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... New orders for U.S. factories rose 1.1 percent in April and shipments of finished goods rose 2.2 percent, the sharpest gain in shipments in nearly a year-and-a-half, the Commerce Department said. The latest government report suggested...

Asia-Australia Lines Hike Fees.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... The Asia Australia Discussion Agreement announced a further hike in its bunker surcharge due to continuing increases in global fuel prices. Effective June 13, the surcharge for shipments from China and Hong Kong to various ports in...

ATG Picks Ozburn-Hessey for Fulfillment.(Art Technology Group contract with OH Logistics )(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Art Technology Group selected OH Logistics to complement its e-commerce platform and software business with global supply chain management and fulfillment. The two companies expect to increase merchants'...

Airlines Fuel Spending Soared.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... U.S. airlines spent 49 percent more for jet fuel in the first quarter and 54.5 percent more in March, compared with a year earlier. The sharp growth in fuel costs in the first quarter came before jet fuel prices grew some 75 percent in...

Manufacturers Fight Emissions Bill.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... U.S. manufacturers joined transportation groups Tuesday in opposing the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, saying the sweeping environmental legislation would drive up energy prices and cost some 4 million jobs. The National...

Warehouse Market Grows 7.7 Percent.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Driven by changing logistics strategies and value-added services, commercial warehousing in the United States grew 7.7 percent in the United States last year and now makes up a $37.5 billion market, according to a new report. The report by...

Lufthansa Pushes Toward Paperless.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Lufthansa Cargo will lead industry efforts to bring e-freight to Germany by the end of the year. The International Air Transport Association appointed Lufthansa Cargo the leading cargo carrier and named...

Agility to Buy Cosa Freight.(acquisitions)(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Kuwait based logistics provider Agility said it will buy Cosa Freight, an ocean freight forwarder with six offices in China, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition further extends Agility's network and range of...

Senate Bill Expands Truck Weight Limit.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Legislation introduced in the Senate would allow trucks weighing as much as 100,000 pounds to travel federal highways whenever diesel prices reach or exceed $3.50 a gallon. "The rapidly growing price of diesel is...

Truckers Praise Oil Initiatives.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher The American Trucking Associations commended the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for taking steps to increase transparency in the energy futures market amid skyrocketing diesel fuel prices weighing heavily...

Bombardier Profit Multiplied.(financial news)(Financial report)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Train and aircraft manufacturer Bombardier increased its net income in the first quarter 186 percent on revenue that grew 21 percent. For the first quarter ended April 30, net income reached $226 million,...

Accenture Completes Acquisition.(AddVal Technology acquired with Accenture Ltd.,)(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Accenture on Tuesday completed its acquisition of the business of AddVal Technology. Cupertino, Calif.-based AddVal is a privately owned provider of end-to-end shipment-management products and services to...

Congress Amends SAFETEA-LU.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Democratic leaders in the House say a bill making "technical corrections" to the 2005 highway reauthorization bill sent to President Bush's desk Tuesday will create tens of thousands of construction jobs and help repair...

Roadcheck 2008 Launched.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The three-day Roadcheck 2008 got under way Tuesday as thousands of federal, state, provincial and local inspectors began conducting Standard Level I Inspections of trucks and buses across North America at more...

Airport Handler Launches Surcharge.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... Airport ground services company Swissport broke new ground in the fuel surcharge arena Wednesday, announcing its first-ever added charges to cover the company's rising energy costs. The surcharge makes Swissport the first ground handler of...

China Bank Confident in U.S. Economy.
June 4, 2008... The People's Bank of China expressed confidence in the resilience of the United States economy, and dismissed as "exaggeration" warnings of a sharp decline in Chinese exports. "A drastic decline in export growth will not come in the short...

Long Beach Ready for Clean Trucks.
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Port of Long Beach in early July will launch its motor carrier concession program, which is the key element of the clean-trucks strategy that will reduce diesel pollution from trucks by 80...

Short-Sea Links Houston, Brownsville.(Brownsville Barge Express Service)(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... Richardson Marine, in conjunction with Schaefer Stevedoring, announced the launching of its Houston-Brownsville Barge Express Service, to commence in early July. The dedicated short-sea service will call Houston and Brownsville every 14...

NS Train Derails.(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... A Norfolk Southern train derailed Tuesday evening in western Illinois, putting 31 cars off the tracks. No injuries were reported, but several freight trains are backed up waiting for crews to clear the track. Some trains are being rerouted....

STAR & FedEx Join Forces in Airlifting Relief Supplies to Sichuan.
June 4, 2008... 31 tonnes of necessities donated by STAR, Nissin Foods, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Hong Kong and Continental Supplies reach earthquake survivors HONG KONG, June 4, 2008 - STAR, Asia's leading media and entertainment company, and FedEx Express,...

Fiat Group Brazil Honors Ryder as a 2007 Top Supplier.(Ryder System Inc.)
June 4, 2008... MIAMI, June 3, 2008 - Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a global leader in supply chain, warehousing and transportation management solutions, today announced it was honored as a top supplier with the "2007 Qualitas Award" by Fiat Group Brazil, a...

Connell Bros. Expands into Global Logistics Management on GT Nexus Portal.(Connell Brothers Company Ltd. contract with GT Nexus)
June 4, 2008... Specialty chemical distributor using on-demand platform to procure, execute, monitor and audit containerized freight services, across all ocean carriers Oakland, CA June 4, 2008 - GT Nexus today announced that Connell Bros. Company (CBC)...

Concerned Lawmakers Meet DHL.(DHL Express)(Brief article)
June 4, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Ohio's state senators and several members of the state's congressional delegation plan to meet with executives from DHL Express and ABX in an effort to get the ailing express carrier to reverse course in its decision to...

UTi Profit Slips.(UTi Worldwide Inc. financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Profit was down in the first quarter for forwarder UTi Worldwide as net revenue grew far more slowly than gross revenue. Air and ocean forwarding, brokerage, logistics and distribution activities generated...

Dynamex Sales, Profits Climb.(financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Dynamex increased sales and profits 9 percent in the most recent quarter on the strength of the Canadian dollar and income from fuel surcharges. The same-day delivery and logistics provider in the United...

U.S. Airlines Drop Capacity.
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Two of the largest airlines in the United States will dramatically reduce the size of their fleets and staffs in the coming year. United Airlines said Wednesday it would remove 100 planes from its mainline...

Watco Gets Fitzgerald Shops.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd Watco, the Pittsburg, Kan.-based private operator of short-line railroads and related companies, has added the equipment shop business of Fitzgerald Railcar Services. The new Watco property offers railcar repair...

Wincanton Standardizes with Manhattan.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Wincanton picked a software platform from Manhattan Associates to standardize its European logistics infrastructure. The 3PL will use Manhattan's warehouse management system across 15 sites in the Czech...

TWIC Could Squeeze Port Trucking.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: William Armbruster SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Less than 1 percent of applicants for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential have been disqualified, but a government official said reluctance by illegal immigrants and people with...

Crude Price Tumbles to $122.30.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The price of crude oil on the futures market slipped $2.01 Wednesday to $122.30 per barrel. The price has fallen more than $11 per barrel since closing at a record $133.17 two weeks ago on the New York...