Traffic World articles from May 2005

Traffic World archives from May 2005

Accretions.(Yellow Roadway Corp.`s conference)(Editorial)
May 2, 2005... Because of its high capital costs, the transportation industry is closely tied to the Wall Street. Whether public or private, operators of the expensive assets that shippers depend on are inexorably linked to the fund managers and equity...

The United Transportation Union.(union alleges Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. of agreement violations)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... The United Transportation Union struck portions of BNSF Railway April 27, alleging violations of a work assignment agreement. The UTU asked a federal district court in Minneapolis to order BNSF to return to the status quo under the agreement....

Despite $35 million in derailment.(Norfolk Southern Corp. posts increased profits)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Despite $35 million in derailment costs, Norfolk Southern increased profits 23 percent over last year in the first quarter, buoyed by strong gains in volume and revenue. NS saw net income of $194 million, including $35 million in pretax...

Autos stall.(Ford Motor Co.'s sales declines)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... An aggressive plan to streamline its supply chain didn't help the sagging fortunes at Ford Motor in the first quarter. A poor financial report came as those who depend on the company's auto sales, from parts suppliers to transport carriers,...

With just a week until Mother's Day, have carriers thanked their shippers for all that volume?(flower shipments boost sales)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Shippers and logistics providers love mothers. After all, mothers are behind a boost in business and profits in May. Special events such as Mother's Day boost business for flower shippers in particular. Hellmann Perishable Logistics said...

Big trucks and time warps.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2005... Michael Regan seems to be living in some sort of time warp when he writes about rancor between railroads and trucks as he did in the April 4 Traffic World. The recent story is of railroad and truck cooperation, both in service to customers...

Little regard for big trucks.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2005... In regards to Michael Regan's April 4 column ("They Just Hate Trucks"), I always ask people their thoughts on this, and to a man (person) they will comment on how much they hate big trucks, some quite vehemently. This is not to say that folks...

Fuel surcharges.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2005... Regarding your March 28 editorial concerning fuel surcharges ("Re-Regulating"), I believe that you are not as in touch with the trucking industry as you let on. If you go back and check the trucking rates from the mid- to late 1980s, then check...

Hazmat's oncoming hazards: efforts to restrict hazardous materials are advancing and that has shippers, and some operators, seeking alternatives.(Cover Story)
May 2, 2005... The fight over the hazmat rail ban is just one tussle in a much broader battle reshaping hazmat transportation. Jim Blaze never expected shipping hazardous materials to become a constitutional issue. But with a local fight to keep CSX...

Maroun'ed in Detroit: delays at privately owned Ambassador Bridge threaten to slow down U.S., Canadian economies.(trucking delays at border that leads to diesel wastage effects economy)
May 2, 2005... Trucks idling at the Canadian border waiting to roll across Detroit's Ambassador Bridge aren't just wasting diesel--they're burning dollars that could fuel the U.S. economy. Border delays cost the U.S. economy $471,461 per hour, the Ontario...

OOIDA adds D.C. capacity: surcharge win puts expansion in spotlight; trucker group ramps up lobbying effort.(Government & Regulation)(Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association of America)
May 2, 2005... After sitting by quietly in new Washington offices for more than a year, trucking owner-operators burst into the legislative fast lane with an unlikely victory during this spring's highway bill debate. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers...

Multiplying pricing choices: distributors balance fixed costs, risks, declining volumes with 'variable' pricing strategies.(Logistics & Technology)
May 2, 2005... The shipper drive to lower distribution costs is reverberating through the pharmaceutical industry's wholesaler-distributor world, where intermediaries are responding to cost-cutting strategies with some new pricing strategies of their own. ...

Savi, Hutchison in RFID venture: technology provider, port developer team to deploy RFID systems at 39 port facilities worldwide.(Logistics & Technology)(Savi Technology Inc., Hutchison Port Holdings Ltd.)
May 2, 2005... A joint venture pairing a leading RFID provider and one of the world's largest port developers and operators could be a watershed for RFID development in the supply chain. Savi Technology and Hutchison Port Holdings will invest $50 million...

Low bridge, big load: three railroads clear unprecedented logistics hurdles to move massive electrical transformer.(Logistics & Technology)(Interstate)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... It took more than two months and three railroads for an energy company to overcome what it called unprecedented logistics hurdles and move a 161-kilovolt transformer 700 miles to from Texas to Iowa. Interstate, a subsidiary of Alliant...

TNT wins rail parts business.(Logistics & Technology)(TNT Logistics Corp., RailEurope Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... State-owned French railway SNCF outsourced spare parts logistics to TNT Logistics under a six-year contract starting in 2006. TNT Logistics France will operate a 484,000-square-foot warehouse near Paris containing SNCF inventory...

UPS takes returns at drop-boxes.(Logistics & Technology)(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... UPS said it would start accepting Ground Authorized Return Service packages at its 40,000 drop-box locations. The service is part of an expanded focus on reverse logistics in the consumer retail trade arena. "More than ever, returns are a...

DHL invest in Bremen facilities.(Logistics & Technology)(DHL Airways Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... DHL is investing $130 million on a new-parcel center, high-rack warehouse and renovations at its Bremen, Germany, logistics facilities. DHL cited long-term growth needs of its Bremen client, consumer goods and consumables retailer Tchibo,...

Pasha processes GM cars for China.(Logistics & Technology)(General Motors Corp., Pasha Group Co.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Automotive logistics specialist The Pasha Group will provide processing services for General Motors' shipments of Cadillac CTS and SRX models to Shanghai. "Our key objective is to earn a long-term partnership with GM by demonstrating...

Ryder system opens RFID lab.(Logistics & Technology)(Ryder System Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Ryder Systems stepped up its efforts to help shippers use RFIO by opening a radio frequency identification lab in Texas to try out systems for customers. Ryder said the lab will test RFID vendor hardware and software, tag placement...

Supply chains shift fuels regional LTLs: shippers' distribution demands redraw LTL map, give five super regionals biggest market share.(less-than-truckload)
May 2, 2005... Shippers and consignees want goods delivered fast, on time and are shipping them shorter distances. After the financial markets closed April 7, regional less-than-truckload carrier USF announced its first quarter earnings would be...

Increased truck productivity: the only answer.(Special Report: REGIONAL TRUCKING)
May 2, 2005... The trucking industry is in a tight spot. Costs continue to rise amid a crisis in driver recruitment and retention. The industry understands that it must pay higher wages and improve the position and opportunity of the truck driver, but...

Yellow roadway reshaping USF: acquisition target stumbles in core LTL regions, executives eye changes, synergies after merger.(Transportation: Trucking)
May 2, 2005... The new USF under the Yellow Roadway umbrella appears to be taking shape even as the company struggles with some of its longtime problems. Surveying a slide in revenue and even an unexpected hit to its anchor USF Holland Midwest regional...

Stotlar to Lead a growing CNF.(Transportation: Trucking)(Douglas W. Stotlar)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Douglas W. Stotlar's promotion as CEO and president of CNF gives the company long-sought stability at the top as the transport operator presses expansion in its thriving Con-Way Transportation Services business. Stotlar, 44, takes over the...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 2, 2005... A pie chart in April 18 had the wrong percentages for the distribution of USF business. Here is the correct share of the delivery times at USF. USF, Next-Day Three Days 9% Other 8% Next-Day 54% Two Days 29% ...

Shifting to the logistics lane: an asset-based 3PL with a truckload heritage, Cardinal rides the line between trucking, logistics.(Cardinal Logistics Management names as Cardinal Logistics Management Corp.)
May 2, 2005... Cardinal Logistics Management is not a trucking company. Really. But in its home state of North Carolina, the logistics provider still is known as Cardinal Freight Carriers. To end the confusion, the company is formally changing its...

Hunt, swift on a roll.(J.B. Hunt, Swift Transportation Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... The nation's two largest truckload carriers reported strong gains in earnings in the first quarter despite signs from other carriers that demand was slackening during the period. J.B. Hunt said its $47 million net profit, 44 percent ahead...

Stuck in 'death valley'? California truckers claim harder hit from fuel prices, see long-haul truckers plucking state's freight.(Transportation: Trucking)
May 2, 2005... California trucking companies say diesel fuel prices rising far higher than the national average are putting them at a dramatic disadvantage against carriers from other states. Saying prices at the pump are nearly 35 cents more expensive in...

Rail capacity phaseout: move out of rail-trailer business could further constrict fall peak shipping options.(Transportation: Rail & Intermodal)
May 2, 2005... The rail industry's decision to exit the trailer market could leave thousands of trailers stranded, scaling back shippers' options during a busy period that could top last year's peak season. With capacity already squeezed, some shippers...

Waiting out congestion: no mountain pass for BNSF, UP maintenance glitches cited as cause of western delays.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway)
May 2, 2005... A line of BNSF Railway trains backed up in Southern California due to a maintenance outage is felt as far away as Chicago, an example of how a snag in the rail system can reverberate across the country when capacity is stretched to its limits....

STB sees more rail competition, not more coal.(Transportation: Rail & Indermodal)
May 2, 2005... Bringing more rails to coal fields won't necessarily result in increased coal production or pollution, says the Surface Transportation Board. The STB predicts the proposed Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern rail extension into Wyoming's Powder...

Bipartisan peace.(rail shipper groups supports The Rail Competition Act of 2005)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... The new bipartisan version of the rail shipper bill attempts to offer an olive branch to the industry by including $35 billion in loans and loan guarantees for infrastructure improvements. However, the bill will still include provisions...

UP profit plunge.(Transportation: Rail & Intermodal)(Union Pacific Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Union Pacific's net income dropped 22 percent in the first quarter, falling to $128 million from $165 million during the same period a year ago due to sluggish rail service and brutal winter storms that caused massive track washouts on the West...

UPS stresses cost cutting: belt tightening, strong international business helps UPS post profitable quarter, despite domestic losses.(Transportation: Air & Expedited)(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)
May 2, 2005... Cost cutting proved to be a key strategic move for UPS to offset weakness in the U.S. market as the company rebounded from a disappointing fourth quarter to post double-digit profit growth so far this year. And the belt tightening is...

No open skies talks: no imminent aviation liberalization talks, but EU, U.S. officials may hold informal talks.(Transportation: Air & Expedited)
May 2, 2005... Despite genuine rumblings of trans-Atlantic harmony, don't expect aviation liberalization talks between the United States and European Union to begin anytime soon. The momentum for new negotiations got a boost last month when EU ministers...

USPS delivers for airlines.(Transportation: Air & Expedited)(United States Postal Service, American Airlines and US Airways )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... American Airlines and US Airways are again transporting mail after submitting plans to improve their on time delivery records. American resumed hauling mail March 22 and US Airways April 9 for "phased in test periods" of about eight months,...

Changing peaks: PMA president sees peak shipping season shifting, more freight moving to Pacific Northwest ports.(Pacific Maritime Association's Jim McKenna)
May 2, 2005... It's beginning to look a lot like peak shipping season at West Coast ports, as containers from Asia continue to pour into the country in heavy volumes. The peak season is getting longer and starting earlier, says the Pacific Maritime...

CSG extends containers inland: barge operator launches container service linking Pittsburgh, New Orleans, competes with trucks.(Transportation: Maritime)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... A Pennsylvania barge operator plans to introduce a container-on-barge service linking the ports of Pittsburgh and New Orleans. "The timing is good now because of the high fuel costs," said Buddy Johns, president of CSG. Shipping products...

A Mexican alternative?(Transportation: Maritime)
May 2, 2005... Hector Mora wants importers wary of long wait times at Long Beach and Los Angeles to consider steering their freight further south. Mora, chief of the Port of Manzanillo on Mexico's Pacific Coast, wants to link Manzanillo to the U.S. East...

Vancouver lifts container restrictions.(Transportation: Maritime)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Ocean container carriers got the signal last month to resume normal operations at the Deltaport terminal at the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, after severe congestion had forced a 30-day restriction on inbound container traffic. ...

National & Regional Averages: April 25, 2005.(DOE Diesel Price Index)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 2, 2005... [GRAPHICS OMITTED] DOE Diesel Price Index National & Regional Averages: April 25, 2005 United States $2.289 East Coast $2.287 Midwest $2.23 Gulf Coast $2.231 Rocky Mountain $2.371 West Coast...

The World Cargo Alliance.(People)(apointment of Ajit V. Patil )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... The World Cargo Alliance, a group of allied international logistics providers, named Ajit V. Patil director of membership development. He is a veteran of 15 years in cargo transportation and will be based in Bangkok.

Pitt Ohio Express.(People: Jeff Mercadante )
May 2, 2005... Pitt Ohio Express, Pittsburgh, promoted Jeff Mercadante to director of safety. Formerly a manager and senior trainer, Mercadante won certification as a safety director in 2003.

L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems.(People)(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems, Waltham, Mass., made several management appointments as it increased its focus on cargo inspection systems. The company named: William J. Frain, formerly a vice president and CFO, senior vice...

Bulldog Technologies.(People)(appointment of Armand Fortin )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Bulldog Technologies, Richmond, British Columbia, named technology industry veteran Armand Fortin to an advisory board assisting the company's efforts at expansion in homeland security services. Fortin has more than 25 years of experience in...

China Global Logistics Network.(People)(apointment of Dominic Wang )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... China Global Logistics Network, the China-based part of the World Cargo Alliance network of small and mid-sized forwarders, named Dominic Wang general manager. Based in Shanghai, Wang has 10 years of experience in international transport.

Watkins Motor Lines.(People: Hayes Richerson )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Watkins Motor Lines promoted Hayes Richerson to account executive at its Mobile, Ala., facility. Richerson had been an operations supervisor at the same facility. Victoria Ruiz de Esparza joined Watkins as an account executive at its El Paso,...

Ceres Terminals.(People)(appointment of Brian S. Kern )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Ceres Terminals, Weehawken, N.J., named Brian S. Kern vice president for marketing and sales. Kern is a maritime industry veteran who started as a chief mate for various vessels and later worked in executive posts with Matson Navigation and NYK...

Broussard Logistics.(People)(appointment of Chris Berry )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Broussard Logistics, Houston, named Chris Berry a national accounts manager. He had held several sales positions at domestic transport companies.

Freightliner.(People)(appointment of Chris Patterson )(Brief Article)
May 2, 2005... Freightliner, Portland, Ore., named Chris Patterson president and CEO of the North America's largest Class 8 truck manufacturer. Patterson, 50, replaces Rainer Schmueckle, who was named chief operating officer of parent DaimlerChrysler's...

R.L. Banks: leading transport consultant.(Robert L. Banks died)(Obituary)
May 2, 2005... Robert L. Banks, who died of pneumonia March 15 at age 87, was just a kid from the Bronx--like the Yankees are just a baseball club. Among those who strategize, fund and implement transportation projects, the name Bob Banks is as well known as...

TW calendar.(Calendar)
May 2, 2005... MAY 2-4. ITS America's 15th Annual Meeting and Exposition, Phoenix. (202) 721-4214 or www.itsa.org. 4-6. Shipping Strategies & Logistics Conference & Exhibition (NASSTRAC), Naples, Fla. (952) 442-8850 ext. 203 or www.NASSTRAC.org. ...

Logistics seminars & courses.(TW Calendar)(Calendar)
May 2, 2005... MAY 1-6. Logistics Executive Development Program (University of Tennessee and CLM), Knoxville, Tenn. (865) 974-8759, bwheeler@utk.edu or http://TheCenter.utkedu. 4-5. Transportation Claims Management and Prevention (University of...

Shipper bills third party, marks section 7.(Q & A)
May 2, 2005... Q: We are a motor carrier. We have many shippers who ship things out with a notation to bill freight charges to a third party and they list the address to send the freight invoice to. Many times they mark the box for freight terms collect,...

Water cooler.(The Back Page)
May 2, 2005... The barge operators have a record of success on Capitol Hill, so truckers should take notice. When they were in Washington recently for an American Waterways Organization meeting, we overhead one trying out what seemed to be a new theme before...

Acronyms.(The Back Page)
May 2, 2005... Otherwise known as AASHTO, the organization representing state DOTs got its own acronym spelled wrong on a PowerPoint presentation at the recent NITL Spring Policy Forum, calling itself AASFTO. AASHTO intermodal guru Leo Penne joked that the...

BILLY.(The Back Page)
May 2, 2005... We almost shifted a press release titled "Check out the Green Goat" to our spam filter. Turns out it was not a fraternity prank but a missive from the Association of American Railroads on a hybrid UP locomotive.

Checked.(The Back Page)
May 2, 2005... Alert agents of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection last month confiscated 845 pounds of processed bologna a man was trying to smuggle into the United States from Mexico. An accomplice may have escaped, however, and authorities are on...

Sit. Stay.(The Back Page)
May 2, 2005... Reporters covering congressional hearings usually sit at press tables in the hearing rooms. But at a recent House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing, the committee provided no chairs for reporters, so they were forced to sit on the press...

Lawyers.(The Back Page)
May 2, 2005... DHL underwrote a recent conference of the Republican National Lawyers Association. Given what DHL spent on legal fees in its successful defense against challenges from its bigger competition, maybe the lawyers should be throwing the company a...

Making change.(Editorial)
May 9, 2005... In the constant push and pull between shipper and carrier over the cost of transportation, the longstanding economics of the relationship has been focused on a relatively simple question as far as shippers were concerned: who wants the freight?...

Norfolk Southern.(Weekly Perspective)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Norfolk Southern settled a class action lawsuit related to the Jan. 6 derailment and chemical spill in Graniteville, S.C., that killed nine people, injured 250 and forced 5,400 to evacuate. The settlement included property owners and...

Yellow Roadway.(Weekly Perspective)(USE)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Yellow Roadway said it will up the cash portion of its $1.37 billion bid to acquire USE Under Yellow Roadway's amended deal, USF shareholders will receive 65 percent cash and 35 percent Yellow Roadway stock in exchange for their USF...

Fueling protests.(This Week)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The accent may be different but the complaint is the same. British truckers--or hauliers, as they're known--are protesting higher fuel prices and a European road transport directive that limits the amount of time they can work. ...

Slipping into slow gear: slower economic growth, rising costs strain shippers looking for cracks in capacity wall as inventories mount.(Cover Story)
May 9, 2005... Ray Harlin saw something unusual in the first quarter: excess truckload capacity. "The long-haul market is much more subject to diversion to intermodal, reefer carriers and other alternative transportation," the CFO of U.S. Xpress...

Appeals court strikes down hazmat ban.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... A federal appeals court last week handed CSX a victory and stymied the District of Columbia's attempt to reroute hazardous materials shipments around Washington. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia sided with CSX, which...

Shippers slam hazmat rule: new PHMSA rules weaken DOT oversight, open way for state action, shippers, carriers say.(Transoceanic Shipping Company Inc.)(Department of Transportation)
May 9, 2005... Shippers and carriers fear new federal rules on hazardous materials transportation will unleash a frenzy of state and local rulemaking when they take effect June 1. The rules also may spell higher costs for shippers. Shippers won't see an...

Senators Seek Bigger Highway Bill: Grassley, Baucus to push for additional $10 billion in road funding despite renewed Bush veto threat.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The Senate is slated to high-resume way bill action this week after a week s recess during which various sides dug in their heels. The chamber is expected to fight this week over how much to spend on a six-year highway bill. Senate Finance...

Mapping transport spending needs.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... On Capitol Hill, politicians frequently describe old bridges and worn out highways as they press for more transportation funding. Now legislators looking for ammunition can click on an interactive online map showing the number of bridges and...

U.S., Paraguay ink open-skies pact.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Paraguay on May 2 became the 68th country to sign an open-skies agreement with the United States. "With this agreement, Paraguay joins the growing ranks of U.S. aviation partners that have embraced the ability of airlines to respond freely...

Focusing on fatigue: NTSB hearings on fatal UP crash focus on fatigue as Congress, agencies home in on rail safety.(National Transportation Safety Board)
May 9, 2005... The first thing former Union Pacific Railroad engineer Arturo Cadena members about his June 28, 2004 workday is struggling through a cloud of chlorine gas. He survived, but his conductor, Heath Pape, wasn't so lucky. "I remember what...

Two birds, one stone: trade compliance initiatives increasingly help shippers smooth global supply chains, reduce transport costs.(Logistics & Technology)
May 9, 2005... Shippers launching customs compliance initiatives are reporting some unexpected returns. Besides fewer customs errors they're seeing faster transit times, lower transportation costs and smoother supply chains. Big multinational...

Motorola lures IBM supply chain vet: reed to help company bring its 'seamless mobility' strategy to its manufacturing, logistics operations.(Stuart Reed)(International Business Machines Corp.)
May 9, 2005... Motorola snagged a 22-year supply chain veteran from IBM in a move one analyst described as a shift in shippers' supply chain management recruiting strategy. Stuart Reed left his position as IBM vice president of worldwide manufacturing to...

One truck at a time: C.H. Robinson turns to smaller carriers to build capacity, increase trucking profits in first quarter.(C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.)
May 9, 2005... The boom in shipper demand for more and faster deliveries is changing the way C.H. Robinson Worldwide does business with its truckers, and with which trucking companies it does business. Increasingly it is using smaller carriers rather than...

PWC, transoceanic shipping merge.(PWC Logistics)(Transoceanic Shipping Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... PWC Logistics merged with Transoceanic Shipping to create a specialized logistics provider reaching 28 countries around the world. Terms of the deal were not announced, though Kuwait-based PWC will own all shares of Transoceanic,...

Top retailers seek 'best practices'.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Five of America's top retailers will use a II Web-based interviewing tool to study distribution center and direct-to-consumer operations and transportation best practices. Best Buy, JC Penney, Rite Aid, Safeway and Target formed the...

China's new logistics choices: fast growth promises breadth, depth for China logistics, as Chinese firms partner and compete with Western 3PLs.
May 9, 2005... China's economy grew 9.5 percent last quarter, the latest in a long line of economic spurts. When economies grow, things change--fast. When trade accounts for a large part of that growth (exports rose 35 percent in that quarter), there's going...

LTL rates keep rising: price inflation surprises shippers as truckers pile rate hikes on top of fuel surcharges.
May 9, 2005... With some citing higher costs, some greater investment and others improved service, a full load of LTL carriers are raising prices for shippers starting this month. Most of the increases, including many effective last week, range from 5.2...

Turning miles to dollars: ALK, carrier partners urge use of 'practical' miles in trucking pricing, fuel purchasing, pay systems.
May 9, 2005... A coalition of truckers and software providers wants to change the basis for billing across trucking. That could mean higher rates for shippers as truckers argue for higher mileage-based prices during negotiations. Taking a shot at...

Keeping coal on track: demand for western coal has eastern railroads struggling to clear the pipeline amid capacity crunch.
May 9, 2005... Strong demand and favorable prices are turning coal in Wyoming's Powder River Basin into black gold for eastern utilities. However, the conditions are dumping added pressure on capacity-strapped eastern railroads struggling to keep up. ...

Off-track proposal: freights oppose Amtrak's first-ever privatization proposal as means to keep passenger rail afloat.
May 9, 2005... Freight railroads are staunchly opposed to Amtrak's proposal to privatize, a move by the passenger service to answer calls by the Bush administration to restructure or die. The proposal, part of what Amtrak President David Gunn called "a...

Pushing up bail profits: CSX struggles to gain traction as rails make hay from big volumes, higher rates.
May 9, 2005... The major railroads posted sizeable profits in the first quarter but keeping that momentum through 2005 poses a challenge as a slowing economy threatens to take the edge off volume strength. Total carloads and intermodal units were up 2.2...

Capacity crunch slows forward: lack of capacity on West Coast, higher rates mean slower growth for Forward Air in first quarter.
May 9, 2005... The capacity crunch choking West Coast ports is hitting airlines, too, slowing surging growth at Forward Air. Rate increases of 9 percent on the West Coast and 3 percent throughout the rest of the country triggered a first quarter slowdown,...

Freight gains, grim results: cargo soars but airline passenger revenue plummets; Southwest's cargo revenue shoots up 36 percent.(Air & Expedited)
May 9, 2005... U.S. airlines' cargo divisions enjoyed another strong quarter, but it was not enough to overcome continued losses in the passenger business. The nation's airlines tallied more than $2 billion in red ink, excluding the results of United...

Rebranding CP Ships: carrier tries to gain efficiencies, business by rebranding seven container lines under one flag.
May 9, 2005... By the end of 2005, the seven CP Ships' container lines that sail under their own flags will begin to fly the flag of their owner. The London-based carrier's decision last month to scrap its seven niche regional brands in favor of a single...