Traffic World articles from November 2006

Traffic World archives from November 2006

i2 Technologies Profits Cut in Half.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: William Hoffman Dallas-based i2 Technologies reported increases in third-quarter 2006 total revenue, buoyed by growth in both software sales and services revenue, though net income fell by more than half. "We reported solid...

Schneider to Close Operating Center.(Schneider National Bulk Carriers Inc)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Schneider National, a leading trucking and logistics provider will close an Operating Center in Evergreen, Ala., effective Dec. 31. The move follows the recent addition of two other Operating Centers in Illinois...

Erickson to Head HOC.(History of Containerization Foundation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The History of Containerization Foundation named Stanford A. Erickson its new chairman. Erickson, former publisher of Traffic World, will lead the charity dedicated to historically documenting the 50 years...

Manufacturing Growth Drops.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in October at its slowest rate in more than three years, according to a report from the Institute for Supply Management. This month's survey of supply...

LAX Cargo Traffic Soars.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Cargo traffic at Los Angeles International Airport soared in September as the peak season began in earnest. The cargo total was up 11 percent year-over-year to 187,181 tons in September after a year-to-date...

McElroy Joins ACI-NA.(Airports Council International - North America)(Deborah Costolo McElroy )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane An insider in the Washington aviation scene is the new top lobbyist for the trade association representing airports. The Airports Council International - North America appointed Deborah Costolo McElroy to...

International Air Freight Grows.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... International air freight grew 4.9 percent in September over the same month last year, picking up steam on the strength of growing demand in Asia and the Middle East. The growth in the first month of the air cargo industry's fall peak...

FFEX Revenue, Earnings Fall.
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Frozen Food Express Industries earned 42 percent less in the third quarter. A weakening freight market as well as a tough comparison with last year yielded the poor showing. Softening demand for the...

ATA Balks at Private Toll Roads.(American Trucking Associations)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher In the wake of the transition in April of the Indiana Toll Road into private hands, the American Trucking Associations voiced strong opposition to such privatization or leasing at the trade association's 2006...

Pilot Air Freight Surges.(Lima)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Lima, Pa.-based Pilot Air Freight, a privately-held forwarder, increased revenue in the third quarter by 5.3 percent over the same period in 2005. The growth came largely from double-digit increases in...

Environmental Protection Agency presents award to APL Logistics.
November 1, 2006... Recognition for curbing pollution in freight transport Dallas, Nov. 1, 2006 - APL Logistics has received the SmartWay Excellence Award from the Environmental Protection Agency for its role in reducing emissions of air pollutants and...

Genesee & Wyoming Loses in Mexico.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Genesee & Wyoming, operator of short line and regional freight railroads in the Americas and Australia, lost money in the third quarter because of a damaged rail line in Mexico, even as total freight traffic and...

Trailer Bridge Awarded Puerto Rico Military Business; Schedules Third Quarter.
November 1, 2006... Company Expects $3 Million of Incremental Annual Revenue From Award Jacksonville, FL - November 1, 2006 -- Trailer Bridge, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRBR) today announced that it was notified in an October 27, 2006 letter from the Department of the...

Rail Traffic Flat as October Ends.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Tumbling automotive and paper & lumber traffic held rail business flat in the week ended Oct. 28. Weak coal progress failed to overcome declines and intermodal traffic suffered from the lack of a slow or no-show...

Schenker Upgrades Connectivity.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Integrated logistics provider Schenker will connect its systems to GT Nexus to manage standardized shipment status messages and booking confirmations. In the first phase of the project during the fourth quarter...

UPS Starts Japan Trade Service.(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: John D. Boyd UPS expanded its Trade Direct product line to include shipments going to Japan, saying that because it bypasses the usual warehouses and sorting centers "the service opens new doors for small- and medium-size retailers...

NOL Profits Cut in Half.(Neptune Orient Lines Ltd)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Global cargo transportation and logistics company Neptune Orient Lines earned a net profit of $314 million for the first three quarters of 2006, down 51 percent from the same period of 2005. The nose dive in...

Quality Distribution Profit Surges.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Quality Distribution, a Tampa Fla.-based bulk carrier serving the chemical industry, had a good quarter even without a tax benefit that took net earnings into record territory. Net income for the quarter...

Commerce Sees New Economic Weakness.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher New orders and shipments of non-durable manufactured goods slipped in September, reducing or reversing trends for manufacturers. The full report on shipments and orders for durable goods in September is slightly...

Target Logistics Profit Sinks.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Target Logistics, a domestic and international freight forwarder, reduced its earnings by 42 percent in its first fiscal quarter ended September 30. The company blamed acquisition of New York City-based...

FedEx Buys Indian Firm.(FedEx Express, Prakash Air Freight)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: John D. Boyd FedEx Express made a new move to build its operations in India, agreeing to buy its service provider there, privately held Prakash Air Freight or PAFEX, for $30 million in cash. Mumbai-based PAFEX is one of that...

Florida East Coast Boosts Earnings.(Florida East Coast Industries Inc.)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Florida East Coast Industries reported consolidated revenues of $107 million, compared with $86.7 million for the third quarter 2005. The result was due to higher revenues at the...

Security a Tough Sell to Top Managers.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson WASHINGTON -- Companies that are considered part of critical infrastructure in the United States are more concerned with security than the average enterprise, but security managers still have a hard time getting the...

Seaway Chief Says Tolls Unlikely.(Saint Lawrence Seaway)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Reinstating tolls on the United States portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway may be a dead issue for the remainder of the tenure of President George W. Bush. Terry Johnson, new administrator of the U.S. Saint...

West Coast Containers Fall.(container volumes at West Coast ports)
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LOS ANGELES -- Container volumes at West Coast ports reached their second-highest monthly total of the year in September, although the numbers were off slightly from the previous month, indicating that August has...

Railroads See Project Challenges.
November 2, 2006... BYLINE: Janet Nodar NEW ORLEANS -- Obtaining rail clearance is key to transporting high, wide and heavy cargoes, and that means that shippers must supply accurate weight and dimensional information for rail transport. When clearance is...

FedEx Hikes Rates 5.5 Percent.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher FedEx will increase its standard list rates for FedEx Express by an average of 5.5 percent and knock off 2 percent from its fuel surcharge, effective Jan. 1, matching last year's rate increase. FedEx, as the...

Container Ports See Flat Peak.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The country's retail container ports are seeing a flat peak this year, national survey confirmed. Congestion is low and traffic is light at the eight largest container handling ports on the East and West Coasts,...

BA World Cargo Slows.(British Airways World Cargo)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher British Airways World Cargo saw modest gains offset by lower pricing, soft demand and competition in the first half of its fiscal year, which began in April. Revenue including fuel surcharges rose 7.3...

Fritz Trains for Relief Logistics.(Fritz Institute, Certification in Humanitarian Logistics)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: William Hoffman The Fritz Institute, the global non-profit relief organization founded by logistics entrepreneur Lynn Fritz, is offering a Certification in Humanitarian Logistics program to professionalize supply chain management...

Top Trucking Problem: Driver Shortage.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The widespread driver shortage is the number one problem for trucking executives, according to a recent survey. The American Transportation Research Institute polled more than 4,000 trucking industry...

CombineNet Adds Services for P&G.
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher CombineNet extended for two more years the license of its Advanced Sourcing Application Platform for longtime customer Procter & Gamble. The additional materials and services sourcing will cover multiple...

CBP Unveils Mobile Radiation Detectors.(Customs and Border Protection)
November 3, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LOS ANGELES - Customs and Border Protection on Thursday demonstrated the use of the latest weapon in its anti-terrorism arsenal, a mobile radiation portal monitor that can detect radiation from containers virtually...

For Whom?(Politics over highway funding)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Paul Page Infrastructure investment hasn't figured terribly high in the political campaign season - it's hard to write a really compelling negative ad about highway funding - but it may be the No. 1 question facing the...

Schneider Seeks China Licenses.(Schneider National )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Schneider National is seeking licenses to operate in China, hoping to cash in on one of the world's fastest growing economies. Schneider National President and CEO Chris Lofgren said the company will likely invest tens of millions of...

Orris to Retire.
November 6, 2006... Pacer International Chairman and CEO Don Orris will retire within the next 12 months upon the appointment of a successor by the board of directors. While an executive with American President Lines, Orris, 65, is helped create the...

Gross Numbers.(Gross Domestic Product growth slowed down)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The U.S. economy got another blow of bad news last month, with news that GDP slowed to its weakest in more than three years. Real GDP, seasonally adjusted, increased at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the third quarter, from 2.6 percent in...

Online Sales to Grow.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The familiar ring of cash registers is being replaced by the clicks of the keyboard and mouse as more holiday shoppers log on instead of hitting the malls. And that will mean a shift in where the cash registers are ringing up sales among...

Where's the Peak?(No peak season for transportation industry)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: John Gallagher From the intermodal ramps in Southern California to the truck terminal docks outside Columbus, Ohio, transportation planners dressing up their operations for the peak season are finding that they've already missed...

Dispersing Air Freight.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Air cargo operators also see their peak season, which starts to ramp up in September and builds toward a late rush for the parcel carriers close to the holidays, developing differently after two robust years in a row. Freight forwarders...

TWIC's Troubled Testing.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane The Transportation Worker Identification Credential is piling up more criticism as the date for the program's implementation gets closer. The Government Accountability Office issued a new broadside against...

Customs Sets E-Manifests Date.(U.S. Customs and Border Protection )
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane Truckers entering the United States in Arizona, Washington and parts of North Dakota will have to use electronic manifests starting in January. U.S. Customs and Border Protection set Jan. 25 as the date by...

Order.(Border crossings)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Order in which border crossings will mandate e-manifest use: 1. All crossings in Washington and Arizona. In North Dakota: Pembina, Neche, Walhalla, Maida, Hannah, Sarles and Hansboro crossings. Effective Jan. 25, 2007. 2. Crossings in...

Scovel at DOT.(Calvin Scovel )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The Department of Transportation has a new watchdog. Calvin Scovel was sworn in late last month as the new inspector general for the department. After a military career, Scovel took over as the person in charge of making sure the DOT is on...

UP Crew Blamed for 2005 Crash.(Union Pacific Railroad Co.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Federal transportation safety investigators blamed an inattentive Union Pacific Railroad crew for a 2005 rail accident that exploded a house and killed its occupant in Arkansas. In findings released last month, the National Transportation...

Groups Blast Amtrak Spending.(Amtrak under scanner for its spending activity)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... A pair of federal watchdogs criticized Amtrak for the millions of dollars it spent using outside law firms during the past three years. The inspector generals of Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation looked into the spending at...

DHS Awards Scanning Grants.(Department of Homeland Security awards contracts for developing portable radiological detection equipments for cargo)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Five companies collectively received $113 million in Department of Homeland Security money to develop the next generation of portable radiological detection equipment for cargo. The agency's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which plans to...

Toyota Gains Ground.(Toyota Motor)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: WILLIAM HOFFMAN Decades-old supply chain initiatives and supplier policies are at least partly responsible for helping Toyota Motor weather the storm hitting the U.S. automotive industry. While General Motors and Ford are...

Logistics on the Web.(Ranking of transportation and logistics providers' Web sites)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: WILLIAM HOFFMAN A new survey ranks transportation and logistics providers' Web sites among the best on the Internet in terms of customer trust, which is good news for shippers doing more business over the Web. Transportation,...

C.H. Robinson Profits Jump.
November 6, 2006... Acquisitions and higher volume lifted third-quarter profits in every line of C.H. Robinson Worldwide's business, but the company says some of those growth trends are slowing down. The Minnesota-based logistics provider said net profit for...

The Perfect Package.
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: By WILLIAM HOFFMAN All of sudden, it's good to think inside the box, too. With improvements in supply chain execution apparently reaching some sort of limits, there has been a wave of shipper interest in recent months in...

TNT to Sell Division.(TNT Freight Management to be sold)(TNT Express Worldwide)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... TNT is dropping the other shoe in its move to focus on asset-based delivery services and less on logistics. The Netherlands-based express and mail operator said it would exit its freight management business even as it reported third quarter...

Greatwide Buys Broker.(Greatwide Logistics buys Gallop Logistics )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Dallas-based Greatwide Logistics bought privately held Canadian freight broker Gallop Logistics for an undisclosed sum. Toronto-based Gallop will be integrated into Greatwide's truckload brokerage unit, one of four primary lines that also...

Speeding Into a Slowdown.(Trucking companies showing signs of grwoth)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: WILLIAM B. CASSIDY Signs of a slowdown in the U.S. economy abound, but some regional trucking companies are breezing past them, barely tapping the brakes. For now, regional trucking companies are faring better than their...

Trucking Loses a Leader.(Clarence James "Mac" McCormick III of Bestway Express)(Obituary)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane and John Gallagher The death of Clarence James "Mac" McCormick III, chairman, CEO and founder of Bestway Express, Oct. 26 shocked the transportation world and forced the nation's largest trucking association...

Pitt Ohio Goes Live.(Pitt Ohio Express)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Pitt Ohio Express will start offering immediate status reports on shipments booked online now that the Northeast regional LTL carrier says it has integrated its Internet communications with its on-board computing systems. Pitt Ohio says it...

YRC Sees 'Soft Landing'.(YRC Worldwide)
November 6, 2006... YRC Worldwide may get to see how the country's most ambitious combination of trucking services can operating in a slowing economy. The parent of Yellow Transportation and Roadway Express saw revenue grow 3.2 percent to a record $2.57...

Rails Getting Their Price.
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: John Gallagher Railroads racked up big profits from strong pricing in the third quarter despite a slackening economy. "The (rail) industry continues to take the hits from weakness in autos and housing start-related commodities...

Rail Labor Backs Shipper Bills.
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: John Gallagher The United Transportation Union pledged to throw its weight behind shipper proposals that force more competition among railroads in response to what has become the most contentious round of negotiations with...

STB Pares Rate Dispute Rules.(Surface Transportation Board's new rule to cut litigation costs)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The Surface Transportation Board revamped the way it looks at rate case disputes in a rulemaking it claims will cut millions of dollars in litigation costs for railroads and their coal-burning electric utility customers. After reviewing...

Southern Air's Ascent.(Southern Air Transport Inc.)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: JOHN D. BOYD With a sudden push to build its wet-lease fleet of 747-200 freighters, Southern Air is moving to become a bigger player in the cargo market. The Norwalk, Conn.-based carrier went from five planes to eight in a...

Europe Freight Climbs.(Association of European Airlines)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Freight traffic for European airlines grew in September at the sharpest rate since the first quarter, expanding 3.8 percent on strong growth across the Atlantic. The increase followed a small decline in August, according to figures from...

Flying Over a Flat Peak.(Peak shipping season is vanishing in cargo sector too)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: JOHN D. BOYD Concern over the vanishing peak shipping season is spreading from truckers and railroads to the air cargo sector and package expeditors. Air cargo officials and ground express competitors say this year's peak is...

Airbus Super-Jumbo Limbo.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... European manufacturer Airbus is walking a high wire over the latest delays in its super-jumbo A380 airliner, as some would-be customers shy away and others are still weighing the odds that they can do better if they walk away. The three...

September Traffic Grows.(Air freight services)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... International scheduled air freight traffic grew 4.9 percent in September from a year earlier, slightly better than August. But the International Air Transport Association said the recent growth pace remained slower than in the first part of...

Dragonair Gets 747-400 Freighter.(Hong Kong Dragon Airline Ltd. to expand by buying more freighters from Boeing)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: JOHN D. BOYD Dragonair took delivery of the first of five 747-400 conversion freighters Boeing is preparing for the Hong Kong-based carrier, part of a plan to add new lift in Asia for this season and expand even more for years to...

Boeing Sets Asian Deals.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Tokyo-based All Nippon Airways exercised options to buy two more 767-300 conversion freighters from Boeing, on top of three it previously ordered. But it was just the latest in a series of recent moves Boeing has made to nab customers or...

Panama Canal Hopes, Fears.
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Peter T. Leach The overwhelming approval by Panamanian voters of the proposed $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal is raising both hopes and fears in the international shipping community. The hope is the expansion...

Plan for Nicaragua Canal Targets Large Vessels.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Nicaragua is lobbying to build an $18 billion canal as an alternative to the Panama Canal, especially for large ships. Making use of the 60-mile-wide Lake Nicaragua, the proposed Grand Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal would link the Pacific...

Tacoma Breakbulk Volume Surges.( Port of Tacoma )
November 6, 2006... Washington's Port of Tacoma is on track for a recording breaking year, as the port continues to position itself as a regional breakbulk center. In mid-October, five over-dimension trucks arrived at the Port of Tacoma's Terminal 7 from...

Global Container Fleet Tops 9 Million TEUs.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The world's container ship fleet topped 9 million TEUs in capacity and is forecast to balloon to 10 million TEUs next year as shipyards deliver a record number of increasingly large vessels. In early October, there were 3,872 fully cellular...

DP World Exec Urges Global Approach to Security.(David Sanborn)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... David Sanborn, DP World's managing director of the Americas, said maritime security requires a global, rather than a unilateral, approach. "This may be equal parts paradox and irony, but DP World - along with other global marine terminal...

People.
November 6, 2006... Dayton Freight Lines, Dayton, Ohio, appointed Lee Ninman account manager at the LTL carrier's Oshkosh, Wis., service center. The company also promoted Carla Beussink to service center manager at its Sikeston, Mo., service center. Beussink has...

L&D Claim Not Filed On Time.(Loss & Damage )
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: by Colin Barrett Q: We had a major derailment on a shipment. Our total loss was in excess of $100,000. However, at the time, we were undergoing a reorganization. We became preoccupied with it and didn't file claim within...

The Back Page.(Ivy Lee, Bill Graves, Yellow Transportation )
November 6, 2006... Delivered. Let's pause a moment to mark the 100th anniversary of a special moment in publishing, and in freight transportation. Ivy Lee, credited by some as the father of modern press relations, sent out the first press release in 1906, a...

November 6, 2006.(Ivy Lee)(Bill Graves on truck speed)(hours of service rules)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Delivered. Let's pause a moment to mark the 100th anniversary of a special moment in publishing, and in freight transportation. Ivy Lee, credited by some as the father of modern press relations, sent out the first press release in 1906, a...

L&D Claim Not Filed On Time.(loss or damage)(Column)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q:We had a major derailment on a shipment. Our total loss was in excess of $100,000. However, at the time, we were undergoing a reorganization. We became preoccupied with it and didn't file claim within nine...

Where's the Peak?
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: John Gallagher Related Story:Dispersing Air Freight From the intermodal ramps in Southern California to the truck terminal docks outside Columbus, Ohio, transportation planners dressing up their operations for the peak season...

ProLogis Acquires Land in UK.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: William Hoffman Commercial real estate developer ProLogis acquired a portfolio of assets that will support more than 3.5 million square feet of industrial development in the United Kingdom's strategically located Midlands...

Greenbrier Adds to Board of Directors.(Greenbrier Companies Inc.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Lake Oswego, Ore.-based international railcar manufacturer, the Greenbrier Companies, elected Graeme Jack to the company's Board of Directors, effective October 31. The election increases the size of the Board...

Air Cargo Slowed in September.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Air cargo traffic on U.S. airlines grew in September to 2.25 billion revenue ton miles, up 3.8 percent compared with September of last year, said the Air Transport Association. That rate of growth was the...

Moyes Moves on Swift.(Jerry Moyes, Swift Transportation Company Inc.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Jerry Moyes, the largest shareholder and former chairman of Swift Transportation, moved to reclaim control of the nation's largest public truckload carrier with an offer to buy all outstanding shares of the company, Swift announced on Monday....

Strike Threat at Paris Airport.(Paris Charles de Gaulle airport)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Labor unions at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, Europe's second-busiest air-cargo hub, are threatening to strike over alleged discrimination against Muslim workers. A total of 72 employees, mainly Muslims, have...

3PLs Move Autos.(third party logistics)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... BYLINE: William Hoffman Reducing the number of third party logistics provider relationships may be the watchword among supply chain managers, but the biggest automakers don't seem to be hearing it, according to a new report by Armstrong &...