Traffic World articles from October 2003

Traffic World archives from October 2003

Real Cancun.(World Trade Organization negotiations break down)(Editorial)
October 6, 2003... The worst event in freight transportation in the last moth didn't occur in freight transportation. It came in the collapse of the latest round of World Trade Organization negotiations in Cancun Sept. 14 that sent a shock wave through the...

Waterways obsolete.( )(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... Actually much of the inland waterway system IS obsolete (Editorial, "Low Blow," Aug. 18), as I found when I did a cost comparison with rail costs for the U.S. Feed Grains Council in 1997 and established by very conservative analysis that as...

Fiction and nonsense.( )(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... We take exception to your repetition of the United Transportation Union's fictional account of Norfolk Southern's employee injury reporting, as described in your Sept. 22 article ("Culture Shock"). Norfolk Southern managers in fact have a...

A hard hit: changes in hours-of-service regs predicted to raise transportation costs, shift freight from truck to rail.
October 6, 2003... One less hour on the road may hit truckers hard in their wallets but it may hit truck shippers even harder. Awakening to the impact of new hours-of-service rules taking effect in January, some surface shippers are considering shifting...

Big spenders: environmental group says highway lobby outspends drug and tobacco industries.(U.S. Public Interest Research Group)
October 6, 2003... What's more addictive than tobacco and drugs? For politicians, highway money. A national environmental group is casting a critical eye at the millions of dollars in federal campaign contributions highway interests give, concluding the...

An economic incentive: truck-rail truce is good for carriers but not necessarily for shippers, trucking exec says.
October 6, 2003... The current "truce" among the major railroads and the trucking industry over truck size-and-weight limits is bad for shippers but good for those two industries. They have a keen economic incentive for getting along, a major trucking executive...

Getting there: annual survey shows strides in operational excellence but visibility is still a challenge.(supply chain management)
October 6, 2003... Supply-chain performance is improving but companies need to raise the bar higher and deliver the operational excellence that customers are demanding, according to the 13th annual Trends and Issues in Logistics and Transportation survey. ...

Schneider appoints president: GeoLogistics Americas' Escott takes strong tech background to helm of logistics unit.(Tom Escott joins Schneider Logistics)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Tom Escott, chief executive officer of GeoLogistics Corp.'s Americas Division, is leaving the company to become president of Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider Logistics Inc. He took up his new position Oct. 3. Escott is an experienced...

FedEx, Cap Gemini team up: to deliver transport, fulfillment solutions 'easy to get up and running in 90 days'.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... FedEx Supply Chain Services Inc. is teaming up with consulting firm Cap Gemini Ernst & Young U.S. to offer shippers an integrated technology platform for its fulfillment and transportation management solutions. As part of the agreement, Cap...

Irista Inc.(partners with AFMS Transportation Management Group)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Irista Inc., Milwaukee-based developer of logistics management solutions, has partnered with consulting firm AFMS Transportation Management Group. The venture has been established in response to increasing rate- and service-level complexity in...

Helping the 'blind' to see.(software for small shippers)
October 6, 2003... When it comes to choosing carriers, thousands of smaller shippers are flying "blind"--using inefficient and inconsistent manual processes. Traffic managers in these companies are spending far too much time juggling load assignments instead of...

Going to the source: new technology tools go beyond the spreadsheet to meet the challenge of global trade management.
October 6, 2003... With the increase in globalization, companies have become more adept at switching sourcing strategies to take advantage of changes in tax and customs regimes and foreign exchange rates or to avert political crises. Companies with relatively...

Faster, better, more: UPS rolls out package loading, routing technology to boost productivity, improve last leg of delivery.
October 6, 2003... UPS is spending $30 million to improve the last mile of delivery. The transport giant is rolling out new truck routing and package delivery technology that it believes will improve customer service, including handling in-transit changes and...

Your money's worth: Viesta created to absorb Viewlocity, picked up at bargain-basement price.
October 6, 2003... Think of all the things you could buy with $1,000. A big-screen TV. Expensive clothes. How about a supply-chain software company? Viesta Corp. is purchasing Viewlocity, whose customers include Dell and Ford Motor Co., for $1,000....

Traffic Management Services.(uses TransCore software)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Traffic Management Services, a third-party logistics provider, will use CarrierPoint logistics software from TransCore's Commercial Services Group to better manage its customers' freight. The company will use the web based, hosted software to...

Ace Hardware Corp.(utilizes Velosel software)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Ace Hardware Corp., the largest retailer-owned hardware, home center, lumber and building materials cooperative, will use Velosel Corp.'s collaborative software to improve data communications within the company and with its suppliers. Ace...

Intermec Technologies Corp.(global positioning system receiver for mobile computer)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Intermec Technologies Corp. released LinksPoint's new GlobalPoint GPS 12-channel global positioning system receiver for its 700 Series mobile computer. The GlobalPoint GPS device attaches to the bottom of the handheld computer and provides...

Welcome to the 'Club': 270 IBT officials earn $100,000-plus as TDU deplores dues 'swindle'.(International Brotherhood of Teamsters)
October 6, 2003... The dissident Teamsters for a Democratic Union is railing against what it calls the "fat cats" within the 1.4 million member Teamsters union as tax documents show a record 270 IBT officials earned more than $100,000 last year. At a time...

Help wanted: UPS seeks long-term financial solution to multiemployer pension liability.
October 6, 2003... Seeking a solution to its billions of dollars worth of exposure to growing multiemployer pension liability, UPS is looking for a way to seize greater financial control over the funding of plans affecting more than 100,000 active UPS employees...

Trash talking: Kansas City Southern counters negative reports about railroad with positive note of its own.
October 6, 2003... Selling service is not considered a railroad strong suit but Mike Haverty is taking no chances. The president, chairman and CEO of Kansas City Southern felt compelled to respond to whispers that the railroad was in a service decline by...

Complaint in the hopper: North Dakota grain shippers consider whether one-cent saving is worth $2 million.
October 6, 2003... The North Dakota Public Service Commission hired two Washington, D.C., law firms to consider bringing the state's first federal rate complaint in two decades against railroads on behalf of grain shippers. The firms of Thompson Hine LLC and...

Norfolk Southern Corp.(seeks voluntary resignations)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Norfolk Southern Corp. is seeking voluntary resignations among nonunion workers as part of a cost-cutting plan, the company announced on Sept. 26. NS said it would pay three weeks' salary per year served as part of the offer to "nonagreement"...

Union Pacific Railroad.(tries to obtain visas for Canadian conductors)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Union Pacific Railroad is looking to secure visas for up to 100 furloughed Canadian National Railway conductors as a stop-gap measure 10 its current labor shortage. Early retirements occurring through the maintenance season is one of the...

The Grinch in air cargo: USPS's not-so-merry greeting for small air cargo carriers is cutback in Christmas Network contracts.
October 6, 2003... Small cargo carriers are expecting a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking this year from the U.S. Postal Service. It is planning to send more of its holiday season business to FedEx Corp. USPS is cutting back the number of Christmas...

UPS duckwalk: Deutsche Post argues UPS operation in Europe is 'mirror image' of AStar in U.S.
October 6, 2003... If it looks like a UPS plane and flies UPS cargo, it must be a UPS plane. At least, that's the argument Deutsche Post World Net officials are making as they try to turn citizenship complaints in Washington around by attacking UPS's European...

British Airways.(developing joint operations with Swiss International Air Lines)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... British Airways and Swiss International Air Lines are working on a plan to provide joint operations between the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The plan involves Basel, Switzerland-based Swiss entering the Oneworld alliance of which British...

Aviation Facilities Co.(new air cargo building completed)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Aviation Facilities Co. has completed a 50,000 square-foot air cargo building at Pittsburgh International Airport. McLean, Va. based AFC0 gained the rights to develop the building in 1999. The company also owns and operates other cargo...

A costly danger zone: catastrophic results from improperly secured cargo catch the attention of insurers and regulators.(maritime shipping)
October 6, 2003... Capt. E.H. Krupicka tells the harrowing story of the ship's crewman who lost his leg trying to secure loose containerized cargo. And about the time a chief officer was crushed between two containers banging around on a rolling vessel's deck at...

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines.(Kevin J. Hodges named relocation consultant)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Kevin J. Hodges has joined Stevens Worldwide Van Lines as a relocation consultant serving Lapeer, Sanilac, Genessee and North Oakland counties in Michigan.

Watkins Motor Lines Inc.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Watkins Motor Lines Inc. promoted John Erwin to director of operations engineering, based at Lakeland, Fla. James Brikowski and Roger Atchley have joined as account executives at the Green Bay, Wis., and Oklahoma City, Okla., facilities,...

Ceres Terminal.(Thomas J. Simmers named executive vice president)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Ceres Terminal appointed Thomas J. Simmers executive vice president of sales and marketing.

Crowley Maritime Corp.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Crowley Maritime Corp. promoted Jerry Dowd to vice president of labor relations and Todd Busch to general manager of its ship assist and escort services operations in Southern California.

KLLM.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... KLLM promoted Jim Richards to chief operating officer and appointed Bill Grothe chief financial officer.

Webplan Corp.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Webplan Corp. named Randy Littleson vice president of marketing. Susan Robbins was promoted to vice president of finance and corporate services.

The Evergreen Group.(Maurice Storey named chairman of Hatsu Marine)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The Evergreen Group named Maurice Storey chairman of its U.K. affiliate, Hatsu Marine Ltd., effective Dec. 1.

USF Corp.(Stephen W. Lilienthal joins board of directors)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Stephen W. Lilienthal joined the USF Corp. board of directors.

Open Harbor.(Nancy Boughton named vice president )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Open Harbor named Nancy Boughton vice president of global trade and compliance.

Chainalytics LLC.(Gary Girotti named vice president )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Chainalytics LLC named Gary Girotti vice president of the company's transportation practice.

Velosel Corp.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Velosel Corp. named Andrew Hayden senior vice president of professional services. Neil Day was appointed senior vice president of engineering and chief technology officer.

Savi Technology.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Savi Technology promoted Chris Stephenson to the new position of senior vice president of global consulting services and manufacturing. George de Urioste was appointed chief financial officer.

Schneider National.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Schneider National named Thomas Nightingale vice president of corporate marketing. Mark Coleman and Chris Knauss were promoted to vice presidents of Southwest sales and regional sales in the West, respectively.

LOG-NET Inc.(Mike Maris named chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Mike Maris joined LOG-NET Inc. as chief operating officer.

Transentric LLC.(Tom Henry promoted)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Transentric LLC promoted Tom Henry to director of account management and customer care.

Nationa-Lease.(William J. Ford retires)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... William J. Ford, president of Nationa-Lease, will retire effective Jan. 1, 2004, and John R. Grainger will be the organization's new president.

Saia Motor Freight.(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Saia Motor Freight named Dan Madden terminal manager in DaLlas. Mike Wolonsky was appointed account executive responsible far the states of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines.(Vicki Bierlein promoted to vice president )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Stevens Worldwide Van Lines promoted Vicki Bierlein to vice president of its Affinity Sales Division.

International Partnership of Greater Austin.(Ray Brimble named chairman)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Ray Brimble, chairman and founder of Lynxs Group, was named chairman of International Partnership of Greater Austin.

EADS Aeriframe Services.(Francois Amat named president, chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... EADS Aeriframe Services, a subsidiary of EADS North America, named Francois Amat president and chief executive officer.

The Panalpina Group.(Douglas Brittin named vice president )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The Panalpina Group appointed Douglas Brittin vice president of marketing for the North America region, based in San Francisco.

Management Dynamics Inc.(new regional sales directors)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Management Dynamics Inc. hired three regional sales directors: Michael Roberts, Rate Explorer[R] product sales in the Southeast region; Patrick Taylor, Midwest sales operations; and John Christensen, Northwest sales program.

GeoLogistics Americas Inc.(James Seiple named vice president )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... GeoLogistics Americas Inc. named James Seiple vice president of air products.

GlobeRanger.(John R. Keonigs named president and chief executive)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... GlobeRanger named John R. Keonigs president and chief executive officer.

PLM Railcar Management Services Inc.(Scott E. Smith named vice president)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Scott E. Smith has joined PLM Railcar Management Services Inc., a subsidiary of PLM International Inc., as vice president of finance.

Averitt Express.(Matt Smith named service center director)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Averitt Express named Matt Smith service center director in Decatur, Ala. Smith will be responsible for overseeing both sales and operations in Decatur.

Dayton Freight Lines Inc.(Brian Gratsch named service center manager )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Dayton Freight Lines Inc. appointed Brian Gratsch service center manager in Mansfield, Ohio.

Cattron-Theimeg Inc.(Matthew R. Franc appointed vice president)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Cattron-Theimeg Inc. appointed Matthew R. Franc vice president of railroad sales.

DOE diesel price index: (cents per gallon).(Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... DOE Diesel Price Index (cents per gallon) REGION 1 143.2 REGION 2 141.1 REGION 3 136.8 REGION 4 148.0 REGION 5 * 155.8 National Average--142.9 September 29, 2003 * Includes Alaska and Hawaii. Regional...

Weekly traffic of major U.S. railroads: for the week ending September 20, 2003.( )
October 6, 2003... Weekly Traffic of Major U.S. Railroads for the week ending September 20, 2003 Traffic Originated Week 38 ...

Calendar.(Calendar)
October 6, 2003... The calendar is an advertising feature with free listings for Traffic World advertisers and nonprofit associations. Submit calendar listings to jackson@trafficworld.com. OCTOBER 7-9. Seminars: Freight Claims; Contracting for...

Keeping it cool.(transporting refrigerated materials)
October 6, 2003... Q: Just finished reading your Sept. 15 article about the owner-operator couple who had their reefer tied up for several days when the consignee refused a load in a dispute over the load temperature. As a former frozen foods warehouse manager...

Nowhere man.(Tom Finkbiner of Quality Distribution)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The ever-quotable Tom Finkbiner, onetime Norfolk Southern executive who now runs tanker trucker Quality Distribution, famously once said his own railroad goes from "nowhere to nowhere." He not only stands by the line but wants to add to it. "If...

Truce.(truce between truckers and railroads)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Speaking of Finkbiner--and let's face it, there may be no better way to fill a page than speaking of Tom Finkbiner--he says shippers "absolutely hate" the truce between truckers and railroads. Never mind shippers, there has never been any worse...

Shippers.(John Ficker's opinion of Tom Donohue)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... John Ficker, the new president of the National Industrial Transportation League, says he's not concerned that U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief Tom Donohue is talking up transport issues around Washington. Says Ficker, "The first thing Tom thinks...

Fore.( )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... We read in Bulgaria's Sofia Echo that the president of freight carrier Air Sofia has a putting green in his office. Seems Liliaan Todorov doubles as president of Golf Club Air Sofia, reminding us that a company's fortunes usually run in inverse...

Cross dock terminal.(Letters To TW)(Letter to the Editor)
October 13, 2003... Vitran President Tom Nagel (Letters, Sept. 29) had to chuckle at your story "Promises, Promises"? I have to laugh at his statements. I've never written this kind of letter before but reading the Vitran "guarantee of customer satisfaction" has...

Unknowing shippers.(Letters To TW)(Letter to the Editor)
October 13, 2003... With the recent cargo security disaster of Charles McKinley shipping himself through the air cargo network, you have to ask yourself is the known-shipper initiative really working? And why is it such a secret? As a freight management...

Feeling secure.(Editorial)
October 13, 2003... The Transportation Security Administration barely had the recommendations for air cargo security in hand before the firestorm began. Pilot unions, elected officials, victims rights groups, no small number of newspapers and even a few...

Controlling bullwhips.(Commentary)(supply chain at BP Chemicals)
October 13, 2003... Each year BP Chemicals sells more than 25 million tons of petrochemicals, operating large-scale manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia, China, Japan and Brazil. We provide some...

Wal-Mart's tall order: shippers, carriers are pressured by Wal-Mart's RFID plans, but it's hard to say 'no' to a giant.
October 13, 2003... Shippers being pressed to jump on the RFID bandwagon fear they may fall under its wheels. From banana pickers to diaper makers, Wal-Mart Stores suppliers privately are blanching at the retail giant's demand that they adopt radio frequency...

Advance notice, later: final rules on customs advance notice still under review, promised before end of year.
October 13, 2003... Bureau of Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Doug Browning says his agency could take several more weeks or months before it releases final rules governing advance electronic transmission of cargo manifest information. "We...

Tighter and tighter: ASAC proposals would strengthen known-shipper program, but that's not enough for safety advocates.(Washington)(Aviation Security Advisory Committee)
October 13, 2003... Representatives of the air cargo industry say they can work with security-related changes a federal advisory group proposed for the industry on Oct. 1. But aviation safety advocates and some members of Congress say the recommendations don't go...

Wait until next year: with worries more pressing than transportation, Congress opts for a 5-month highway extension.(Washington)
October 13, 2003... On the day the highway law--TEA21--expired, President Bush signed into law a stopgap transportation measure that will continue the status quo for five more months. That means Congress has until Feb. 29 to pass a comprehensive bill for highways...

Up for grabs: expectations gap between providers, shippers leaves opportunities to take 3PL market share.(Logistics)(third-party logistics services)
October 13, 2003... The market for outsourced third-party logistics services is maturing but the gap between what shippers expect and what they receive still is large enough for opportunistic providers to grab market share, according to the eighth annual study of...

Comparing rates: supply-chain consultant takes stab at old problem of benchmarking transport services and rates.(Logistics)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Atlanta-based supply-chain consulting firm Chainalytics LLC has set up a consortium of shippers to answer the perennial question of how to benchmark transportation rates. Coming up with a reliable way to compare transportation rates has...

New casa de logistics: MIT, Spanish regional government to build logistics hub, research center in Zaragoza.(Logistics)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Looking for an exotic overseas location to study logistics? Your search is over. Zaragoza, in northwestern Spain, will be the site of a major new logistics institute and a $2.3 billion logistics complex, thanks to an agreement between the...

A service that allows merchants.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... A service that allows merchants to pick up returned parcels at a designated postal facility can save merchants from 24 cents to $1.51 per piece, according to the U.S. Postal Service. The service alternative to returns to the merchants' facility...

PBB Global Logistics.(acquired Carrier Connection International)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
October 13, 2003... PBB Global Logistics has acquired Fort Erie, 0ntario-based Carrier Connection International, a specialized provider of third-party logistics services for the North American food industry. The acquisition is part of PBB's strategy to enhance its...

Royersford, Pa.-based.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Royersford, Pa.-based 3PL Translogistics Inc. has introduced the Human Resources Maximizer, a business analysis report that enables companies to quickly evaluate departmental time and cost savings in their transportation and logistics...

Zeeland, Mich.-based.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Zeeland, Mich.-based Total Logistic Control has acquired an ownership interest in Integrated Transportation Logistics, a minority-owned transportation and logistics solutions company headquartered in Flint, Mich. The investment broadens both...

PFSweb Inc.(launched a product recall package )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... PFSweb Inc., a Plano, Texas-based business outsourcing company, has launched a product recall package that offers a reverse channel infrastructure that can be deployed rapidly for companies facing a recall crisis. It includes web services,...

ROE Logistics.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... ROE Logistics, a privately owned Canadian 3PL, has moved its Montreal operations to a new downtown location. The 40,000-square-foot office and warehouse offers a secure environment with 24-7 camera surveillance, said ROE. The 3PL plans to...

ChemLogix.(deployed a multitiered suite of benchmarking tools and services)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... ChemLogix, a Blue Bell, Pa.-based consulting firm, has deployed a multitiered suite of benchmarking tools and services to help companies quantify and prioritize cost-savings projects. ChemLogix will prepare a baseline of client-specific...

PBB Global Logistics, based in Fort Eire, Ontario, said it is among the first international trade specialists to offer agency services to agri-food customers who ship food and food-related products to the United States.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... PBB Global Logistics, based in Fort Eire, Ontario, said it is among the first international trade specialists to offer agency services to agri-food customers who ship food and food-related products to the United States. The service is designed...

Savi Technology.(receives award)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Savi Technology was honored by the National Defense Transportation Association for providing the military with radio frequency identification technology. Savi, the primary provider of RFID-related technologies to the military for more than...