Traffic World articles from September 2008

Traffic World archives from September 2008

Renaissance Now.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Paul Page Just a couple of years ago, when there was no talk about mixed signals in the U.S. economy and everything was on its way up, the term for the new prosperity at Class I railroads was that the industry was seeing a "Rail...

Clean Enough for Ports?
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Ron Guss is starting to sweat the possibility that not enough trucks will be available to haul the annual fall surge of containers imported through Southern California''s ports. He''s concerned a controversial...

Transport on the Ballot.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter When Mike Erickson quit his job at Airborne Express to begin running his own business he started working out of an office in the basement of his Portland, Ore., home. "For the first six to eight months I had no clients,"...

Roads Under Construction.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Most states'' road and highway performance is improving, according to a recent transportation study by the Reason Foundation. But those states that have been ranked as roadway losers say the findings aren''t fair. ...

Researcher: $350 Billion Needed Yearly.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... A new report may see improvement in the condition of the nation''s roads and bridges, but a whopping $350 billion a year is needed for the foreseeable future to bring the country''s transportation infrastructure up to snuff. "We are going...

Mergers Market Gets Softer.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman As freight volumes and the U.S. economy sag, some of the bloom has come off the rose of easy-money-fueled buyouts so popular in logistics just a few years ago. Growing signs that a U.S. recession could spill...

Earnings-Based Logistics.(financial news)(Financial report)
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Logistics companies turned in mixed but hopeful results in the second quarter despite a wobbly economy, high fuel prices, faltering trade volumes and a widening credit crunch. "The freight transportation...

Border Facilities Expanding.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Construction is under way on ProLogis Park Centro Industrial Juarez in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, including three buildings totaling some 500,000 square feet on property that will also make room for infrastructure and an additional six facilities...

Duke Buys Near Savannah.(Duke Realty Corp.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Duke Realty bought two industrial buildings totaling 657,600 square feet near the Port of Savannah, further cementing its position in the fourth most active and fastest growing seaport in the United States. Duke acquired Northpoint VII, a...

Living on the Edge.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto It''s perhaps fitting the biggest ship to call at the Port of Prince Rupert this summer was Cosco''s Long Beach. The Northern Canadian port was opened last year specifically to draw freight away from Southern...

Small Steps for Seattle.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Seattle has limited land to expand or build new terminals. So instead of huge and costly new projects, it''s working on smaller steps to smooth access and freight flow to its three major container terminals. It also will restart Terminal 30 as...

Welcome Back, ''K'' Line.(Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Japanese carrier "K" Line returned to the Port of Portland, Ore., this summer after a three-year hiatus. The shipping line restarted its Portland port calls on a joint service with CKYH partners Cosco and Hanjin July 27. Port officials say...

Has San Diego Been Decked?
September 1, 2008... Longshore workers, truck drivers and visitors to the Port of San Diego might not have to settle for a hot dog at a lunch wagon much longer. If a group of San Diego developers have their way, simply going upstairs from the port could put you in...

Port of Haul.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Swift, Knight change the trucking game by signing onto the clean-truck drayage program in L.A. The controversial clean-air program at the Port of Los Angeles will mark a dramatic entrance into the container...

Loaded for Policy.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Con-way is hedging its bets that a new administration - whether Republican or Democratic - will require reinforcing its approach to public policy inside and outside the Beltway. Promoting David L. Miller to the...

Navistar, GM Drop Truck Deal.(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... General Motors and truck manufacturer Navistar canceled negotiations for Navistar''s purchase of GM''s medium duty truck business. The collapse of what had been called a tentative agreement to sell the division leaves GM in the business of...

Teamsters Add UPS Freight.(International Brotherhood of Teamsters)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... A newly ratified Teamsters contract covering more than 1,700 UPS Freight drivers and dockworkers boosts union representation at the company to 92 percent of eligible employees. The Teamsters began the effort at UPS Freight soon after UPS...

BNSF Expedites Containers.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp)
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd In a move to offer greater appeal to trucking partners and catch the eye of ocean shipping lines, BNSF Railway is shifting its strategy for "expedited" trains to offer speedier domestic intermodal container deliveries....

Working the Line.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: John D. Boyd "Freight rail works" is the slogan that major U.S. railroads have been pushing through a barrage of television, radio and print ads, as they try to fend off game-changing federal legislation. Now, a survey suggests...

CSX, Funds Await Ruling on Board.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... CSX Transportation and the hedge funds that led a shareholder revolt to install minority board members argued their legal appeals in an Aug. 25 hearing, and now look for the court decision to determine what will happen next. The makeup of...

Is Outsourced Air Out?
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Paul Page Gemini Air Cargo''s business model was built to plug the airline into global trade while insulating the carrier from the uncertainties of shifting markets. Gemini wasn''t protected, however, from what appears to be a...

Cargo Hits Pacific Coast Dive.
September 1, 2008... The West Coast is turning into a wasteland for air cargo in 2008. Airports from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California are having such a tough year that the 7.6 percent decline at Los Angeles International Airport in June actually was...

Hong Kong Overtakes Memphis Airport.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... For a month at least, Hong Kong International Airport is on top of the world in the air cargo business. The airport became the world''s largest cargo airport in June, overtaking Memphis International Airport as the longtime No. 1 airport...

Turnabout on the Atlantic.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The dramatic decline of the U.S. dollar against the currencies of its major trading partners in Europe over the last year continues to drive the reversal of fortune on the trans-Atlantic trade lanes, as U.S. products...

Oakland''s Fee Discount.
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall to have only one fee in hopes of attracting exporters Copyright 2008, Traffic World, Inc. The Port of Oakland spent a lot of money in the last decade preparing for new business that never materialized. Now,...

Carriers Plan Fuel Hike.
September 1, 2008... Importers and exporters in the U.S.-Asia trades may have to dig deeper to compensate container lines for rising fuel costs. The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, whose 15 members haul cargo from Asia to the U.S., and its counterpart,...

People.(briefs)(appointments)
September 1, 2008... The International Warehouse Logistics Association, Des Plaines, Ill., hired Michael A. Vasko as vice president of operations and administration. Vasko most recently served as publications director for the Archives of Physical Medicine and...

Who Pays If the Third Party Doesn''t?(dialogue with Colin Barrett )(Interview)
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q: A client just asked me the following question and I can''t answer her completely, so can you please help me? If we send a shipment third-party billing through a carrier that is not a designated carrier of...

The Back Page.(briefs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Weighted. A Canadian Pacific freight train slammed into a truck carrying nearly 90,000 pounds of block stone outside London, Ontario, last month. Happily, it turns out no one was seriously injured, but we can''t help but think that in Canada,...

September 1, 2008.(briefs)(Uncommon Goods)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Weighted. A Canadian Pacific freight train slammed into a truck carrying nearly 90,000 pounds of block stone outside London, Ontario, last month. Happily, it turns out no one was seriously injured, but we can't help but think that in Canada, at...

Who Pays If the Third Party Doesn't?(Column)
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: Colin Barrett Q:A client just asked me the following question and I can't answer her completely, so can you please help me? If we send a shipment third-party billing through a carrier that is not a designated carrier of ours,...

Clean Enough for Ports?
September 1, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Ron Guss is starting to sweat the possibility that not enough trucks will be available to haul the annual fall surge of containers imported through Southern California's ports. He's concerned a controversial plan...

Hurricane Gustav Moves Through Gulf.(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... The Port of New Orleans said its headquarters building will be closed on Tuesday as it recovers from the effects of Hurricane Gustav. Only essential emergency employees are required to report to work on Tuesday, the port said in an...

Burlington Picks MOL for Logistics.(Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp.)(Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher MOL Consolidation Service will handle logistics for U.S. apparel retailer Burlington Coat Factory's Asia regions. The Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Japanese ocean shipping line Mitsui OSK Lines will provide...

FedEx Express Upgrades Europe-U.S.
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher FedEx Express upgraded its next-business-day delivery from Europe to major U.S. East Coast cities. Customers who had two-business-day service can now reach more than 3,500 zip codes in key markets along the...

U.S. Airlines Cut Emissions.(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher U.S. airlines improved fuel efficiency 110 percent in the last thirty years, according to a report from their trade organization. From 1978 to 2007, the airlines cut 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide...

Agility Acquires Geopetrol in Canada.(Geopetrol International Limited)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Agility, a global 3PL, acquired Geopetrol International Limited, a forwarder which specializes in the Canadian oil and gas market. Geopetrol provides air, ground and sea freight forwarding, customs...

Cargo Plane Crashes in Ohio.(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher A cargo plane owned by local carrier Air Tahoma crashed shortly after take-off Monday and burned in a field near Rickenbacker International Airport, killing all three persons on board. As the twin-engine...

Manufacturing Slips in August.(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Manufacturing activity declined slightly in August, according to a national survey of supply executives. New orders, employment and inventories all contracted and deliveries slowed their pace, said the...

RedTail Solutions Names CEO.(Bob Gleason, chief executive officer)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... RedTail Solutions named Bob Gleason president and CEO. Gleason takes command of the provider of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Global Data Synchronization (GDS) services for mid-market suppliers in the retail supply chain and...

Liberty Offers to Buy Int'l Shipholding.(Liberty Shipping Group)(International Shipholding Corp.)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Liberty Shipping Group offered $308 million to acquire competitor International Shipholding. Privately held Liberty proposed to purchase all of the outstanding shares of International common stock for $25.75 per...

MSC Chief Eyes Alitalia.(Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.)(Gianluigi Aponte)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Gianluigi Aponte, chairman of Mediterranean Shipping Co., on Tuesday said he plans to invest 100 million euros ($147 million) or more in a consortium bidding to salvage Alitalia, Italy's national airline. But he...

OECD Raises U.S. Growth Forecast.(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Tuesday raised its forecast for U.S. economic growth this year but has lowered its forecasts for growth in Japan and the eurozone nations. The OECD, which brings together 30...

Japanese Express Giant Opens Shanghai Unit.(Yamato Holdings Co.)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Hisane Masaki TOKYO -- Japanese express delivery giant Yamato Holdings Co. has established a logistics service subsidiary in China's Shanghai Wai Gao Qiao Bonded Logistics Zone. The subsidiary, Shanghai Wai Gao Qiao Bonded...

TWIC Enrollment Approaches 500,000.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Enrollment for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential nears the half million mark, but card activation still lags, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA's latest TWIC...

Matson Acquires Pacific American.(Matson Global Distribution Services)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Matson Global Distribution Services, a subsidiary of Matson Integrated Logistics, completed the acquisition of Pacific American Services, a regional, asset-light warehousing, packaging and distribution company...

DHL Names Regional CEO.(John Pearson, chief executive officer)(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher DHL appointed John Pearson as chief executive officer for the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Pearson will lead one of the fastest growing regions within DHL Express. EEMEA is the largest...

Diesel Falls 2.4 Cents to $4.121.(Brief article)
September 2, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Diesel fell an average of 2.4 cents this week to $4.121 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The decline comes as crude oil dropped to a five-month low on the New York Mercantile...

Gale Warning for Fla. Ports.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Gale force winds spawned by Tropical Storm Hanna were expected to hit the Florida ports of Palm Beach and Fort Pierce by Thursday. The Coast Guard set Condition X-ray at 6 p.m. Tuesday calling for waterfront facilities to remove potential...

WTSA to Simplify Surcharge Formula.(Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement )
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Shipping lines that carry U.S. exports to Asia on Oct. 1 will introduce a streamlined formula for determining the bunker fuel surcharges applied to containers shipped from West and East Coast...

CN Restoring Gulf Service.(Canadian National Railway )(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Canadian National Railway crews have been working to restore full service in areas of Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricane Gustav. The Montreal-based carrier in a service alert said track inspections continue south of Jackson,...

Gulf Ports Emerge From Gustav.
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Janet Nodar MOBILE, Ala. -- Several Gulf ports are awaiting channel surveys and checks on navigational aids before reopening and the lower Mississippi River remains closed pending Coast Guard evaluation and clean-up, but overall...

A.P. Moller to Sell Shipyard.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard A.P. Moller-Maersk's troubled Lindo Odense shipyard has put its Loksa Shipyard subsidiary in Estonia up for sale in the Danish shipbuilder's latest bid to cut costs and compete with Asian rivals. Loksa, which was...

Teamsters Petition FedEx to Oust Smith.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Sept. 2 asked FedEx shareholders to support the union's proposal for an independent board chairman at FedEx's annual meeting later this month. Last year, a...

AMB Leases to Dorel in Savannah.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman Dorel Juvenile Group, a manufacturer and distributor of children's products, leased 150,000 square feet at AMB Morgan Business Center in Savannah, Ga., to cut transportation costs by expanding its footprint on the...

NLM Adds Truckload Brokerage.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Third-party logistics provider, NLM, is adding truckload brokerage to its list of services. The full service offering includes standard and specialized needs such as flatbeds, drop-decks and curtain-sides....

Forward Air to Acquire Service Express.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Forward Air Solutions, the pool distribution subsidiary of Forward Air, agreed to acquire assets of Service Express. The acquisition of the privately held Spartanburg, S.C.-based carrier expands Forward...

Manufacturing Expanded in July.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Manufacturing activity increased slightly in July, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau. New orders, shipments and inventories of manufactured goods all climbed to their highest levels since...

River System Rebounds After Floods.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Midwestern river transportation exploded in July after three months of seriously curtailed traffic due to floods. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa, the head of navigation for the 445-mile-long McClellan-Kerr...

ProLogis to Build Paris Warehouse.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman C&A France, the French subsidiary of international clothing retailer C&A, contracted with commercial real estate developer ProLogis to build the merchandiser a 475,000 square foot warehouse near Paris. The new...

Panalpina Completes Share Buyback.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... On Sept. 2, global forwarder Panalpina concluded the share buyback program it initiated one year ago. As planned, the company repurchased 1.25 million shares. The value of the shares was approximately $167 million representing 5 percent of...

Airlines Face Heavy Losses.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher The global airline industry faces losses of approximately $5.2 billion in 2008, according to a revised forecast from the International Air Transport Association. Soaring fuel costs are largely responsible...

International Air Cargo Fell in July.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... International air cargo traffic fell 1.9 percent in July, dragged down by a 6.5 percent dive in air shipping in the Asia-Pacific region. The decline marked the second straight monthly drop in global air cargo business and the steepest...

Ryder Completes Gordon Acquisition.(Ryder System Inc. acquired with Gordon Truck Leasing )(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Ryder System on Sept. 3 completed the previously announced acquisition of substantially all the assets of the full service truck leasing, commercial truck rental and contract maintenance businesses of Gordon...

UPS Restores Service after Gustav.(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... UPS restored package delivery service in most of the area affected by Hurricane Gustav, the company said Sept. 3. Service was not restored in New Orleans, where the city government still maintains a mandatory evacuation order. But no...

American Trucking Associations Introduces ATA Business Solutions.
September 3, 2008... Arlington, Va. -- The American Trucking Associations today launched ATA Business Solutions, a line of information products, business tools, services, training programs and conferences specifically designed to address the critical issues...

Heartland Opens in Dallas.(Heartland Express Inc.)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher Heartland Express bought a terminal in Dallas that's expected to bolster the truckload carrier's service in the Southwest. "This region has been on our growth horizons for some time," said Heartland President...

Mexico Opens Port Project Bidding.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Mexico's Department of Communications and Transportation has opened the bidding process for construction of a large port at Punta Colonet on the country's Pacific coast. The request for proposals announced...

ILWU Warns Ports on RFID, Clean Trucks.(International Longshore and Warehouse Union)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The International Longshore and Warehouse Union's marine clerks local in Southern California is attempting to prevent the Los Angeles-Long Beach clean-trucks program from being used to reduce...

Boxer Sets Highway Bill Priorities.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter The next highway bill will be called Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, at least if Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has her way. Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public...

Strike Looms at Boeing.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are poised for a strike at aircraft manufacturer Boeing. A Thursday morning walk-out was delayed Wednesday by a 48 hour extension...

Descartes Revenue Improves Steadily.(Descartes Systems Group Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Logistics software-as-a-service provider Descartes earned $2 million before taxes in the second quarter on revenue of $17.1 million. Those figures show steady progress since last year. Revenue gained 20...

UTi Growth Spurs Higher Profit.(UTi Worldwide Inc. financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Global forwarder UTi Worldwide improved gross and net revenue through both organic growth and acquisitions. Growth came with higher operating costs, including fuel, and revenue growth was limited by some cost...

OHL Expands International Services.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher OHL opened an international services station in San Francisco. Operated by the Barthco division of the company, the office forms a critical part of an overall expansion strategy, said OHL officials. Formerly...

Canadian Pacific Names CFO.(appointment of Kathryn McQuade as a Chief Financial Officer)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Canadian Pacific Railway appointed Kathryn McQuade to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. McQuade will assume responsibility for all functions currently reporting to the CFO:...

Navistar Earnings Surge.
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher Navistar International Corporation earned record net income for its third fiscal quarter. In spite of a weak trucking industry, the manufacturer revised its outlook upward for the year. The maker of...

YRC Names Kelley CSO.(YRC Worldwide appointed Michael Kelley as a Chief Sustainability Officer)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: John Gallagher YRC Worldwide named Michael Kelley Chief Sustainability Officer to oversee the trucking company's increasing focus on environmental issues. Kelley, who will continue to serve as vice president of external...

TRANSCOM Deploys Container Security.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... The U.S. military recently started using a container security system to detect any potential tampering on shipments being sent from Afghanistan to Pakistan.  The U.S. Transportation Command deployed the CommerceGuard system created by...

CSX Cleaning Up After Hurricane.(CSX Transportation Inc.)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... CSX Transportation on Sept. 3 completed its initial inspection of track and terminals in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Gustav. The railroad's bridges and terminals escaped significant harm, but at least 21 miles of track...

U.S. Rail Traffic Falls.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher U.S. rail traffic fell in the week ending Aug. 30, according to the Association of American Railroads. The slide in intermodal units slowed, but a steep decline in shipments of automobiles and equipment slashed...

The American Logistics Aid Network Needs Your Help.
September 4, 2008... Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, CSCMP was one of twelve organizations to join together to help provide humanitarian relief agencies with a gateway to supply-chain industry resources. As a result, The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) was...

Truck Plan Ruling Coming Soon.
September 5, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo A U.S. District Court judge on Sept. 8 will hear arguments involving a request by the trucking industry for a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the Los Angeles-Long Beach clean-trucks...

Menlo Expands in Mexico.(Menlo Worldwide Logistics)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Logistics provider Menlo Worldwide Logistics announced that it is expanding in Guadalajara, Mexico, including the relocation of certain functions from Mexico City. Functions moving to Guadalajara will include sales, finance,...

Port of New Orleans Back to Work.(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... The Port of New Orleans announced today that it started working cargo vessels that called the port prior to the arrival of Hurricane Gustav. The Coast Guard opened the mouth of the Mississippi River to a maximum draft of 30 feet, effective...