Pacific Shipper articles from February 2005

Pacific Shipper archives from February 2005

Mixed-User No More.
February 3, 2005... This was one occasion when the celebration was not artificial, with that aura of false bonhomie that's so easy to spot. In this case the Port of Tacoma and Evergreen Marine marked the grand opening of their big new modern Pierce County...

Portland Set Tonnage Record in 2004.
February 3, 2005... Overall freight volumes through the Port of Portland's marine terminals jumped to 12,581,370 tons in 2004, a 5.2 percent increase over 2003 volumes and 500,000 tons more than 1999's record-setting volumes, a port release said. Sizable...

Two Arrested in Port of Seattle Fuel Theft Case.(Fuel Theft)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Port of Seattle Police and the Washington State Patrol arrested two men suspected of stealing more than 1 million gallons of gasoline over a period of 20 months, the port said. The thefts occurred from December 2002 to September 2004 at the...

The Fog Lifts: Tacoma, Evergreen Mega-Terminal Opens.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Evergreen Marine's container ship -- aptly named the Ever Unity -- loomed impressively out of the Pacific Northwest's morning fog, escorted by two powerful tugboats. As it neared the new Pierce County Terminal,...

Jumping into Chassis Pools.(Chassis Management)
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo It sounds simple -- establish regional pools of intermodal chassis that ocean carriers can share as needed. But in the arcane world of chassis management, nothing is simple. No one claims that the current...

Eu Pushing for Port Reform.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard The European Union has reiterated its determination to press ahead with radical plans to deregulate waterfront services despite mounting opposition from leading ports and strike threats by dockworkers. The...

S. Korea Sees Exports Up, Ship Orders Down.(South Korea Ministry of commerce Industry)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... South Korea's Ministry of Commerce Industry and Energy expects orders for new ships in 2005 to fall by as much as 39 percent to between 10 million and 12 million compensated gross tons. The ministry said its shipbuilders are likely to...

Wto Urges Japan Trade Reforms.(World Trade Organization)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The World Trade Organization said Japan should proceed with extensive economic reforms that are aimed to stimulate its stagnant economy. After reviewing Japan's commercial policy between 2002-04, the WTO concluded that Tokyo has...

Taiwan Approves China Charter Flights.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Taiwan has given permission to its largest carriers, China Airlines and EVA Air, to fly direct charters to China over the Feb. 9 Lunar New Year holiday. The approval came after Taiwan and China reached a landmark agreement in Macau this...

Shippers Face New Crate, Pallet Treatment Requirements.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson Woe to the unwary shipper who crates or palletizes his goods with untreated lumber. The International Phytosanitary Measure 15 is beginning to take hold worldwide. The measure, to which some 120 nations have...

Customs Extends Border Trucker Deadline.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has extended the deadline to May 1 for drivers carrying goods under the BRASS program to be certified under FAST. Originally drivers had to have FAST cards by Jan. 31. Customs said it is holding...

Matson Purchases Aquitane.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Matson Integrated Logistics has acquired Houston-based freight transportation management and technology firm Aquitaine Assets for an undisclosed sum. Matson will retain Aquitaine's four founding partners and nine-member management team....

Oocl Revenues Rise 28 Percent.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Orient Overseas (International) Ltd. of Hong Kong, citing strong intra-Asia trade, said fourth-quarter revenue from its shipping business rose 28.2 percent from a year earlier. OOIL said revenue from subsidiary Orient Overseas Container...

Homeland Security Gets Incomplete Grade.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson As if asking a panel of professors, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked witnesses before her Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to grade the Department of Homeland Security on its performance...

Shippers to Face Security 'surcharge'.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane More than 100 transport executives at carriers across all modes surveyed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Statistics and Research Center on behalf of Deloitte said they plan to increase security spending this...

Canada-Us Softwood Lumber Talks Could Resume.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... There are signs the U.S. and Canada may be moving to negotiate an end to their softwood lumber trade dispute. A Canadian forest-industry spokesman said last month that initial moves are under way, including rescheduling discussions shelved...

Dhs Panel Sets First Meeting.
February 3, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security Border and Transportation Security Directorate has announced that the ninth term of the Departmental Advisory Committee for Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection, commonly known as COAC,...

Norfolk Southern Launches 'Blue Streak' Intermodal.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Norfolk Southern Corp. recently launched 2005 NS Blue Streak, an intermodal service designed to help Equipment Management Program (EMP) and North American Container System (NACS) members meet their equipment needs. Not to be confused with...

Ups Announces Management Hiring Freeze.(UPS Airlines)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... UPS is implementing a hiring freeze at the management level and will work harder on reducing costs as it reported disappointing fourth-quarter results last month that included weaker-than-expected domestic ground volume. The Atlanta-based...

Abx Air Hub under Scrutiny by Tsa.(United States. Transportation Security Administration)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... ABX Air, the all-cargo airline that mainly serves DHL, is under investigation by the Transportation Security Agency for unspecified issues related to cargo hub workers, according to a TSA spokesperson, quoted in a news report. An...

Surging Shipments Boost Uk Airport Profits.(BAA PLC)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... BAA, the world's largest airports operator, said profit in the first nine months of the fiscal year that began April 1, 2004, increased by more than 18 percent from the same period a year earlier, driven by surging cargo shipments and record...

Ups's Fourth Quarter Featured Higher Costs, Drop in Domestic Volume.(United Parcel Service of America Inc)
February 3, 2005... UPS said its fourth-quarter revenue was up more than 10 percent, but a 13 percent increase in operating expense, coupled with a drop in domestic ground volume during the period, propelled the company to a 5.4 percent decline in operating profit...

Menlo Sale Aids Cnf Fourth-Quarter Profit.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... CNF Inc. said fourth-quarter profit jumped nearly 19 percent to $34.3 million as revenue increased at both its Con-Way and Menlo Worldwide units. Earnings from continuing operations, excluding the company's Menlo Worldwide Forwarding...

Union Pacific Profit Dips.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Union Pacific Corp., operator of the largest U.S. railroad, said its fourth-quarter profit fell 86 percent because of big asbestos-related charges as well as high fuel prices and increased operating costs. The company reported quarterly...

Norfolk Southern's Earnings Increase.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Norfolk Southern reported sharply higher fourth-quarter earnings, driven by increased railway and general merchandise revenue. The company posted a profit of $264 million in the fourth quarter of 2004, up from $52 million a year earlier....

Record Fourth Quarter Propels Bnsf.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Burlington Northern Santa Fe posted its best quarterly operating ratio since 2000 and third-straight quarterly revenue and volume record. The Fort Worth-based carrier reported record fourth-quarter freight revenue of $2.9 billion, a 19...

Canadian National Reports Record Profit.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Canadian National Railway, Canada's largest railway, posted a record C$1.3 billion profit for 2004, up from C$1.01 billion in 2003. Revenue for the year increased to C$6.6 billion from C$5.9 billion in 2003. CN also announced that its...

Bottom-Line Issue: Safety.(regulation on occupational safety and health)
February 3, 2005... In an industry where margins are historically razor-thin, marine terminal operators could be driven into bankruptcy because of a large personal injury claim under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Employers should...

West Coast Terminal Crunch Looms for Carriers.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Shipping lines that do not operate their own container terminals could be shut out of busy West Coast ports as carrier-owned terminals struggle to handle the growing cargo volumes from Asia generated by their...

Maersk Exec: Us Box Ports Face Capacity Crisis.(Philip V. Connors of Maersk Sealand )
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo By 2010, ports in the U.S. will be unable to accommodate the projected growth in container volumes if they do not expand their physical infrastructure, a top Maersk Sealand executive said on Jan. 28. Philip V....

National Intermodal Policy Needed.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The U.S. desperately needs a national intermodal freight policy to address how ports, railroads and motor carriers will accommodate container volumes that are expected to more than double over the next 10 years,...

Box Storage Abuses Add to Congestion.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Two of the nation's largest shippers said importers who use marine terminals for free storage of containers are contributing to congestion at major seaports and should end the practice. "We do not believe in...

Whopping Trade Deficit with China.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Richard Knee The good news: U.S. exports to China are increasing. The other news: Chinese exports to the U.S. are rising faster. By value, the trade imbalance the first 11 months of 2004 approached 6 to 1, up from about 5 to 1...

Us Tastes Turn Asian for Chinese New Year.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Moura Steinberg For many, 2005 is the Year of the Rooster. But when Feb. 9 rolls around and the Chinese Lunar New Year begins, poultry products will not be the biggest sellers. Instead, commodities that are orange and red,...

Protected Hawaii Trade Could Get Fourth Liner Service.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The two Jones Act carriers that serve Hawaii could face two new competitors this year. Hawaii's Matson Navigation Co. and Seattle-based Horizon Lines already face competition in auto transport from Pasha Transport Hawaii, which is scheduled to...

Port of New York-New Jersey Sets Ship-to-Rail Record.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said its ExpressRail ship-to-rail terminals handled record container volume in 2004. The ExpressRail terminals in New Jersey handled 283,529 containers in 2004, up 22 percent from 232,867 in...

Truck Lanes Approved for La Freeway Project.
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Access to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could get a major boost as local authorities approved conceptual plans for an 18-mile, $4.5 billion highway corridor that will include special truck lanes serving...

Vancouver Digs Out from Box Jam.(Canadian National Railway)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Vancouver's Deltaport terminal continues to dig out from a massive container backlog with the help of extra cars and an additional weekly train from Canadian National Railway. "The supply of additional cars is...

Vancouver Usa Hires Mishler.(Port of Vancouver)(Kenneth Mishler )(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Port of Vancouver, Wash., has hired Kenneth Mishler as its new terminal manager with responsibility to oversee the marine operations at the port's Terminals 2 and 3. Mishler, who began his duties at the port on Jan. 18, reports to...

Evans Retiring from Up.(Ike Evans)(Union Pacific Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Union Pacific Vice Chairman Ike Evans has announced plans to retire on Feb. 28. Evans, 62, initially served UP as president and chief operating officer. He was named vice chairman in February 2004, when James Young was appointed...

Martinair Hires Lax Cargo Manager.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Michael Jensen has joined Martinair Cargo as regional cargo sales manager for the Southwest region. Jensen will be responsible for the growth, development and supervision of cargo bookings, sales support and customer service in the...

Port of Seattle's Charles Blood to Retire.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Charles Blood, who led the Port of Seattle's commitment to diversity and small businesses, will retire on April 1. Blood was the architect of the port's Small Business Initiative and held a variety of port positions over his 33-year career...

Armstrong Joins Pbb.(Robert J. Armstrong)(PBB Global Logistics)(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... PBB Global Logistics said Robert J. Armstrong will join the company as senior vice president of government affairs. A certified international trade professional, Armstrong headed the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters since...

Feds Bungle Investigation.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall Feb. 15 could become a date that sticks in the minds of 13 Filipino seamen who have been "visiting" Southern California since mid-September. If everything goes as scheduled, the former crew members of the Katerina...

Truck Capacity Crunch Looms Again.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The long-haul trucking industry could again find itself short of capacity during the peak-shipping season this year, a trucking executive said. Truckers suffered a severe capacity crunch in 2004, particularly...

Federal Budget Has $15 Million for Columbia River Channel Project.
February 11, 2005... The Bush administration's fiscal 2006 budget released last week includes $15 million for the Columbia River Channel Improvement project, designed to deepen the river's navigation channel to 43 feet from 40 feet. It is the first White House...

Container Vessel Orders Up 10 Percent.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Container lines and charter ship owners have ordered more than 50 container vessels in the first five weeks of the year, more than 10 percent ahead of the same period in 2004 when a record $25.5 billion was spent on...

Nyk Executive Says Nvo-Shipper Pacts Will Have Little Effect, Sees More Transnational Carrier Mergers.(Nippon Yusen KK)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Richard Knee Even though vessel operators staunchly opposed the right of freight consolidators to sign confidential service agreements with exporters and importers, veteran shipping executive Peter Keller says carriers will...

Dhs to Require Cargo Container Seals.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security is developing a regulation that would mandate the use of high-security seals on all ocean containers entering the U.S., a senior DHS official said. "The department is moving forward developing a seal...

Verdery Resigns from Dhs.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson C. Stewart Verdery Jr., assistant secretary for border and transportation security planning and policy, announced his resignation from the Department of Homeland Security post, effective March 4. Verdery has been...

Chertoff: Port-Security Funding Should Be Flexible, Risk-Based.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson Homeland Security Secretary-designate Michael Chertoff told a Senate committee this month that funding for port security, like all critical infrastructure protection, should be flexible, and based on risk and...

Us-China Currency Talks Planned.
February 11, 2005... The U.S. will push China to untie its currency from the dollar as soon as possible during Group of Seven meetings with Chinese officials, John Taylor, the U.S. Treasury Department's undersecretary for international affairs, indicated this...

Ubs Index: Rate Declines Likely Slight.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Investment bank UBS said its initial container freight rate index showed that spot rates for containers on major trades are up 30 percent from their 2002 trough but are up only 3 percent from the start of 2001. UBS said the index, which it...

Caricom Signals Bilateral Trade Options.
February 11, 2005... The Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, the association of Caribbean nations, indicated in a recent publication that it is considering bilateral free-trade negotiations with Washington but still supports efforts to revive the moribund Free Trade...

Csx, Up Introduce Western Mexico Intermodal Service.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... As of Feb. 14, CSX Intermodal and Union Pacific Railroad are providing "Passport" container service to western Mexico markets. The railroads will move 53-foot STAX containers across the U.S.-Mexico border at Nogales, Mexico. CSXI and UP...

Ltl Carriers Say Rate Hikes Likely.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Andrew D. Beadle With big profit growth under their belts, the nation's top less-than-truckload carriers are predicting likely rate increases this year as capacity remains in high demand in an expanding economy. "I think it...

Ba Cargo Revenue Outpaces Passenger Traffic Growth.(British Airways)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Third-quarter, pre-tax profit at Europe's second-largest airline, British Airways, declined more than 40 percent on higher fuel costs even as cargo revenues continued to outpace growth in passenger traffic. Profit fell to $144 million in...

Automotive Logistics Unit Formed by Menlo.(Menlo Automotive Group)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Menlo Worldwide announced the formation of Menlo Automotive Group, or MAG, to focus on supply-chain and logistics needs of the global automotive industry. The new group, based in Detroit, will maintain a significant facilities presence,...

Port of Dalian Regional Plan Advances.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: P.T. Bangsberg China's northeastern Port of Dalian completed the reclamation of 2 square miles of bay front, part of a plan to create an international navigation hub in Northeast Asia. It is directly aimed at taking business...

9,000-Teu Ships Ordered by Hyundai.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Hyundai Merchant Marine is close to finalizing what would be the largest single ship order in the company's history. The South Korean line is expected to sign a contract with sister company Hyundai Heavy Industries for eight 9,000-TEU...

Profits Slide at New Zealand Port.(New Zealand south port)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... New Zealand's South Port saw its profit over the last six months fall compared with the previous year, due to the strong U.S. dollar and the loss of a significant shipping service. The company reported a net profit of $1.1 million for the...

Hong Kong Increasing Flights to Japan.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Hong Kong's government said on Feb. 4 it had agreed to increase air-cargo capacity between the city and Japan by over 40 percent. The increase represents about 24 flights in addition to the present 36 flights weekly, according to the...

Logistics Managers Jockey for Executive Suite Support.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Alan M. Field Gene Tyndall has worked with many chief executives, and he knows they have a lot on their minds -- customers, shareholders, suppliers, employees, community pressures and more. But he says most chief executives "don't...

Spending Priorities.(Logistics services)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: William Hoffman Logistics operators increasingly are asking what new technology can do for them, not just what it can do for their customers. Although more shippers are leaning on third-party logistics providers to offer...

Despite Big Drop in Profit, Boeing Anticipates Growth.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Boeing Co. reported an 84 percent drop in fourth-quarter net earnings, largely because of one-time charges on two of its aircraft programs. Officials said, however, that the company is positioned for significant...

Pacer Income, Revenue Up in Q4.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Pacer International posted a 49 percent jump in fourth-quarter earnings to $17 million on revenue of nearly $531 million. For the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, Pacer's net income increased $47.2 million from $31.3 million in 2003. The...

Paccar Has Best Year in Its History.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Paccar Inc., the Bellevue, Wash., truck maker, reported record revenue and net income for 2004, with revenue increasing more than 40 percent to $10.8 billion, and net earnings soaring 72.2 percent to $906.8 million. Mark C. Pigott,...

Evergreen Earnings Triple.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Evergreen Marine Corp.'s fourth-quarter earnings jumped 59 percent to $2.8 billion New Taiwan dollars ($88 million) after a rise in freight rates and strong exports from China, Reuters reported. Asia's largest container shipping company is...

Gatx Profit Aided by Marine Revenue.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Transport lessor GATX Corp. reported that fourth-quarter earnings increased on higher lease income and marine operating revenue. Net income rose to $71.2 million from $27.6 million a year ago. Total revenue increased to $359.9 million from...

Kansas City Southern Back in the Black on Intermodal Surge.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Railroad operator Kansas City Southern posted a fourth-quarter profit as intermodal shipments surged. Quarterly earnings swung to a $700,000 profit from a year-ago loss of $5.2 million. After the payment of preferred stock dividends, the...

J.B. Hunt Rolls to Big Fourth Quarter.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Truckload carrier and intermodal services provider J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. said fourth-quarter earnings doubled on improved operating ratio and safety measures, as the year-ago period was hampered by a charge for the reversal of tax...

Hanjin Doubles Profits.(Hanjin Shipping Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Hanjin Shipping said its profits more than doubled in 2004 to 645.7 million Korean won ($628.2 million), compared with $287 million the previous year. Revenues increased by 11.4 percent to $6.03 billion. Hanjin's operating profit rose...

Security Agency Undergoes Further Changes.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane The Transportation Security Administration is undergoing a quiet shake up in the ranks of its cargo-security staff, raising new concerns among transport providers that they may see yet another direction in the...

All in the Packaging: the Sweetest Air Cargo.(Duchateau US)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Ian Putzger Valentine's Day is more frantic than romantic for Jacques Bergier, general manager of Duchateau US, as the company's flagship store on Madison Avenue in midtown Manhattan bustles with throngs of customers in search of...

Bioterror Regs Leave a Bitter Taste.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Rosalind McLymont The Food and Drug Administration's requirement under the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 that prior notice of food imports include the name of the grower "if known," left a bitter taste with the Chocolate Manufacturers...

Rails in Aggressive Yield-Management, Pricing Programs.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: John Gallagher Railroads are maximizing the contribution of every transportation slot to their bottom line through aggressive yield-management and pricing programs in 2005 -- and that means no relief for shippers from higher rates....

Panama: A Service-Based Economy.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Richard Knee Panama is barely a blip on the radar of U.S. merchandise trade, but quality-of-life projects and efforts to improve the economic climate in Central America's southernmost country are creating plenty of business...

Teus Up 12 Percent at West Coast Ports Last Year.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Five months of congestion in Los Angeles-Long Beach and yearlong capacity constraints on the intermodal rail network had relatively little impact on West Coast ports as containerized imports increased 12.1 percent...

Port of Tacoma Awarded Grants for Diesel Emission Reductions.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the Port of Tacoma's diesel-emissions reductions and rewarded the port with a $75,000 grant to retrofit the port's fleet of straddle carriers. The EPA's certificate of recognition this...

Inland Container Yards Getting a Close Look.
February 11, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo One thing containerization didn't change was the way cargo is handed off to shippers. Since the days of the Phoenicians, the transfer has been on the waterfront. But Ed Kelly says it's time to kiss that...

Alumina Domes Imploded at Port of Tacoma.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The Port of Tacoma's waterfront profile changed last month and early this month when the two"original Tacoma Domes" were demolished. Landmarks since they were built in 1968 and 1971, the two domes were designed to store bauxite alumina ore...

Chinese Delegation Visits Boeing in Seattle after Placing Largest 787 Order.
February 11, 2005... After signing an agreement in Washington, D.C., to buy 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, government and airline officials representing China and the Chinese carriers visited the 787 interior mockup in Tukwila, Wash., on Jan. 31. Pictured are Mike...

Club Hears Trucking Executive.
February 11, 2005... Stephen Russell, chairman and chief executive of truckload carrier Celadon, addressed members of the Los Angeles Transportation Club at their February meeting at the Marriott Norwalk Hotel. Pictured above (from left to right) are club President...

Blanco Appointed Financial Officer at Port of Ny-Nj.(A. Paul Blanco )(Port Authority of New York and New Jersey )(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has named A. Paul Blanco as its chief financial officer. Blanco is a 33-year veteran of the bistate agency who most recently served as executive director. He is responsible for its $4.5 billion...