Pacific Shipper articles from November 2005

Pacific Shipper archives from November 2005

Gridlocked Again.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto If, as A.J. Leibling said, "All news is local," then three related Northwest port and transportation items fit this definition nicely indeed. One is tempted also to add "silly" to the mix because that also fits....

Ooil's Tung: Mergers Should Aid Price Stability.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Peter M. Tirschwell Economic theory holds that as an industry becomes concentrated, the remaining players will have greater control over pricing. As a result of recent mega-mergers, this phenomenon can and should unfold in container...

Asia Imports Hit by Rail-Network Delays.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The long-anticipated crush of peak-season cargo is hitting West Coast ports, and it's causing delays along the intermodal rail network to destinations in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Railroads are...

P&O Sells Cold Logistics Unit.
November 4, 2005... P&O agreed to sell P&O Cold Logistics Versacold Holdings Corp. of Canada for u183 million ($324.8 million). The company announced its intention to sell the company earlier this year when it sold its remaining shares of container line P&O...

Rfid Poses Steep Challenges and Vast Potential for Fresh Produce Industry.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall Two years ago if you asked companies to state the biggest advantage to employing radio-frequency identification technology, the answer was unanimous: You must use it to sell to Wal-Mart. But in Wal-Mart's first...

High Reefer Demand, Higher Prices.
November 4, 2005... Refrigerated shippers and warehouse operators fear demand for equipment deployed by Gulf Coast disaster relief efforts may freeze higher reefer trucking prices in place. Reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid top-dollar...

Supporting Plans Emerge for Maritime Security Strategy.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson In late September the Department of Homeland Security released its National Strategy for Maritime Security. Last week, the department began introducing eight "supporting plans" outlining DHS strategy for such...

House Panel Votes to Repeal Byrd Amendment.
November 4, 2005... The House Ways and Means Committee late last month voted to repeal the Byrd Amendment in a package of measures aimed at reducing the nation's budget deficit. The House Budget Committee will consolidate Ways and Means' findings with other...

Ata Supports Arctic Oil Exploration.
November 4, 2005... The nation's leading trucking group is backing a call by Senate Republicans to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration "An uninterrupted fuel supply is essential to meet the nation's transportation needs," Bill...

Tsa Prepares Relaunch of Operation Safe Commerce.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: R. G. Edmonson After a long hiatus, the Transportation Security Administration is prepared to relaunch Operation Safe Commerce. It is the TSA's third go at the program, which took a backseat to other recent security...

Moyes Leaves Swift Posts.
November 4, 2005... Jerry Moyes stepped down as chairman and chief executive of Swift Transportation on Oct. 27 in an abrupt change of leadership at one of the country's largest truckload carriers, two months before a scheduled transition. Robert W....

Diana Shipping Buys Two Bulk Vessels.
November 4, 2005... Athens-based dry-bulk carrier Diana Shipping last week said it has agreed to purchase two Panamax carriers, the sister vessels CMB Philippe and another that is under construction (Hull H1307A). Diana purchased the 74,500-deadweight-ton...

Eu Gets Deadline Toreform Sugar Programs.
November 4, 2005... The European Union has seven months to reform its sugar subsidies programs or potentially face billions of dollars in retaliation, the World Trade Organization said in October. The EU must end illegal government handouts to sugar producers...

Eu Offers to Cut Agriculture Tariffs.
November 4, 2005... The European Union last month offered to reduce average agricultural tariffs by 46 percent, its steepest offer ever, in a proposal aimed at breaking a deadlock in world trade talks. The EU said it would reduce the highest tariff rates by 60...

Taca Drops Southern California Surcharge.
November 4, 2005... The Trans-Atlantic Conference Agreement eliminated from its tariff the congestion surcharge for the portsof Los Angeles and Long Beach, effective Nov. 1. The charge had been subject to monthly monitoring and had been suspended through Oct....

Profit Tumbles for I2 Technologies.
November 4, 2005... i2 Technologies Inc., a producer of supply-chain management software, reported that its third-quarter profit declined 50 percent, hurt by a steep drop in contract and services revenue. The Dallas company said net income applicable to common...

Truck Tonnage Rebounds.
November 4, 2005... Truck tonnage rebounded in September, growing eight-tenths of a point after three straight monthly declines. For the full quarter, the American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted for-hire Truck Tonnage Index was down from...

Bnsf Railway Income Jumped 200 Percent in Third Quarter.
November 4, 2005... Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., the nation's second-largest railroad operator, saw its profit jump in the third quarter to $414 million on higher volumes coupled with a nearly 6 percent reduction in operating expenses. The carrier's...

Profit Slips at Wilh. Wilhelmsen.
November 4, 2005... Wilh. Wilhelmsen, which has stakes in Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines, American Roll-on/Roll-off, Eukor and Unitor, reported third-quarter profit of $45 million, compared with $50 million a year ago. Operating profit declined 39 percent to $39...

Deutsche Post Confirms Earnings Outlook.
November 4, 2005... Deutsche Post World Net last month confirmed its 2005 earnings forecast and said it expected earnings before interest and tax of at least 3.6 billion euro ($4.3 billion) this year. Reuters said the German mail monopoly and parent of DHL...

Exel Reports Strong Third Quarter.
November 4, 2005... Exel, the British logistics provider to be acquired by Germany's Deutsche Post World Net, said its third-quarter business was "strong" because of gains in contract logistics. Freight management also improved, the company said. Deutsche...

Gatx Operating Profit Down 29 Percent in Third Quarter.
November 4, 2005... GATX Corp., a transportation equipment lessor, said its third-quarter net income from continuing operations, also known as operating profit, dropped 28.8 percent to $34.3 million, largely because last year's third-quarter operating income was...

Yellow Roadway Posts Big Gains in Revenue and Profit.
November 4, 2005... Yellow Roadway Corp. reported healthy double-digit gains in revenue and profit for the third quarter mainly because of the impact of last year's acquisitions of Roadway and USF. Net income increased more than 52 percent to $85.3 million...

Container Demand, Pricing Declines.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach After a tight supply market last year marine cargo containers are starting to pile up at container yards and marine terminals in the U.S. and Europe. Demand for containers soared last year when the volume of U.S....

S&P: China Continues to Drive Global Shipping Markets, But Medium-Term Uncertainties Remain.
November 4, 2005... Global shipping markets continue to produce strong returns, leading to strong earnings and cash flows for industry participants, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said in a report last month. The exceptionally strong markets experienced...

Wto: Slower Trade Growth Seen for 2006.
November 4, 2005... Global merchandise trade will grow slightly more in 2006 than this year, World Trade Organization economists predicted last month, but the WTO chief voiced concern at an overall trend toward lower growth. Goods trade, which has see-sawed...

10-Nation Bloc Seeks Stronger Ties with China, Japan, South Korea and Russia; Free-Trade-Pact Talks with U.S. Continue.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Richard Knee Judging from recent trends, it probably won't be long before China surpasses the United States as a trading partner to Southeast Asia. The flow of goods across the Pacific, however, continues to grow in dollar terms....

Scm Practices: Asian Business Leaders Differ from Us Executives.
November 4, 2005... By a margin of nearly 3-to-1 compared to their counterparts in the United States and Europe, business leaders in Asia say they have turned to outside experts to manage their supply chains, a recent survey shows. Moreover, having embraced...

Business Coalition Launches Pro-Doha Group.
November 4, 2005... A broad coalition of business groups last month launched a new private-sector effort to press for the swift completion of multilateral trade talks in the World Trade Organization. The new trade group, known as the American Business...

Southern California Is Still the Choice for Distribution Centers.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Although retailers continue to build import distribution centers on the East Coast and carriers are introducing more all-water services from Asia, Southern California remains the favorite location for developers of...

Canada Extends Rules for British Columbia Port Truckers.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Canada on Oct. 28 extended transitional rules under which harbor truck drivers haul containers to and from the British Columbia ports of Vancouver and Fraser River. The initial 90-day period, which expired on...

Canada Proposes Council to Oversee Development of West Coast Infrastructure.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Alex Binkley Transport Minister Jean Lapierre has introduced legislation to create a Pacific Gateway Council so Ottawa can invest in needed infrastructure developments on the West Coast. "Building Canada's Pacific gateway is...

Study Underscores Scm Benefits of Wal-Mart Rfid Initiative.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: Emily Rehring A new study outlining the positive effects of Wal-Mart's radio-frequency identification technology rollout could propel more shippersto adopt the fledgling technology. The independent study by the University of...

Capgemini Says Supply-Chain Collaboration Is Needed.
November 4, 2005... In an era of global supply chains, companies must share real-time key data and information with strategic customers, suppliers and supply-chain partners to thrive instead of merely survive, according to a recent report from Capgemini, Georgia...

Railroads Say Surcharges Fail to Recover Full Costs of Fuel.
November 4, 2005... BYLINE: John Gallagher North America's Class 1 railroads say they are not recovering the full costs of rising diesel prices through their fuel-surcharge programs despite shipper accusations to the contrary. When questioned by Surface...

Quinn: Truckers Should Blow Their Own Horns.
November 4, 2005... What can you say about an industry that transports nearly 70 percent of all domestic freight, yet struggles to relate to the general public and attract new employees? For one thing, you can say more. "(We) don't blow our horn enough," said...

Horizon Outsources It Services Through Atos Origin.
November 4, 2005... Atos Origin, a major European IT services provider, in September launched an information-technology network for domestic U.S. ocean carrier Horizon Lines. The new design established a companywide network linking Horizon Lines' 19...

Isc Plans Gift Bags for Visiting Seafarers.
November 4, 2005... Capt. Manny Aschemeyer, president of the International Seafarers Center for the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor is enlisting the aid of everyone in the Southern California transportation community to help make the holiday season a little...

Seattle Names Evans Deputy Policy Chief.
November 4, 2005... The Port of Seattle recently named Gale Richard Evans deputy chief of the port's Police Department. Evans retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1999 after 28 years of service and most recently served as chief of police for...

Schubert Joins Law Firm.
November 4, 2005... Former Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert has affiliated with the Jones Walker law firm to provide maritime and government-relations services. Schubert, who headed the Maritime Administration for three years, left the agency in...

Groseclose New Aapa Chairman.
November 4, 2005... The American Association of Port Authorities installed Bernard S. Groseclose Jr., president and chief executive of South Carolina State Ports Authority, as its new chairman at the association's 94th annual convention in Tampa. Groseclose...

Staggering Our Shipments.
November 14, 2005... I just got home from another conference where I had the opportunity to listen to industry experts on a variety of topics. More than once, I heard the phrase "seamless transportation." It's not a new phrase, but something the transportation...

La, Long Beach Face Potential Emission Fees.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The air-pollution control agency for Southern California announced a seven-point action plan to cut emissions from vessels, marine terminals, trains and trucks at the nation's largest port complex. The South...

Us, China Agree on Apparel Import Limits.
November 14, 2005... The United States and China last week announced a comprehensive agreement to limit U.S. imports of Chinese textile and apparel products in 34 sensitive categories through the end of 2008. In general, the agreement sets import growth rates...

Long Beach Offers' Green' Carrot to Carriers.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners says it is willing to spend up to $2.2 million a year to get carriers to slow vessel speed when still in international waters off the Southern California coast. The...

Columbia River Channel-Deepening Project Gets $15 Million.
November 14, 2005... A House-Senate appropriation conference committee last week agreed on $15 million in fiscal 2006 to deepen the Columbia River shipping channel to 43 feet from 40 feet. The fiscal year 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill also provides...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 14, 2005... The report "Erasing air pollution" in the Oct. 31 issue contained a typographical error concerning the level of pollution reduction associated with new equipment employed at Yusen Terminals Inc. in the Port of Los Angeles. The yard tractors are...

A Delicate Dance:.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Using the words "delicate"and "terminal" in the same headline might seem a stretch because terminals are anything but centers of delicacy. But as Seattle gears up to make its container terminals more...

Tacoma Forecasts Increased Business, Higher Revenue.
November 14, 2005... Container volume, revenue and profit are on the rise, according to the Port of Tacoma's preliminary budget for 2006. The port commission recently looked at the 2006 preliminary budget, and commissioners will vote whether to approve it later...

Intermodal Growth Accelerates.
November 14, 2005... Intermodal growth in North America accelerated in the third quarter, increasing 5.6 percent over the same period in 2004 in the industry's 14th straight quarterly advance. The Intermodal Association of North America said international...

Railroads, Shippers Face Changing Price-Service Debate.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: John Gallagher New results from the nation's Class 1 railroads suggest that the howls of shipper protests over rail service aren't slowing down the flood of freight hitting the nation's rails. But that gap between growing...

Bonner Lauds Trade Partnership.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson Robert C. Bonner, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said this month that partnership with the trade industry has made the U.S. more secure from terrorist attack than it was in the days just after Sept....

Government Should Study Express Industry, Chertoff Says.
November 14, 2005... The U.S. government should model its emergency response after the highly efficient air-express industry, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Nov. 4. "We ought to be able to do what, you know, UPS does, or DHL, or FedEx or...

New Hazmat Rules Likely to Spark Higher Rates, Driver Shortages.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Kean Hazardous materials shippers face a declining driver pool and skyrocketing rates unless tough, new requirements for hazardous materials license endorsements change, a major truckload carrier executive warns....

Horizon Lists on Stock Exchange, Posts Revenue Increase.
November 14, 2005... Horizon Lines Inc., newly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, said non-recurring expenses from with its initial public offering lowered its third-quarter profit, but that operating revenue rose 15.1 percent to $289.1 million. "This was...

Greek Container Ship Owner Plans Listing on London Stock Exchange.
November 14, 2005... A Greek container ship owner unveiled plans to become the first Greek shipping line to be listed on the main London Stock Exchange. The announcement this month by Athens-based Goldenport Holding will test investors' appetite for the...

Clarksons Plans to Introduce Shipping Hedge Fund.
November 14, 2005... London ship broker Clarksons is moving ahead with plans to launch a shipping-only hedge fund with seed capital of $20 million to $30 million. Its goal is to secure returns of 15 to 20 percent by high-risk trading strategies in the dry bulk...

Us Project Cargo Shippers Find Rate Forecasting Difficult.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The breakbulk shipping industry, which is dominated by European shipowners and charterers, is having some difficulty rationalizing its way of doing business with the practices of large U.S. shippers. As a result,...

Decline of Breakbulk Fleet Could Hamper Sector Growth.
November 14, 2005... Demand for marine transportation of project and breakbulk cargoes over the next decade will continue to climb, but the decline of the breakbulk fleet poses a threat to the industry's ability to deliver those cargoes, according to John S....

Wal-Mart Names Preferred Consolidator.
November 14, 2005... Wal-Mart named Commodity Logistics a preferred provider of consolidation services for Wal-Mart suppliers, part of Wal-Mart's supplier "Remix" initiative. Commodity Logistics said that as part of a multivendor consolidation program, the...

Dp World Plans Turkey Box Hub.
November 14, 2005... DP World, the Dubai-based port operator said to be bidding for P&O's port business, announced plans to develop a container facility in Turkey. The company, a unit of Dubai Ports Authority, said it has acquired a green field coastal site...

Schenker Chooses Descartes.
November 14, 2005... L ogistics software producer Descartes Systems Group said it has signed a multiyear agreement to manage Schenker's North American ground carrier network. No financial details were disclosed. Schenker will utilize Descartes' Local...

Pacer Profit Jumps 29 Percent.
November 14, 2005... Pacer International reported a 29.2 percent increase in profit in the third quarter as a result of growth in its wholesale and retail operations. The Concord, Calif.-based third-party logistics provider recorded $14.6 million on a slight...

Expeditors' Revenue Tops $1 Billion in Third Quarter.
November 14, 2005... Expeditors International of Washington reported record third-quarter earnings of $55.8 million, an increase of nearly 30 percent over last year's third quarter. The Seattle logistics company said total revenue and operating income were $1...

Weak Dollar, Higher Fuel Costs Erode Hanjin Results.
November 14, 2005... Hanjin Shipping reported a 1.2 percent increase in third-quarter net profit despite a 5.7 decline in revenue. Hanjin cited the weakness of the U.S. dollar and the rise in bunker fuel costs, which it said caused a 42.9 percent year-to-year...

Cma Cgm to Upgrade Asia-Med Service.
November 14, 2005... CMA CGM said it will upgrade its service from Asia to the western Mediterranean in December with additional new vessels and more weekly port calls in Spain and China. The French carrier said its Mediterranean trade is so strong that it...

S&P May Raise Debt Rating on Gatx Corp.
November 14, 2005... Standard & Poor's this month said it may raise its debt rating on GATX Corp., reflecting the company's improving rates on its railcar- and aircraft-leasing operations and debt reduction. A strong market position in its major business,...

Operating Profit Up 39 Percent at Egl.
November 14, 2005... EGL Inc., which operates as EGL Eagle Global Logistics, said its third-quarter operating revenue increased more than 8 percent to $779.5 million. Its operating profit jumped nearly 39 percent to $33 million. Cash and cash equivalent rose...

Growth Boosts Revenue for Pilot Air Freight.
November 14, 2005... Pilot Air Freight said revenue for the third quarter totaled $79.7 million, an increase of 5.9 percent from the same period a year ago. During the quarter, Pilot handled 204,822 shipments totaling 119.3 million pounds. The company,...

Greenbrier Tallies $1 Billion in Revenue for Year.
November 14, 2005... Railcar builder Greenbrier said net earnings reached $10.6 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, a 33 percent increase from same period a year ago. Revenue for the quarter ending Aug. 31 rose 31 percent to $265 million, and railcar...

C.H. Robinson Reports 40 Percent Jump in Operating Profit.
November 14, 2005... C.H. Robinson Worldwide recorded a 32.9 percent increase in gross profit during the third quarter to $228.9 million, while income from operations jumped more than 40 percent to $85.6 million. The company's truck transportation gross profit...

Bax Global Posts Best Quarter in Years.
November 14, 2005... BAX Global posted revenue of $738 million in the third quarter of 2005, up 20 percent from $614.7 million in the same period last year. In the Americas region, revenue was up 11 percent to $331.7 million. The increase reflected a 4 percent...

Boeing's Profit Rises Despite Machinist Strike.
November 14, 2005... Boeing Co. reported net income of $1 billion from continuing operations for the third quarter, compared with $456 million for the same period in 2004. An income tax refund and a gain on the sale of the company's Rocketdyne unit -- offset...

Chinese Ports Playing Breakbulk Catch-Up.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach Although China's ports are known as some of the most efficient in the world, this reputation has been earned by its container ports rather than those handling breakbulk and project cargoes. With China in the...

Transpacific Stabilization Agreement's Pierce Calls for Increased Cost-Sharing.
November 14, 2005... A Transpacific Stabilization Agreement official recently said the shipping industry needs other stakeholders in addition to ocean carriers to help bear the increasing costs for improvement during a time of transition for the industry. ...

Maersk, Cosco to Buy into Shanghai Port Project.
November 14, 2005... A.P. Moller-Maersk and Cosco will take a share of Phase 2 of a $12 billion port expansion project in Shanghai, company executives said. The Yangshan deep-water port is scheduled to start up later this month. Shanghai expects the project to...

Costa Rica: Linchpin in Trade with Central America.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Richard Knee Since the United States signed onto a proposed free-trade pact with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic in August, all eyes have been on Costa Rica, where approval was still awaited as this issue...

Vancouver, British Columbia, Begins Truck-Monitoring Program.
November 14, 2005... The Vancouver Port Authority last week said it is implementing a container truck-monitoring program at the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, to measure container truck wait times on port roadways. The move is "part of the Vancouver Port...

Canada Establishes Border Agency.
November 14, 2005... Legislation on Nov. 3 formally established the Canada Border Services Agency with responsibility for providing integrated border services that support national security and public safety priorities and facilitate the free flow of persons and...

Price Tops Value-Added Services As Top Selling Point for 3pls.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: William Hoffman With carriers in command of contracting and capacity in the logistics marketplace, shippers are naming price as their top consideration for an array of logistics transportation decisions, according to surveys...

Sporadic Rail Delays Hit West Coast Ports and Inland Hubs.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Until a couple weeks ago, the intermodal shipping industry was convinced that it would make it through the 2005 peak shipping season without serious congestion on the transcontinental rail network. Then reports...

Wal-Mart's Supply-Chain Moves Reduce Consumer Prices.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson Wal-Mart's supply-chain managementinnovations have driven an overall productivity increase in the U.S. economy, according to a new study by the Global Insight research company. The findings of Global Insight's...

Us Advocates Global Shipping Database.
November 14, 2005... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson The U.S. supports the concept of a neutral global shipping database that international trading partners could draw on to improve supply-chain security. Michael Jackson, deputy secretary of homeland security,...

Piers Launches New Web Site.
November 14, 2005... PIERS, a sister company of Pacific Shipper, launched a new Web site at www.piers.com. "PIERS customers will find it easier than ever to locate and access import-export trade data and analysis products," the company said in a press release. ...