It sounds simple enough. Pull ship up to dock. Plug power cord into socket and—voilà—electricity to run everything from refrigeration to computers. But the process of delivering high-voltage shore power to a large commercial vessel requires a careful minuet between the crew and longshoremen to ensure it is done safely. […]
The potential commercialization of AMECS is complicated by a patent infringement dispute between Ruben Garcia and a company called Clean Air Engineering-Maritime Inc., which is conducting a pilot test of a barge-mounted exhaust capture system at the Port of Los Angeles. Clean Air Engineering-Maritime was formally founded in 2009 by Nicholas Tonsich, who […]
By John Tabor, Lost Prevention Expert and Principal, AllStates Supply Chain April 15 marked an important date in the secure movement of freight around the U.S. Southeast, yet few if anyone in the industry knows what changed on this historic date. On that day, Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia signed the Georgia Cargo Theft […]
Small Calif. firm wants to commercialize cheaper, clean-air alternative to electrifying berthed vessels. In an effort to reduce air pollution, West Coast ports and shipping lines have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to install electric substations on docks and retrofit vessels with equipment that can receive power from shore. The new infrastructure is […]
By Walter Kemmsies, chief economist, Moffatt & Nichol A few years ago the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimated the size of the world’s middle class and forecast how it would grow. (The OECD’s middle class forecast, along with the U.S. Census Bureau’s world population estimates, is shown in the corresponding chart.) […]
As of mid-August, there has been remarkably little information coming out of talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Administration over a new contract to replace the six-year pact that expired July 1. How to pay for the Affordable Care Act’s tax on high-cost healthcare plans has been one […]
Last year, I retired and I’m about to retire again, and this time from writing for American Shipper. I’ve been writing a regular column for the publication for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. But it’s time to pass the pen to someone more active in the field. It’s too […]
CSCMP, universities work with companies to prepare graduates for growing field. As the field of supply chain management becomes ever more important as a competitive differentiator among the world’s leading companies, so does the necessity to attract the brightest, most capable talent in the field. The problem is the supply of talent is […]
By Biju Kewalram I saw my first “3D Printer” in action nearly 12 years ago. The basics of the technology (called additive manufacturing) have been around since the 1980s. I must confess to a failure of imagination as I recognized that I was seeing something that could potentially be a game changer later, […]
Two logistics executives set to launch a weekly rate index for air transport. Since its inception, the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index has given ocean freight shippers an accurate portrayal of spot export container rates out of Shanghai on a variety of lanes. Populated by liner companies and freight forwarders, the data generated by […]
Last year might be one both shippers and transportation companies moving cargo through the Port of New York and New Jersey would like to forget. Congestion got so bad in the summer of 2013 that one carrier, Hapag-Lloyd, actually suggested customers reroute cargo to other ports. The winter was also difficult, with snow and […]
Looming capacity shortage, regulatory demands and driver shortage triggers. After high spot rates during the first few months of the year, prices for van, refrigerated and flatbed transport came down to earth during the summer, but a looming capacity shortage fueled by pending regulatory changes, a driver shortage, and increased demand could push the […]
U.S. dairy export growth is something for these shippers to smile about. Dairy exports have increased rapidly in the past two decades, growing from $982 million in 1995 to $6.7 billion last year, according to the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). “As population grows, as GDP grows, as the middle class expands worldwide, […]
The First Sale rule has never been popular with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is under assault again. In July, the agency proposed amendments to its internal compliance publication, which guides enforcement personnel on how to do their jobs, essentially forcing importers to keep extra documentation to verify their claim of first […]
Liner carriers are under enormous pressure to confront overcapacity and cleaner fuel requirements. While there are some signs that the economy is improving in the United States and Europe, the container industry seems likely to continue facing challenges in coming years because of surplus capacity and looming requirements to use cleaner fuel. Hong […]
A new company, Minyan Marine, believes it has a winning formula for building a successful “marine highway” operation. While coastal shipping of containers or truck trailers are common in many parts of the world, they have had limited success in the United States. In August, the Port of Stockton said a weekly […]
APM Terminals, the world’s third-largest container terminal operator in terms of throughput, announced July 21 that it has agreed to sell its ultra-modern facility in Portsmouth, Va., to two investment funds. Alinda Capital Partners is a U.S.-based infrastructure investment firm, and Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd., which has a global infrastructure portfolio, is the […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund, which owns marine terminal operations at ports in New York and Vancouver, Canada, is actively seeking to grow its portfolio of infrastructure assets. But a scarcity of available assets, especially in the United States, makes it difficult to acquire long-term rights to operate facilities such as ports and toll […]
McKinsey says governments can generate $1.4 trillion benefit through more efficient project delivery. Experts at management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. say there are smart ways for governments, in the United States and around the world, to stretch their transportation dollars and better leverage private investments to close the gap in infrastructure supply. […]
Port investment brightens, but outlook remains cloudy for toll roads, airports and other public assets. Businesses, economists, and policy experts say there is a crying need for government to invest in infrastructure because it is a foundation for economic growth and makes U.S. exporters more competitive in global markets. Meanwhile, federal, state and local […]
