The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission made the right call in late March not to block the P3 Network, which Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM plan to start later this year. The three largest container carriers will operate the mega vessel-sharing agreement in the transpacific, transatlantic and Asia-Europe trades. They […]
Singapore has bold plan to relocate container terminals. Port planning doesn’t get more audacious than this. Singapore, home to the world’s second largest container port, is simultaneously undertaking a huge expansion of its Pasir Panjang Terminal, while making plans to eventually relocate container operations to Tuas at the western edge of the country, an […]
Navios Maritime Holdings controls a fleet of 64 dry-bulk ships, workhorses of the sea that carry commodities such as grain, soybeans and iron ore. However, during a recent presentation about its business, specifically in a section touching on the prospects for a subsidiary called Navios South American Logistics, Angeliki Frangou, Navios’ chairman and […]
Rising U.S. oil and gas production expected to drive harbor and terminal upgrades over next several years. The boom in U.S. oil and gas production is having a beneficial effect on the Port of Houston, one that’s expected to keep growing in coming years. “The energy sector, the resurgence in that field — […]
MarAd’s acting chief says “cargo will create a demand for ships, and ships create a demand for mariners.” A year after taking charge of the U.S. Maritime Administration, Paul “Chip” Jaenichen sounded the alarm about the future of the U.S. Merchant Marine. Responding to questions during a hearing in March before the […]
Congestion attributed to labor shortages, computer glitches, and a reduced supply of container chassis led the Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey in December to form a Port Performance Task Force. Then a string of winter storms severely disrupted operations. One of the main problems, maritime officials say, is a […]
Truckers on March 26 reached agreement with Canadian and port officials to end a month-long strike over trip rates and long queues at Port Metro Vancouver that severely disrupted cargo deliveries and caused some ocean carriers to divert loads to the nearby U.S. ports of Seattle and Tacoma. At the height of the […]
The Virginia Port Authority in early April outlined a series of recent steps, as well as future ones, to address poor terminal productivity that has caused congestion for motor carriers and cargo delays for shippers during the past year. Officials said they are implementing a series of measures such as extending gate hours […]
As truck capacity tightens, white paper says shippers must make their freight more attractive. In the multibillion-dollar U.S. freight transportation market, relationships sometimes get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cargo being moved and the number of carriers angling to move it. A new white paper by the freight brokerage and third party […]
STB weighs arguments for competitive switching between railroads. At the end of March, an anticipated public hearing by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board brought more than eight hours of testimony from many shippers who are trying to convince federal regulators to inject more competition into the domestic freight rail industry through a process known […]
By Biju Kewalram I’ve heard this dilemma expressed in many ways over the last 25 years: “Should we buy off-the-shelf software or should we build our own?” Typically, this question is asked of software and systems that are core operational for logistics…
By Walter Kemmsies, chief economist, Moffatt & Nichol Last month this column focused on the impact of rising interest rates on freight movement. The focus this month is on how rising interest rates will shape freight movement infrastructure investment…
EDF’s Green Freight initiative helps companies lower their emissions while building a business case for sustainability.EDF’s Green Freight initiative helps companies lower their emissions while building a business case for sustainability. If it feels like the time for environmental sustainability in the supply chain has passed, there is some harrowing evidence that suggests sustainability […]
Research finds companies lack confidence in ERPs to deliver supply chain visibility. The concept of an enterprise resource planning system (ERP) is so ensconced in the business world, it seems hard to believe that it was less than 25 years ago that the term was actually coined. Today, most organizations rely on ERPs […]
The Practising Law Institute has published the Maritime Law Answer Book, written by Charlie Papavizas and H. Allen Black. Both are partners at the Washington office of the law firm Winston & Strawn. In their preface, the authors say their aim was to write a book that would be handy for both lawyers […]
Fednav in late March said it had become the first shipping company to use drones to check ice conditions on the water during a commercial voyage. The Umiak I, one of Fednav’s icebreakers, used a variety of video-equipped drones to scout ahead of the vessel in the ice-covered waters off the Labrador Coast. […]
Last month I wrote about Tiger Cool Express and several other providers of temperature-controlled transport (“Refrigerated rail heats up,” pages 34-42). Buried in the story is a brief mention of Tom Shurstad’s role as chief commercial officer of the Tiger Cool Express startup and his previous experience as head of Pacer Stacktrain and then […]
In the March issue article, “Tampa port’s name change,” you state that Miami is the closest U.S. port to the Panama Canal. That is true if you are talking about “airports” and measure distance by air miles over Florida and over Cuba. By the water route, Port Manatee is closer to the Panama Canal […]
Amazon has paid a $91,000 fine for shipping a flammable liquid adhesive by air via FedEx, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The shipment violated Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations.
DHL Global Forwarding has unveiled Ocean Secure, a tracking and temperature-controlled product targeted at shippers moving sensitive, high-value cargo.
