American Shipper

   The logistics solutions provider Descartes Systems Group said Monday that the Rotterdam-based tank terminal storage company Botlek Tank Terminal (BTT) is using Descartes for European customs connectivity and compliance capabilities.    BTT’s core business ranges from the storage of grains to the storage of oils.    “In the European oil storage business, the communication and exchange […]

   It appears that the container shipping industry finished 2013 with strong container volumes.    The Container Throughput Index of the Rhine-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research (RWI) and Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) hit its highest value ever — 119.9 — in December. The two organizations began publishing the monthly index two years […]

China Shipping issues profit warning

   China Shipping Container Lines has issued a profit warning to its shareholders.    The liner company said Monday that based on a preliminary estimate by its finance department, it expects to record a net loss of 2.63 billion Chinese yuan renminbi ($435 million) in 2013 based on China Accounting Standard for Business Enterprises. It […]

   Forward Air Corporation has signed an agreement to purchase Central States Trucking Company and Central States Logistics, it announced Thursday.     Bruce Campbell, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Forward Air Corporation, stated, “We are very excited about the acquisition of CST. For a number of years, we have had the desire to […]

   The parent company of OOCL provided an early peek at what the end of 2013 might have looked like for the container industry as it released an unaudited fourth quarter operational update on Friday.    OOCL carried 1,395,794 TEU in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 10 percent from the same period last year, […]

   Port of Seattle Chief Executive Officer Tay Yoshitani confirmed Thursday at an industry event in Tampa, Fla., that he will retire at the end of June when his contract expires. He has led the Port of Seattle since March 2007.

   By sharply reducing its debt and continuing to reduce expenses, container carrier Zim believes it will be able to stay on course, even if the container shipping industry continues to experience stormy economic seas.

   The international consortium building a new set of massive locks for ocean-going vessels through the Panama Canal said talks to resolve $1.6 billion in disputed cost overruns will continue through Feb. 1.

   The trucking operation hinges on historical tracking data and the ability to plug that information in to a “predictive shipping model,” according to a patent recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

   DP World said it has begun using a spreader bar on one of the cranes at its London Gateway terminal that is capable of lifting four 20-foot containers or two 40-foot containers at the same time.    Andrew Bowen, engineering director of DP World, said: “This is an excellent example of DP World innovation […]

   Last year, Union Pacific experienced a 11-percent rise in net income, year over year, finishing 2013 at $4.4 billion. During the fourth quarter, the railroad saw net income tick up $200 million over the same period in 2012.    Revenue ticked up 7 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012, finishing the 2013 period […]

   Panalpina added 41 LCL services in 2013, allowing it to reach 450 weekly services worldwide, and said Friday it is aiming for 500 this year.    Its most recent additions include Santos to Veracruz, Dubai to Dammam, and Singapore to Casablanca.    Frank Hercksen, Panalpina’s global head of ocean freight, stated, “As the modal […]

   Kansas City Southern brought in a record $616 million in the fourth quarter of 2013, and for the full year, revenue was a record $2.4 billion, the company reported Friday.    KCS attributes its fourth-quarter growth to increases in agriculture and mineral activity, and in intermodal. However, energy revenue declined by 17 percent, it […]

   The port of Antwerp set a record for 2013 by handling 190,849,079 tons of freight, a 3.6 percent increase from the previous year, it announced Friday.    The port said liquid bulk, which rose by 31.4 percent to 59,493,776 tons, was the main reason for its higher numbers.    In contrast, TEU container volume […]

   Tampa, Fla.-based bulk tank container transportation services provider Quala has acquired ProKleen, a food-grade commercial tank-washing service with locations in Oakville and Concord, Canada.    Terms of the deal were not disclosed.    “The purchase of ProKleen is a strong strategic move for us at this time, as we continue to expand our North […]

   The competency of the crews is a major advantage of using the U.S. flag fleet when shipping goods around the world, but cost is a major drawback, according to Scott Mogavero, global logistics and planning manager at General Electric.    Mogavero spoke about his experience using U.S. flag carriers last week at the U.S. […]

   In a filing with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and Israel Securities Authority, Zim’s parent company Israel Corp. outlined a “term sheet” for a financial restructuring of the container shipping company.

   A benchmark study on transportation accessorials from Transplace has found that shippers are not always accurately applying fuel surcharge schedules to their domestic transportation process, among other findings.

   The Panama Canal Authority said it registered a tonnage record of 87.7 million tons during the first quarter of its fiscal year.