Cargo security firm Freightwatch International said a suspect hijacked a last-mile courier load of pharmaceutical products at gunpoint outside of a pharmacy in Detroit on Monday morning. The load was being monitored by a FreightWatch covert GPS tracking device as well as an on-person panic device that was with the driver. During the hijacking, […]
Canadian National Railway is investing in two intermodal facilities in the Midwest to help shippers access the West Coast ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert. The facilities are scheduled to open in June.
“It is not feasible to divert East Coast vessels to the U.S. West Coast, so this is not part of our contingency planning,” the liner said. “Depending on the scope of the strike, however, some vessel schedules could be modified.”
A German shipping fund plans to auction 14 containerships because of an inability to charter them profitably. MPC Offen Flote, a fund organized by MPC Capital, bought the ships for $630 million five years ago, but charter rates have dropped so much that the fund is losing $56 million annually, according to Reuters. […]
The spread between South American and U.S. corn prices is beginning to narrow as growing world demand exacerbates infrastructure constraints in those countries that make it difficult to get grains from farms to ports.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is asking the U.S. Commerce Department to fund operation and maintenance (O&M) of a system that measures tides and currents this year and include funding in future budgets. Foye Patrick Foye, the authority’s executive director, said in a letter to Commerce Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank […]
DHX – Dependable Hawaiian Express, an ocean freight consolidator in the West Coast Jones Act trades, said it launched a door-to-door rate application that calculates combined transportation costs for LTL (less-than-truckload) and LCL (less-than-containerload) shipments for any continental U.S. origin to Hawaii and Guam destinations. DHX said users receive a door-to-door quote based […]
Cargo plane operator Southern Air is moving from its long-time home in Norwalk, Conn., to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport by March. Further details, such as the impact of the move on employees, were not released. In a statement, a company spokesman said the move was agreed on after careful analysis and is seen as […]
The supply chain technology provider Terra Technology on Tuesday released an online sustainability calculator designed to help manufacturers determine the environmental impact of reducing excess stocks through better demand prediction and inventory optimization. The calculator uses three steps to measure the environmental benefits of reducing inventory and to help companies understand the magnitude […]
A new study by the global supply chain information and technology company Data2Logistics assesses the shippers’ exposure, impact, and options to mitigate avoidable supply chain transportation costs by determining what portion of their parcel expenditure is exposed to pricing increases. Data2Logistics’ professional services group data-mined shippers’ historic supply chain flows to determine service […]
Wisconsin-based Marten Transport experienced the highest net income in its history last year, finishing 2012 with a 12.3-percent year-over-year rise in income to $27.3 million. Net income in the fourth quarter beat the company’s previous record for a quarter of $7.663 million by $56,000. Operating revenue from truckload and logistics operations rose […]
Total tonnage for all commodities moving across Port of Redwood City’s docks during the first half of fiscal year 2012-13 was 666,543 metric tons, an increase of 9 percent over the previous fiscal year. Imported sand and aggregates through the northern California port from British Columbia accounted for 444,060 metric tons, or about […]
DHL Global Forwarding has introduced the flexitank, a container specially designed for the transport of bulk non-hazardous liquids, to its operations. Shippers can use flexitanks for the transport of chemicals; consumer goods, such as beverages and concentrates; life sciences-related cargo like enzymes; and bio-fuels. DHL’s new tanks can hold up to 24,000 […]
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Tuesday said he will depart the Obama administration late February, after serving in the post for the past four years. Kirk Since he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2009, he has led the administration’s trade negotiations and dialogue with other countries, including the conclusion […]
The Dredging Contractors of America said it endorses the Hurricane Sandy supplemental bill and urged the Senate to approve the legislation. The House passed the same bill last week. “The Hurricane Sandy Supplemental legislation provides much-needed assistance for North Atlantic communities devastated by the storm,” the trade group said. “The U.S. dredging […]
For many companies, international transportation management has long been an isolated process — where products are shipped to, or received from, far-flung places overseas. Each successful transportation manager has his or her ways of ensuring the most efficient movement for their company’s freight across the globe through a blend of know-how, mostly rudimentary […]
By Jerry Cook, vice president of government and trade relations at HanesBrands, Inc., and chairs the Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee of the U.S. Council for International Business. Alot has been made recently about moves by companies to bring production back to the United States from overseas. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook made headlines […]
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court decision that found a vessel liable in rem for damage to pipe that was shipped in 2006 from China to the United States (MAN Ferrostaal, Inc. v. M/V Akili. 2nd Circuit. 11-0486-cv(L). Dec. 6.) A friend of the court brief filed by the […]
If combined Hapag-Lloyd, Hamburg Süd would be fourth largest container carrier. By Chris Dupin The two leading German liner carriers, Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg Süd, said in December they’re discussing a possible merger that could create the fourth largest container shipping company in the world. Combined, their fleet would have capacity of more than 1 […]
Saddle Creek Logistics Services will open a 225,000-square-foot facility in Birmingham, Ala., on Feb. 1. The new development is a relocation of an existing wine logistics customer’s distribution center aimed at tamping down its inbound freight costs. The food-grade, climate-controlled facility will be outfitted for rail service. “We continually seek out opportunities to […]
