American Shipper

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission will take steps to begin the process of modernizing regulations for non-vessel-operating common carrier and ocean freight forwarder licensing, registration, and proof of financial responsibility when it meets next month, FMC Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky Jr. said Tuesday at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America’s conference in Hollywood, Fla.    “I […]

   CargoSmart, a shipping and logistics software as a service (SaaS) platform provider, has launched a new business processing outsourcing service for ocean carriers and logistics service providers.    The Virtual Business Center will monitor business activities with a new toolset and then manage documentation processes and sailing schedule maintenance for customers. The center digitizes […]

   Calogi, a Dubai-based Internet service portal offering global air cargo services, recently launched a new third-party logistics named c-Plus and a separate insurance offering.    c-Plus offers services to both 3PLs and their users by allowing customers to book and pay for transportation, warehousing, customs brokerage, insurance, road feeder, and packaging services in a single […]

Leonard D. Waterworth was appointed to executive director of the Port of Houston Authority during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday. He had served as interim executive director since Jan. 30.

   Maersk Line said Tuesday it has appointed David Zimmermann as vice president of North American sales, effective immediately.    Zimmermann replaces Bill Woodhour, who was recently promoted to head of North American trades at Maersk’s global headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark.    Zimmermann has been with Maersk for more than 22 years in a variety […]

The terminal operator COSCO Pacific said its operating profit grew 40.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012 to $57 million.

   Pacer International and CRST International said Tuesday they have agreed to multi-market dedicated drayage agreements focused on driving intermodal drayage efficiencies and providing incremental capacity for Pacer.    CRST has formed a separate operating unit, CRST IMX, within its dedicated services subsidiary to provide the service. CRST IMX will market, sell, and operate its intermodal […]

   C.H. Robinson Worldwide said it had a profit of $106.5 million in the first quarter, 9.9 percent more than the $97 million earned in the first three months of 2011.    Total revenue for the third party logistics services provider was $2.55 billion in the first quarter, 7.9 percent more than the $2.37 billion recorded in same […]

   U.S. intermodal container rail traffic rose 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads Time Indicators Report.    Volume reached 2.5 million containers in the January-March period, though the growth dipped slightly in March, to 3.5 percent, on volume of 928,350 containers. […]

   Kansas City Southern said it had a profit of $75.3 million in the first quarter, 17 percent more than the $64.1 million earned by the railroad in the first quarter of 2011.    Revenues were $548 million in the first quarter, 12 percent more than the $489 million recorded in the first quarter of 2011.    By […]

   For the first quarter of 2012, Norfolk Southern reported net income of $410 million, 26 percent higher than the $325 million for the first quarter of 2011.    First-quarter 2011 results included a $58 million non-cash charge that reduced the railroad’s net income by $36 million, or $0.10 per diluted share.    Compared to the first […]

   The third-party logistics services company Weber Distribution has appointed Des Sugrue as its new vice president of customer experience.    Sugrue will be responsible for customer service, information technology, and operational quality and consistency across Weber’s 17 distribution centers and freight terminals in the western United States, the company said.    Prior to joining […]

   MIQ Logistics said Tuesday it has entered into an agency relationship with Transocean Shipping Agency A/S to provide global supply chain services for goods moving in, out and within Denmark.    “Transocean has extensive experience in project shipping and forwarding, chartering and warehousing,” said John Carr, MIQ Logistics’ president and chief operating officer.   […]

   The freight forwarder Damco said Tuesday it has divided its European operations into two regions, east and west Europe.    Nicholas Kyrzakos, currently global chief financial officer, has been named chief executive officer for the East Europe region. Current Europe Chief Executive Officer Flemming Frost will become CEO of the West Europe region.    “The […]

   The ocean carrier MOL said Tuesday it has established a new subsidiary in Peru.    “The country was chosen because it shows more stable growth than other South American nations,” MOL said in a statement. “With the new subsidiary, MOL will consolidate its business structure and further expand north-south containership routes to further improve […]

   DB Schenker Logistics is investing roughly 27 million euros ($35.7 million) to build a new logistics center in the Ilsfeld, Germany’s Untere Bustadt industrial park.    The company said construction on the 60,000-square-meter space will begin early this summer and, once completed by fall 2013, will employ about 500.    Schenker Deutschland AG said hopes to continue […]

   Crowley said its Titan Salvage unit has been awarded a contract to remove the Costa Concordia wreck from Giglio Island in partnership with the Italian firm Micoperi.     The work will begin in early May, subject to final approval from the Italian authorities. The job is expected to take about 12 months.    Removal of fuel […]

   The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of its newest dry cargo/ammunition ship, USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE 13), during a ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego on Tuesday.    The ship, which was christened Nov. 12, 2011, honors slain civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers, who is remembered for […]

   The Diamond State Port Corp., operator of Delaware’s Port of Wilmington, on Monday handled its first shipment of wind turbine blades manufactured by REpower Systems SE.    The cargo arrived on the vessel Star Hansa, and 45 blades, each measuring more than 147-feet long, were discharged. The blades will be trucked to the Twin Ridges […]

   The Port of Indiana said Phoenix Services has signed a multi-year contract with ArcelorMittal to provide slag and processing services for the Burns Harbor steel giant.    Slag is a product generated during the iron- and steel-making processes. Phoenix has opened a 13-acre distribution facility at the port and is installing processing equipment at […]