American Shipper

FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Nordana reintroduces Libya calls

  Nordana said it will reintroduce regular service into Libya.    The carrier said it operated the only regular direct roll-on/roll-off service from the U.S. Gulf and East coasts into Libya until unrest forced the temporary suspension of services in February.    The company said the lifting of sanctions and improved security in the region […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Alternative aviation fuels sought

   The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Australia’s Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism have reached a memorandum of understanding to continue research and development of clean, sustainable alternative aviation fuels.    “Air travel is global and we need international partners to develop these innovative new fuels,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “Our ultimate […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

OOCL, Freightliner renew U.K. intermodal deal

   OOCL and Freightliner said Thursday they have renewed a 10-year strategic partnership to provide OOCL customers with U.K. intermodal services.    Under the new contract, OOCL has committed to increase capacity by 50 percent, with daily wagons being linked between the Freightliner terminal at the Port of Southampton to their strategic terminal networks at […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

European cities promote inland waterways

   Politicians from European cities Brussels, Berlin, Budapest, Paris and Vienna plan to sign a charter on Friday to “step up the dialogue with the inland ports authorities and take the necessary decisions in view of tackling the growing challenges in terms of urban freight supply and distribution.”    The charter will be presented to […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Laker cargo up nearly 4% in August

   U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters carried 10.4 million tons of dry bulk cargo in August, 3.7 percent more than in August 2010.    Iron ore volume was 4.8 million tons, up 8 percent; limestone was 2.9 million tons, up almost 21 percent; and coal was 2.2 million tons, down 7.5 percent.    Through the end […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

U.S. supports Indonesian rail improvements

  U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a $593,954 grant to PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI), Indonesia’s state-owned railroad, to develop a strategic plan and system recommendations for upgrading its rail signaling and telecommunications systems.    The grant will fund a technical assistance program that includes a review of existing rail transport corridors, […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Descartes profit climbs

   Descartes Systems Group had second quarter net profit of $2.6 million, 30 percent more than the $2 million earned in the same period a year earlier.    Revenue was $28.8 million in the quarter ending July 31, up 14 percent from $25.2 million in the second quarter last year.    The Waterloo, Ontario-based logistics […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Exel to build large Laredo DC

  Exel, the North American contract logistics unit of DHL Supply Chain, said it will build a 250,000-square-foot distribution center in Laredo, Texas, to serve as a hub for shipping across the U.S.-Mexico border.    Officials expect to complete the multiclient facility, which will meet the highest security and environmental certifications, by July 2012.    […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Antwerp to build largest loc

  The Port of Antwerp will begin constructing the world’s largest lock near Deurganckdock on the left bank of the Scheldt River.    The Belgian port already has the biggest lock, the Berendrecht lock. The new Deurganckdock lock will be even deeper than the Berendrecht, to handle the increasingly larger containerships. It will have a […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Friday, September 16, 2011

Piecemeal infrastructure planning

Washington Notebook By Eric Kulisch    Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently pointed in his blog to two construction projects as examples of the type of infrastructure upgrades the United States needs to maintain an efficient and safe transportation system that can support economic activity.    One is the modernization of the control tower at Oakland […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Thursday, September 15, 2011

Maersk amends Asia/Med network

   Maersk Line said this week it has adjusted its Asia/Mediterranean service network, adding calls in Valencia and La Spezia and narrowing rotations on services connecting its key Asian origin ports with Port Said in Egypt.    The adjustments affect five services — four operated by Maersk and one by CMA CGM on which the […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Thursday, September 15, 2011

Maersk seeks rate hikes for multiple trades

   Maersk Line said this week it is seeking rate increases on a host of global trades.    From Oct. 1, the line plans these increases:    • Southeast Asia to Australia, $300 per 20-foot container and $600 per 40-foot container.    • Northern Europe to the East Coast of South America, $150 per 20-foot […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Thursday, September 15, 2011

Horizon Lines closes on bridge loan

  Horizon Lines said Wednesday it has closed on a bridge loan facility of up to $25 million from a group on noteholders and reached an agreement with its existing bank group to amend its current credit facility to accommodate the bridge loan.    It also said it has made a $7 million payment to […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Thursday, September 15, 2011

Maersk swaps N.Y.-N.J. terminals on TA2

   Maersk Line will in October switch its TA2 service calls at the Port of New York-New Jersey from the APM Terminals facility to the Maher Terminals facility, the line said this week.    APMT is Maersk Line’s sister company. The switch will occur Oct. 9.    The TA2 has a rotation of Rotterdam, Felixstowe, […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Thursday, September 15, 2011

MSC abandons Asia/Med-Black Sea peak fee

   Mediterranean Shipping Co. said Wednesday it has suspended its planned peak season surcharge from the Far East to eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea ports.    The line had originally planned a fee, $225 per TEU, from Sept. 5, but delayed it until Sept. 15.    Now the line is abandoning it altogether.    Liner […]

Read More »
FreightWaves Staff Thursday, September 15, 2011

UPS lets receivers change delivery terms

   UPS Wednesday said it will launch on Oct. 3 a new product called UPS My Choice, which is designed to make it easier for receivers of parcels to avoid missed deliveries.    The company said out of the 5 million or so homes it visits each day, it leaves 100,000 to 200,000 missed delivery […]

Read More »