Infrastructure

Hansa Heavy Lift promotes from within, while Bibby Ship Management hires a new regional managing director.

   Is there such a thing as a good tax?     Many would quickly respond – “heck no.” Or, “aren’t we taxed enough already?”     American businesses are subject to an array of federal, state and municipal taxes. There is debate about whether the federal corporate tax is too high and many question whether taxes […]

   To say that American shippers are angry as hell with West Coast dock labor, along with their terminal employers and the liner carriers, is an understatement.    The International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association have been negotiating a new contract to replace the one that expired on July 1 with little […]

This is the fourth of expansion of Hanson’s Chicago consolidation center in seven years, and the third since completing a similar buildout in 2013.

   It could be said that fledgling U.S. exporters can use all the help they can get, but are they getting too many federal agencies coming at them with offers of assistance?    In January 2010, President Obama announced the National Export Initiative which proffered the goal to double the nation’s exports over the next […]

   It is human nature, it seems, to ignore a potential problem—hoping it will go away—rather than dealing with it head on.    This is how most shippers are handling the looming driver shortage across North America. Shippers are already experiencing difficulties securing reliable truck capacity as the economy climbs out of a hole. And […]

PacAvi Group of San Diego will start a new program to convert Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 passenger planes to freighters.

The company will provide a new line of trailer and self-powered truck units that use a next-generation refrigerant.

All shippers must be mindful of how these new alliances might impact their service agreements as they start planning for the 2015 negotiating season.

   Ask most American high school seniors what they plan to study in college, and you will likely get answers such as accounting, engineering, education and pre-med, to name a few. Supply chain management? Probably not even on their radar.    The reason generally is lack of knowledge at that age. Some young people may […]

   “Labor relations remain strained to date,” the analyst said. “Such frequent, low-level disputes will negatively affect the effectiveness of conflict-resolution mechanisms relating to the canal.”

   No matter how many systems or automated solutions a company puts in place, there’s still that ever-present element of human input required to keep the supply chain humming.    Any seasoned logistics manager knows of occurrences in which the human element has delayed or even stopped a shipment from moving. The reasons are myriad, […]

   The P3 Network was an interesting concept, although unsettling to many shippers when first announced by the three largest liner carriers – Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM – earlier this year.     The three carriers, grappling with absorbing the next-generation mega-containerships to enter the world’s fleet, promised the P3 Network would […]

   As representatives of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association negotiate a new labor contract to replace the one that expires July 1, shippers say they should be thinking about how to make the ports more productive over the long term.    “A good contract, in my view, would be one […]

   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 […]

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded its Farm Storage and Facility Loan program, which provides low-interest financing to small and mid-sized producers.    The program includes 23 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable producers, and makes it easier for the country’s farmers and ranchers to finance the equipment they need […]

   Nothing stays the same, and that also goes for American Shipper.    The 62-year-old publishing company, based in Jacksonville, Fla., has made a number of changes since the start of this year, which we would like to share with you on this page.     For starters, we have expanded our editorial and research staff, […]

   Consumers are an influential bunch, and just as they have pushed express companies to deliver products when and where they want them, so too are they having the same effect on old school container transportation providers — namely through strong demand for fresh fruits and vegetables.    Fifteen years ago, one had to wait […]

   Question: What agency has the most significant role in protecting U.S. commerce from infiltration by drug smugglers, terrorists, thieves and even pests and harmful products?    Answer: Customs and Border Protection.    As simple as that answer may be, the White House and Congress for the past two years since the recess appointment of […]

   Henningsen Cold Storage has started construction on a 2.7 million-cubic-foot expansion to its Portland, Ore., facility.    Originally built in 2008, the facility supports many shippers requiring frozen and refrigerated warehousing services in the Pacific Northwest, the company said.    “We are simply staying ahead of the curve with our customer growth,” said Michael […]