USPS smokes competition

USPS smokes competition       FedEx and UPS are fierce competitors for small package customers. Both want to claim supremacy as the best express delivery companies.
      Now the cannabis crowd has weighed in on its favorite shipping method. In an informal survey of 307 potheads by Marijuana.com the U.S. Postal Service edged out FedEx for the top honor of best delivery service, based on convenience and timeliness.
      UPS trailed FedEx by six points.
      Of course, it helps if you're shipping a stash of BC Bud, Panama Red or Orange Krush to send it to the correct address. As reported in the Washington, D.C. area, a former federal prosecutor on Capitol Hill received an odd FedEx package in February. It contained 33 pounds of weed worth $120,000 and now resides with the D.C. Police.
      The package was wrapped in insulation and packed with coffee grounds, which are intended to throw detector dogs off the scent.
      There's now at least one disappointed FedEx customer out there.

Supply chain terms redefined
      Julian Keeling, the outspoken chief executive officer of Consolidators International in Los Angeles, has translated some common clich's in the air freight industry for the April edition of his company's newsletter.
      He pokes fun at overused jargon and pretentious terms with some unique definitions:
      ' Seamless supply chain: 'We're praying our freight is getting to its destination on time and without too many hassles.'
      ' Strategic partner: 'We're going to get as close to our customer as we possibly can and fight like hell to freeze out any other forwarder trying to invade our turf.'
      ' Supply chain solutions: 'We're going to do our best to convince the customer that freight is no longer the simple business of moving cargo from Point A to Point B, but a complicated logistics system combining highly advanced computer technology with expensively trained MBAs.'
      ' Competitive pricing: 'We won't be underbid by anyone.'
      ' Value-added services: 'If we can't make money hauling customers' freight because of our low-ball bid, we'll try and pick up some other services like warehousing to at least make a few bucks.'
      ' Target markets: 'We'll go after every customer we can grab.'

CCSP generates collective yawn
      Worried it would fall short of achieving the mandate to screen 100 percent of air cargo on passenger planes by Aug. 1, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration this year launched an extensive outreach campaign to get the private sector involved in self-inspecting cargo and increased the screening requirements for airlines.
      The TSA's strategy to prevent screening backlogs at airports heavily rests on the Certified Cargo Screening Program, which allows shippers and logistics companies to become certified to check their own cargo as it is packed so that bulk consolidations don't have be torn down and screened by airlines.
      TSA officials have warned that unprepared shippers of time-sensitive or perishable goods could experience harmful delays because airlines do not have sufficient capacity to quickly screen high volumes of cargo. They ramped up an extensive schedule of webinars and seminars around the country to encourage shippers and freight forwarders to take advantage of the voluntary program. But their efforts have been met by apathy.
      Due to limited levels of interest, the TSA has cancelled town halls scheduled this summer for Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City.
      As of April 2, TSA has certified 613 facilities, including 162 belonging to shippers and 40 independent screening stations. Freight forwarders make up the balance. Those figures only represent a marginal improvement from the end of 2009 when slightly more than 120 shippers, 410 forwarders and 40 independent facilities had been certified.
      Beginning May 1, TSA will require at least 75 percent of cargo on widebody planes be screened prior to loading in the United States, up from the current 50 percent requirement. Airlines are required to screen all of cargo on narrow-body planes, but the bulk of cargo shipments is transported on larger aircraft.

FedEx offers paperless trade docs
      FedEx said it has simplified international shipping transactions by allowing customers to prepare and transmit electronic documentation through its system.
      The electronic tools can be used on air express shipments and ground shipments to and from Canada.
      Paperless documentation allows brokers to review shipping documentation sooner and clear up any potential customs clearance issues, reduces the chances of lost or damaged documents and cuts printing costs, FedEx said.
      The electronic document system also allows customers to upload company letterhead and signature images to trade documents created online from FedEx tools and templates.

TIACA opens membership to shippers
      The International Air Cargo Association said it will offer shippers free membership to provide them a forum to get closer to existing and prospective air logistics providers.
   The association said membership will allow the air cargo industry to better understand customer needs and develop new business opportunities.
      It plans to approach shippers around the world and encourage them to participate in its events, starting with the International Air Cargo Forum & Exposition in Amsterdam on Nov. 2-4. Dedicated shipper presentations will form part of the conference.

Volga Dnepr: All-cargo remains solid
      Volga Dnepr Group said its charter and scheduled air cargo traffic increased 7 percent to 1.845 million freight-ton-kilometers in 2009 from the previous year despite difficult economic conditions.
      Total sales fell 15 percent to $1.25 billion, but the decline was eight points less than experienced by the industry as a whole.
      Volga Dnepr uses Russian AN-124 and IL-76 planes for oversize cargo and its AirBridgeCargo Airlines subsidiary employs Boeing 747-400 jumbo planes.
      AirBridge freight traffic grew 20 percent to 158,800 tons with the help of a 16.2 percent increase in its average payloads, taking its overall load factor for the year to 87.4 percent. In 2009, the airline substantially expanded its route network, connecting destinations in Europe and Asia through its new air cargo hub at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.