Summary for March 24 - March 28, 2008:
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Monday, March 24, 2008
LA/LB ports seek award nomineesWITH THEIR landmark Clean Air Action Plan more than a year old, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have created the Clean Air Excellence Awards “to honor and recognize their partners for extraordinary efforts in improving air quality,” according to a news release. Nominations are due by Apr 25. The awards ceremony will be held in the spring. Awards will be made in four categories: air quality improvement leadership at the corporate level; innovative air quality improvement technologies (demonstration, commercialization, implementation); innovative operations that improve air quality; and significant early action to reduce air pollutant emissions. Nominations are now being accepted for port tenants operating at either the Port of Long Beach or the Port of Los Angeles. Additionally, the ports may select a nomination that does not fit one of the above categories if the nominee’s actions resulted in a significant air quality improvement benefit, the ports said Nomination applications, rules, and judging criteria can be found online at the Clean Air Action Plan Web site. Web site: Clean Air Action Plan Web site
Hyster introduces new lift seriesHYSTER CO. Mar 21 announced the introduction of the Hyster H800HD-H1050HD/S lift truck series, designed to “fit the most demanding material-handling jobs, such as container-handling, stevedoring, and other heavy lifting work,” the company said. These lift trucks support load capacities from 80,000–105,000 lbs. The H800HD-H1050HD/S trucks provide the stability necessary for heavy-duty applications because of the box-type frame construction utilized. Each truck is equipped with a powerful Cummins QSM 11–300 hp engine and tandem gear pumps for improved performance, as well as a fully automatic, load-sensitive APC200 system that allows for manual transmission shifting., Hyster said. The H800HD-H1050HD/S series offers advanced electric, brake, and hydraulic systems “that reduce maintenance time while increasing production,” the company said. Each truck in the series features the front-mounted Hyster ComforCab II, designed to optimize driver visibility and comfort for enhanced productivity. The spacious cabin is built with adjustable seats and arm rests, a high-capacity heater system with multiple vents, and anti-vibration mounts to reduce cab shock. Web site: Hyster Co. http://www.hysteramericas.com
Group to honor top supply chain prosTHE COUNCIL of Supply Chain Management Professionals Mar 19 announced that it has launched a new program, in collaboration with global businesses, to formally recognize top-performing supply chain managers. The program will spotlight two levels of individual achievement — the Supply Chain Management Professional and the Senior Supply Chain Management Professional. Any company or organization that employs supply chain professionals, regardless of its mission, size, or location, may participate in CSCMP’s recognition program. There are no fees to participate. “We believe that CSCMP’s recognition program will inspire supply chain managers to achieve increased skill sets and higher levels of professional excellence,” said James R. Kellso, CSCMP program chair and senior supply chain master at Intel Corp. “Our goals are that the designation will further one’s career path and increase the level of respect for the supply chain management profession,” Kellso added. Companies that wish to establish a recognition program in their own organizations should submit a selection process application form to CSCMP’s recognition advisory committee, comprised of company and CSCMP representatives. The program is not a supply chain certification, said CSCMP. Web site: THE COUNCIL of Supply Chain Management Professionals Tuesday, March 25, 2008 LA/LB ports adopt low-sulfur fuel planAT A JOINT meeting Mar 24, the harbor commissioners of Los Angeles and Long Beach approved an incentive program aimed at accelerating cargo vessel operators’ use of cleaner-burning fuel when transiting within 40 miles of San Pedro Bay and when at berth in either port. At the nation’s largest port complex, the ports will earmark millions of dollars to pay vessel operators to use cleaner-burning, low-sulfur fuel in their main propulsion engines. Cargo ships now generally use highly polluting bunker fuel, which generates the majority of sulfur oxide emissions in Southern California and makes ocean-going vessels the single largest source of air pollution at the two ports. Under the program, the ports will pay the difference between the price of bunker fuel and more costly low-sulfur distillate fuel for vessel operators who make the fuel switch within at least 20 miles — and as far as 40 miles — from the ports. Sulfur oxides will be cut by as much as 11% and particulate matter by 9%, accelerating air-quality improvements ahead of an already aggressive schedule set by the landmark San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. Web site: Port of Los Angeles http://www.portoflosangeles.org/ Port of Long Beach
TSA issues cautious forecastSHIPPING LINES that carry US import cargo from Asia are reporting early successes from their cost recovery efforts, according to a news release issued Mar 24 by the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, a research and discussion forum of 15 major Asia-US container lines. While acknowledging short-term concerns due to the slower build up of post–Lunar New Year volumes, they are also reporting high utilization levels and, in some cases with some lines, insufficient capacity to carry all cargo tendered for certain sailings. Costs continue to dominate early discussions toward upcoming 2008-09 service contracts, which come up for renewal on May 1. The group also stated that freight traffic will continue to grow in 2008, on the order of 2%-5% by most industry forecasts. A combination of market forces will likely limit some carriers’ trans-Pacific ship capacity through redeployments, slow-steaming, and other cost mitigation initiatives, the group said. “Even with substantial cost recovery, the economics of serving the US market from Asia will still result in a challenging profitability picture for most lines,” said TSA Chairman Ronald D. Widdows, CEO of Singapore-based APL Ltd. Web site: Transpacific Stabilization Agreement
Seattle to vote on temp site for trucksIN A MOVE to reduce impacts on surrounding neighborhoods, the Port of Seattle Commission will consider designating land at Terminal 10 as an interim truck parking site at their meeting Mar 25. The location, adjacent to existing cargo terminals as well as the West Seattle Bridge, would serve as a temporary solution, reducing truck traffic through nearby neighborhoods while the port and the city determine a permanent location for area truckers. “We all have a stake in maintaining vibrant, livable neighborhoods as well as the family-wage jobs that trade creates,” said newly elected Commissioner Gael Tarleton. The commission will consider authorizing $450,000 for the design and permitting necessary to improve the 10-acre site, which could support approximately 250 parking spaces for trucks, the port said. The necessary improvements to the site — which include upgraded drainage and necessary environmental actions, such as cleaning up soil and groundwater and ensuring compliance with stormwater regulations — are expected to cost just over $3mn. Web site: Port of Seattle Wednesday, March 26, 2008 CMA CGM adds Asia/US serviceCMA CGM Mar 25 announced that it has reinforced its trans-Pacific presence by signing a cooperative agreement with Maersk Line for a service between North Asia and the US West Coast. For the first time, CMA CGM will be providing weekly connections between two Korean ports (Kwangyang and Pusan), four major Japanese ports (Kobe, Shimizu, Nagoya, and Yokohama), and two US West Coast ports (Los Angeles and Oakland ) eastbound. Two calls in Yokohama and Kobe will also be provided westbound from the US West Coast (Los Angeles and Oakland), offering new export opportunities for CMA CGM US-based customers, the company said. Beginning in April 2008, the service will deploy five 4,000-TEU vessels “with transit times among the most competitive on the market: 14 days from Korea to the US West Coast and 10 days from Japan,” the company said. “This new service between Japan and North America reinforces the Group’s already strong presence in China. It also enhances our coverage of the Japanese market, where the Group just opened a new agency — CMA CGM (Japan) KK — as a symbol of its commitment to developing its activities in the archipelago,” said Jean-Philippe Thenoz, vice president, North America Lines, at CMA CGM. Web site: CMA CGM
UPS Freight Forwarding gets new managementUPS Mar 25 announced a new senior management team to oversee its freight forwarding, global brokerage, and non-asset network management services, naming Eric W. Kirchner the president of Freight Forwarding. The appointment of Kirchner and two other senior managers comes as UPS leverages the integration of its airline operations with its global air freight forwarding services. Earlier this year, UPS launched a simplified global portfolio for shipping air freight, including a substantially expanded express freight option with guaranteed door-to-door service. Kirchner will oversee a global organization responsible for strategy, performance, and revenue growth for forwarding services. He will direct transportation and commercial air and ocean carrier relationships as well as trade lane development and international freight sales to mid-sized businesses. His scope also includes network management of truckload and less-than-truckload contract services to complement UPS transportation capacity, the company said. Kirchner’s management team will include Everette C. Riley, named president, North American Freight Forwarding and Transportation District, and Terry Gavin Sambrook, who becomes the vice president of global brokerage. Web site: UPS Port of Seattle contracting laws clarifiedWashington state Gov. Christine Gregoire visited the Seattle waterfront Mar 25 to sign legislation important to the state’s ports: HB 3274, a bill that implements the State Auditor’s recommendations for clarifying port contracting statutes. The new law enacts many of the legislative recommendations included in the State Auditor’s recent critical performance audit of the Port of Seattle. The audit cited several areas of Washington contracting law that were not clear in their scope and authority; the legislation stipulates which projects fall under the purview of “public works” and which can be considered personal service contracts — a type of agreement that carries different competitive bidding requirements. “The Commission is committed to greater transparency and accountability throughout the Port of Seattle and has pushed forward reforms on a number of fronts this year, particularly in our construction management activities,” said Commission President John Creighton. The bill also requires the state’s larger ports to maintain a publicly available database of all contracts, to be established by 2010. The Port’s Audit Response Action Plan is available on the organization’s Web site. The comprehensive plan is updated twice monthly to reflect progress as it is made. Web site: Port of Seattle Thursday, March 28, 2008 Canada eyes new intermodal transport hubTHE CANADIAN federal government last week announced it will contribute $1.5mn to help launch Edmonton’s Port Alberta project. The goal of the initiative, led by Edmonton Airports, Edmonton Economic Development Corp., and the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, is to develop a major warehousing and air, road, and rail distribution hub linking Asia and North America through the port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Western Economic Diversification Minister Rona Ambrose said developing Edmonton as a major inland trade and transportation hub is one of her priorities, and the money will help fund an industry-led council to bring it to reality. Prince Rupert’s new container port, which opened last September, is 58 hours closer to Shanghai than any other North American port. Edmonton Airports CEO Reg Milley said Edmonton is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the “tsunami” of trade coming from China to North America. The inland port will also help move goods faster from Canada to Asia. Martin Salloum, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said westbound rail containers already are 36% full when 90% were expected to be going back empty at this point in earlier projections.
UPS fleet enhanced in three statesUPS Mar 27 announced the deployment of 167 compressed natural gas (CNG) delivery vehicles in Texas, Georgia, and California. The CNG vehicles, part of UPS’s global alternative fuel fleet, will “help reduce the company’s carbon footprint and its dependence on fossil fuels,” UPS said. More than 800 CNG vehicles are already in use by UPS in the US, but previous CNG vehicles in UPS’s fleet were converted from gasoline and diesel vehicles in the 1980s to run on alternative fuels. The new vehicles are originally manufactured for alternative fuel use. Of the 167 new CNG trucks, 25 have been deployed in Dallas, 42 in Atlanta, and the remaining 100 in five California cities: 30 to Sacramento, 14 to Los Angeles, five to Ontario, 10 to San Ramon, and 41 to Fresno. “UPS has deployed alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years,” said Robert Hall, UPS’s director of vehicle engineering. “Continuing to add CNG delivery trucks to our fleet is a sustainable choice because natural gas is a cost-effective, clean-burning, and readily available fuel.” Web site: UPS
“Port finder” service launchedFINDAPORT.NET Inc Mar 26 announced that it has released the world’s first “port finder” service for locating the closest airport or seaport to virtually any community in the world. The proprietary online service promises to “transform how business and leisure travelers plan their trips and streamline how worldwide shipping companies operate their business,” the company said. “The most frustrating aspect of international travel or freight shipping and logistics is finding the closest airport or seaport,” said Bob Schwieger, Findaport.net’s president and CEO who developed the service. “We expect that the travel and international logistics industries will reap the biggest benefits from the service.” Findaport.net provides users a monthly subscription service with which they can select destination city and country targets from a database containing 2.9mn maps and records for cities, airports, and seaports. The service “returns information in mere seconds via an elegant and intuitive user interface, streamlining a process that can take a seasoned professional up to 15 or 20 minutes using normal methods,” the company said. Web site: Findaport.net Friday, March 28, 2008 ATA urges feds to release oil reservesTHE AMERICAN Trucking Associations Mar 27 said it is urging the Bush administration to act quickly to help bring down the price of fuel for the nation’s 3.5mn truck drivers. The trucking industry is experiencing the highest prolonged fuel prices in history, the organization said. Historically, fuel represented the second-highest operating expense for motor carriers. For some motor carriers, however, fuel is beginning to surpass labor as their largest expense. This ultimately will increase the cost of everything delivered by truck, ATA said. ATA wants the federal government, among other measures, to “release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, establish a national diesel fuel standard, and allow environmentally responsible exploration of oil-rich areas in the United States that are now off-limits.” Other proposals are to streamline EPA’s regulatory framework for reviewing and processing applications for additional refinery operations, require 68 mph or lower speed limiters on all new trucks, and set a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph. “The signs are troubling,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “The industry is doing its part to conserve fuel, but we need help.” Web site: American Trucking Associations
PHA first to meet new world ISO standardsTHE PORT of Houston Authority Mar 27 announced that ABS Quality Evaluations has certified the security management system of the PHA Port Police to ISO 28000:2007. PHA is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification. The international standard specifies the requirements for a security management system, including those aspects critical to security assurance of all components of the business management. ISO 28000:2007 was developed in response to demand from industry for a security management standard, with the ultimate objective to improve the security of supply chains. “This initial certification is only the first part of our continual improvement process, which will lead to the eventual certification of all our terminals,” said PHA Chairman James T. Edmonds. The certification comes after a three-year process developing PHA’s Security Management System and its application to Port Police and the perimeter security operations at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals, the port authority said. PHA’s Security Management System was modeled after its highly successful Environmental Management System, which made it the first port authority in the world to attain ISO 14000 certification in 2002. Web sites: Port of Houston Authority http://www.portofhouston.com ABS Quality Evaluations
15 lines honored for pollution reductionFIFTEEN MAJOR shipping lines that led a 620-ton reduction in air pollution by participating in the Port of Long Beach’s Green Flag air quality program were honored by the Board of Harbor Commissioners in a special ceremony Mar 24 at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The Green Flag program, which rewards ships and vessel operators for voluntarily slowing ship speeds in the harbor to reduce air pollution, achieved its highest rates of compliance ever in 2007, at nearly 90%. The companies honored were those that achieved the highest rates of compliance with the program and the most frequent vessel calls in 2007, among 146 companies that earned Green Flags. “These Green Flag awards recognize our most responsible corporate partners,” said Harbor Commission President Mario Cordero. Among the top honorees were OOCL with 100% compliance on 109 vessel trips, Hyundai Merchant Marine with 100% compliance on 104 vessel trips, and CMA CGM with 100% compliance on 68 vessel trips. Other companies honored were Alaska Tanker, BP Shipping, Carnival, China Shipping Container Lines, COSCO, Hanjin Shipping, “K” Line, MSC, NYK, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Wan Hai Lines, and Zim Integrated Shipping. Web site: Port of Long Beach |