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Today's Cargo News Archives
Summary for October 1 - October 5, 2007:
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Monday, October 1, 2007

Port of Tacoma, TOTE restate lease

The Port of Tacoma Sep 29 announced it has approved a restated lease with Totem Ocean Trailer Express Inc. calling for a redeveloped Blair Waterway terminal for TOTE’s Alaska cargo business.

 Under the lease, which runs through 2034, the port will redevelop the TOTE terminal up to 72 acres in size, “allowing TOTE to meet the growing Alaska market for decades to come,” said Port Commission President Dick Marzano.

TOTE President and CEO Bill Deaver shared Marzano’s sentiments.

 “We are very happy with the impact of our new lease with the Port of Tacoma, as [it] provides access to additional land in future years and will meet our customers’ growth requirements for close to three decades,” he said.

The port recently announced an agreement with NYK Line to build a 168-acre facility for container terminal operator Yusen Terminal Tacoma Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NYK Line.

 Portions of TOTE’s existing 47-acre terminal will be incorporated into the NYK terminal.

Construction on the $104.3mn-TOTE terminal will begin in 2009 and be complete in 2011. YTTI construction will begin in 2010 and be complete by mid-2012.

Web site:
Port of Tacoma
http://www.portoftacoma.com

Totem Ocean Trailer Express Inc.
http://www.totemocean.com

APM opens new S. China box terminal

APM Terminals Sep 29 announced the grand opening of the Guangzhou South China Oceangate Container Terminal together with Guangzhou Port Group and COSCO Pacific.

 The new facility, located at Nansha Phase 2, is a 4.2mn-TEU capacity container terminal designed to accommodate China’s increasing growth in global trade.

 The Port of Guangzhou is “uniquely positioned at the mouth of the Pearl River to serve the booming trade of Guangzhou, recognized as the economic engine of South China,” said APM.

 Guangzhou’s container throughput in 2006 was 6.6mn TEUs, ranking 5th in mainland China and 15th in the world, according to the company.

 The new terminal has a total quay length of 2,100 meters across six container berths, representing a total investment of $500mn, said the company.

 APM Terminals joined COSCO Pacific in the ownership, development, and operations of the terminal, together with Guangzhou Port Group. APM Terminals’ share in the joint venture is 20%, said the company.

 APM Terminals, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, is a leading independent global container terminal owner and operator of more than 45 terminals, according to the company.

Web site:
APM Terminals
http://www.apmterminals.com

Target Logistics acquired by Mainfreight

New Zealand’s largest transport and logistics company, Mainfreight Ltd., Sep 19 announced it has signed an agreement to acquire US-based Target Logistics for $53.7mn, its largest acquisition to date.

 Mainfreight believes “this transaction will provide it with a foundation for further growth in both the US and international freight markets, which is consistent with its strategies expressed to the market over the past 12 months.”

 The Board of Directors of Target Logistics has unanimously approved the merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close sometime in November 2007.

 “We are impressed by Target Logistics’ strong culture, and we look forward to assisting Target Logistics in achieving its growth targets and expectations,” said Don Braid, Mainfreight’s group managing director.

 Target Logistics provides freight-forwarding and logistics services across both international and domestic US supply chains. It is a 3PL services company “providing time definite and value-added supply chain solutions to over 3,000 customers,” said the company.

 Target Logistics generally handles cargo shipments weighing more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and requiring time-specific delivery.

Web site:
Mainfreight Ltd.
http://www.mainfreight.com

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Tuesday, October 2, 2007

UPS offers paperless international shipping

 UPS Oct 2 announced it will become the first package carrier to offer customers a paperless international shipping option as well as a package return capability to 98 countries and territories.

 The new services — UPS Paperless Invoice and International UPS Returns — will be introduced in January and will “make it even easier for customers to expand their businesses to new markets around the globe,” said UPS.

 “This is truly a breakthrough for our customers when you look at what goes into cross-border shipping today … we’re dramatically changing the future of global shipping,” said Kurt Kuehn, UPS senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing.

 The UPS paperless system will enable customers shipping small packages internationally to “help integrate order processing, shipment preparation, and commercial invoice data and then transmit that data to customs offices across the globe, eliminating the need for paper commercial invoices,” said UPS.

 The new technology prevents customers from submitting incomplete Customs paperwork, said the company.

 Once launched, UPS will be the only carrier to offer customers a paperless commercial invoice process for international shipping, said UPS.

Web site:
UPS
http://www.ups.com

POLA celebrates ISO certification

 With the cry of “We Did It!” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Sep 28 helped the construction and maintenance (C&M) division at the Port of Los Angeles celebrate the official ISO 14001:2004 certification of its Environmental Management System (EMS). 

 The Port of Los Angeles is the first seaport on the West Coast and the third in the nation to receive international certification, said the port.

 ISO promotes the development and implementation of voluntary international standards, both for particular products and for environmental management issues, said the port. 

 “I couldn’t be more proud of our dedicated employees at the Port of Los Angeles … the benefit for all Angelenos is cleaner operations and an improved environment,” said Villaraigosa. 

 “The EMS has really empowered our employees to think creatively for ways to improve operations and their impacts on the environment,” said Geraldine Knatz, Port of Los Angeles executive director.

 The overall program took a team of C&M and Environmental Management staff two years to implement and customize to the port’s particular needs and operations, said the announcement. 

 Web site:
Port of Los Angeles
htpp://www.portoflosangeles.org/

Robert Ho new Yang Ming president/CEO

Yang Ming Group Sep 29 announced the appointment of Robert Ho, the incumbent senior executive vice president and executive officer of the global management group, as the company’s new president and CEO, effective Oct 1.

 Ho has served successively as a senior manager of the operations dept., vice president of the Keelung Branch, representative of the European Representative Office, vice president of the business and operations dept., executive vice president in the headquarters, and CEO and president of the America subsidiary.

 Ho graduated from National Cheng-Chi University with a master’s degree in International Trade, said the company.

 “Given his comprehensive qualifications, solid experiences, and business performances, he is undoubtedly a very good choice for the new post,” announced the company.

 Taiwan-based Yang Ming operates a fleet of 94 vessels, mainly containerships, transporting 2.4mn TEUs a year. There are also 10 bulk carriers in operation, according to the company’s Web site.

 Web page:

 Yang Ming
http://www.yangming.com.tw

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Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Court delays truckers’ hours rules

A federal court Sep 28 delayed until Dec 27 a requirement that would reduce by one hour the time truckers can drive continuously.

The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued the 90-day stay on its decision that struck down the 11-hour daily driving limit and 34-hour restart provisions of the Hours-of-Service regulations, which govern truck driver work and rest periods.

Last month, government regulators and the trucking industry’s trade group requested the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issue longer stays of its decision that the daily driving limit be cut to 10 hours for long-haul truckers.

 Consumer advocates applauded the court’s initial ruling because they say the industry is putting the public at risk by allowing truckers to drive too many hours.
But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had requested a 12-month stay, backing industry assertions that reducing the limit would be expensive and require it to retrain drivers and operating personnel, reprint logs, reengineer routes, and make other changes.

 Until 2003, long-haul truckers operated under a 10-hour rule.

 Web site:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

ILWU Local 10 calls for protest rally

ILWU Local 10 has called for a solidarity rally at the Woodland, Yolo County courthouse (near Sacramento) Thursday, Oct 4, to protest the arrest Aug 23 of two Local 10 members returning to work at the SSA Marine terminal at the Port of Sacramento.

 Ship Clerks’ Local 34 and the Portland, OR, Longshore Local 8 are joining in the protest, according to Local 10. “We need to have all the locals on the coast participating,” said Local 10. “This is our Jena.”

 Ken Riley, president of the Charleston, SC, Local 1422 International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), will be a featured speaker at the Oct 4 rally, said Local 10.

 Jason Ruffin and Aaron Harrison were arrested on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest when private guards insisted on searching their car and the longshoremen questioned their authority to do so and called the Local 10 business agent, according to reports from Local 10.

 Local 10 says this is a “historic union action, the first against the use of new maritime security laws directed against maritime workers.”

 Web site:
ILWU Local 10
http://www.ilwu10.org/

UP, NS offer shorter westbound RR

Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) Oct 1 announced a new westbound intermodal train service that will shorten by a day the trip for standard intermodal freight from the Southeast to Los Angeles.

 The new westbound service will provide fourth-morning availability for BlueStreak intermodal shipments from Atlanta to Los Angeles, fifth morning from Charlotte and Jacksonville, and sixth morning from Miami, said the announcement.

 UP and NS are backing their new service offering with an “on time or free” guarantee on the BlueStreak SuperFlyer service between the Southeast and Los Angeles for a limited time.

 These trains also provide the only ride for trailers in the Southeast–Los Angeles lane, as they handle both containers and trailers, said the announcement.

 The eastbound service was launched in May 2007. The new coast-to-coast service is part of the railroads’ “commitment to improve capacity, service quality, and speed by shifting domestic traffic to a new, shorter route over the Shreveport, LA, gateway,” said the announcement.

 Web sites:
Union Pacific
http://www.up.com

Norfolk Southern Railway
http://www.nscorp.com

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Thursday, October 4, 2007

TSA sets TWIC enrollment date

On Oct 16, port workers, longshoremen, truckers, and others at the port of Wilmington, DE, will become the first workers in the nation to enroll in the Dept. of Homeland Security’s Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program.

 The Transportation Security Administration and the US Coast Guard Oct 3 announced the enrollment date and a number of other details about the program, including the release of the next 11 ports where enrollment will begin in November.

 Also included in the announcement were an updated port site list with additional enrollment locations and a revised final rule that lowered the credential fee to $132.50.

 TSA Administrator Kip Hawley commented, “TWIC is one of the world’s most advanced interoperable biometric systems and has a lot of moving pieces. We are now seeing those pieces come together.”

 Workers at the port of Wilmington will be able to pre-enroll for TWIC starting Oct 9, according to the announcement.

 Kurt Nagle, president and CEO, American Association of Port Authorities, said the port industry looks forward to working with DHS on the TWIC roll-out process.

 Web site:
Transportation Security Administration
http://www.tsa.gov/

CA and enviro groups petition EPA

Petitions to the US Environmental Protection Agency to adopt standards for carbon dioxide emissions from the thousands of ocean-going ships that dock at American ports each year were filed Oct 3 by environmental groups and California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

 According to the petitions, marine vessels are responsible for nearly 3% of the world’s greenhouse gases — equal to the amount generated by all cars in the US — and ship emissions are projected to grow by more than 70% by 2020 as global trade expands.

 “If the US is to do its part in reducing the threat of global climate disruption, then EPA must limit the global warming emissions from ships that enter the ports of the United States,” Brown said.

 The environmentalists’ petition was filed by Oakland-based Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, and Oceana.

 “We would prefer to see these issues resolved at the international level,” said T.L. Garrett, vice president, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. “Then everyone’s on a level playing field.”

 Web sites:
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/

Earth Justice
http://www.earthjustice.org/

New labor relations director at Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corp. announced today that Steve Demeroutis has joined the company as director, labor relations.

 Demeroutis is responsible for all labor relations activities for the East Coast terminal operations, including grievance handling, negotiations contact administration, compliance resolution, and relationship building with Crowley’s union representatives and personnel, said the company.

 Demeroutis has more than 15 years of experience in labor relations, including his most recent position as vice president, United Inland Group of the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots, said the company.

 He has an “extensive background in labor negotiations and conflict resolution and has developed a reputation in the maritime industry as a true professional with the highest integrity,” said Crowley.

 Demeroutis received his Master’s license in 1986 and sailed as Master and First Class Pilot with the Washington State ferries.

 Demeroutis reports to Jerry Dowd, vice president, labor relations, in Seattle.

 Jacksonville-based Crowley Maritime Corp. provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of five operating lines of business: liner, logistics, petroleum, marine, and technical services.

 Web site:
Crowley Maritime Corp.
http://www.crowley.com

<<<•>>>

Friday, October 5, 2007

LA/LB truck plan topic of special workshop

LA/LB truck plan topic of special workshop

 Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners have scheduled a special informational workshop Oct 12 to elicit input from trucking, environmental, and industry experts about the proposed Clean Trucks Program.

 Public comment will be limited to two minutes per person at this special workshop.

 A key component of the Clean Air Action Plan, the proposed Clean Trucks Program aims to reduce air pollution from harbor drayage trucks by more than 80% within five years.

 The 8 a.m. workshop at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Pedro will be the first joint board meeting of the two harbor commissions since they approved the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan in November 2006.

 Several unresolved questions remain about the proposed program, say the ports.

 “This will be the first time that all 10 commissioners from both ports will be in the same room to hear from those most affected by our Clean Trucks Program,” said Los Angeles Harbor Commission President S. David Freeman.

 The commissioners will not be voting at the Oct 12 public workshop.

 Web sites:
Long Beach
http://www.polb.com

 Los Angeles
http://www.portoflosangeles.org/

IMCC asks feds to stop LA/LB truck plan

The Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference expressed its strong opposition to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Clean Trucks Program in a letter sent Oct 4 to the US Federal Maritime Commission.

 The letter from the IMCC, part of the American Trucking Associations, detailed the organization’s concerns regarding “both the destructive economic impacts and questionable legality of the program revealed in the ports’ discussions and planning activities for implementing its Clean Air Action Plan.”

 The IMCC also endorsed the concerns raised by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and the National Industrial Transportation League in a letter the groups sent Sep 26 to the FMC. The groups expressed their opposition to the ports plan and actions.

 These shipping organizations requested that the commission also intervene to prevent implementation of the CAAP, which PMSA and NITL described as an “ill-advised and unlawful proposal.”

 The IMCC reaffirmed that if the ports approve and act to implement CAAP in its current form, the IMCC will seek corrective action in US District Court and before the FMC.

 Web site:
Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference
http://www.truckline.com

Horizon adds 1,200 45-foot containers

Horizon Lines Inc. Oct 4 announced that its liner shipping subsidiary, Horizon Lines LLC, will take delivery of 1,200 new 45-foot shipping containers in October as part of an ongoing equipment investment program this year.

 Horizon has ordered 2,200 new dry containers since the beginning of 2007, said the company, including the new 45-foot dry containers and 600 new 40-foot high-cube boxes.

 The company also has added more than 1,000 new high-cube refrigerated containers (reefers), including 40-foot reefers and 45-foot reefers specifically for use in the Puerto Rico trade.

 Horizon has added more than 235 flat-racks in the Pacific services, particularly to Hawaii, where this oversized cargo shipping equipment is especially useful for construction and heavy equipment shippers, said Horizon.

 Horizon has taken delivery of and deployed five new Hunter-Class container vessels this year, each with a capacity of 2,824 TEUs and a service speed above 23 knots.

 The equipment investment program is tied to Horizon’s vessel fleet enhancement strategy as the company optimizes its shipping equipment with new capacity and flexibility to handle special cargo, said Horizon..

 Web page:
Horizon Lines Inc.
http://www.horizonlines.com

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