Maritime

Transpacific revenues up 26 percent in fourth quarter of 2018 on 6.1 percent volume growth.

APM’s move to add automated box handling equipment at large terminal has dock workers concerned about job security.

IPS Worldwide’s bankruptcy filing leaves many shippers seeking to get their money back, in some cases in excess of tens of millions of dollars.

A former NTSB executive tells FreightWaves that “perishable information” critical to freight accident investigations is at risk of disappearing.

The ageing container feeder fleet is not being replaced at a fast enough rate. According to Vessels Value, nearly a quarter of the feeder fleet, 638 ships, are over 20 years old with only 222 currently on order and with more cargo and more large vessels arriving the demand is expected to increase.

The two newly sworn-in commissioners will fill four of the five available positions on the commission, which is charged with regulating liner shipping in U.S. trades.

Recovery work and damage assessment will be conducted at the Port of Freeport.

“The state of the port is busier, cleaner and safer than ever.”

Port’s growing base of automotive and other shippers needs better way to move freight as traffic woes mean Charleston is ‘not as quaint.‘

Hard commodity volumes were mixed, but intermodal and coal are better; pricing is the best in seven years.

Maritime 2050 Navigating the Future is the British Government’s new strategy to develop maritime services in the UK. However, there is no new money attached tot he strategy and the aim to become a world leader in digital technology is already trailing many other countries.

New technology is allowing operators on inland waterways to develop river trains that will transport cargo to and from European sea ports at significantly lower cost. The trains will digitally tethered to a lead vessel which will have an on-board crew.

Financial transactions within the U.S. maritime sector – including vessel loans and project eligibility – are on hold waiting for an end to the government shutdown.

Port plans new wharf for container-on-barge service that has been slow to take off elsewhere; container imports show big December jump.  

The Sturgis proved that a floating nuclear power plant was not only possible but practical and safe.

Carriers are being delayed at border crossings due to Customs and Border Protection’s inability to confirm online that annual user fee payments were made.

Port truck operators could potentially increase their wages by using a new service from NEXT that helps them run shorter runs and return to ports with empty containers. The company just secured $97 million in funding to help it expand.

Tight supply of labor, chassis, railcars, and space all contribute to port woes. Autonomous ships coming to Norway by next year. 

Freight volumes coming into U.S. remain high in January, but delays and congestions turn trips to major marine terminals into ‘madhouse.’

Autonomous shipping is moving faster than regulators can regulate with the expectation that the first fully autonomous container ship will start operations in Norwegian waters by 2020.

Increasing regulation in the shipping sector could see an increase in the cost of vessel operations, which ultimately could raise the cost of freight.

Heavy ice on the Great Lakes last spring got iron ore shipments off to a slow start and a steep dip in coal shipments contributed to lackluster year-end results.

TMS provider brings on chief technology officer; regional parcel carrier hires final-mile president and sales leader.

Top supply chain trends and Rhode Island collects more in toll revenue than it expected, plus the growing scooter logistics sector and more container checks.

Slowdown headed for U.S. import volumes as largest exporter sees economy weaken ahead of prolonged holiday.

More than 1 million TEUs will be delivered in 2019 and 2020, according to forecasts.

Many in the industry remain devoted to improving output of quality returns found in diesel.

Playing pass the parcel is fun when you’re a little kid. It’s less so when the parcel is a great big bill that you’re being stiffed with as a side effect of a fight between longshoremen and their employer.

The sun is setting on the Australian shipping register as ship operators abandon the local coastal trading regime. Ship operators are fleeing the flag following the 2012 reforms.

Relief is expected when volumes dip after Lunar New Year, which begins Feb. 5.

Since Maersk acquired Hamburg Süd in 2017, it is focusing on the container liner business.

Net earnings for 2018 totaled $490 million, down from $686 million in 2017.

$2 billion in capex over the next ten years will nearly double Savannah’s container traffic to 8 million TEUs annually.

The EIA becomes one of the first major forecasters to put a price per gallon estimate on what is going to happen to diesel prices when the new rule kicks in.

New power given to the Federal Maritime Commission to scrutinize the effects of ocean carrier competition has been put on hold by the government shutdown.

Surprise fees for practice that reduces congestion at ports and improves driver turns amounts to ‘dirty pool’ on part of the steamship lines.

Capacity additions set to have knock-on effect for trades into North America; Australia’s port strike to cause Pacific Rim ripples.

SpaceX’s lease on a 19-acre site at the port will end in February, while Cal Cartage will close its warehouse on an 85-acre site in July.

Net income totaled $629.4 million for the year, while revenues reached $2.71 billion.

Rolling strikes by workers at the Hutchison Ports Australia box terminals in Sydney and Brisbane started at 6:00 a.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) yesterday January 17 and are causing logistics chaos.

 Container volumes remain strong, but delays mean fewer overall pickups; drivers also not pleased with new fees for flipping containers.

Set to launch in April, the network will involve the deployment of about 330 containerships with a carrying capacity of around 3.8 million TEUs across 38 services.

Forwarders say air cargo shipments keep moving despite the government shutdown.

The barge would move containers between the Wando Welch and Hugh K. Leatherman terminals.

The port handled a record amount of container volumes in 2018, but the outlook for the coming year is uncertain, according to the port’s maritime director.

The Class I railway posted a full-year net income of $3.31 billion on revenues of $12.25 billion.

The freight brokerage company released the next generation of GTZcommand.

Facility has been frequent target of labor action and drew attention of local politicians, who tried to evict third-party logistics firm.

‘Swedish furniture,’ along with an IT refresh and 24 percent share premium, may factor in combining two top freight forwarders.

Infestations of the brown marmorated stink bug found on ships en-route to Australia are causing havoc with local supply chains. Bugs are breeding, ships are re-routing, trucks are idling and supply chains are collapsing.

U.K. votes down Brexit deal, leading to more uncertainty on rules for freight forwarders; stowaway bugs bug Australia.

Months after being rejected by CEVA, the Danish logistics company offered $4 billion for Panalpina.

John Veroneau says the passage of the trade agreement is very much an open question this Congress as several variables are in play.

The express carrier reached a deal to acquire the international express business of Israel-based Flying Cargo Group.

The purchase of Our Freight Guy marked GlobalTranz’s eighth acquisition since January 2017.

There is growing interest in interchanging equipment between importers and exporters at locations other than marine terminals and container yards.

UPS names president of supply chain solutions; Imperial Logistics selects chief commercial officer; and CII appoints executive director and senior adviser.

Once-manual process now automated, offering some relief to shippers having to fetch empty containers at congestion plagued ports.

Evergreen has added a second and third ultra-large container ship to its China, Europe and Mediterranean service, adding around 6,000 TEU of capacity to the service per week.

The carrier will use the Belgium-based service to approve the triangulation of containers in the United States and Canada.

Port of Houston faces choice as to which ships to prioritize; U.K. Parliament turmoil leaves Brexit deal in doubt.

Appointments are made and new leaders take the helm in the United States, Europe and South America.

The union says truck drivers will be prevented from waiving their rights through private arbitration agreements; the decision may spark class action lawsuits against owner-operator fleets.

Rapid cargo handling is the secret behind Denmark’s Trailer Cat roll-on/roll-off freight ferry design that will reduce the levels of carbon dioxide emissions compared to a conventional ferry and compete with road and rail for cargo.

But the outlook for 2019 is muddled by the U.S.-China trade war.

Now the Airbnb-like startup with an online marketplace serving shippers, truckers and logistics companies has secured a partnership with ITS ConGlobal.

The 15,262-TEU containership was heavily damaged in a March 2018 fire that killed five crewmen.

Auto parts imports could take a hit as vehicle sales slow; Japan makes its own play for African port supremacy.

Overall import growth mean more freight all around, but high drayage costs and better service bringing more boxes to rail.

Chief executive officer appointed and board of directors elected.

The government shutdown is forcing the U.S. Coast Guard to work without pay which could begin affecting freight operations.

Zim and the 2M Alliance have signed a secind vessel sharing agreement in the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades. The deal significantly boosts Zim’s service offerings while 2M says the new deal offers mutual benefits and efficiencies.

Delivery robots, shifting supply chains due to trade wars, and automation slowing productivity in ports

Storing real-time data from aircraft and sea vessels on the cloud has been subject to a lot of debate, as the data that gets transmitted could be hacked in by people with nefarious motives. Blockchain could be a respite.

But Harbor Trucking Association says the union is misrepresenting California labor decisions.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association filed a class action lawsuit against the Indiana government to roll back the Oct. 5 imposition of a toll road fee hike.

Owner of car carrier that caught fire on New Year’s Eve says the cause of the fire still is undetermined.

The U.S. – China trade war continues to disrupt freight movements into the new year.

ZIM, Maersk and MSC announce that they will share space on four additional services.

The European Parliament’s Transport Committee adopted a proposal to establish a “single window” through which the ocean carriers communicate with maritime authorities.

MSC has started the process of informing cargo owners that their containers were lost in last week’s storm that saw more than 250 containers lost from the mega-container ship MSC Zoe. However, the company is still analysing what caused the stacks to collapse

HMM said it increased volume 150 percent in two years as it prepares for megaship deliveries in 2020.

“This is a strategic investment that will further advance our final-mile delivery capabilities,” says President and CEO John Roberts.

American Shipper was invited to tour the LNG-powered vessel before it joined sister ship El Coqui on the rotation between Florida and Puerto Rico.

Cleanup in the North Sea continues following the Jan. 2 incident in which more than 250 containers were washed off the MSC Zoe.

Keith Lovetro comes out of retirement to lead supply chain management company.

Torben Weilmuenster is elected chairman of the governing council; Bahri CEO Abdullah Aldubaikhi is appointed to the board of directors.

Costs for transporting cargo by sea could increase substantially with the introduction of emission control regulations on 1 January 2020. Precursor rules are already being enforced from this January. Regulations could push the cost of fuel and the costs associated with complex new technology significantly higher that could be passed on to shippers.

Once dependent on drayage to move boxes to rail, GCT Bayonne now has near-dock rail to speed shipments to U.S. hinterland.

Newly minted entities that had hoped to begin offering forwarding and NVO services at the start of 2019 are stuck until the FMC can resume issuance of licenses.

Allianz consultant is concerned that risk is being normalized in the shipping industry.

Jim Vena, a 40-year veteran of Canadian National, is joining the U.S. railroad on Monday.

Gary Cardenas is named CEO; Mike McNally is appointed as sales and marketing director.

Price impact of low-sulfur fuel may not be as bad as feared, but still remains unknown; I-5 bridge remains a chokepoint for trucking.

Two large ships are still on fire in the Pacific and Atlantic.

Gale force winds and the subsequent rolling movement of the ship are the most likely causes for the loss of around 300 containers from the mega-container vessel the MSC Zoe on 2 January. But MSC has not yet confirmed the causes of the accident, or how much cargo was lost.

SecurSpace develops Airbnb-like model for container storage as intermodal hubs getting tighter on space.

Hauliers and shippers accuse the British Government of complacency as estimates of the effects of a no deal Brexit are substantially increased, making a deal imperative.

The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America warned closing the U.S.-Mexico border would cause an “economic disaster.”

Leaders of NYK, MOL and “K” Line also highlight the challenge of IMO sulfur regulations.