Industry News

News from JOC Journal of Commerce

• LTL trucker A. Duie Pyle temporarily cuts wages April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="“Nobody has a playbook” for the pandemic, A. Duie Pyle chairman Peter Latta said. “I’ve never seen a ship turn so quick.” Photo credit: A. Duie Pyle."][/caption]As freight volumes plummet, caught in the undertow of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Northeast regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier A. Duie Pyle...
• Container industry fallout from coronavirus to linger into 2021 April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="Between March 20 and March 27, IHS Markit lowered its projection for 2020 US real gross domestic product (GDP) growth from a decline of 1.7 percent to a decline of 5.4 percent. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]As participants in the international supply chain grapple with the impact of the coronavirus disease...
• March US imports slammed by effects of COVID-19 April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="US imports from Asia plunged in March, and analysts are projecting double-digit percentage declines in total import volumes through at least August. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]US imports from Asia in March fell to the lowest level in seven years as retailers and manufacturers pulled back on orders of non-essential merchandise...
• K+N takes regional approach to digital quoting in Asia April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="Kuehne + Nagel last year introduced a money-back guaranteed transit time product tethered to its global instant quoting platform. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Global forwarder Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) has created a specialized platform for intra-Asia shippers that mirrors a broader tool it offers customers to help them gauge transit times...
• Ag shippers urge Trump administration to intervene on detention, demurrage April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="The Port of Virginia (above) has additional space to provide cargo owners looking for storage during the coronavirus pandemic, but some cargo owners are cautious about using terminals and containers as mobile warehouses. Photo credit: Lars Plougmann/Flickr."][/caption]Agricultural and food shippers are urging the Trump administration to engage with the...
• Youredi expands connectivity options for DCSA track-and-trace standard April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="DCSA members have agreed to adopt the association"][/caption]Systems integration specialists continue to provide avenues for shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to access a new track-and-trace standard developed by a non-profit consortium of container lines earlier this year.Youredi is the second such specialist to offer a link to the...
• Chittagong storage fees waived as carriers levy reefer charges April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="Some 44,889 containers were at Chittagong’s port yard on Monday, almost 92 percent of its 49,018-container storage capacity. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Shippers using the Bangladeshi Port of Chittagong received mixed news this week -- the government has waived all storage fees as containers pile up amid the pandemic-driven lockdown, but...
• Carriers warn of supply chain chaos if cargo stacks up in ports April 7, 2020
  [caption caption="A series of issues, including store closures, lack of drivers, and a shortage of warehousing space, are forcing some shippers to leave their cargo uncollected at ports in the United States and Europe. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Warning that the world’s supply chains would break down if ports become congested, the...
• Oakland port’s maritime director to head Mobile April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="The Alabama State Port Authority will from June 1 be led by a veteran industry executive with experience at the Port of Oakland and several ocean carriers. Photo credit: Port of Mobile"][/caption]The Alabama State Port Authority on Monday named John C. Driscoll, maritime director of the Port of Oakland,...
• Cargo risk tools get second look after early COVID-19 alerts April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="Even the most sophisticated risk monitoring system can't account for all the potential disruptions to supply chains, so a key parallel capability for shippers to develop is flexibility. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Hindsight is always 20/20 and the merits of investing in risk forecasting technology are no different. But for customers...
• US trucking firms move to safeguard drivers, employees amid COVID-19 April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="Large trucking firms say they are extending pay for sick drivers. Truckers want to know how they'll get home. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]For many truck drivers, the day now starts with a check not of their equipment, but their own temperature. Efforts to safeguard drivers from the coronavirus disease 2019...
• Maintaining the Flow of Goods is Essential Work in the Battle Against COVID-19 April 6, 2020
  The liner shipping industry, which operates container ships and vehicle carriers, has continued to move the cargo on which the world relies despite the global pandemic.  As governments, companies, individuals, and institutions respond to the COVID-19 crisis, the first focus is and must be on protecting health and human life. ...
• COVID-19 further complicates truck driver classification debate April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) adds another layer of complexity to the future of driver classification legislation in states such as California, New Jersey and New York. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has shown the fragile state of employee benefits in the United States, injecting another layer of...
• China-Europe air cargo rates hit new highs on medical demand April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="The passenger deck of a Swiss Airbus 340 passenger plane is loaded with protective medical supplies for a flight from China to Switzerland. Photo credit: Swiss WorldCargo."][/caption]The rush to fly urgently needed medical equipment and pharmaceuticals from China to Europe amid the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)...
• High debt levels leave container lines exposed April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="The degree to which carriers can access capital and hold the line on capacity discipline will determine how they weather the financial storm brought on by the coronavirus. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]A sharp drop in cash flow as demand evaporates in the second quarter is eroding the financial bedrock of...
• European shippers scramble to store unneeded imports April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="Storage options are needed for cargo owners as unwanted imports from China begin to arrive in Europe terminals. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]There is growing urgency for European shippers and their forwarders to come up with solutions to manage the wave of unneeded inventory now in transit and about to land...
• JOC Rankings: US trucking revenue growth slams on the brakes April 6, 2020
  [caption caption="Revenue growth among the Top 50 US Trucking Companies slowed from 12.2 percent in 2018 to 1.3 percent in 2019. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]US trucking companies suffered a swift reversal of fortune last year, as the strongest freight market since the 2009 recession softened amid slower economic growth and a...
• COVID-19 clouds freight rate forecasting, stimulates demand April 3, 2020
  [caption caption="Demand for rate forecasting is a symptom of a broader desire for forward-looking visibility, something still rare in the supply chain. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is bringing new urgency to the development of freight price forecasting tools that can help shippers quickly adapt to fast-changing market...
• US truckload shippers must prioritize carrier ties during recession: analysts April 3, 2020
  [caption caption="Trucking companies are bound to suffer in a US economic recession, so a strategic shipper will find ways to weather the storm together. Photo credit: North Dakota Department of Transportation."][/caption]Trucking companies will have less freight to haul as the pandemic-fueled recession spreads across the United States, but shippers of...
• US importers urged to ‘proactively’ challenge demurrage charges April 3, 2020
  [caption caption="“Even though terminals have reopened their gates, we’re challenged getting appointments,” a Los Angeles-area drayage executive said. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]US importers and drayage operators need to be more proactive documenting what they believe are unfair detention and demurrage (D&D) charges, speakers said Thursday during a JOC.com webcast.At the same...

News from Lloyd’s List – Containers

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• US exporters hit out at punitive charges April 7, 2020
  Agricultural export organisations say detention and demurrage fees are ‘abusive’. But box lines say a politicisation of the debate will...      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksSan Pedro Bay ports focused on ‘crisis of historic proportions’ 
• Grimaldi warns against unfair state support for struggling shipowners April 7, 2020
  Emanuele Grimaldi says he is not opposed to state intervention in such difficult times, but stresses that any financial aid...      Related StoriesBlanked sailings to increase equipment shortagesYilport's US investment plans delayed by red tape and coronavirusFreight forwarding in the virtual office 
• Box lines turn to airfreight to help fight pandemic April 7, 2020
  Carriers are using their logistics network skills to fly in medical equipment      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksUS exporters hit out at punitive charges 
• Maintaining the flow of goods is essential to tackle crisis April 7, 2020
  ‘Even as the crisis upends daily life, people continue to have basic needs for food, medicine, and other supplies’      Related StoriesMaintaining the flow of goods is essential to tackle coronavirusLabour dispatch halls may need reconsidering amid health crisisLabour dispatch halls may need reconsidering amid today’s pandemic 
• Kuehne + Nagel launches platform for intra-Asia shippers April 7, 2020
  The intra-Asia trade is a highly dynamic and fragmented market, which makes it challenging to find the best options      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksUS exporters hit out at punitive charges 
• Cosco, SIPG and Tesla in blockchain test April 7, 2020
  Platform operator CargoSmart says it will expand the project with more carriers at other ports      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksUS exporters hit out at punitive charges 
• San Pedro Bay ports focused on ‘crisis of historic proportions’ April 7, 2020
  Despite uncertainty about future demand, the two port directors are still making efforts to see that equipment is repositioned as...      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksUS exporters hit out at punitive charges 
• US regulator to investigate supply chain April 7, 2020
  Congestion and bottlenecks at ports and other points in the nation's supply chain pose a serious risk to the growth...      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksUS exporters hit out at punitive charges 
• Blanked sailings to increase equipment shortages April 7, 2020
  Network imbalances threaten to bring more misery for shippers trying to export      Related StoriesGrimaldi warns against unfair state support for struggling shipownersYilport's US investment plans delayed by red tape and coronavirusFreight forwarding in the virtual office 
• Ferry operators call for bailout as crisis mounts April 6, 2020
  Freight transport is keeping some ferry companies afloat, but they warn it will not be enough to make up the...      Related StoriesClass societies add staff layoffs to coronavirus cutbacksClass societies start to cut staff numbers amid coronavirus cutbacksUS exporters hit out at punitive charges 

News from Container Management

• MSC CEO addresses COVID-19 pandemic April 7, 2020
  MSC has introduced new solutions to help its customers navigate and adapt to the COVID-19 disruption, group president and CEO Diego Aponte has explained in his letter addressing the pandemic. In anticipation of a resumption in demand, MSC has offered advance storage posts at some of the world’s leading transhipment hubs to help shippers begin […]
• DP World Americas optimistic about navigating COVID-19 April 7, 2020
  As of the start of April, all of DP World’s terminals in the Americas region are operating in full and the company is confident that its action plan will enable trade to keep flowing through the COVID-19 pandemic. From the early stages of the outbreak, the terminal operator has worked with health authorities, governments and […]
• Konecranes wins its largest reachstacker order ever April 6, 2020
  Konecranes has won an order for 39 reach stackers, its largest-ever order for reachstackers yet, from a customer in Germany. The contract is for the delivery of 39 Konecranes SMV 2216 TC3 reachstackers with modifications to allow for the stacking of 22-tonne, 16-tonne and six-tonne containers. Ralf Gowin, sales manager Germany for Konecranes Lift Trucks, […]
• Awake.AI launches new service bringing AI and machine learning to ports April 6, 2020
  Awake.AI has announced the launch of Smart Port as a Service, an integral component of the open and collaborative Awake Platform, which applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods. It works as a web application that allows to interact and collaborate with other actors in real time, aiming to drive the digital transformation […]
• Volumes up by 2.4% across China Merchants’ container terminals April 3, 2020
  Container volumes across the global portfolio of China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPort) rose slightly by last year, with the operator attributing the lack of momentum to US-China trade friction and geopolitical tensions. The group’s ports handled a total container throughput of 111.72m teu up by 2.4% over the previous year, while bulk cargo dropped by […]
• DAMCO launches Cargo Rescue Programme to support US customers through COVID-19 disruption April 3, 2020
  DAMCO has launched a new Cargo Rescue Programme in the US with two service offerings to help ease supply chain congestion caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new programme includes a ‘Park and Save’ option for customers who need short-term assistance when supply chains are congested as well as a ‘Strip and Store’ option for […]
• SSA Marine orders terminal tractors for terminals in Panama and Mexico April 2, 2020
  Kalmar has signed two separate orders with SSA Marine to supply 36 of its Ottawa T2 terminal tractors for container terminals in Panama and Mexico. The first agreement for 12 machines is for the company’s Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) in Panama while the second agreement for 24 machines is for SSA Mexico in Colima, Mexico. […]
• APM Terminals completes phase-three expansion to increase capacity in Alabama April 2, 2020
  APM Terminals (APMT) Mobile has simultaneously handled two container ships for the first time, thanks to the completion of a 400 ft container dock extension. Three days after the extension was completed, the BELITA with a length overall (LOA) of 1,096 ft and the COSCO SANTOS with a LOA of 856 ft utilised about 2,100 […]
• COVID-19: MSC offers container storage at transhipment hubs April 1, 2020
  MSC has unveiled a flexible cargo service to help customers prepare for the resumption of demand of a variety of goods from Asia once the COVID-19 pandemic eases. The Suspension of Transit (SOT) programme provides customers with container yard storage at six global transhipment hubs to ensure that goods can be shipped close to their […]
• Building application for trimodal container terminal on logport VI submitted April 1, 2020
  duisport has submitted a building application for the trimodal container terminal at logport VI as part of its continued development of the facility. The facility is an integral part of new logistics concepts formed by duisport, its customers and its partners wherein the primary goal is to reduce truck traffic and offer permanent alternatives particularly […]
• Konecranes to start temporary layoff talks in Finland as a result of the impact of COVID-19 March 31, 2020
    Konecranes has invited Finnish works council representatives to negotiations regarding temporary layoffs which would cover all of Konecranes’ Finnish operations, approximately 2,000 employees in total, due to the disruption caused by the spread of COVID-19. Countries around the world have imposed extensive restrictions on the daily conduct of people and businesses and, as a […]
• Stockholm Norvik Port receives super post-Panamax cranes March 31, 2020
  The two largest container cranes in the Baltic Sea are now in place at Sweden’s newest freight port, adapted to handle the largest vessels operating in the region. The super post-Panamax cranes, which were built in Shanghai with electrical and control systems supplied by ABB in Sweden, have been moved to their locations at Stockholm […]
• CMA CGM completes sale of eight port terminals to Terminal Link for US$815m March 30, 2020
  CMA CGM Group has closed the first part of its agreement with China Merchants Port (CMP), with the sale of its stakes in eight port terminals to Terminal Link for US$815m in cash. The transaction, which is part of the French company’s US$2.1bn liquidity plan, is meant to help it reduce its debt and immediately […]
• Identec Solutions launches new 5G-compatible IoT solutions March 30, 2020
  Identec Solutions has launched Narrow Band Industrial Internet of Things (NB-IoT) solutions as it looks to offer remote reefer monitoring as a bespoke, scalable solution, taking advantage of the new 5G standard. With the expansion of 5G being pushed forward strongly, the wireless solution provider is developing 5G-compatible solutions for its various Industry 4.0 applications. […]
• La Spezia port community comes together to handle influx of containers March 27, 2020
  The port community of La Spezia has come together to offer a number of solutions catered to face the challenge of handling thousands of teu coming into Northern Italy. Ports will have to temporarily store a significant quantity of containers that cannot be delivered to companies who are now in non-essential business mode for at […]
• EU’s shipping consortia block exemption slammed by supply chain stakeholders March 27, 2020
  Several representatives of the European supply chain have sent a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen to express strong disapproval towards the decision to prolong the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) for another four years without any changes. The organisations CLECAT, ETA, ESC, ETF and FEPORT voiced their anger […]
• Nokia implements first phase of 5G-ready network at Port of Zeebrugge March 26, 2020
  Nokia has completed the first phase of the Port of Zeebrugge’s 5G-ready, industrial-grade private wireless network deployment. Deploying the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud platform is meant to provide private wireless connectivity to more than 100 endpoints across the entire port’s operations. Zeebrugge will be able to track, analyze and manage connected devices across multiple port-based […]
• DP World Berbera orders eight RTGs from Liebherr March 26, 2020
  Liebherr Container Cranes has signed a contract to supply eight rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes for DP World’s terminal in Berbera, Somaliland. The high performance, variable speed diesel RTGs are due to be ready for operation before the end of 2020 and are six containers plus a truck lane wide, able to stack one over five […]
• PSCCHC signs agreement to operate, market and manage dry port near Cairo March 25, 2020
  Port Said Container and Cargo Handling Company (PSCCHC) has signed an agreement with International Group for Logistics Services for the operation, marketing and management of a dry port in the city of 10th of Ramadan. PSCCHC, in the framework of the A.R.E plan to expand construction of dry ports and logistics areas due to their […]
• EU prolongs block exemption for liner shipping consortia March 25, 2020
  The European Commission has extended the controversial Consortia Block Exemption Regulation, which allows container shipping lines to operate in alliance structures, for another four years until April 25, 2024. It cited efficiencies for carriers resulting in lower prices and better services for consumers as the reasons behind its decision, which deviates from its usual policy […]

News from CN – Container News

• MABUX bunker index – 7 April April 7, 2020
  Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery has accomplished a biofuels expansion project with two additional production units coming on-stream, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported, citing the Kuwait National Petroleum Corp (KNPC). The two new coal and naphtha hydro treating units will produce 37,000 and 8,400 barrels per day (bpd) of oil equivalent respectively, Waleed al-Badr, […]
• Air freight hikes benefit sea freight rates April 7, 2020
  According to the freight rate monitor FBX, published by Freightos and the Baltic Exchange, average rates remain on a par with a year ago as the demand for critical supplies are boosting airfreight rates from China to Europe ever higher, pushing cargo into other modes of transport, notably shipping, keeping those rate levels buoyant to […]
• King Abdullah Port supports Saudi Arabia to COVID-19 fight April 7, 2020
  As Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, King Abdullah Port re-assures its users of its complete readiness to receive containers, bulk, and general cargo. All terminal operations and marine services are optimised to serve all types of cargo and particularly food, drugs, and medical devices, to meet the country’s requirements in […]
• Heung-A reroutes service away from Pyeongtaek amid sluggish demand April 7, 2020
  South Korean intra-Asia carrier Heung-A Line has reorganised its Japan-Pyeongtaek Express (JPX) service between South Korea and western Japan, as demand became sluggish amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Originally, Heung-A Line’s service began from Pyeongtaek and Gwangyang ports in South Korea, calling at Gwangyang, but falling cargo volumes caused the company to move the South Korean […]
• Covid-19 pandemic forces carriers to suspend services April 7, 2020
  Maersk and Ocean Network Express (ONE) have announced service suspensions due to the market demand reductions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Danish shipping giant will be seasonally suspending its YoYo service as of Week 18 until the end of June. The final voyage before the suspension will depart Xiamen on 22 April and Melbourne […]
• Shanghai rates fluctuate among trade routes April 7, 2020
  Freight rates for exporting containers from China in Week 14 through the ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic impacted both tonnage supply and demand. While demand for moving shipments from China decreased slowly, the supply-demand balance managed to improve thanks to reductions in tonnage supply resulting from service suspensions by ship operators. In addition, some shipping […]
• Maersk announces blank sailings on ME services April 7, 2020
  Maersk has announced that it will cut a number of sailings to match demand from the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East to North Europe and Mediterranean, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Maersk will implement alternated blank sailings between ME1, ME2 and ME3 services as described below. The services will be fully reinstated in […]
• MABUX bunker index – 6 April April 6, 2020
  OPEC and Russia have postponed a meeting set for today to discuss supply cuts and ending a brutal price war, according to CNN.  The meeting is re-scheduled for April 9. The meeting comes after US President Trump suggested that massive production cuts could be on the way and Saudi Arabia called for an “urgent” effort to […]
• Blanked sailings rise more than 400% in a week April 6, 2020
  Over the course of the next few weeks carriers will know what kind of losses they will make over the course of the year, with further wide ranging capacity cuts meaning that rates will need to hold up if the carriers are to successfully manage their losses as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. An […]
• Maersk introduces Portugal PSS rates April 6, 2020
  Maersk has introduced a peak season surcharge (PSS) for all dry cargo from Portugal, Lisbon, PT (PTLIS) to Southern and West Africa, effective from 1 April 2020. The tariff levels are as follows: Surcharge Origin Destination Container Type Currency Levels PSS Portugal, Lisbon, PT (PTLIS) SOUTHERN AFRICA, WEST AFRICA All 20 Containers US$ 215 PSS […]

News from Tradewinds

• Headaches for Golar, Scorpio Bulkers on mixed stocks trade April 7, 2020
  Dow Jones Industrial Average falls to loss in last minute of trading, shedding 973-point gain on falling oil prices.
• Iran poses low threat to shipping despite internal instability April 7, 2020
  Iran's economy might be suffering due to sanctions and Covid-19 but Tehran likely won't lash out, Dryad Gobal says
• VLCC rates come off sharply in thin trade ahead of Opec+ and G20 meetings April 7, 2020
  Shipowners are losing ground as many charterers are waiting for cues from major oil producers and consumers
• Liberia and China among the big flags to lose US Qualship 21 quality stamp April 7, 2020
  China and Liberia among the ship registers that have not retained their place on the USCG list
• Better or worse, shipping stays more volatile than Wall Street - here's why April 7, 2020
  Sector doubled losses of broader market in a historically bad first quarter, and Jefferies explains some of the reasons.
• Safety questions raised after spectacular Pusan port crash April 7, 2020
  Parallel investigations to be led by Panama register and Japan P&I Club into latest containership and crane collision
• Carnival director shows confidence in company with $10m share buy April 7, 2020
  This is the second time this week that investors have spent millions on buying more Carnival shares
• DVB Bank and Nord LB sue Nikolaos Livanos over unpaid debt April 7, 2020
  Failure to pay an installment of just $187,500 last year has caused the borrowers to be liable for $11.75m, lenders claim
• How far will P&I clubs go to cover coronavirus-related claims costs? April 7, 2020
  US broker Marsh JLT has been asking mutuals how they will evaluate claims arising from pandemic
• BP claims force majeure on FLNG deal with Golar LNG April 7, 2020
  But shipowner pushes back, asking how the Covid-19 outbreak could delay the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project by a year

News from The Loadstar

• Defuse this shipping sector ‘timebomb’ – lift travel restrictions on seafarers April 7, 2020
  Time is running out to lift travel restrictions on seafarers and keep global trade moving, the shipping industry has warned. Around 100,000 crew changes are required every month, according to the International Chamber Shipping (ICS), which called on governments to designate seafarers as key workers and allow them to transit their territories. However, in a […]
• Carriers eye huge savings by giving Suez a miss and going the long way round April 7, 2020
  With shippers seeking longer transit times during coronavirus lockdowns, The Loadstar understands that carriers are considering routing some Asia-North Europe headhaul voyages via the Cape of Good Hope. It was reported last week that CMA CGM had re-routed its 16,020 teu CMA CGM Alexander Humboldt to Asia via South Africa, taking advantage of plummeting bunker prices […]
• Stena to make 150 ferry staff in UK and Ireland redundant and furlough 600 April 7, 2020
  Ferry operator Stena Line has announced that it plans to furlough 600 employees with 150 redundancies across the UK and Ireland, due to the coronavirus crisis. The company said furloughs and redundancies would hit shore-based and seafaring staff, following “a large decline in travel bookings and freight volumes” that has resulted in “reduction of the […]
• US shippers turn up the heat on government over ‘punitive’ D&D fees April 7, 2020
  US agricultural shippers have appealed to the US government to act to stop the “unconscionable imposition of millions of dollars of unfair … fees” placed on the industry by ports and shipping lines. The letter, sent by the Agriculture Transportation Coalition on behalf of 80 organisations, said it sought “government engagement” with the Federal Maritime […]
• VIDEO: K Line containership destroys a quay crane in Busan April 7, 2020
  Nothing quite sums up the way many maritime accidents take place – slowly, slowly, slowly, then very, very fast with an increasing sense of utter inevitability – as videos of ships crashing into quays. And this film of K Line’s Milano Bridge wiping out a ship-to-shore gantry in the South Korean port of Busan is […]
• Entertain at home: a Hapag-Lloyd colouring book or play ‘housey-housey’ April 7, 2020
  Everyone is going the extra mile these days. But we particularly liked this effort from Hapag-Lloyd. It’s apparently time to let our children become familiar with logistics brands… you can download the line’s colouring book here. Page 2 is particularly educational. And we can’t forget DB Cargo, which has sent out its ‘Rainbow train’ for […]
• Carriers could find the cost of blanked sailings adding up to $23 billion April 6, 2020
  The container shipping industry could lose as much as $23bn this year from reduced demand in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Demand for unitised shipping services is set to nosedive as a result of the economic devastation wrought by large swathes of the world forced into social lockdowns. Research today from liner analyst SeaIntelligence […]
• Forwarders switch focus from costly air and ocean to overland Asia-Europe April 6, 2020
  Substantial price and capacity volatility in air freight and blanked sea freight sailings have pushed attention toward overland routes between Asia and Europe. InstaFreight, a road specialist, is one forwarder offering trucking services across Eurasia and claims that, with congestion affecting Chinese exports, the delivery times are similar to air – but cheaper and “more […]
• India’s main ports at a standstill as imports clog storage and exports dry up April 6, 2020
  India’s 21-day coronavirus lockdown has caused severe cargo congestion at key ports and container freight stations. As a result, Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and Cosco have all reportedly omitted calls at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Mundra Port, where uncollected import cargo is causing the backlog. According to the Container Freight Stations Association […]
• Orders for new ships dry up as demand plunges and yards go into lockdown April 6, 2020
  Ocean carrier fleet expansion is on hold as the liner industry fights for survival amid Covid-19 lockdowns around the world. According to BIMCO chief shipping analyst Peter Sand, orders to shipyards have fallen significantly across all shipping sectors and comes on top of an already soft market environment. “Uncertainty about future environmental regulations, as well […]

News from Transport Topics

• NTDC Canceled Because of Coronavirus Concerns April 7, 2020
  American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships have been canceled due to coronavirus-related concerns. But states remain free to make independent decisions about their own events.
• March Class 8 Orders Drop to Recessionary Levels April 7, 2020
  Orders for North American Class 8 vehicles in March fell below 8,000, ACT Research reported, as already weak freight demand collided with the spreading coronavirus.
• UPS Manages Airlift of Health Care Supplies for FEMA April 7, 2020
  UPS launched a two-week operation to run 25 cargo flights carrying masks, gloves, surgical gowns and other equipment for the health care industry under the federal government’s Project Airbridge.
• Stakeholders Tell Congress, Governors: CDLs, Permits Need to Be Processed April 7, 2020
  To avert a potential truck driver shortage during the coronavirus emergency, a coalition of large businesses and trade groups has urged Congress and the nation’s governors to implement procedures that would allow new drivers to more quickly obtain commercial learner permits and commercial driver licenses.
• Ship Crews Stuck in Lockdown Strain Global Supply Chains April 7, 2020
  Port restrictions and canceled flights are straining the ability to replace seafarers on board ships, further weakening global supply chains already snarled by the coronavirus pandemic.
• FedEx CEO Fred Smith Takes 91% Cut in Salary for Six Months April 7, 2020
  FedEx Corp. said Chairman and CEO Fred Smith is taking a salary cut, effective April 1, from $115,402 per month to $10,728 per month through Sept. 30.
• GAO’s Recommendations on NTSB’s ‘Most Wanted List’ Prompt Action April 7, 2020
  The head of the National Transportation Safety Board agreed more transparency would improve the public’s understanding of a high-profile report after a federal watchdog recommended better access to its methodology.
• Low-Cost Airlines Seeking Aid Get Break on Minimum-Flight Rule April 7, 2020
  The federal government ordered airlines accepting financial aid to maintain minimal service levels to cities they served before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the transportation system, but made adjustments for low-cost carriers and those that fly to some destinations only part of the year.
• Congress, White House Reach High for Next Virus Bill April 7, 2020
  Congressional leaders are jolting ahead with another coronavirus rescue package as President Donald Trump indicated that Americans will need more aid during the stark pandemic and economic shutdown.
• Tesla’s Ventilator Production in New York Has Yet to Begin April 7, 2020
  Elon Musk promised nearly two weeks ago that the Tesla factory in Buffalo, N.Y., would reopen for ventilator production to help with the coronavirus pandemic. But it still hasn’t happened yet.
• World’s Biggest Lockdown Brings Trucks to a Standstill in India April 7, 2020
  The world’s biggest lockdown has brought transportation of goods in India to a near halt, even though the federal government has exempted the sector from restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus.
• Trucking Volume Linked to Future Spending Trends, Experts Say April 6, 2020
  Where and how consumers and businesses are spending money now, and how those habits might shift in the near future, will shape how the economy — and the trucking industry — will manage through the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, experts said.
• Diesel Falls 3.8¢ to $2.548 a Gallon; Gas Is Below $2 April 6, 2020
  The nationwide average price of diesel fuel declined by 3.8 cents per gallon April 6, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, while gasoline fell below $2.
• Speaker Pelosi’s Very Real, Very Brief ‘Infrastructure Week’ April 6, 2020
  While President Trump last week insisted that $2 trillion in infrastructure could re-energize the country’s economy, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pointed to the Democrats' five-year, $760 billion plan. Something could be in the works. Here's your Capitol Agenda look at the week ahead for trucking on Capitol Hill.
• Airbus Pauses Production in Alabama, Germany April 6, 2020
  Airbus SE is pausing production at two German sites and its factory in Alabama to adjust to a demand slowdown and supply issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Cummins Halts Production at Southern Indiana Plants April 6, 2020
  Cummins Inc. has temporarily closed until May 4 manufacturing facilities in southern Indiana as the company continues to adjust to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Ravn, Alaska’s Biggest Regional Airline, Files for Bankruptcy April 6, 2020
  Ravn Air Group, whose airlines connect the far reaches of Alaska, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after it ran out of cash to pay staff and keep its planes flying.
• Amazon to Donate 8,200 Laptops to Seattle Students April 6, 2020
  Amazon .com Inc. is donating 8,200 laptops to families of elementary school students in Seattle Public Schools who don’t have access to a device needed for remote learning while schools are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company and school district announced April 6.
• RoadSync Raises $5.7 Million in Series A Funding April 6, 2020
  RoadSync, a digital payment platform for the freight and transportation industry, raised $5.7 million in a Series A financing led by Base10 Partners.  
• Crossword Puzzle Solution for April 6, 2020 April 6, 2020
  Here's the solution to the crossword puzzle found in the April 6, 2020 print edition.