Industry News

News from JOC Journal of Commerce

• FMC rule giving contract filing relief to carriers takes effect June 15, 2020
  [caption caption="The FMC final rule concludes a two-year process into an application filed by the World Shipping Council. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Container lines will no longer be required to file ‘essential terms’ of contracts with cargo owners with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) under a rule formally adopted by the regulatory...
• FMC’s detention-demurrage proposal divides shipping industry October 31, 2019
  [caption caption="Shipping industry stakeholders are debating who should bear the financial cost when certain events inside a terminal prevent the timely pickup of containers. Photo credit: Ari Ashe/JOC.com."][/caption]The container shipping industry remains far apart on whether the Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC's) proposed rule on detention and demurrage will resolve or...
• Piracy and corruption stalk West Africa supply chains April 7, 2016
  ACCRA, Ghana — Senior maritime and transport officials in Ghana identified piracy and corruption as central challenges in the development of an efficient port and supply chain network in West Africa. Incidents of piracy and armed robbery were singled out by Richard Anamoo, director general of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority,...
• Pirates attack two container ships in Southeast Asia August 24, 2015
  [caption]Maersk Lebu. Credit: Fotoflite[/caption]Underscoring Southeast Asia’s new role as the world’s piracy hot spot, pirates attacked six vessels, including two container ships, in the straits of Malacca and Singapore Friday and Saturday Authorities believe the same group, comprising four to five perpetrators armed with knives, were behind all six incidents, according...
• Balancing costs and threats of piracy June 19, 2015
  When it comes to piracy, carriers must balance the speeds and routes their vessels take with crew safety and delivering maximum efficiency to clients. Typically, ships move at slower than their maximum speeds to reduce fuel usage and increase savings for both carriers and customers alike. While these benefits are tangible,...
• Global piracy declines but hot spots remain June 12, 2015
  Shippers have plenty to worry about — including volatile pricing and cargo delays — but piracy should be less of a concern, as the number of incidents has been falling since 2010. The general decline can be attributed to renewed international efforts to combat piracy. Pirate attacks targeting container vessels fell...
• MSC container ship, bulk carrier attacked off Indonesia March 23, 2015
  [caption align="left"][/caption]A Mediterranean Shipping Co. container ship and a bulk carrier were attacked in separate but possibly related incidents off the coast of Indonesia, according to the intergovernmental anti-piracy office ReCAAP. The two incidents, which are reported to have happened within hours of each other, involved ships sailing eastbound in the Straits...
• ISIS could bring piracy back to Mediterranean, officials say February 26, 2015
  Militants loyal to ISIS could bring Somali-style piracy to the Mediterranean, threatening the world’s largest trade lane, European officials warn. It’s been 200 years since pirates operated in the Mediterranean, but recent developments in North Africa suggest the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria could launch attacks on commercial and passenger...
• Maritime piracy falls to eight-year low January 15, 2015
  Maritime piracy fell to an eight-year low in 2014 as a continuing decline in attacks off Somalia offset a surge in ship hijackings in Asian waters. Attacks against small tankers off South East Asian coasts saw global hijackings rise to 21 in 2014 from 12 in 2013, according to the International...
• Weekly wrap-up: ILWU-PMA talks, 2M’s FMC approval and intermodal issues October 11, 2014
  Events on the U.S. West Coast dominated on JOC.com this past week, as labor negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association could finally be heating up. Five of the Top 10 stories on JOC.com in the past week focused on the issue. This round of...
• Report: Rise in West African piracy requires new industry approach October 5, 2014
  With piracy in West Africa on the rise, a newly released report highlights how pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea are far more violent than in Somalia and less-focused on ransom, requiring the industry to take a different approach to curb attacks. The set of standards, a 12-page document entitled...
• Weekly wrap-up for July 19: ILWU talks skew import volumes, Horizon faces debt crisis July 19, 2014
  While it is obvious that beneficial cargo owners shipped early this year through the West Coast in anticipation of the July 1 deadline for contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and waterfront employers, reports of cargo surges at Canadian and U.S. East Coast ports in May and...
• European shipowners press lawmakers on security plan June 20, 2014
  European shipowners are asking the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to endorse a maritime security plan aimed at safeguarding ships around the globe. The European Commission and the European External Action Service joined forces to write the security plan earlier this year. Today, the European Community Shipowners Association asked...
• Container ship crew held by pirates finally freed June 9, 2014
  Eleven sailors from the Malaysia-flag container ship Albedo held hostage for more than three years by Somali pirates have arrived safely in Kenya, according to mediators who helped secure their freedom, Al Jazeera reported. The 1,066-TEU vessel, which had a 23-man crew when it was attacked, was hijacked about 1,500 kilometers off...
• Poseidon Marine Security launches ProtectaDeck February 4, 2014
  Manchester - UK – Poseidon Marine Security has launched a global marketing campaign for its new product ProtectaDeck, an anti-piracy barrier for the shipping industry to protect vessels and oil rig platforms from the increased number of piracy attacks throughout the world . ProtectaDeck prevents intruders from boarding, is inexpensive, as well...
• Japan's New Anti-Piracy Law Set to Take Effect November 27, 2013
  Japan’s new anti-piracy law will take effect on Saturday, 17 days after it was enacted by the Diet, the nation’s parliament, the transport ministry announced this week. The new law will allow private armed guards to board Japanese-registered oil tankers and other cargo ships in waters off Somalia and elsewhere. Under the...
• India Arrests US Anti-Piracy Vessel, Crew October 21, 2013
  Ten crew members and 25 security guards aboard a ship engaged in anti-piracy services were arrested in Chennai Oct. 18 after they failed to produce proper documents allowing them to carry weapons, Indian authorities said. The MV Seaman Guard Ohio is owned by Washington-based AdvanFort International, and flies the Sierra Leone...
• IMB Reports Decline in Global Piracy But Rise Off Nigeria October 18, 2013
  Global piracy has fallen to a seven-year low, but attacks off the coast of Nigeria have surged by a third, the International Maritime Bureau said. There were 188 piracy incidents in the first nine months of 2013, down from 233 in the same period last year, and the number of hostages...
• Japanese Government Adopts New Anti-Piracy Bill October 17, 2013
  The Japanese government adopted a new anti-piracy bill at a cabinet meeting this week that would allow private armed guards to board Japanese-registered oil tankers and other cargo ships in waters off Somalia and elsewhere. The government will seek to have the bill enacted during an extraordinary session of the Diet,...
• Belgium Arrests Alleged Pirate Boss in Movie Sting October 15, 2013
  A suspected Somali pirate chief has been arrested in Belgium after he was lured to the country by police posing as filmmakers who wanted him to star in a documentary about his exploits. Mohamed Abdi Hassan, known as “Afweyne” or “Big Mouth,” allegedly has pocketed millions of dollars in ransom payments...

News from Lloyd’s List – Containers

• Suez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims April 13, 2021
  De facto closure limited to four days and fewer than 10% of transits in March, Leth Agencies add     Related StoriesCause of Suez blockage likely due to variety of factorsChanging Lanes: Suez disruption far from overThe week in charts: Tanker scrapping flatters to deceive | Box data highlights pandemic pain | Suez stoppage shoots up freight rates 
• Offen Group appoints Arnt Vespermann as chief executive April 13, 2021
  After announcing his departure from Hamburg Süd earlier this year, Arnt Vespermann is will take over the management of Offen...     Related StoriesAntarctic emergency plans in spotlight after supply ship fireMeadway fleet divided as brothers go separate waysSuez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims 
• Delays expected as Suez cargo influx hits ports April 13, 2021
  The Suez Canal blockage held up nearly 2m teu for nearly a week. Now that cargo needs to be pushed...     Related StoriesAntarctic emergency plans in spotlight after supply ship fireMeadway fleet divided as brothers go separate waysSuez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims 
• MPC Container Ships sees strong start to 2021 April 13, 2021
  Fleet utilisation tops 99% in year to date as industry starts to pick itself up after pandemic     Related StoriesAntarctic emergency plans in spotlight after supply ship fireMeadway fleet divided as brothers go separate waysSuez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims 
• Cause of Suez blockage likely due to variety of factors April 12, 2021
  Disasters at sea usually feature multiple causes. The same appears to be the case for Ever Given, but experts think...     Related StoriesChanging Lanes: Suez disruption far from overThe week in charts: Tanker scrapping flatters to deceive | Box data highlights pandemic pain | Suez stoppage shoots up freight ratesThe week in charts: Tanker scrapping flatters to […]
• Changing Lanes: Suez disruption far from over April 12, 2021
  The shipping industry might be back to being ‘out of sight, out of mind’ but the domino effect of the...     Related StoriesCause of Suez blockage likely due to variety of factorsThe week in charts: Tanker scrapping flatters to deceive | Box data highlights pandemic pain | Suez stoppage shoots up freight ratesThe week in charts: Tanker […]
• Pandemic adds to Singapore maritime sector’s costs April 12, 2021
  Singapore’s shipyards are grappling with the reality that productivity will not match pre-lockdown levels any time soon given the limited access...     Related StoriesAntarctic emergency plans in spotlight after supply ship fireMeadway fleet divided as brothers go separate waysSuez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims 
• New US terminal opening ‘at right time’ April 12, 2021
  ‘This project is a momentous achievement,’ said South Carolina governor Henry McMaster     Related StoriesAntarctic emergency plans in spotlight after supply ship fireMeadway fleet divided as brothers go separate waysSuez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims 
• The week in charts: Tanker scrapping flatters to deceive | Box data highlights pandemic pain | Suez stoppage shoots up freight rates April 9, 2021
  Tanker demolition numbers through the first quarter did little to raise hopes of reducing oversupply weighing on rates, while the...     Related StoriesCause of Suez blockage likely due to variety of factorsChanging Lanes: Suez disruption far from overThe week in charts: Tanker scrapping flatters to deceive| Box data highlights pandemic pain | Suez stoppage shoots up freight […]
• Container spot freight rates see Suez impact April 9, 2021
  Freight rates usually slide following the Chinese New Year holiday. This year supply chain woe, high demand and the disruption...     Related StoriesAntarctic emergency plans in spotlight after supply ship fireMeadway fleet divided as brothers go separate waysSuez closure likely to lead to ‘a spider’s web’ of claims 

News from Container Management

• DP World Santos pushes ahead with cargo diversification and end-to-end logistics April 13, 2021
  New CEO of DP World Santos Fabio Siccherino intends to maintain the terminal’s drive to diversify cargo while beginning a new strategy to provide fully integrated supply chain logistics throughout Brazil for beneficial cargo owners (BCOs). Siccherino, who was appointed as of April 1 succeeding Dallas Hampton, is keen for the operator to handle multiple […]
• Port of Valencia’s new North Terminal does not require a new Environmental Impact Statement April 13, 2021
  Puertos del Estado, which executes Spain’s port policy, has concluded that the project of the New North Terminal of the Port of Valencia does not require a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) received two reports from Puertos del Estado, of which the legal note stated that the port’s current […]
• CMA CGM supports biomethane as fuel source April 12, 2021
  CMA CGM has backed the production of 12,000 tonnes of biomethane, which is the equivalent to a year’s fuel consumption of two 1,400 teu LNG-powered ships on an intra-European service for a whole year. Biomethane is a renewable green gas produced in part by the methanation of European-sourced organic and plant waste. Rodolphe Saadé, chairman […]
• Hongkong International Terminals launches remote reefer container monitoring system April 12, 2021
  Hongkong International Terminals (HIT) has launched its remote reefer container monitoring system, establishing round the clock automated remote management of refrigerated containers. The initiative allows for greater visibility and accuracy on container conditions such as temperature, humidity and CO2 level, aiming to enhance the terminal’s operational efficiency and occupational safety, increasing its competitiveness in the […]
• DCT Gdańsk achieves 15m teu milestone April 9, 2021
  DCT Gdańsk, one of the largest container terminals in the Baltic, has reached the milestone of handling 15m teu since it first opened in 2007. The 15 m-container was owned and operated by COSCO Shipping and was loaded aboard COSCO Shipping Galaxy, which is one of the world’s largest ships with a 21,000 teu capacity. […]
• Thermo King launches new Container Fresh and Frozen reefer units April 9, 2021
  Thermo King has launched its Container Fresh and Frozen (CFF) refrigeration solutions for containers, featuring improved temperature and humidity control, lower total cost of ownership and the industry-standard R-134A low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant. The CFF, which can reach and maintain box temperature between -30°C and 30°C, is also ready for the R-513A drop-in […]
• Major shipping lines adopt DCSA’s Track and Trace standards April 8, 2021
  A majority of Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) members, including the world’s largest shipping carriers, have adopted DCSA Track & Trace (T&T) standards and have committed to providing customers access to the standards-based API. Members who have adopted the DCSA T&T data model include major shipping lines MSC, ONE, CMA CGM, Yang Ming and Evergreen. […]
• Port of Melbourne receives its longest ever vessel as Maersk repositions boxes April 8, 2021
  The Port of Melbourne and Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) recently welcomed the container vessel Soroe Maersk, which at almost 347 m, is the longest vessel to call at the port. The vessel was deployed to Sydney and Melbourne to load empty containers for repositioning back to Asia where there is a shortage. The ship, […]
• Adani Ports increases ownership stake in Krishnapatnam Port to 100% April 7, 2021
  Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has acquired the remaining 25% stake in Krishnapatnam Port from Vishwasamudra Holdings, giving it 100% ownership of the hub on the east coast of India. The deal is worth Rs. 2,800 crore (US$380m), and with the 75% ownership acquired in October last year, implies an enterprise value of […]
• DP World Southampton awarded £40m investment April 7, 2021
  DP World Southampton, which was awarded Freeport status by the UK government in March, has been given £40m (US$55m) infrastructure investment to meet growing customer demand. Through this investment, DP World aims to take the facility up to the “next level” as a premier international freight and logistics hub. Ernst Schulze, chief executive of DP […]
• Suez backlog cleared as ports prepare for turbulence April 6, 2021
  The final batch of ships that were delayed in transiting the Suez Canal by the grounding of the Ever Given completed their passage through the waterway on Saturday April 3, while numerous ports are now preparing to handle the backlog. As many as 422 vessels were stuck across the canal’s northern and southern entrances and […]
• APMT commences second phase to increase capacity at MedPort Tangier facility April 6, 2021
  APM Terminals (APMT) Medport Tangier has kicked off phase two of development which will add an extra 1m teu capacity. Phase two will add 400 m to the existing 1,200 m-long quay that was developed during phase one to support the continued development of the terminal by bringing its total quay length to 1,600 m. […]
• JNPT volumes slip despite strong March April 6, 2021
  Container volumes dropped by 7% at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) to 4.7m teu in the 2020-21 financial year despite a record March. The total container traffic handled in March 2021 stood at 527,792 teu, which is the highest container volume handled in a month since the inception of India’s leading container port. During the […]
• MSC commits to avoiding Arctic route, citing environmental concerns April 5, 2021
  MSC has reaffirmed its commitment to avoid considering the Northern Sea Route, including the Northeast and Northwest Passages on environmental grounds. According to the carrier, an expansion of Arctic shipping could increase the emissions of so-called black carbon – physical particles of unburned carbon which can settle on land or ice, as well as compromising […]
• VICT orders six Kalmar AutoShuttles April 5, 2021
  Kalmar is set to deliver six AutoShuttles for use at the Port of Melbourne’s Webb Dock East as part of a capacity expansion programme at Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT). The new AutoShuttles will join the existing fleet of 11 and will be fully elected and tested prior to delivery, which is expected to be […]
• Verizon and Nokia to deploy private 5G network at Port of Southampton April 2, 2021
  Verizon is working with Nokia and Associated British Ports (ABP) to deploy a private 5G platform at the Port of Southampton to provide the hub with a secure low-latency private network connection. With this new contract the Port of Southampton will become the first UK mainland port with a private 5G network. According to the […]
• Konecranes receives orders for MHCs in Italy and Nigeria April 2, 2021
  Konecranes has received orders for Gottwald mobile harbour cranes (MHCs) from a terminal operator in Sicily as well as Nigeria’s Tincan Island Container Terminal Limited (TICT), which is run by Bolloré. Port terminal operator SERMI in Pozzallo, Sicily, has ordered an eco-efficient Konecranes Gottwald Model 6 MHC to improve its overall capacity in container, general […]
• Liebherr to supply two new STS cranes to the Port of Liverpool April 1, 2021
  Peel Ports Group has ordered two new Liebherr ship-to-shore (STS) cranes as replacements for two older cranes at its facility at the Port of Liverpool. The new STS cranes have an outreach and lift heigh of 40 m, a backreach of 18 m, a span of 16.785 m and a safe working load of 40 […]
• Overseas volumes drive growth for China Merchants Port Holdings April 1, 2021
  China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPort) saw container throughput rise by 8% across its terminal portfolio to 120.5m teu last year, boosted by the global economic recovery in the second half of 2020, particularly at its overseas terminals. Volume growth from the group’s ports in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan was flat whereas overseas operations […]
• PSA Antwerp implements seven-day cargo rule as European ports prepare for Suez-related congestion March 31, 2021
  PSA Antwerp has been forced to implement a seven-day cargo opening rule for export containers for all Middle and Far East vessels in response to the Suez Canal re-opening. This means that PSA will not accept any export container more than seven days prior to a vessel’s confirmed ETA. In practice, this yard opening time […]

News from CN – Container News

• Suez induced port congestion set to hit terminals April 13, 2021
  More than 1.9 million TEU of capacity is currently on the water and heading to congested ports all over the world according to logistics information platform project44. Following the Ever Given grounding in the Suez Canal at the end of March, up to 400 vessels, many of them container ships, heading both north and south […]
• Montreal dispute back on as MEA and dockers go head to head April 13, 2021
  A labour dispute that has been simmering since the end of 2018 is bursting into the open again following a nearly eight-month hiatus with the Maritime Employers’ Association (MEA) and dockers both drawing the battle lines. Montreal-based publication, the Maritime Mag reported that MEA had suspended the guaranteed income and job security provision, in the […]
• Maersk picks up AE19 service pace April 13, 2021
  Maersk will hasten the pace of its AE19 service, which is a combination of a short-sea shipping and an intercontinental rail service between Northern European ports in Poland, Germany and Scandinavia and ports in Korea, China and Japan. The Danish carrier has announced that trains leaving North Europe destined for the Russian Far East, via […]
• Two vessels re-enter service after engine failures April 13, 2021
  Following engine failures on both the MSC Ariane and Maersk Eureka the two vessels are back in service with the Maersk Eureka already having been repaired and is now berthed in the Port of Long Beach, while Maersk Ariane is expected to leave Japan after taking on fuel. MSC Ariane, which operates on the 2M […]
• CMA CGM sets new reefer charges from Morocco April 13, 2021
  CMA CGM has confirmed new reefer surcharges from Morocco to several destinations worldwide, which will take effect from 15 April. The post CMA CGM sets new reefer charges from Morocco appeared first on Container News.
• 3 Factors to Consider When Choosing Warehouse Location April 13, 2021
  The location of your warehouse can make a huge difference in how effective, efficient and successful the company is. It is a big decision and one that you should consider carefully before settling on a location. Here are 3 factors you have to consider when choosing a warehouse location.  1. Proximity to Airport, Railway Stations […]
• S. Korean lines jointly commission three box ships April 13, 2021
  South Korean feeder operators Namsung Shipping, its subsidiary Dong Young Shipping, as well as Dongjin Shipping, are jointly ordering three 1,600TEU ships from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Both sides came together as the shipbuilder offered a bulk discount for ordering a few vessels. Delivery of the ships, priced at US$25 million each, is expected in H2 […]
• Northwest ports outline emissions-cut vision by 2050 April 13, 2021
  The Northwest ports of Vancouver, British Columbia, Tacoma, Seattle, and the combined container operations of The Northwest Seaport Alliance, have announced their new vision to phase out emissions from seaport-related activities by 2050. In a collaboration among the four ports, the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy seeks to meet this target through changes in equipment, […]
• Offen owner steps down April 13, 2021
  Founder and owner of the Offen Group, Claus Peter Offen, is to step down as its chairman and chief executive, with Arnt Vespermann, formerly with Hamburg Sud, taking over the container shipping sector of the German owner, with more than 40 ships on its books. The post Offen owner steps down appeared first on Container […]
• Interasia Catalyst on fire April 12, 2021
  A Singapore owned vessel, the Interasia Catalyst, has reported a container fire that started on 4 April in a number of containers on deck, with the captain sending a distress call at around 01:00, local time, shortly after the ship had left Port Klang, Malaysia. The 2009-built vessel, which has a capacity of 4,200TEU, was […]

News from Tradewinds

• Another Israeli car carrier attacked in Gulf as Iran conflict escalates April 13, 2021
  The incident comes after an Iranian ship suffered a blast and an attack on an Islamic republic nuclear facility
• Reefer giant Seatrade spearheads takeover of Geest Line April 13, 2021
  World's largest reefer operator and Jamaican Producers acquire UK to Caribbean specialist
• Biden administration could push new maritime policies April 13, 2021
  With Democrats in power, and some bipartisan help, the US could reexamine domestic shipping
• The fittest of shipowners can survive the age of ESG finance April 13, 2021
  Shipping companies need to do much more to tap into rapidly expanding liquidity pool
• Monjasa bunker volumes hit record high in 'disrupted' global markets April 13, 2021
  Danish fuel and tanker group says 2020 saw big growth in the Americas and South-east Asia
• Yard backlogs lengthen as owners pile in for $41bn of ships since October April 13, 2021
  Clarksons Platou data shows surge in orders has driven up newbuilding prices across the board
• Wartsila testing predictive maintenance system on NYK LNG carriers April 13, 2021
  Finnish group eyeing deal for all of Japanese giant's 415 ships if trial goes well
• Norwegian AHTS rates top NOK1m for first time since 2018 April 13, 2021
  Slow start to 2021 speeds up as anchor-handlers remain in short supply
• Denmark's Norden scores big on kamsarmax resale April 13, 2021
  Danish owner earns a $5m profit on vessel it bought three months ago
• Adnoc L&S bumps up growing VLCC fleet to eight with two vessel buys April 13, 2021
  Ship-hungry Abu Dhabi owner extends large tanker fleet with dual-fuel and scrubber-fitted newbuildings

News from Transport Topics

• DOT Rebrands BUILD Program to RAISE, Makes $1 Billion Available April 13, 2021
  The U.S. Department of Transportation announced April 13 that $1 billion in funding is available for grants to support infrastructure projects.
• FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei: Port Congestion Likely to Last Through Summer April 13, 2021
  Lingering congestion at the nation’s major ports is likely to continue throughout the summer and possibly later into the year, said Daniel Maffei, the new chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.
• Rubber Scarcity Creates New Headache for Automakers April 13, 2021
  Automakers struggling with pandemic-induced plant shutdowns and a global chip shortage now are confronting another supply chain headache: dwindling rubber supplies.
• Hankook Debuts First Line of Trailer Tires April 13, 2021
  Hankook Tire America Corp. debuted its first trailer tires, the company announced April 5.
• FMCSA: Beware of Companies Posing as Government Agencies April 13, 2021
  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials posted a warning to truckers on April 8 to be aware of “predatory” companies that pose as government agencies.
• Cruise to Operate Autonomous Vehicle in Dubai April 13, 2021
  DETROIT — Autonomous electric shuttles slated to be built in Detroit will be on the streets of Dubai after an agreement between self-driving company Cruise, which is largely owned by General Motors Co., and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority.
• Domino’s Uses Nuro Vehicles for Autonomous Delivery in Houston April 13, 2021
  Domino’s, the world’s largest pizza company, on April 12 began offering autonomous pizza delivery services to select customers in Houston through a partnership with self-driving delivery vehicle company Nuro.
• NHTSA Investigates Possible Air Bag Failures in GM Vehicles April 13, 2021
  DETROIT — The U.S. government’s highway safety agency is investigating complaints that the air bags may not inflate in a crash on thousands of General Motors vehicles.
• Permian Oil Nears Levels Not Seen Since Pandemic Start April 13, 2021
  The Permian Basin, the most prolific shale patch in the U.S., will produce crude oil at levels not seen since the start of the pandemic in the latest sign the global economy is heating back up.
• MVTS Finds FlowBelow Technologies Bring Significant Fuel Savings April 13, 2021
  Mesilla Valley Transportation Solutions tested FlowBelow Aero Inc.’s tractor and trailer wheel covers for the first time as well as the Tractor AeroKit, and found that each technology provided significant fuel savings.
• TT Wins Five Regional ‘Azbee’ Awards April 12, 2021
  The American Society of Business Publication Editors has recognized Transport Topics’ 2020 coverage of the trucking industry with five regional “Azbee” awards.
• Biden Reassures Chip Summit of Bipartisan Support for New Funds April 12, 2021
  President Joe Biden told companies vying with each other for a sharply constrained global supply of semiconductors that he has bipartisan support for government funding to address a shortage that has idled automakers worldwide.
• Lytx Recognizes ‘Heroes of the Road' April 12, 2021
  Lytx announced April 8 the recipients of its 2021 Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
• Here Marketplace Adds CustomWeather to Platform April 12, 2021
  Here Technologies added weather conditions and environmental data to its location data platform, the company announced April 12.
• Plus, Iveco Sign Memo of Understanding on Autonomous Trucks April 12, 2021
  Self-driving truck technology developer Plus announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with Iveco, a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., to jointly develop autonomous trucks that will be deployed across China, Europe and other areas.
• White House Grades States’ Infrastructure as It Pushes Bill April 12, 2021
  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden wants Congress to know he’s sincere about cutting a deal on infrastructure, but the White House is also highlighting needed repairs and upgrades state-by-state that cost far more than what Republicans are willing to spend.
• Idelic Raises $20 Million in Financing for Transportation Safety Products April 12, 2021
  Data analytics and driver management systems developer Idelic has completed a $20 million fundraising round to help continue development of its transportation safety products, the company announced.
• Diesel Sheds 1.5¢ to $3.129 a Gallon April 12, 2021
  The national average price of a gallon of diesel slipped 1.5 cents to $3.129, according to Energy Information Administration data released April 12.
• March US Class 8 Sales Jump 33.7% April 12, 2021
  U.S. Class 8 retail sales in March jumped 33.7% to 22,031 as all truck makers posted gains compared with a year earlier, WardsAuto .com reported.
• Biden Proposes Transportation Budget Increase April 12, 2021
  President Joe Biden has previewed a $1.5 trillion fiscal 2022 budget plan that would increase discretionary spending for transportation systems and severe weather resilience programs.