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News from JOC Journal of Commerce

• New players enter oversized delivery as parcel fees rise September 21, 2020
  [caption caption="FedEx Freight Direct, an e-commerce service launched in 2019 that handles the delivery of bulky items, now covers 90 percent of the US. Photo credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com."][/caption]A diverse range of logistics providers and retailers including Coscto are expanding into last-mile delivery for oversized goods, giving shippers more...
• Ocean carriers seek to dismiss FMC chassis complaint September 21, 2020
  [caption caption="In response to an ATA complaint, lawyers for the ocean carriers argue the Federal Maritime Commission should dismiss the case because the agency lacks jurisdiction over merchant haulage chassis. Photo credit: Ari Ashe."][/caption]Container lines on Friday told federal maritime regulators that they do not have the authority to weigh...
• LA-LB volume surge spreads upstream to congest marine terminals September 21, 2020
  [caption caption="Carriers are pressing customers to unload and release containers, but with warehouses still backed up and operating at far less than full capacity, the idling of containers is contributing to a challenge now reaching global proportions. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]What began a month ago as unusually constrained capacity at import...
• JOC Inland: Safeguarding Supply Chains in a Turbulent Market A Two-Part JOC Events Webcast Series September 21, 2020
  As 2020 draws toward its close, North American shippers are wondering whether 2021 will be a year of tight transportation capacity, high freight demand, and rising trucking and intermodal rates or the year transportation goes flat as the US and global economic recoveries stagnate.  This year could hardly have been more...
• JOC Inland: Safeguarding Supply Chains in a Turbulent Market A Two-Part JOC Events Webcast Series September 21, 2020
  As 2020 draws toward its close, North American shippers are wondering whether 2021 will be a year of tight transportation capacity, high freight demand, and rising trucking and intermodal rates or the year transportation goes flat as the US and global economic recoveries stagnate.  This year could hardly have been more...
• COVID-19 forces shippers, service providers to redesign food supply chains September 21, 2020
  [caption caption="Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) estimated online food and beverage sales would reach $143 billion by 2025, but with so many consumers still staying home, that projection will be revised upward. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global food supply...
• NVOs gain trans-Pacific share as COVID-19 disrupts demand September 21, 2020
  [caption caption="Non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs) increased their share of the eastbound trans-Pacific market from 44 percent to 47 percent in the first eight months of 2020. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs) increased their share of US imports from Asia in the first eight months of 2020, as...
• Trans-Pac spot rates edge higher amidst heightened regulatory scrutiny September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="The West Coast spot rate Friday edged up 1.4 percent to a record-high $3,867 per FEU, and the East Coast spot rate increased 2.2 percent to $4,634. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Container spot rates in the eastbound trans-Pacific continued their record-breaking two-month-long climb this week, even as carriers were notified by...
• Port of Virginia resumes Saturday gate hours at VIG September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="Virginia Port Authority CEO John Reinhart said that restoring Saturday hours through late November is a signal that cargo volumes have bounced back much sooner than he anticipated in the spring and will hopefully remain strong through the peak season. Photo credit: Mariusz Bugno/Shutterstock.com."][/caption]The Port of Virginia has reopened...
• CSX service deteriorates at Georgia, Florida terminals September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="Drivers have complained that service in CSX's Fairburn and Winter Haven intermodal terminals has worsened as container traffic rises. CSX said it's working with channel partners to resolve any persistent issues. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Trucking carriers and intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) say CSX Transportation’s service has deteriorated since early July...
• Time for a new chassis model in the US September 18, 2020
  Recently, I have found myself in a place in life that I have not been in 40 years. Unemployed. From the age of 14, washing dishes at the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire, I have worked every year of my life and even put myself through college while simultaneously...
• Capacity cuts at large US truckload providers deepen in Q2 September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="Capacity at the large, publicly owned carriers tracked by JOC.com dropped 4.4 percent year over year in the second quarter, contributing to tight capacity in the third quarter. Photo credit: Werner Enterprises."][/caption]Large US truckload carriers cut further into their truck counts, reducing their capacity in the second quarter, according...
• JOC Study: Outsourced payment leads to lower processing costs for shippers September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="Larger shippers are more likely to outsource some component of the audit or payment process and have access to products that provide longer payment terms, respondents told the JOC. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Shippers that outsource some element of their freight audit and payment (FAP) process have lower average invoice processing...
• High-yield trans-Pacific siphoning available containers: forwarders September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="US imports from Asia in August increased 13.4 percent compared with the same month last year, and were up 16.5 percent from mainland China, leaving equipment in short supply. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Container shortages are intensifying across Asia as “almost all” available container equipment is redirected towards China to serve...
• Port Focus Podcast: Long Beach Lessons September 18, 2020
  Sponsored: In conversation with JOC Senior Content Editor Alessandra Barrett, the Port of Long Beach's Deputy Executive Director and COO Dr. Noel Hacegaba discusses COVID-19 challenges to operations and the specific strategies the port has taken to evolve with the changing cargo landscape.The Journal of Commerce and JOC.com are part...
• Maersk no longer taking empties at Felixstowe as congestion grows September 18, 2020
  [caption caption="Forwarders are facing severe disruption to their supply chains amid mounting congestion at the UK"][/caption]Maersk Line has stopped accepting empty containers at the UK hub of Felixstowe as a surge in peak season volume and reduced productivity at the port leads to mounting congestion. In an advisory to customers...
• FMC tells trans-Pac carriers it’s monitoring blankings, ‘revenue trends’ September 17, 2020
  [caption caption="Wednesday’s FMC announcement followed an announcement Friday by mainland China’s MOT suggesting that trans-Pacific carriers be less aggressive in raising freight rates. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has served notice to carriers and vessel-sharing alliances that it is closely monitoring blank sailings, utilization of equipment, and...
• Pyle’s Hagerstown IDC sets stage for Virginia expansion September 17, 2020
  [caption caption="A. Duie Pyle has brought furloughed employees back to work and said it is “aggressively hiring”. Photo credit: A. Duie Pyle."][/caption]Regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier A. Duie Pyle is strengthening its next-day network with the opening of an integrated distribution center (IDC) near Hagerstown, Maryland. The move will create more...
• A&R Logistics opens SC resin packaging plant ahead of schedule September 17, 2020
  [caption caption="A&R Logistics built the new 615,000 square-foot plant served by CSX Transportation in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, about 30 miles from the Port of Charleston. Photo credit: A&R Logistics."][/caption]A&R Logistics opened up its new resin packaging plant in South Carolina this week and is readying to occupy another in...
• JOC Uncharted: Small shippers flocking to freight marketplaces during COVID-19 September 17, 2020
  [caption caption="Small shippers have an avenue to secure ocean capacity in a more streamlined way through freight marketplaces, especially when those platforms are connected directly to e-commerce enablement sites. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."][/caption]Logistics marketplaces have a role to play in helping small cargo owners handle the physical transport of goods associated...

News from Lloyd’s List – Containers

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• CMA CGM container ship sets US east coast record September 22, 2020
  'Our port partners on the east coast played a crucial role in making this feat possible by implementing the necessary...      Related StoriesCharleston welcomes CMA CGM’s Brazil as the largest boxship ever to callLibya export resumption uncertainEducation key to container packing concerns 
• Seattle and Tacoma see reduced containerised throughput September 22, 2020
  The news from the Pacific Northwest stood in stark contrast to word from California over the past two weeks, where...      Related StoriesNWSA sees reduced containerised throughput for AugustKeppel O&M seals deals worth $147mMaersk halts bookings to Sydney amid port strikes 
• Maersk halts bookings to Sydney amid port strikes September 21, 2020
  The Maritime Union of Australia has led industrial action to protest DP World plans to change rosters and idle time...      Related StoriesSeattle and Tacoma see reduced containerised throughputNWSA sees reduced containerised throughput for AugustKeppel O&M seals deals worth $147m 
• Education key to container packing concerns September 21, 2020
  Safety grouping hopes a trickle-down effect will improve practices where containers are packed, but previous voluntary efforts to improve supply...      Related StoriesCMA CGM container ship sets US east coast recordCharleston welcomes CMA CGM’s Brazil as the largest boxship ever to callLibya export resumption uncertain 
• US warns box lines against transpacific collusion September 21, 2020
  Federal Maritime Commission has examined market trends in trade lanes serving the US and actions taken by both individual ocean...      Related StoriesSeattle and Tacoma see reduced containerised throughputNWSA sees reduced containerised throughput for AugustKeppel O&M seals deals worth $147m 
• Low retail inventories boost transpacific demand September 21, 2020
  Surge in demand could be short-lived as retail inventories are rebalanced and recessionary forces come into play      Related StoriesCMA CGM container ship sets US east coast recordCharleston welcomes CMA CGM’s Brazil as the largest boxship ever to callLibya export resumption uncertain 
• Timing is key as Maersk restructuring puts spotlight on jobs September 18, 2020
  The world’s largest container group has warned that positions will be axed as a result of the restructuring that will...      Related StoriesShipping must see through arguments against transparencyCommunication is key to resolving crew crisisMaersk Etienne migrant conclusion must not be the end of the story 
• Transpacific rates flatline in GRI absence September 18, 2020
  With carriers taking on board the advice of the China’s transport ministry to scale back on aggressive pricing and pull...      Related StoriesCMA CGM container ship sets US east coast recordCharleston welcomes CMA CGM’s Brazil as the largest boxship ever to callLibya export resumption uncertain 
• Felixstowe hit by congestion as demand surges September 18, 2020
  Staff shortages, increased demand and pandemic-related delays have led to congestion, leaving freight forwarders frustrated      Related StoriesSeattle and Tacoma see reduced containerised throughputNWSA sees reduced containerised throughput for AugustKeppel O&M seals deals worth $147m 
• California ports see throughput surge despite ‘aggressive’ competition September 18, 2020
  The improved figures notwithstanding, trade organisations continue to express concern over the chronic erosion of cargo from the US west...      Related StoriesCMA CGM container ship sets US east coast recordCharleston welcomes CMA CGM’s Brazil as the largest boxship ever to callLibya export resumption uncertain 

News from Container Management

• DP World signs MoU with Bank Leumi to promote flow of trade between Israel and the wider region September 22, 2020
  DP World has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel’s oldest banking corporation, Bank Leumi, to work together to enhance trade and logistics in Israel. Aiming to promote the flow of trade between Israel and the wider region, the MoU includes a framework for collaboration which will enable the parties to explore potential opportunities. […]
• Port of Felixstowe apologises after congestion leads to vessel diversions September 22, 2020
  The UK’s largest container port, the Port of Felixstowe, has apologised to customers for service standards falling below expectations, with reduced productivity and congestion leading to several vessel diversions. The hub, run by Hutchison Ports, had to temporarily cease acceptance of empty containers following a sharp spike in import container volumes, along with a high […]
• Kalmar to deliver terminal tractors and empty container handlers to Caucedo September 21, 2020
  Kalmar has signed a deal to deploy 12 Ottawa T2 terminal tractors and two empty container handlers at DP World Caucedo in the Dominican Republic. The order was booked in Cargotec’s 2020 Q3 order intake, with delivery scheduled for Q1 of 2021. The facility comprises a container terminal and free zone, located in Punta Caucedo, […]
• SC Ports receives US$22m grant to enhance Ridgeville Commerce Park September 21, 2020
  South Carolina Ports Authority (SC Ports) has been awarded a US$21.68m grant from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to assist with building infrastructure at the Ridgeville Commerce Park. The funding comes from the DOT’s fiscal year 2020 Better Utilising Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants, of which the Trump administration awarded US$1bn to repair, […]
• Hutchison appoints controversial UK politician as adviser September 18, 2020
  Chris Grayling, the former UK transport secretary infamous for awarding a ferry contract to a company with no vessels, has been appointed as an adviser to Hutchison Ports. While continuing to work as an MP, he will be paid £100,000 (US$130,000) annually for the job which requires seven hours work per week. Grayling’s role will […]
• Socar Terminal goes live with Navis N4 TOS September 18, 2020
  Socar Terminal has upgraded to Navis’ N4 3.7 terminal operating system (TOS) as part of plans to digitise and modernise its operations. As the largest container terminal in Turkey’s Aegean region, Socar handles both container and project cargo with a capacity of 1.5m teu annually. Upgrading its TOS to N4 is part of the Socar’s […]
• DP World and Dubai Customs agree to form trade links with Israel September 17, 2020
  Following the normalisation of relations between the UAE and Israel, DP World and Dubai Customs are planning to develop trade links between the countries, with a focus on ports, free zones and infrastructure. DP World’s group chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with DoverTower, a company owned by Shlomi […]
• Abu Dhabi Ports launches Smart Container Initiative September 17, 2020
  Abu Dhabi Ports has launched the Smart Container Initiative to house its digital solutions in a resilient, safe and optimised eco-friendly mobile environment. The solar-panelled steel and aluminium smart container uses environmentally friendly technologies such as in-row cooling, renewable energy and efficient space allocation in order to reduce power usage effectiveness by more than 20% […]
• Canadian Pacific Railway and Maersk to develop transload and distribution facility in Vancouver September 16, 2020
  Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Maersk have agreed to build and operate a transload and distribution facility in Vancouver, therefore expanding CP’s existing Vancouver Intermodal Facility and benefitting from turnkey rail infrastructure. The transload facility is designed to apply Maersk’s global integrator of container logistics strategy. The companies aim to offer customers access to a […]
• P&O Ferrymasters introduces first track and trace system for containers in Europe September 15, 2020
  P&O Ferrymasters has become the first major logistics business in Europe to launch an advanced track and trace service for its container customers. By allowing customers to receive real-time updates on the precise location of their goods as they are transported by rail, road and sea the service aims to improve efficiency, reduce cost and […]
• Global freight transport and cargo handling groups collaborate on container safety improvements September 15, 2020
  Five major international freight transport and cargo handling organisations have collaborated on the production of new guidance on packing standards for freight containers and other transport units. Co-operating on a range of activities to further the adoption and implementation of crucial safety practices throughout the global supply chain are the Container Owners Association (COA), the […]
• Global Ports upgrades equipment at its Finnish terminals September 15, 2020
  Global Ports has installed additional cranes for handling container vessels at its two terminals in Finland, Multi-Link Terminals in Kotka and Helsinki, thereby expanding both facilities’ capacities. A new Konecranes ship-to-shore (STS) crane has been put into operation at Multi-Link Terminals Helsinki, replacing an older model. The new unit, which measures 40 m in boom […]
• ICTSI Argentina handles imports for La Plata Logistics hub September 14, 2020
  International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Argentina has begun handling import shipments bound for Buenos Aires La Plata Free Zone (BAZFLP). The shipment from Brazil was unloaded at TecPlata and included a seismograph bound for the Vaca Muerta unconventional oil and gas field in Argentina’s Nequen Province which will be used by Wellfield Industry Ltd. […]
• Khalifa Port expansion on track for Q1 2021 completion September 14, 2020
  Khalifa Port’s phase one expansion, which features the development of a new quay and a logistics area, is on pace to be completed in Q1 2021 according to Abu Dhabi Ports. It is hoped that the Khalifa Port expansion, announced in December 2019, will attract new business and boost capacity in line with evolving customer expectations. […]
• Sri Lankan government to expand local ports in export drive September 11, 2020
  The Sri Lankan government will expand the ports of Galle, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai in an effort to accommodate a potential increase in exports to both regional and global destinations. Jayantha Samaraweera, state minister of container warehouse facilities, container yards, port facilities, and boat and shipping industry development, told local media that the expansions would be […]
• Lyttelton Port upgrades to new reefer solution September 11, 2020
  Identic Solutions has equipped Lyttelton Port with its most advanced terminal-based reefer solution, which will allow for real time monitoring of data. The Lyttleton Port Company (LPC) has used Identec Solutions’ Terminal Tracker solution since 2007 and decided to take its reefer monitoring system to the next level by equipping the port with 460 Reefer […]
• Patrick upgrades automated terminal in Sydney to N4 TOS September 10, 2020
  Patrick Terminals’ Sydney Automated AutoStrad facility has migrated to the Navis N4 3.8 terminal operating system (TOS), replacing its decades old, in-house TOS. The go-live was successfully completed remotely with minimal staff on site at the terminal in Port Botany. With modernisation and automation in mind, the operator selected N4 as its TOS for Sydney […]
• CSP Spain receives six new Konecranes RTGs September 10, 2020
  CSP Spain’s Iberian Valencia Terminal has acquired six Konecranes new rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) as part of its €62m (US$73m) investment plan in the Port of Valencia. Part of CSP Spain’s 2020-2023 plan, the investment aims to increase the competitiveness of the Valencian container terminal by improving its offering and capacity. The six new RTG cranes […]
• Sinotrans establishes rail link between Shenzhen and Duisburg September 9, 2020
  Sinotrans, the logistics division of China Merchants Group (CMG), has established its own rail link between Shenzhen and Duisburg, offering a new connection for freight transport between the Pearl River Delta and Europe. The service will travel from China through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and then Duisburg in Germany. Guanpeng Li, CEO of Sinotrans, said: […]
• British International Freight Association speaks out on shipping line surcharges September 9, 2020
  The British International Freight Association (BIFA), which has pushed for an end to “spurious” surcharges applied by container shipping lines, has welcomed the announcements made by some companies that they will discontinue low sulphur fuel surcharges. The trade association accused the carriers of profiteering when they announced in 2018 that they would be introducing low […]

News from CN – Container News

• Scandinavian port operator enters joins TradeLens September 22, 2020
  Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP), a joint port operator for the Danish and Swedish ports, has initiated a collaboration with TradeLens, a digital platform developed by A.P. Moller - Maersk and IBM. The platform is based on blockchain technology and brings together port and terminal operators, shipping lines, intermodal transportation service providers and other actors in […]
• Congestion at North American terminals as Covid takes its toll September 21, 2020
  Carriers are reporting a number of pinch-points at US and Canadian ports as container volumes have increased to in excess of pre-pandemic levels while inland infrastructure has suffered due to a lack of staff and terminal congestion. Maersk has advised its customers that, “The peak season is being defined by a number of volume-related challenges […]
• CMA CGM raises Asia to Europe rates September 21, 2020
  CMA CGM has announced its intention to raise rates on the Asia to Europe trades from the 1 October. Freight of all kinds (FAK) will be reviewed on or before the 14 October, said the line. The new rates are as follows: Origin Range: From all Asian ports, including Japan, Southeast Asia and Bangladesh. Destination […]
• Felixstowe congestion eased September 21, 2020
  Shipping lines are reporting that the UK Port of Felixstowe is again accepting returned empty containers by road, from 19 September, and will accept returns by rail from 22 September. According to Felixstowe Port congestion at the facility has been caused by a surge of imports, an increase of 30% higher than on average, storms […]
• Australian port congestion ongoing September 21, 2020
  In spite of the relief brought through the cancellation of imminent industrial action at DP World Australia’s (DPWA) terminal in Sydney congestion at a number of terminals remains. As a result of ongoing industrial action organised by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) congestion at Port Botany, in south Sydney has carriers such as Maersk […]
• Interasia buys newbuilding resale pair September 21, 2020
  Japanese intra-Asia carrier Interasia Lines has purchased a pair of feeder ship newbuildings from a Chinese ship builder. Purchased for US$34.5 million in August, the 1,730TEU vessels were originally ordered by German tonnage provider Reederei Nord at Zhejiang Ouhua Shipbuilding in 2014. When Zhejiang Ouhua went bankrupt in 2018, Zhoushan Changhong Shipbuilding took over construction […]
• Woke lines playing the uneven field September 19, 2020
  Liner shipping companies have had a bumper year with profits in 2020 expected to exceed any year in the history of container shipping. All during a pandemic that is expected to herald the worst recession in modern western history. Here's how they did it. Shipping lines have had a good year. Collectively they can expect […]
• Box rates still on the way up after regulatory warnings September 18, 2020
  Both the Pacific and Asia to Europe rates have shown increases this week even after regulatory authorities in China, the US, Europe and South Korea have moved to monitor rates in both trades. Asia to Europe rates were US$2,214/FEU today up from US$1,385/FEU on a year ago and by US$347/FEU on last week’s Freightos FBX11 […]
• More Port of Felixstowe congestion riles freight forwarders September 18, 2020
  An increase in container volumes in the rush to beat China’s Golden Week holidays and technical issues with the Port of Felixstowe’s vehicle Booking System (VBS) has resulted severe congestion at the port according to freight forwarders’ association BIFA. According to the British International Freight Association (BIFA) congestion at the port means that forwarders are […]
• German carrier raises Subcontinent rates and Ukrainian demurrage September 18, 2020
  Hapag-Lloyd has announced price increases for demurrage on exports from Ukrainian ports, which can be seen here, and a general rate increase (GRI) on cargo out of Indian ports. The GRI will be implemented on 28 September for all cargo from India (excluding North India* and West India Origins **) to Arabian Gulf destinations***: The […]

News from Tradewinds

• US and Australian companies finalise deal for Hanjin shipyard takeover September 22, 2020
  Marine administrator Robert Empedrad says agreement in place to revive failed Subic Bay plant
• LNG-bunker suppliers jostle for contract for BHP bulkers September 22, 2020
  BHP's five LNG-fuelled newcastlemax bulkers will account for 10% of LNG bunkering in Asia
• South Africa aims to muscle in on green ship recycling September 22, 2020
  Industrial development agency plotting new facility in Saldanha Bay
• Clarksons: EU emissions scheme could add $4,000 per day to operating costs September 22, 2020
  Analysts Frode Morkedal and Omar Nokta come up with calculations based on aframax bunker consumption
• Oon & Bazul strengthens legal team with new partners September 22, 2020
  Singaporean law firm expands presence in mergers and acquisitions and restructuring and insolvency spaces due to increased demand
• Keppel Corp confirms El Salvador FSRU conversion contract September 22, 2020
  Latest deal part of $147m worth of work secured by Singapore-listed shipyard group
• Icon Offshore seals potential eight-year charters for accommodation units September 22, 2020
  Malaysia’s largest offshore vessel operator will see vessels deployed in nearby Brunei
• Euroseas scraps 30-year-old boxship for $2.4m September 21, 2020
  New York-listed owner extends charters on two ships amid Covid-19 uncertainty
• Trafigura suezmax to lift Libyan crude after NOC lifts force majeure September 21, 2020
  The Marlin Shikoku is scheduled to arrive in Marsa al Hariga on Thursday as renegade general Khalifa Haftar lifts blockade
• Cruise panel recommends Covid-19 safety measures September 21, 2020
  Recommendations follow industry plea to lift US government's no-sail order

News from The Loadstar

• Felixstowe port apologises to customers and rescinds empty container ban September 21, 2020
  The UK’s port of Felixstowe has issued an apology to customers for “inconvenience”, admitting that “our service standards are not currently where we would like them to be”. On its website on Friday, the port attributed its problems to “a sharp spike in import container volumes, along with a high proportion of late vessel arrivals”. […]
• 2M restores transpacific capacity and pleads for return of empty containers September 21, 2020
  The 2M is the latest container shipping alliance to return more capacity to the transpacific trades. 2M partners Maersk and MSC said today they “continued to see strong demand and volumes with imports into the US”. Maersk told customers today the TP8/Orient and TP11/Elephant services, which had been “structurally blanked in the second quarter”, had […]
• Continued lack of airfreight capacity has created a ‘battlefield’ for forwarders September 21, 2020
  Shippers should expect to pay “bullish” carriers higher freight rates next contract season. According to Ludwig Hausmann, partner at McKinsey & Company, upcoming freight contracts will be characterised by “very high” rates. “Carriers in air, ocean and rail are being very bullish in the short term, but very insecure about the middle and end of […]
• US Customs targets Chinese e-commerce with bid to reduce tax threshold September 21, 2020
  US importers of Chinese goods valued below $800 may lose their exemption from tariffs, if a proposal from the US Customs & Border Protection agency (CBP) moves forward. On 2 September, CBP asked the US Office of Management & Budget for regulatory review of a proposal entitled Excepting Merchandise Subject to Section 301 Duties from […]
• Union backs off until November at Sydney, but port delays and congestion run on September 21, 2020
  Port operations resumed unhindered at DP World’s Sydney terminal over the weekend, after the Maritime Union of Australia agreed to halt its industrial action. However, liner body Shipping Australia warned that shippers and freight forwarders could still expect substantial disruption to container supply chains. It said: “The union has given a written undertaking to the […]
• Aramex enters partnership with Transportr to manage Ittihad Group’s sea volumes September 21, 2020
  PRESS RELEASE: Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE – Monday, 21st September 2020: Aramex (DFM: ARMX), a leading global provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions, and Transportr, the fastest-growing digital freight platform in the UAE, today signed a service level agreement whereby Aramex will secure the best possible agreements in terms of rates, transit time and to […]
• Market insight: Coming soon: another major hire at AP Møller-Mærsk via (DSV) Panalpina September 21, 2020
  Let’s start this week with one side of AP Møller-Mærsk’s (APMM) corporate story given the latest rumoured appointment of a senior Vice President from the Panalpina side of the DSV fence… … which makes APMM’s major re-org round unmissable, as a new challenge thrown at the 3PLs is set to gain traction in the upcoming […]
• Asia-US spot rates pushed to new highs, despite warnings from China and FMC September 18, 2020
  Container spot rates from Asia to the US, including space guarantees and equipment priority fees, have topped $4,000 per 40ft to the US west coast and $5,000 to the east coast. Despite “guidance” by the Chinese Ministry of Transport and a warning by the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), several carriers have pushed ahead with […]
• Chaos at port of Felixstowe worsens as carriers refuse return of empty boxes September 18, 2020
  UK forwarders and shippers who route cargo through the port of Felixstowe will be unable to return empty containers to the port until at least 23 September. The UK’s largest container port continues to grapple with crippling congestion. Maersk told customers today it would “temporarily cease acceptance of empty container restitution at the port of […]
• Menzies and Felixstowe: beset with problems, but one is handling it well September 18, 2020
  This week has been a tale of two companies, both under the cosh, facing severe congestion, unhappy customers, unreleased cargo and carrier switches. But Menzies Aviation and Felixtowe port operator Hutchison have reacted in entirely different ways. The Loadstar broke the story on Tuesday that Menzies was struggling at its Heathrow station, having taken on […]

News from Transport Topics

• Diesel Drops 1.8¢ to $2.404 a Gallon September 21, 2020
  The price of diesel, trucking’s main fuel, dropped 1.8 cents to $2.404 a gallon in its third consecutive decline, the Energy Information Administration reported Sept. 21.
• US Stimulus Prospects Darken With Strains Over Supreme Court September 21, 2020
  The eruption of a partisan battle over replacing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg damaged already-slim prospects for another round of U.S. fiscal stimulus, threatening to undermine the recovery in the coming months.
• FAST Act Yearlong Extension Included in Temporary Funding Bill September 21, 2020
  Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Sam Graves (R-Mo.), leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives’ transportation policy panel, agree that an extension of the 2015 FAST Act would buy congressional policymakers time to update provisions to the highway bill. Here's your Capitol Agenda look at the week ahead for trucking on Capitol Hill.
• Rivian Faces Ban From Michigan Car Dealers in Direct-Sales Fight September 21, 2020
  Michigan auto dealers are trying to block startup electric carmakers including Rivian Automotive Inc. and Lucid Motors Inc. from following in Tesla Inc.’s footsteps by selling vehicles directly to consumers and servicing them in the state.
• Crossword Puzzle Solution for September 21, 2020 September 21, 2020
  Here's the solution to the crossword puzzle found in the September 21, 2020 print edition.
• Walmart Aims to Eliminate Emissions From Its Fleet by 2040 September 21, 2020
  Walmart Inc. said it’s aiming to electrify and eliminate emissions for all of its vehicles, including long-haul trucks, by 2040. The company is also targeting zero emissions from its global operations by 2040 — a small fraction of its total.
• Federal Drug Official Defends Proposed Guidelines for Hair Testing September 21, 2020
  The chairman of a federal drug-testing advisory board that developed the controversial proposed mandatory guidelines for hair drug testing of truck drivers, other workers in safety-sensitive jobs and federal employees has responded to what he called “misconceptions” about the proposal by opponents.
• FedEx Seeks to Add Small Self-Flying Planes for Remote Areas September 21, 2020
  FedEx Corp. is looking at using small self-flying cargo planes to serve remote areas after experimenting with a technology startup on autonomous aircraft, CEO Fred Smith said.
• N.Y. Judge: Postal Service Must Process Election Mail in Timely Manner September 21, 2020
  The U.S. Postal Service must live up to its responsibilities to timely process election mail by treating it as a priority, a New York judge ordered Sept. 21, adding that the agency’s workers should be permitted to make extra deliveries and work overtime near the November presidential election.
• Elon Musk Gets Shot to Deliver on Tesla’s ‘Battery Day’ Hints September 21, 2020
  Tesla Inc. will provide a highly anticipated technology update Sept. 22 when Elon Musk takes center stage at an event the CEO has dropped hints about for months — and which has helped propel the company’s sky-high valuation.
• Thermo King Debuts Unit to Support COVID-19 Cold Chain September 21, 2020
  Thermo King announced the launch of its Cold Storage Solutions unit intended to meet the unique requirements of global pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines.
• FMCSA Launches Driver Panel for Advisory Committee September 21, 2020
  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created a panel consisting of commercial drivers to contribute to the agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee.
• Steve Girsky Rises From Matchmaker to Chairman at Nikola September 21, 2020
  With Trevor Milton having stepped down as executive chairman of Nikola Motor Co. Sept. 21, the spotlight now falls to new chairman of the board Steve Girsky.
• Nikola Executive Chairman Trevor Milton Steps Down September 21, 2020
  Trevor Milton has voluntarily stepped aside as executive chairman and board member of Nikola Corp., the electric truck company he created, it was announced Sept. 21.
• Kenan Advantage Group Acquires Canadian Firm Beaulac September 18, 2020
  Kenan Advantage Group has completed the acquisition of Les Distributions Carl Beaulac Inc., the company announced Sept. 18.
• Stocks Hit Six-Week Low as Tech Slide Accelerates September 18, 2020
  Technology shares pushed U.S. stocks to a six-week low as investors searched for new catalysts to give direction to global markets. The dollar strengthened and Treasuries were little changed.
• Amazon’s Zoox Gets Green Light for Robotaxi Tests in California September 18, 2020
  Amazon .com Inc.’s self-driving-car unit, Zoox Inc., is getting a green light from California to test autonomous vehicles on public roads without a safety driver, becoming the fourth company to receive the state’s blessing for truly driverless testing.
• Bob Farrell Returns to GlobalTranz as Chairman, CEO September 18, 2020
  GlobalTranz Enterprises announced that Bob Farrell returned as chairman and CEO, effective immediately.
• DHE Begins Pilot Project With Volvo Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks September 18, 2020
  Volvo Trucks North America announced Dependable Highway Express received two Volvo VNR Electric trucks, the first battery-electric Class 8 trucks to join DHE’s fleet.
• Groups Take Legal Action Against HOS Final Rule September 18, 2020
  Three organizations and the Teamsters union have filed a petition in federal court challenging the final rule on changes to hours-of-service regulations.