|
|
|
| Stuck in traffic |
|
Friday, February 22, 2013
|
|
By Jon Ross Traffic congestion is a major cost for truckers in the current economy. In its recently released 2012 Urban Mobility Report , researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) found traffic congestion cost truck drivers $27 billion in 2011. The researchers also found that some of this cost was recouped by the shippers, as it was passed onto consumers in the form of higher prices. The total cost of congestion for all transport totaled $121 b...
|
| Inside look at transload operations |
|
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
|
|
By Eric Kulisch Yusen Logistics (Americas) and Pacer Distribution Services are two of the biggest providers of transloading services in the Los Angeles area, and visits to their facilities in Carson, Calif., illustrate the range of capabilities necessary to manage the high-velocity flow of import cargo and make sure it gets deconsolidated and accurately consolidated on trucks to the correct destinations. An orchestrated mix of skill, well-executed manual processes and technolog...
|
| Nothing to waste |
|
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
|
|
While precautions having to do with the production of animal byproducts used in feed have increased and trade become more restrictive in recent years because of concerns about “mad cow disease,” or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), it’s still a big business. The National Renderers Association (NRA) said in 2010, rendering companies produced more than 4 million tons of processed animal protein, equating to 2.2 million tons of meat and bone meal, 1.2 million tons of poultry b...
|
| Two airlines, two freighter strategies |
|
Friday, December 21, 2012
|
|
By Eric Kulisch Delta Air Lines, the world’s largest passenger airline, and fast-growing Emirates of Dubai exemplify the different attitudes towards freighter aircraft among passenger airlines that also haul cargo. Atlanta-based Delta has no freighter aircraft and quickly decommissioned more than 10 jumbo jet freighters it took possession of when it acquired Northwest Airlines in 2009. The move was made at a time when the air cargo market was slumping in the wake of the recessio...
|
| Locked Out? |
|
Friday, October 19, 2012
|
|
Liberty Maritime says proposed changes keep U.S.-owned firms out of MSP. By Chris Dupin A New York shipowner says proposed changes in the Maritime Security Program (MSP) would lock in the current participants of the program through 2025, limiting the military and making it more difficult for companies, including his, to compete for contracts under the program in future years. Philip Shapiro, president and chief executive officer of Liberty Maritime Corp. in New Hyde Park ...
|
| Compliance's corporate home |
|
Thursday, June 28, 2012
|
|
For big importers, customs experts are often the “go-to” staff for international trade answers. By Eric Kulisch Large companies differ in how they structure their trade compliance functions, but the best ones at leveraging regulations to their advantage tend to maintain in-house expertise for customs issues, invest in global trade management systems and have a laser focus on ensuring accurate documentation. That was the theme emerging from two panel discussions involving repres...
|
| Livingston's compliance deep dive |
|
Thursday, June 28, 2012
|
|
Livingston dives deeper into trade compliance with Vastera acquisition. By Eric Kulisch Livingston International, the largest pure-play customs broker in North America, in early April significantly increased its capability in the trade compliance arena with the acquisition of the global trade business of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, best known by its original name Vastera. CEO Peter Luit said in an interview that privately-held Livingston and Vastera offer very complimentary service...
|
| Manufacturing next door |
|
Monday, May 21, 2012
|
|
ZeeVee, Inc., which sells commercial-grade products for processing high-definition video signals, late last year switched from a contract manufacturer in China to one a few miles from its Littleton, Mass., headquarters. The six-year-old company initially marketed converter boxes for consumers to watch online providers like Netflix or search the Web on their TVs and felt a Chinese partner would be a better fit, according to an account on its Web site. When executives adopte...
|
| GE reverses outsourcing |
|
Monday, May 21, 2012
|
|
One of the largest and most visible companies investing in U.S. operations is General Electric. The conglomerate is spending $1 billion to expand and upgrade its domestic appliance business in Louisville, Ky., Bloomington, Ind., and Decatur, Ala. Hundreds of jobs previously outsourced to China and Mexico are returning to these sites. In February, GE opened a retooled $38 million water heater manufacturing facility at its Appliance Park in Louisvil...
|
| A Who’s Who of insourcing |
|
Monday, May 21, 2012
|
|
Companies that have relocated production facilities from overseas to the United States: Tesla – maker of electric sports cars switched most of its Asian and U.K. production back to its Northern California headquarters to reduce cost and quality problems. Sauder – the furniture manufacturer is transferring production from Southeast Asia back home to North Carolina. NCR – maker of ATM and self-checkout machines consolidated operations from China, India and South Carolina in a new plant in Colu...
|
| Simplified entry sets next ACE stage |
|
Thursday, December 15, 2011
|
|
By Eric Kulisch U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say that the simplified entry project is helping them come up with necessary requirements for the cargo release functionality scheduled to be programmed in the Automated Commercial Environment. ACE is the agency’s next-generation system being built to process imports more efficiently, communicate with the trade community, support collection and analysis of commercial trade data, and serve as an information-sharing platform with other federal ag...
|
| L.A. drafts new strategic plan |
|
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
|
|
Competition, strengthening relationships and enhancing port finances are priorities. By Eric Kulisch The new strategic plan for the Port of Los Angeles being fleshed out by Port Director Geraldine Knatz and her staff focuses on three priorities: competition, strengthening relationships with stakeholders and enhancing the port’s financial wherewithal. Knatz told the Board of Harbor Commissioners at its September meeting that she hopes to have the five-year plan completed for their review by t...
|
| Freight projects on the drawing board for San Pedro Bay ports and outside their gates |
|
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
|
|
(partial list): Southern California International Gateway - the Port of Los Angeles released its draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the BNSF near-dock intermodal facility in September and will hold public meetings on the project Nov. 10 and 16. Union Pacific International Container Transfer Facility — the railroad is expanding the facility’s capacity and installing green locomotives and other technology. A joint powers authority of the two cities is expected to publish a draft EIR next yea...
|
| Port of L.A.’s clean air focus |
|
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
|
|
Five-year-old Clean Air Action Plan reduced emissions from cargo-handling operations. By Eric Kulisch November marked the fifth anniversary of the San Pedro Bay ports’ adoption of a landmark Clean Air Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy to reduce air pollution and associated health risks. Under the plan, the ports pledged not only to reduce overall emissions but to make sure that each ton of cargo would be moved with fewer emissions in the coming years. The ports have almost finished...
|
| Keeping land for cargo |
|
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
|
|
Port of L.A. protects property from encroachment by non-maritime uses. By Eric Kulisch The Port of Los Angeles is in the process of formulating a development plan for interior sections of Terminal Island to protect it from encroachment by non-maritime uses that don’t depend on water transportation. In the past five years the port has created land-use plans for the San Pedro and Wilmington sections of its property. Terminal Island, which houses four of the port’s busiest container terminals, ...
|
| ‘Screeching halt’ |
|
Thursday, September 29, 2011
|
|
Shipping industry warns of dire consequences if ballast discharge laws are not uniform, attainable. By Chris Dupin Shipping industry advocates are raising the alarm about state regulation of ballast water discharge, saying proposed standards in New York and California are unattainable using available technology. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Ohio, said he has been an advocate for preventing the spread of invasive species through ballast water since sponsoring the National Invasi...
|
| Small shippers need not apply |
|
Monday, July 25, 2011
|
|
SeaIntel finds carriers, large NVOs mostly uninterested in rate quotes for small transpacific, Asia/Europe shippers. By Eric Johnson Shippers groups have long bemoaned the treatment that small shippers get from container lines. Now they have a little more ammo. A report in mid-June from Danish maritime analyst SeaIntel outlined the difficulties new, smaller shippers can face in getting carriers and large non-vessel-operating common carriers to respond to rate requests. &n...
|
|
|