Singapore unveils seafarer aid fund A S$300,000 (US$180,000) fund set up to help stranded seafarers on board Singapore registered vessels was announced by local seafarers unions in a partnership with the Singapore port authority yesterday.
Pressure mounts on IMO over chemical rules THE London insurance market is mobilising to press the International Maritime Organisation for changes to its guidelines on the carriage of the dangerous chemical calcium hypochlorite after a spate of incidents implicating the compound.
First Olsen fate in minorities' hands THE future of Fred Olsen group company First Olsen Tankers hinges on a potential showdown next spring.
Latvia set to announce shipping sale Latvia's economics ministry said yesterday it is to propose to the government that 34% of Latvian Shipping be sold in the first step towards privatising the company.
New Røkke bid to buy and de-list Aker RGI NORWEGIAN industrialist Kjell Inge Røkke yesterday made a second bid to buy out and de-list Aker RGI, the industrial holding company in which he has a 63.7% stake.
9 out of 10 complete Gdynia shipyard has completed the ninth in a series of 10 1857 teu containership newbuildings ordered by Germany's Alpha Ship. The Pluto (above) has been chartered by Maersk Line for its Northern Europe-east coast South America service. The building of a sister vessel, the Poseidon, has been sub-contracted to Gdansk shipyard by Gdynia. This last of the type 8138 ships is currently being fitted out at Gdansk and due for delivery in September. Alpha Ship commissioned a series of eight 1130 teu vessels of the 815 type from Gdynia in 1995 and 1996. A vessel of this smaller type is now being constructed at Gdansk following transfer of the order from Gdynia. Next the yards will jointly embark on building a series of 18 7600 dwt mini-bulkers for German owners.
Port of Singapore seeks role in Caribbean joint venture THE Port of Singapore Authority Corporation (PSA), which runs the world's largest container port (15.1m teu in 1998) is interested in an alliance with the southern Caribbean's leading port, Port of Spain (231,213 teu last year).
Sydney oil spill lawsuit looms A report into the leaking of 300,000 litres of oil into Sydney Harbour from an Italian tanker on August 3 has recommended legal action be taken, the New South Wales state government said yesterday.
A federal appeals court last week affirmed the right of the nation's 350,000 owner-operators to bypass the Federal Highway Administration and directly sue trucking companies that violate contract terms by failing to pay what was agreed to or not returning escrow payments. "We believe the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals could not have been more emphatic in affirming Congress' intention that owner-operators have a private right of action in federal court to enforce federal truth-in-leasing regulations," said Greg Cork, an attorney for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
Shipper activism makes a difference. The objections of New York's Erie County Industrial Development Agency to growing railroad market power and persistent service failures in the Buffalo area encouraged Rep. Jack Quinn, R-N.Y., to introduce remedial legislation. The Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act is the first legislative thrust in the House on behalf of shippers. It is identical to shipper-friendly legislation introduced in the Senate earlier this year.
Winemakers want to participate in electronic commerce. But state laws and the 21st Amendment get in the way. The House of Representatives already passed a bill that protects the current "three-tier" system where vintners, brewers and distillers are obligated to sell through a wholesaler rather than direct to consumers. Despite the law, several new websites are popping up offering shipping for small boutique wineries that aren't party to the wholesale system.
The California Trucking Association is fed up with increasing diesel fuel prices. The CTA is asking the state's to act against what the truckers see as unfair price hikes by state oil refineries. The average retail price for fuel in California is $1.49 a gallon while the nationwide average is $1.15. California, which has the most stringent clean-fuel burning regulations in the country, is looking to make those rules even tougher. The CTA is crying foul, saying trucking companies have to carry an unfair burden.
Changes are on the horizon for the Texas Mexican Railway, according to rail industry sources. Kansas City Southern Industries and Transportacion Maritima Mexicana, which are 49 and 51 percent owners in Tex Mex, respectively, are rumored to be close to an agreement that would change the operational structure of the railroad and impose other cost-cutting measures in order to improve Tex Mex's bottom line. The move is seen as preparation for KCSI's plan to become a stand-alone railroad company.
Kirby Corp. will acquire Hollywood Marine Inc. for about $325 million to create one of the largest barge and towing vessel operators in the United States. Although the deal raises some competitive concerns among customers, merging the two fleets should be able to provide shippers more backhaul opportunities and economies of scale. The merger is part of a broader trend towards consolidation in the industry driven by marketplace demands for lower cost, higher quality transportation, according the American Waterway Operators.
FDX Corp. selected a small air freight forwarder as its first purchase since the merger of Federal Express and Caliber System almost two years ago. GeoLogistics Air Services, a small but profitable unit of fledgling GeoLogistics, will become Caribbean Transport Services once the $116 million sale is finalized in the next few months. The freight forwarder, specializing in heavy freight transport of medical and technical equipment and pharmaceutical drugs between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, will operate under the FDX Global Logistics umbrella along with Caliber Logistics. The purchase is the first step to expand Caliber's reach beyond the continental United States and Europe.
Not much has been said about The National Aviation and Transportation Center's Intermodal Transportation Simulation System Laboratory and more should be. ITSS can perform 3D intermodal modeling down to accuracy levels of under one inch. It can simulate the interaction of rail, truck, air, and ships; project future traffic movements; display daytime and nighttime views; zoom in and out, up and down, and generally look at a model from any angle. The system also is connected to noise-modeling equipment allowing users not only to see but also to hear the model, and to aromacology equipment, for smell. It can be connected up to vibration modeling too, to feel movement. What are the real-world applications for this technology? Practically any intermodal project requiring sophisticated simulation, from the modeling of a high-speed train network to the design of intermodal superports.
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