Nato softens stance on blockade Nato chiefs have ruled out force to halt merchant shipments of oil to Yugoslavia, claiming inspection plans were strong enough to deter sanctions-busters.
Towl mops up Scott's job in A&P reshuffle CLIVE Towl has replaced Denis Scott as managing director of northern operations for UK shiprepair and conversion group A&P, after the latter left the company last Friday by mutual agreement, writes Dale Wainwright.
Suezmax sale will aid future Benor growth BERMUDA-based Benor Tankers said the sale of a suezmax newbuilding under construction at the Hyundai group's Ulsan shipyard in South Korea, announced in February, would improve its capacity to develop "subsequent new business later on".
Guangzhou Shipyard optimistic despite suffering effect of rising costs Guangzhou Shipyard International, which suffered a 52% fall in net profit in 1998, will increase its core business of shipbuilding and steel construction in 1999, officials said yesterday.
Vietnam opens shiprepair joint venture Vietnam, with major assistance from Korean conglomerate Hyundai, has splashed onto the world shiprepair scene with the official opening yesterday of the $150m joint-venture Hyundai-Vinashin Shipyard.
Bugsier 14 gets a lift IN an unusual action the Bremerhaven based heavylift floating crane Roland has lifted the harbour tug Bugsier 14 into the repair dock of Rickmers Lloyd Dockbetrieb, where one of the two Schottel propellers was to be replaced. The propeller had loosened during work at Wilhelmshaven and had to be fastened by a diver, so that the Bugsier 14 could sail for Bremerhaven. The lifting of the tug into dry dock became necessary, as the floating dock could not be submerged due to the ferry rebuilding Nordenham, which occupied the dock with an open hull. The installation of a new Schottel rudder propeller under the hull of the Bugsier 14 was carried out during one week and was completed around April 10. Refloating of the Bugsier 14 from the repair dock was carried out in a conventional way.
Insurers see rise in vessels lost at sea Last year saw an increase in the number of vessels that were total losses at sea together with hull and cargo losses resulting from windstorm damage, the International Underwriting Association said yesterday.
Luxembourg faces ship fines LUXEMBOURG could face heavy fines for failing to provide minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels.
The General Accounting Office has confirmed what shippers already know: railroads have benefited from deregulation and where those benefits have been shared through lower rates, the existence of effective truck and barge alternatives made a difference. The GAO's conclusions are contained in a 107-page report, "Railroad Regulation: Changes in Railroad Rates and Service Quality Since 1990," to be released April 30.
The Clinton administration wants to make railroad mergers subject to the antitrust laws, eliminate the ability of merging railroads to abrogate collective bargaining agreements, mandate reciprocal switching in terminal areas where rail monopolies exist, increase fines against railroads that intimidate safety-conscious employees and charge railroads for safety inspections. The provisions are contained in separate draft bills to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Board and extend FRA oversight of rail safety.
Western Digital has decided to turn over management of its $50 million global supply chain to a single logistics provider, GeoLogistics. Such deals are rare today, but according to a handful of very large third-party logistics providers it's a harbinger of things to come. They believe the trends of globalization and outsourcing have created a need for one-stop shopping on a global scale. Despite its size, Western Digital chose a one-stop shop to ensure that it remained relevant to its logistics partner.
The National Transportation Safety Board is turning its expertise and cold analytical eye on the trucking industry. In three days of hearings in Washington, D.C., NTSB officials examined the reasons behind the increasing number of truck-related fatalities on the nation's crowded roads. Drivers, manufacturers, safety advocates and industry officials seemed to welcome the apolitical nature of the NTSB fact-finding exercise and pledged to do their best to increase safety awareness in the industry.
DXI, a Pittsburgh-based software company, will announce a new product line and a new company name tomorrow. E-Transport Marketplace, an online reservation and documentation system, will be introduced April 27. With the announcement comes the name change to E-Transport, which becomes official May 1. DXI, which developed software automating back-office operations for ocean cargo transportation, is planning to move into the electronic commerce world with its new product offering. The company hopes to create an electronic network of ocean carriers, freight forwarders and shippers.
Conrail hopes to clean up what has become a messy situation at auto ramps and rail sidings in the Northeast before it is taken over by Norfolk Southern and CSX on June 1. Apparently the railroad found itself a victim of bad luck, bad weather and a change in motor carrier market share in the region. This, in turn, has led to congestion and a lack of haul-away capacity for automobiles at many ramps, including those at Newark, N.J., Selkirk, N.Y., and Framingham, Mass.
The murky waters of the Jones Act are being stirred by an investigation into fleeting services in the Midwest. A final judgment from the U.S. Coast Guard is imminent, but the Maritime Administration is being tight-lipped about the progress of an investigation it is carrying out. The hyperbole which surrounds the cabotage debate often makes it difficult to separate truths from half-truths, but even by Jones Act standards this affair is convoluted. What also makes it unusual is the cold hard fact that 14 vessels already have been forced to cease trading, and criminal penalties could be brought against U.S. citizens.
Kitty Hawk made its final purge of ex-AIA employees by replacing Steve Murray, general manager of Kitty Hawk Cargo, with someone from the inside. Since the merger months ago, Kitty Hawk has replaced every top manager from the American International Airways regime. There is one vice president of human resources still standing. Despite the strong performance of the scheduled cargo service operation of late, the upcoming move to Fort Wayne and the company penchant for internal control, the changes weren't that surprising.
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