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CMI Energy’s megaload generator delivery a logistics feat A component of a heat recovery steam generator is discharged from the SAL Calypso at Port Erie. The heaviest cargo pieces weighed from 160 to 230 metric tons (176 to 253 tons). Photo credit: Port Erie. Two heavy-lift vessels delivered more than 6,000 metric tons (6,614 tons) […]

Sensors offer carriers path to reclaim value offering If the goal is to create meaningful value for customers, it’s within carriers’ power to do just that, even without deploying fleets of smart containers. (Above: The Port of Oakland.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Ask ocean container shippers to name their top challenges and, to this day, “lack […]

More Hong Kong terminal collaboration urged to boost competitiveness   “The industry has evolved, with mega vessels, more cargo alliances, and a surge in transshipment containers,” the study said. (Above: The Port of Hong Kong.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Hong Kong’s five major container terminal operators need to step up collaboration if the port is to […]

Analysis: How US rails can further capitalize on domestic intermodal gains The capacity challenges described here are not unique to railroad networks and terminals; they are persistent through the US supply chain. Further, while some solutions lie far in the future, there are several initiatives that could improve rail/intermodal service overnight. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. “Laissez […]

Amid US intermodal’s renewed strength, a few suggestions to improve service “Laissez les bons temps rouler” is a Cajun expression meaning “Let the good times roll.” As the intermodal industry assembles in Long Beach, California, for the annual Intermodal Association of North America Intermodal Expo (Sept. 16 to 18), there is measurable evidence of the industry’s positive […]

India’s cabotage reform help carriers cut repositioning costs Repositioning empty containers — from surplus locations to deficit areas — is typically a challenging/costly task for ocean carriers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. For now, grade India’s liberalized cabotage program a modest success. That’s because the latest stakeholder data show the cabotage policy is slowly but steadily driving […]

US peak season to test US intermodal service Data shows that US demand so far has been strong in all surface transportation modes this year and there are no signs that anything will change in the final four months of 2018. (Above: An intermodal train in the United States.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. The US intermodal […]

Trans-Pacific peak season uptrend continues, rolling varies Uncertainty regarding the Trump administration’s tariffs and when surging imports will slacken is keeping ocean carriers firmly in control of pricing in the eastbound trans-Pacific trade. (Above: The Port of Los Angeles.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Spot rates in the eastbound Pacific edged up for the fifth week, and […]

Tariff threats, low rates challenge ro-ro sector’s upbeat growth prospects Above: A Wallenius Wilhelmsen ship at Bremerhaven port. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Threatened tariffs, depressed freight rates, looming International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 emissions regulations, and pressure from clients are keeping the roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) sector on guard, despite stable capacity and a still-expanding global economy. […]

Peak season of discontent This isn’t working. Higher than usual fuel prices and tit-for-tat tariffs have exacerbated the chaos on the eastbound trans-Pacific this peak season, but the real blame falls at the feet of the container shipping industry. Capacity is so scare on the eastbound trans-Pacific that US importers from Asia, both large and small, have… […]