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Appointments This Month In Shipping, Freight and Logistics
Who's Gone Where and When This Month

03 February 2012
WORLDWIDE – A quick round up of who’s been transferred where in the world of shipping, freight, logistics and associated sectors in the past few weeks. There has been much movement within the AP Moller Maersk group of companies this month so we’ll start there. The appointment of a new Safmarine CEO follows the announcement, in October 2011, of the Maersk Liner Business’ intention to integrate the corporate and regional management activities of Safmarine into those of the Maersk Line, whilst retaining and growing a separate Safmarine brand and operating model.
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Wanted - Top Executive To Shape The Future of Road Haulage Freight Truckers
Global Search for a Big Hitter Needed Down Under to Unify Australian Truck Regulations

03 February 2012
AUSTRALIA – A real challenge awaits someone as the Australian Government today announced they were to launch an international search for a Chief Executive Officer to be based in Queensland for the new office of independent National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. The new man (or woman) will be tasked with creating and shaping the way the country’s road haulage industry reforms to finally ensure that each state conforms to ensure cross border freight is not subject to different state laws.
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Container Shipping Lines and Freight Terminals Targeted by Unions Next Week
Week of Action by International Labour Associations

03 February 2012
EAST ASIA – Despite the fact that Japan is home to many of the major container shipping lines and some of the most efficient freight terminals in the world next week will see the port of Mishima-Kawanoe on the country’s smallest and least populous island of Shikoku targeted by international action by seafarers unions as part of an East Asian ‘week of action’.
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Container Shipping Giant Imposes Swingeing Surcharges on Asia Europe Freight Rates
CMA CGM Move to Stem the Flow of Blood

02 February 2012
FRANCE – ASIA – EUROPE – In a bid to steady the current trend of downward spiralling freight rates (see previous story) French container shipping giant CMA CGM has announced ‘Rate Restoration’ measures which will come into force from the beginning of March. A company statement says:
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Dry Bulk Freight Index Drops and Container Shipping Line Forecasts and Profits Slump
With No Rate Controls Big Box Carriers Face an Uncertain Future

02 February 2012
WORLDWIDE – This is probably not a good time to have all your investments in global shipping. Everyone is currently raving about the plummeting Baltic Dry Index but, despite the fact it now sits at a record low, at 662 one point below the previous 25 year low achieved on the 5th December 2008, any analyst worth his salt knows that oversupply is the big problem for some vessel sizes tasked with moving bulk freight commodities. The situation which the world’s container shipping lines face however may be even more serious in the long term for one or more of the major players.
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Pharmaceutical Logistics Goes for a Cleaner Freight Option in Greece
Swiss Groups Clean up their Act

02 February 2012
GREECE – SWITZERLAND – All companies these days have the need to demonstrate their environmental credentials and no industry is more in the spotlight than that of freight and logistics. Whilst container shipping is making undoubted efforts to reduce pollution levels the vast amounts transported at one time make the nature of the transport more generally accepted. This is plainly not the case with air freight or indeed road haulage which often has to stand up against rail freight shipments.
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LTL and Express Road Haulage Group Revitalises Itself As Long Haul US Freight Company
No TLC for YRC as it Rebrands and Reshapes

01 February 2012
US – Like a big 16 wheel rig, less than truckload (LTL) road haulage outfit YRC continues to roll on despite all manner of financial setbacks stretching back some years. Today saw YRC Incorporated morph into YRC Freight a brand only introduced to company staff in the past few days. The rebranding means a new logo, uniforms, equipment and signage to go with the new name. The group, in the form of holding company YRC Worldwide, has struggled with financial pressures over the past few years but survives thanks to agreements with investors and unions, asset disposals and share selling and exchange sprees.
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Fatigue Issues for Freight and Passenger Shipping Should Be Addressed Now
EU Horizon Research Project Results Published

01 February 2012
EUROPE - WORLDWIDE – European road haulage operators are of course well used to a tachograph system designed primarily to ensure that drivers are refreshed enough to handle a truck often weighing it at 40 tonnes. In the wake of the costs in human and financial terms of the Costa Concordia disaster results just out from an EU funded research programme into the way watch keeping patterns can affect the tiredness of ships officers aboard vessels, whether they be passenger or freight carrying merchantmen, make interesting reading.
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Intermodal and Bulk Freight Rail Carrier Gets Industry Recognition
Freightliner Scoops Best Operator Award

01 February 2012
UK – The record of the Freightliner Group as a whole speaks for itself with steady growth in freight haulage in the past fifteen years meaning an increase in intermodal container traffic alone of 55% plus the introduction of bulk cargo carriage with the introduction of Freightliner Heavy Haul Limited in 1999. Now Freightliner in the UK has been recognised as top British cargo carrier having last week received the award for Best Operational Performance – Freight Performance Measure from its peers at the annual ‘Golden Whistles’ awards ceremony.
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As Pirate Attacks Reduce The Logistics of Humanitarian Aid Gets Ever More Difficult
Somali Islamic Fundamentalists Ban and Burn Red Cross Deliveries

31 January 2012
SOMALIA – Who’d be a truck driver in Somalia? Regular readers will know that we try to print only articles which have relevance in the world of freight and logistics movements but the latest happenings in South and Central Somalia give an indication of the difficulties facing the region and provide an insight into a country where piracy, kidnap and extortion are the only growth industries. The further sophistication of methods to deter and eliminate pirates which we have detailed previously, plus several fatally flawed attacks, has made that particular field ever more hazardous for those who pursue the trade.
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