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Raitt advances transportation collaboration with South Korea
Government of Canada
The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Action Plan with South Korea to promote cooperation in the field of transport, with a focus on gateways, air and rail transportation activities.
The objective of this MoU is to enhance mutual benefits by exchanging information on a timely basis, sharing knowledge and lessons learned, and cooperating on specific projects. It also aims to expand cooperation among public and private-sector organizations in the air, rail and gateways-related industries to improve trade logistics and thereby enhance competitiveness in domestic and international markets.
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US, Canada conduct week-long import safety exercise
Canadian Shipper
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that U.S. and Canadian officials recently conducted a week-long joint "table top exercise" on handling import safety issues through multi-agency collaboration. The exercise allowed officials from CBP's Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada to focus on critical incidents involving imported products that were found to be dangerous, hazardous and volatile, said the release.
Tips for conducting business across continents
By Benoit Gruber
 If you're looking to conduct cross-continent business, know that you can, but the task is not easy. Managing one location has its own challenges, like keeping up with all of your departments — human resources, sales, marketing and the like. Now, think about doing that, but all over the world where there are different time zones, cultures and expectations. Those of you who already run a multilocation enterprise know how difficult this can be.
CN: Industry-low operating ratio paces a solid second quarter
Railway Age
Net income of C$866 million, compared with net income of C$847 million in second-quarter 2014, combined with an operating income increase of 8 per cent and a record-low quarterly operating ratio of 56.4 per cent, resulted in a solid second-quarter 2015 for CN, the railroad reported on July 20, 2015. CN's net income was C$1.10 per diluted share compared with C$1.03 per diluted share for second-quarter 2014.
CP Rail posts record earnings
Glens Falls Post-Star
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited announced a record-high net income for the second quarter and the lowest operating ratio for the period in the company's history.
The railroad company, which owns rail lines that carry trains from Montreal to Albany through the greater Glens Falls area, posted net income of $390 million, or $2.36 per diluted share, up 12 percent from the year-ago second quarter.
Carload traffic continues to dip
Railway Age
For the week ending July 18, 2015, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 551,181 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year. Carload traffic continues to dip while intermodal makes slight gains, the Association of American Railroads reported.
Rail car and locomotive statistics: Fleet Stats 2015
Progressive Railroading
For most of the first half of 2015, freight-rail volumes were essentially flat, year over year; as of press time, a significant near-term uptick seemed unlikely. But this industry is all about the longer view and rail strategists plan accordingly. Witness their 2015 capex budgets. To help support the growth they know is coming down the line, U.S freight railroads will spend about $29 billion on their networks this year, according to the Association of American Railroads' "2015 Outlook Report."
Caterpillar ends truck deal with Navistar; will bring production in-house
Truck News
Caterpillar and Navistar are splitting up, but both manufacturers say their future in the vocational truck market remains bright.
Cat announced this morning it plans to bring production of its vocational trucks to its own plant in Victoria, Texas. Previously, the truck was built by Navistar at its Escobedo, Mexico truck plant. Navistar responded almost immediately, announcing it will introduce its own severe-service vocational truck in 2016, drawing on "intellectual property and technology" developed during the partnership.
Preventing irregular wear on wide-base tires
Truckinginfo
Do wide-base single tires wear differently than standard tires in dual assemblies? There's a perception among some users and prospective users of wide base tires that they will experience different rates of wear than standard tires. Many also believe that wide base tires are more susceptible to some forms of irregular wear.
The tire makers tell us that some forms of irregular wear were indeed more prevalent in earlier generations of the tires, but that's supposedly not as much of an issue as it once was.
Total cost of ground transportation increases slightly
Truck News
The total cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers went up by 0.3 per cent in May compared to April in the results published recently by the Canadian General Freight Index.
In addition, the base rate index, which excludes the impact of accessorial charges assessed by carriers, went up by 1.2 per cent this month, while average fuel surcharges went down this month. Fuel was 15.46 per cent of base rate in May, compared to 16.04 per cent in April.
Contractor/employee debate heating up at US ports
Truckinginfo
Are drivers who handle the drayage of intermodal containers into and out of U.S. ports employees or independent contractors? The controversy was visible this week at ports on both coasts.
The Teamsters union has been active in trying to get independent contractors at the ports declared employees. By law, independent contractors cannot be part of a labor union. Some truckers agree that port companies are improperly misclassifying workers and creating hardship for drivers.
Strikes, storms, lead to restructuring at Schenker
Air Cargo World
After a rough first half of the year, state-owned Deutsche Bahn of Germany is moving forward on a major restructuring effort, which may involve a partial privatization of its DB Schenker Logistics sector. Strikes by the train driver's union and multiple storms led to an 18.2 percent drop in first-half earnings to €890 million.
"Had it not been for the strikes, which cost us €252 million, our EBIT would have been slightly above that of the previous year," said Rudiger Grube, Deutsche Bahn CEO.
IATA: outlook for volumes positive
Air Cargo Week
Airline profit expectations for the year ahead have fallen, but remain upbeat and the oulook for cargo volumes is, "positive," according to a survey by the International Air Transport Association.
The association’s quarterly Airlines Business Confidence Index July survey, which it published on Wednesday 22 July, canvassed the opinions of chief financial officers and cargo heads from carriers across the globe.
Vancouver container terminals equip for shore power
Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia
Recently, Port Metro Vancouver announced its commitment to proceed with the installation of shore power facilities for container vessels at Delaport and Centerm. The $12 million project will receive $6 million from Transport Canada's Shore Power Technology for Ports Program and the balance from the port authority and its users.
Panama Canal to increase China-Americas trade
Cargo Business
Panama Canal's expansion, expected to be finished in 2016, will increase trade between China and the Americas, experts said in recent interviews with Xinhua.
The 50-mile, over 100-year-old Panama Canal, serves as a "world bridge," connecting the Pacific and Atlantic cutting down the overall distance by as much as 6200 miles between the two oceans. The canal currently accounts for 5 percent of global trade volume, which mostly involves trade between Asia and the Americas, according to the Panama Canal Authority.
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