Posted on Fri, Sep 03, 2010
Pack n send is monitoring Freight and Cargo Shipments both within the United State and worldwide. This article taken from Handy Shipping Guide highlights new strengths seen in US shipping markets.
Long Beach, California based UTi, a non asset based 3PL supply chain specialist turned in better than expected results yesterday following a general upward trend for the industry. With over 23 million square feet of warehousing in 23 countries the US company shows a pattern that seems fairly typical for the freight market at the moment. The CEO however offered a customary word of caution in today’s volatile conditions.
Eric W. Kirchner, chief executive officer, speaking of the second quarter results said in a statement:
"Our improved results were primarily driven by strong volumes and better operating margins. Airfreight and ocean freight volumes continued to grow faster than the market and were higher than volumes recorded in the second quarter two years ago, prior to the financial crisis. Results remain tempered by yield pressure due to continued high transportation rates, and we expect these rates to remain volatile on many trade lanes for the rest of the year. We are also expecting volume growth to moderate during the second half of the year due to a slowing global economy and more difficult comparisons to the prior year.
"We continue to be encouraged by improvements in our contract logistics and distribution business, which reported solid revenue growth and higher operating margins. Client volumes improved in the quarter, particularly in retail and consumer markets, and we continue to manage our operations more efficiently. Our transformation initiatives remain on schedule and we are making good progress in all areas."
UTi saw increased operating costs, up 9% against last year but it seems although traffic volumes were higher, rates were more competitive dragging profits back somewhat. Net revenues were up 12% for the half year against 2009 at $379 million.
For more information on Houston shipping, freight and cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.
Posted on Thu, Sep 02, 2010
Pack n send is posting part of the information posted by MSNBC. While we are in the process of adjusting freight shipments for our customers, and rescheduling when necessary, we are keeping an eye on the storm.
HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. — Hurricane Earl was barreling toward the Eastern Seaboard Thursday with winds swirling at around 145 mph, as forecasters issued a new warning for New York's Long Island and tried to work out how badly North Carolina would be hit.
With the storm expected to start hitting North Carolina later Thursday, officials expanded mandatory evacuation orders across new areas of the state's low-lying barrier islands.
The orders affect all visitors throughout Dare County as well as residents and visitors to the popular town of Nags Head, county emergency relief officials said.
Mandatory evacuations, similar to those already in effect for Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island, were also ordered for the beach communities at Morehead City, authorities said.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a tropical storm warning early Thursday for the coast of Long Island and a hurricane watch was issued for areas of Massachusetts. A hurricane warning was already in effect for the North Carolina coast.
Canadian officials also put parts of the Nova Scotia coast under a tropical storm watch.
Category 4 storm Earl, which has maximum sustained winds near 145 mph, was located about 410 miles south of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and was moving north-northwest near 18 mph.
Forecasters said the storm had strengthened slightly, but expected gradual weakening to start later Thursday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward 90 miles from its center.
Watches and warnings were posted along the Atlantic coast for most of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts, alerting residents that hurricane and tropical storm conditions were possible within 36 to 48 hours.
No storm has threatened such a broad swath of the U.S. shoreline — the densely populated coast from North Carolina to New England — since Hurricane Bob in 1991, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.
The last Category 4 to approach the Outer Banks was Helene in 1950, NBC News Meteorologist Bill Karins reported.
'Very significant impact'
Large swells roiled the coastline and experts warned Earl would bring dangerously high seas.
The first winds were expected to reach the North Carolina's barrier islands by Thursday afternoon and gain force during the night, though the hurricane is then expected to start weakening, the NHC said.
Tourists were largely gone from North Carolina's Outer Banks, but those resolute residents who stayed behind said they were prepared to face down the powerful hurricane. The islands jut out into the Atlantic and are frequently smacked by hurricanes and storms.
"There is still concern that this track, the core of the storm, could shift a little farther to the west and have a very significant impact on the immediate coastline. Our present track keeps it offshore, but you never know," Feltgen said.
The storm was forecast to pass just off Cape Hatteras, bringing wind gusts of up to 100 mph and several feet of storm surge both from the Atlantic and the sounds to the west of the islands.
Evacuations continued Thursday with residents and visitors leaving a barrier island in Carteret County, N.C.
Emergency services director Jo Ann Smith, of Carteret County, said she wasn't sure how many people were affected by the order to leave the Bogue Banks areas.
Unlike some of the barrier islands on the Outer Banks who had to take a ferry, Smith said people could simply leave in their cars.
For more information on freight and cargo shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.
Posted on Wed, Sep 01, 2010
This article is taken from Handy Shipping News. Why is this so interesting? With changes happening so quickly in container shipping, Mitsui OSK Lines is once again thinking ahead and changing the cargo that they carry via ocean.
JAPAN – When international oil prices jumped in the 1970’s Mitsui OSK Lines cancelled tankers and moved swiftly into container shipping, just as the seemingly unstoppable rise in trade using 20’ and 40’ boxes gathered momentum. Now, with much of the world in the grip of recession, the Japanese group seem, once again, to be ahead of the game.
Although known by most freight executives today as a container carrier MOL have rebranded and changed markets several times in their long life. Now, with uncertainty surrounding both bulk and container markets the company has made some strategic changes regarding its carriage of natural gas vessels.
Tokyo LNG Tanker Co. is a company jointly owned by MOL and the Tokyo Gas Co. and today they announced that Tokyo LNG Tanker will receive a minority stake (1.5%) in two SRV companies owned by MOL (48.5% shareholders) and Höegh LNG (50%). This means Tokyo LNG Tanker have a share in two SRV vessels, the “GDF Suez Neptune” and “GDF Suez Cape Ann”, both on long term charter to serve the Neptune LNG Deep Water Port terminal off Boston on the U.S. East Coast. The Lief Höegh line was the first shipping group to venture into gas carriage and they have unrivalled experience in the field.
For those not familiar with SRV carriers (Shuttle and Regasification vessels) these ships take on liquefied natural gas (LNG) at loading terminals and upon arrival at destination, regasify it onboard, and transfer it to shore via pipelines built on the seabed. SRVs can also serve as conventional LNG carriers, transporting LNG to discharge at receiving terminals.
This versatility allows SRVs to serve LNG importing nations without requiring the construction of new or additional LNG terminals on shore, a key point for today’s emerging markets. The SRV is considered by many as a cutting edge innovative LNG transport and delivery technology.
Posted on Tue, Aug 24, 2010
Pack n send usually discusses international news on our blog. Since we have customers calling in to ask about our international shipping services, we are making a change for this blog and discussing some of our international shipping services.
We do pack and load household goods for shipping out of the Port of Houston. We do ship all over the world. We have a network of shippers and do arrange shipments for our customers out of other ports as well. We will determine if you need a twenty foot or a forty foot container for your shipment.
Besides house hold goods, we also load and pack machinery, airplanes, cars and assorted other items into containers for both individuals and companies.
We also freight furniture through out the fifty United States as well as through out the world. If you do not have enough furniture for a twenty foot container, then we can ship your furniture on a pallet. We ship this by the cubic meters. After you have over ten cubic meters, it becomes more cost effective to order a twenty foot container for you.
We fill in the paper work for you, as well as prepare the bill of lading for your shipment.
We will try and answer more questions for you on our blog or you can call us at 713 266 1450 so that we can help you.
Posted on Mon, Aug 23, 2010
With the ever adjusting economy, pack n send is monitoring changes in both the freight and cargo industries. We are reprinting this article from The Handy Shipping Guide as a service to our customers. For information on freight and container loading, please contact us directly at 713 266 1450.
US- UK – WORLDWIDE - Having peered into the financial abyss last year YRC, the US less than truckload (LTL) haulier have continued their policy of refinancing by selling off their logistics arm. YRC Logistics has been purchased by Texan venture capital firm Austin Ventures, known for start up and company growth capital investment. The deal, mooted in June, was completed last week for $38.7 million and the investors immediately re branded the group as MIQ Logistics.
Former president and CEO of BAX Global Inc. Joey Carnes was installed as Kansas based MIQ boss and the group will revert to the original MIQ name which was changed by YRC Worldwide in 2007 to emphasize the YRC brand having originally been successful as Meridian IQ logistics. Since that time it has been an uphill struggle for YRC who have had to improve liquidity by strategic redundancies, sale of property and assets, a debt to equity swap in December and a deal to cut salaries negotiated with the unions.
It seems that these drastic measures may have settled the tension surrounding the stock as YRC reportedly took $33.6 million in cash whilst settling YRC Logistics company affairs for payments totaling $11 million. YRC Worldwide is also apparently to retain the potentially lucrative Chinese logistics interests but the bulk of all freight forwarding and customs operations will be transferred back to MIQ.
The deal includes the transfer of the Hampshire based operation which only opened a new 6,500 square foot warehouse in Totton in December citing a big increase in business for the expansion. YRC Logistics has a presence in Asia, North America, South America and Europe and operates from six sites in the UK in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Hemel Hempstead and Glasgow as well as Southampton.
Posted on Mon, Aug 16, 2010
The Port of Houston offers an up close look at cargo shipping. Pack n send is posting the information taken from the Port of Houston website as a service to our customers.
Get ready for an unforgettably spectacular waterborne tour of one of the busiest ports in the world aboard the Port of Houston Authority's free public tour boat!
Named for the legendary military commander who led the fight for Texas independence from Mexico and later statehood, the M/V Sam Houston offers free leisurely 90-minute round-trip cruises along the Houston Ship Channel.
Embarking from the port's Sam Houston Pavilion, visiting sightseers can enjoy passing views of international cargo vessels, and operations at the port's Turning Basin Terminal. Measuring 95 feet in length and 24 feet in width, the boat carries a maximum capacity of 90 passengers with air-conditioned lounge seating and additional standing room on the boat's rear deck.
The M/V Sam Houston has been operating as the Port Authority's public tour vessel since its inaugural voyage on July. 30, 1958. By 1979, a total of 1 million passengers had taken the tour.
No food or beverages are allowed to be brought aboard the boat or into the pavilion. However, a free beverage is provided on the boat during the trip. We want all of our visitors to enjoy the tour experience in a clean and safe environment, therefore picnics in the pavilion are not allowed.
The tour is free; however reservations are required 24 hours in advance of the planned tour. Enhanced port security measures require government-issued photo identification for passengers ages 18 and older. Examples of acceptable identification are state-issued drivers license, state of Texas Identification card, or passport.
Register online anytime, or call 713-670-2416, Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Please note: a maximum of 45 reservations is allowed for any one group. Also, a maximum ratio of one adult per four children under the age of 12 will be enforced.
SECURITY NOTICE
Because of heightened security measures, regularly scheduled tours aboard the M/V Sam Houston may be canceled without advance notice. Before making the trip to the Port of Houston for a tour aboard the Sam Houston, please consult this Web site for information on the status of your tour.
Security regulations also prohibit the carrying of any camera equipment aboard the M/V Sam Houston and the taking of photographs from aboard the ship is strictly prohibited.
Also, large baggage such as backpacks and oversized purses are not allowed on board. Passengers' personal belongings may be subject to searches in accordance with federal regulations. The PHA reserves the right to refuse passage to board the vessel to any person for any reason at any time.
We advise that you arrive at least 15 minutes, preferably half hour, before your tour launches to assure that you have plenty of time to check in through security and to board the vessel.
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Tour Times
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Monday
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Closed
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Tuesday
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10 am & 2:30 pm
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Wednesday
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10 am & 2:30 pm
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Thursday
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2:30 pm only
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Friday
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10 am & 2:30 pm
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Saturday
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10 am & 2:30 pm
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Sunday
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2:30 pm only
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Holidays
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Closed
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For more information on international shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.
Posted on Wed, Aug 11, 2010
Now that a one hundred square ice piece has broken off a glacier, the cargo ships now face a new peril.
After dealing with pirates and colliding ships this floating island is another worry for boat captains.
This ice island break off follows six months of unusually warm record. These past six months have recorded the warmest temperatures since 1962.
Since glaciers are melting faster than any one had anticipated, they are adding to threats of flooding coastal cities all over the world.
It should take approximately two years for this latest breakaway piece of ice to melt. At this point, the worry is that the iceberg may head toward shipping lanes off of the Canadian Coast, and also in the North Atlantic Ocean.
By monitoring the progress of this large ice mass, ships should be able to adjust their course during the next two year time period.
For information about freight and cargo shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.
Posted on Mon, Aug 09, 2010
Two ships registered to Panama have collided off the coast of India. The cargo on one of the ships has been seen floating in the water.
We do not have any more information a bout the collision at this time, but will keep you updated as we receive more information.
Pack n send regularly ships out of the Port of Houston. For information about our container loading and freight shipping, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.
Posted on Thu, Jul 29, 2010
CANADA – After harsh words had been exchanged over what the Innternational Transport Workers Federation (ITF) called last week “a needless overreaction” it seems talks are to resume at the Port of Montreal which will possibly mean an end to the labor dispute which commenced in June. On the 27th of that month the dockworkers claim that employers changed the working conditions of 169 dock workers with the least seniority. The longshoremen responded by refusing to work overtime as of the 9th July.
On Sunday the 18th July the union and employers met all afternoon and planned to continue ongoing negotiations during the following week. During the next 48 hours however there was a lockout preventing access to the port and infuriating union officials. The lock out was described as “incomprehensible and pointless. News of the lockout reached them they were in the middle of a general meeting to cancel the planned application of pressure tactics. They pointed out that overtime is voluntary and no reason to be excluded from work.
Now it appears common sense has prevailed on both sides and they have agreed a protocol to return to work enabling the port to function whilst negotiations continue, with union representative Michel Murray saying that with both sides talking an agreement could be reached in the next few weeks.
Shipping through the port, Canada’s second largest behind Vancouver and capable of handling one and a quarter million TEU’s per annum, has been diverted to other ports, principally Halifax, since the dispute started and the problems are causing delays and possibly the cancellation of new contracts and investments.
Pack n send has reproduced portions of this article from Handy Shipping News as a service to our customers.
Pack n send monitors port operations throughout the world. While most of our cargo shipments go via ship to ports in Central America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, any port closure or slowdown can affect freight shipments throughout the world.
For more information on overseas shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.
Posted on Tue, Jul 27, 2010
In the closing days of the 2010 legislative session, Delaware lawmakers took quick action to exempt some mobile two-way radios from a pending law that would have barred their use by motorists.
Legislation signed into law by Gov. Jack Markell on July 6 (HS 1 for HB 229) prohibits Delaware drivers from using hand-held cell phones or other electronic devices to hold conversations, send text-messages or access the Internet. The legislation also outlaws the use of two-way radios in moving vehicles.
Schwartzkopf said that, while police and first responders were excluded from the original ban, he was embarrassed to admit that he forgot transportation workers and others still use the dated, but proven, technology.
Delaware will be breaking new ground when the law is implemented. No other state in the country prohibits motorists from using CB radios installed in their vehicles.
On the issue of hand-held cell phones, the First State will actually be the seventh state to enforce the prohibition on motorists. It’s already illegal for drivers to use the devices in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Oregon, and in Washington, D.C., as it is in the Delaware municipalities of Wilmington and Elsmere. Maryland’s hand-free cell phone law will go into effect on Oct. 1.
Additionally, 25 states have enacted laws prohibiting texting while driving.
Supporters of the Delaware law point to the increased distraction caused by cell phone use and the hazard impaired drivers posed to their fellow motorists and pedestrians.
“This new law is about improving safety for everyone who shares the road. We hope we can reduce the number of drivers who text and e-mail while driving, and therefore, reduce the number of distraction-related crashes. Just as we’re keeping our focus as a state on creating more jobs, we want drivers keeping their focus on the road,” Markell said.
Violators would not accumulate any points on their licenses. Drivers would be permitted to punch in the phone number or activate the hands-free device, but then cannot have the phone in their hands.
The bill also allows drivers to use a hand-held cell phone to report an accident, fire, reckless driver or another emergency.
Sen. Karen E. Peterson (D-Stanton), who was the primary Senate sponsor of the bill, acknowledged that it was controversial.
The new laws go into effect 180 days from signature – on Jan. 2, 2011.
Portions of the article written by M. Patricia Titus,
Coastal Point News have been printed here as a public service.
While pack n send specializes in freight preparation and cargo shipping, we are always looking for ways to keep our customers informed about new laws affecting drivers.
For information about shipping furniture on pallets, please call us at 713 266 1450.