With the price of oil rising and effecting most means of transport around the world, reducing the impact of the price rises has become vital and measures designed to offset the price rises have come in varied forms.

One of the more recent measures employed by some in the air freight industry is to reduce the weight of air freight containers.  According to Agence France Presse, one air freight carrier, Japan airlines has cut the weight of its containers by some 26 kilograms. 

The containers, which are either carried in the belly of Japan Airline’s passenger planes or in the airlines dedicated cargo fleet, can contribute significantly to the weight of the aircraft, indeed the reduction in container weight is said to reduce the entire weight burden of a single flight, by one tonne.

Spokesman for Japan Airlines, Hisanori Iizuka, said the the weight reduction was important.  "The heavier the plane is, the lower its fuel efficiency" said Iizuka, "It’s important to make every little effort."

Source: Agence France Presse

The Government of Canada has released a report into the use of speed limiters on trucks, with the outcomes being a reported reduction in the consumption of diesel fuel as well as showing positive environmental outcomes.

A proposed speed limit of 105 Kilometres per hour for trucks in Canada has long been been endorsed by the Canadian Trucking Alliance, and now that the report(*), initiated by Transport Canada, has indicated additional benefits, provincial and territorial authorities in Canada, who have jurisdiction over road use and after-market additions to motor vehicles, may come under pressure forgo at least some of that responsibility.

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Global express delivery company TNT has announced the commencement of a scheduled road throughout its six-nation road network in Asia.  The network, which is based out of china stretches out and across 5,000 km with stops in over 125 cities in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Laos.

Connecting to TNT’s international express network at Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, TNT’s Asia Road Network also enables connections to within the Chinese domestic network. 

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The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway(MMA), owner and operator of rail line and equipment in the North West of the United States and South Eastern Canada, has announced that due to the current economic climate, the company has cut back on services as well as reduce its workforce.

Currently operating 25 trains daily with a fleet of 32 locomotives, the cutback to services is said to involve reducing operations from six days a week to five on the company’s main line between Millinocket, Maine and Montreal, with trains on most other main and secondary lines operating just three days a week.

Bob Grindrod, the President of MMA, speaking to the situation, has said that "the current economy has caused a downturn in paper, lumber and other
forest products shipments which, along with extraordinary snow removal and
spring flooding expenses, have forced us to make adjustments to keep the
railroad operating efficiently and still provide reliable service to our
customers."

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Florida based maritime shipping company A.R. Savage & Son Incorporated has announced that it has taken steps to unify two if its operating companies relating to shipping and cargo under one corporate brand.

The companies that are affected are both the Savage Shipping Company, as well as Intermodal Shipping Service’s terminal rail and trans-loading business, with both companies now operating under the A.R. Savage and Son brand.  It is understood that despite the corporate unification, employees present with the two previous brands will remain in their respective roles.

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Global forwarding and freight service subsidiary of Deutsche Post World Net, DHL, has announced that the company will expand its capacity to handle temperature controlled cargo within Europe and North America.

Catering to healthcare, pharmaceutical and scientific industries, DHL, in cooperation with Envirotainer, provides a temperature controlled product throughout the company’s distribution chain with certified Envirotainer sites around the world.

Having gain Qualified Envirotainer Provider accreditation, not only is DHL now the largest mover of air transportation containers manufactured by Envirotainer, but the company also intends expand its capacity to deliver temperature sensitive cargoes by expanding its network of QEP certified sites for managing Envirotainer’s. Indeed, by the end of 2008 DHL aims to have achieved QEP status for every primary airport facility where the Envirotainer is used by DHL.

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Canadian rail company, Canadian National, last week announced very welcome news for those who have supported the long planned for expansion of Gary Chicago International Airport in Indiana.

Advising that a preliminary memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the rail line relocation had been reached between, Canadian National said that four groups have signed the MOU, Gary Chicago International Airport(GCIA), the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E), CSX Corporation, and Norfolk Southern Corporation.

The Director of Gary Chicago International Airport Director, Chris Curry welcomed the four-way understanding, saying that “These professionals understood the needs of the airport to fully reach its potential, while at the same time worked to enhance the movement of freight and commerce to ensure the economic viability of NW Indiana well into the future.”

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Just days after Atlanta based RoadLink acquired C-Truck from Hapag Lloyd, the company has again gone shopping, this time acquiring  American Freight Systems.

Its third acquisition of its type this year, RoadLink’s purchase of American Freight Systems is, according to the company, aimed at bolstering RoadLink’s position as a “leading provider of intermodal transportation and specialized warehousing services in North America.”

Based in Vancouver, Washington State, American Freight Systems provides road transport between the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Portland as well as to a shippers final destination.  American Freight Systems founder, John Rogers, welcomed the acquisition by Roadlink, saying that “our staff is excited about joining the RoadLink team and they know they can add immediate value to their regional services.”

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In the wake of a decision announced in late May by Deutsche Post to enter into an agreement with UPS to provide DHL delivery services in North America, current DHL contractors ABX Air and parent company, Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), has held a conference call to brief nervous investors.

Emphasising that come what may with regard to the DHL - UPS deal, ATSG Chief Executive Officer Joe Hete, said that the company was confident that the company will be in a position to meet its financial obligations and that out of the company’s five principle operating units, four are expected to “continue to grow and prosper, no matter what DHL chooses to do.”

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Danish container shipping line, Maersk Line has announced that it will adjust its Asia Europe services in an effort to keep the services sustainable amongst a climate of rising costs.

Driven mainly by the rising cost of fuels, Maersk Line will adjust its  AE5, AE7, AE2, and AE8 to reduce capacity and increase efficiency.  The changes will see a reduction in space by 2,000 forty-foot equivalent units per week whilst keeping all corridors served in the network.

Specifically, the changes Maersk Line have announced will see the suspension of the AE5 service, whilst retaining services to Kaohsiung through AE8.  AE7 will see its sailing speed adjusted from July 8 when the Ella Maersk will depart from the Port of Rotterdam and sail to Bremerhaven, Algeciras, Tangier, Tanjung Pelepas, and Yantian.

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