North American rail freight company BNSF has announced today the re-opening of a of a rail-served building materials transload facility in the greater Chicago area.

To be managed by the Elwood based warehouse management company, Partners Warehouse, the facility in Eola Illinois has the capacity to handle dimensional loads and features more than 12.5 acres of covered and open storage in close proximity to Chicago with access to the areas major  highways.

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Pallet supplier and management firm CHEP, has announced that the company has entered into an agreement with the United States, National Onion Association, an agreement that is set to see both CHEP and the National Onion Association benefit.

For the National Onion Association, the partnership with CHEP revolves around the bolstering of funds for retail, consumer and food service promotional and educational activities, while CHEP will see benefits as the National Onion Association moves to promote to its members the benefits of CHEP pallet pooling.

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Road Transport conglomerate YRC Worldwide has signaled its intent to provide a substantial transportation platform in China by acquiring the Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Company, the desired outcome being to better support local customers and large multinational companies based in China.

The Kansas based parent company of such brands as  YRC Logistics, Yellow Transportation and Roadway, entered into an agreement with the Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Company (SJLC) back in December of 2007, prior to the present purchase of sixty-five percent of SJLC stock.  The remainder of SJLC’s stock is set to be purchased by YRC Worldwide in 2010, subject to Chinese company’s 2008-2009 financial performance.

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Los Angeles based logistics firm CaseStack has announced that the company has sourced a location in Laredo Texas for a new cross-docking facility that will serve, among others, CaseStack’s business with the Walmart company.

Starting in October, CaseStack says that the Laredo facility, that is located near to the United States - Mexico Border will support and facilitate logistics from Mexican manufacturing companies to US retailers and enable product to be delivered directly from the Laredo port of entry to Walmart’s distribution centres.

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Global parcel delivery company United Parcel Service (UPS) has advised that the company has amended its UPS On-Call Pickup service in the United States for air packages.

Designed to provide customers with more options to satisfy business requirements, UPS has made the On-Call Pickup Service for air packages available to more than 4,000 postal code areas, with air pickup times have extended in nearly 6,000 postal code areas.

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Amsterdam headquartered mail and express delivery company, TNT N.V. has announced that their Indian venture Speedage will be re-branded to TNT, to reflect the Indian company’s integration into TNT’s  global express network.

Acquired by TNT N.V. in September of 2006, Speedage had been the integral to TNT N.V. strategy to become a market leader in the Indian market.  The move to now re-brand speedage as TNT is an effort by the company to see the TNT brand more recognisable in India.  Consequently all speedage vehicles, employees and buildings in India will now sport the traditional TNT orange and white as well as TNT branding.

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Chicago area communities as well as their representatives in Washington DC have reacted strongly to the latest move by Canadian National Railway in their attempt to quicken the approval process for their purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company.

The group "The Regional Answer to Canadian National" responded to Canadian National’s announcement by providing Breaking News on the groups website, the text pointing out the Canadian National (CN) had threatened the Surface Transportation Board (STB) with legal action should the STB not agree to make a decision on the EJ&E transaction by October 15.

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Canadian rail freight company, Canadian National Railway(CN) has launched a fresh attempt to see the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E) by Canadian National, completed by years end.

Emerged in what could be said to be a three way battle over the acquisition, Canadian National is having to answer to local Chicago area communities as well as the United States Surface Transportation Board(STB) to see what the company describes as an important transaction that is in the broader public interest, approved.

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Georgian based freight company, CaucusTransExpress has found itself in the unenviable position of being caught up in the fighting and hostile military manoeuvres, taking place within Georgia, with much of the country’s transport infrastructure coming to a halt in the wake of the fighting. 

CaucusTransExpress has been advising customers of the ongoing situation with brief but concise statements on the company’s website(*).  The latest statement, posted today, mentions the continuing Russian presence in the main strategic areas of the country. Indeed the Georgian centres of Zugdidi, Poti, Senaki and Gori are all still said to be under Russian occupation, with the main, east-west road still closed.

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With the world price of oil dropping steadily over the past week and a half, a number of airlines have announced reductions in the fuel surcharge imposed on their product.

Late last week, American Airlines Cargo lead off the reduction by reducing their surcharge, the airline base their surcharge level on the weekly average spot price of kerosene-type jet fuel as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy.  An index which is calculated by averaging the five current spot prices in the New York Harbour, U.S. Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Rotterdam and Singapore markets.

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