To be managed by the KAG subsidiary, Keenan Transport Company (KTC) , the terminal is actually located alongside existing facilities operated by KTC’s sister company, Transport Service Co, of the company’s Specialty Product’s Group.

Commenting on the opening of the terminal, the Vice President of Keenan Transport, Dennis Waller explained that "The terminal was opened to better serve our growing customer base in this region." Waller also added that "Delivery capabilities initially include the New Orleans and Baton Rouge market areas, but plans are underway to expand quickly into other areas of Louisiana."

In describing the short and long term goals of the terminal and broader operations, Dennis Waller also indicated that as KTC broadens its national footprint, it is hoped that new customers will be attracted to the company by value added services that are designed to enhance what Waller described as "last mile" petroleum distribution activities.

The Keenan Advantage Group through it’s subsidiaries operates nationwide with a fleet of of more than 3,100 power units and 4,100 trailers. The company also providing customers with specialized supply chain logistics services through KAG Logistics and KAG Ethanol Logistics.

Source: PR Newswire and the Keenan Advantage Group

Launched in California in 1995, PrePass is designed to enable qualified motor carriers to comply with weight, safety and credential requirements at highway speeds, the benefits being savings in fuel consumption as well as cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Participation in the scheme is voluntary with carrier eligibility being subject to strict safety qualifications, but despite the voluntary participation and the stringent regiment of qualification, the system has been welcomed in Illinois, participating trucking companies recognizing the fuel savings offered by utilizing the system.  Indeed since its deployment in Illinois, it is estimated that PrePass has saved Carriers in the state some 7.7 million gallons of fuel and more that $103 Million in operation costs.

Richard Landis, the President and Chief Executive Officer of HELP Incorporated, the public-private partnership that offers PrePass, lauded the ten year anniversary of the State of Illinois’ introduction of PrePass, saying that "Illinois’ decision to deploy PrePass is making the state’s highways safer, cleaner and more efficient for us all."

With at present approximately 450,000 trucks enrolled in the PrePass system, it is estimated that in the thirteen years since its inception, the PrePass system has reduced emissions nationwide by more than 265,000 metric tons.

Source: PR Newswire and PrePass

According to the airline, the new Manaus terminal consists of an operating area of 2,160 metres, allowing for a storage capacity of more than 80 tonnes per day.  The increased size and spaciousness of the terminal set to make its easier for large vehicle manoeuvrability and parking, allowing freight shipments to be dispatched faster.

Commenting on the new terminals importance to ongoing operations, TAM Cargo’s Vice President for Planning and Alliances, Paulo Castillo Branco, expressed that "Manaus is strategic for TAM Cargo."  "The new terminal can handle nearly 35% more freight than its predecessor," said Branco, and that the terminal would allow for expansion in coming years should market demand  require it.

The new facilities employs areas exclusively for different types of freight, as well as cold storage for perishables. Additionally an on-site tax office of the State Treasury Secretariat at the Manaus facility will enable faster delivery of payment receipts.

TAM Cargo currently serves 42 Brazilian airports with direct flights, with international services providing access to 45 countries and more than 120 cities throughout Mercosur trade region, North America, Europe and the Far East.

Source: PR Newswire and TAM Linhas Aéreas S.A.

A result of the Fort McMurray project and the industry’s progression is now the partnership between the Port of Thunder Bay and Canadian National Railway, to develop a competitive routing option for oil sands project cargo destined for For Western Canada.

For Canadian National, opening up rail access from to Thunder Bay Port to Western Canada for project cargo has meant acquiring the short-line railroad from Boyle, Alberta to Fort McMurray, widening rock cuts on the route, as well as mile by mile re-measuring and inspection of rail lines to enable the carriage of specialty project cargos.  The route now permitting the large and heavy equipment that will go towards opening up the oil sands industry in Western Canada.

Commenting on the cooperation between Canadian National and the Port of Thunder Bay, Tim Heney, the Chief Executive Officer of the Thunder Bay Port Authority said that "We are delighted to work with CN to provide this new Canadian gateway to western Canada’s oil sands."  Heney added that The Port of Thunder Bay itself has had a "long history serving the needs of western Canada and we are dedicated to the integration of the marine and rail needs of transportation. We look forward to the new opportunities that this gateway will provide for the port and the community."

The Port of Thunder Bay is located at the head of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System, the facility handling all types of cargoes and is served by both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways, as well as major Canadian trucking companies.

Source: Port of Thunder Bay

The group, which is made up of a number of communities that have the EJ&E rail lines transiting through their neighbourhoods, have listed twenty points of argument and or disagreement with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that the STB have released, the group preparing for a number of public hearings that are scheduled to take place throughout the affected region in the coming days and weeks.

The document(*), while covering varying issues does identify the increased utilization of the EJ&E Lines associated with the number of level crossings on the EJ&E rail network as a major area of concern for TRAC and the communities affected.

TRAC had previously expressed reservations about the increased congestion at level crossings, with issues from worries over community safety to the potential hindrance to first responders, both issues making an appearance in TRAC’s list of objections to the DEIS.

The potential cost to communities of constructing grade separation crossings to mitigate these risks, also appears to be a bone of contention between TRAC and the STB, with TRAC flatly accusing the STB’s Section of Environmental Analysis of not adequately determining whether Federal and State Governments could or would contribute to mitigation efforts, given that the DEIS has suggested that  Canadian National need only finance up to fifty per cent of the required mitigation costs.

TRAC continues to actively oppose the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E railway by Canadian National, without a comprehensive environmental review of the proposal as well as the implementation of adequate mitigation measures.

Source: The Regional Answer to Canadian National

The agreement between Whirlpool and Kenco Logistics Services (Kenco) will see the logistics services company manage an existing Whirlpool warehouse, nearby to the new distribution facility, from the first of September.  Subsequent to this, Kenco will manage the transition from the existing facility to the new distribution facility, once it is opened in early October.

Commenting on the task that lay ahead for the company, Kenco’s Director of Operations, Greg Boring said that "As we assume the management of this state-of-the-art facility, we fully expect to employ most of the current 180 full-time employees and 60 temporary workers. Their skill, dedication and understanding of Whirlpool’s operational needs will allow a seamless transition from the previous management company to Kenco Logistic Services."

First provided logistics service to Whirlpool in 1979, Kenco, subsequent to this latest agreement with Whirlpool, will manage over five million square feet of warehousing for the appliance manufacturer.

Source: Marketwire

Maersk Line describes the new service as a unique and innovative solution to servicing the Australian market and that the "pendulum loop" of which the service consists, will encapsulate the deployment of ten vessels allowing for the optimal combination of efficiency through size and ability to operate at economical speeds.

Commencing in late September, Boomerang will serve the Australian east coast ports of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as the Port of Fremantle on Australia’s west coast.  The services Asia component being made up of visits to major ports in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Malaysia.

Maersk Link has said via  press release on the new services that Boomerang will offer customers a comprehensive and consistent coverage through a single and effective product, as well as the new schedule ensuring increased reliability.

One of the largest shipping companies worldwide, Maersk  Line, a division of the A.P Moller - Maersk Group, enjoys a fleet numbering more than 500 container vessels and more than 1,900,000 containers.

Source: Maersk Line

The facility, the second of its type for UPS, measures over 27,000 square feet and will house two flight simulators, classrooms and offices.  Operating up to 20 hours each day, it is hoped that the facility will reduce the time spent away from home for training by Anchorage-based pilots, who otherwise would have had to travel to UPS’s Worldport base in Louisville Kentucky for their training.

Commenting on the new training facility, UPS Airline President Bob Lekites pointed out that "Anchorage is ideally positioned to be our gateway to Asia.  With growing small package and freight volume and expanding services in that region, we are excited about the potential continued growth in this city."

Anchorage was specified as a pilot domicile back in December of 2006 with at present 402 crew members based in the city.  That number is expected to grow as the new training facility is established with thirty-five employees, including training instructors, simulator technicians and administrative staff, are based at the new training facility.

The training facility itself was built using a converted hangar at the south end of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport., the facility housing UPS’s only 747-400 flight simulator along with its second MD-11 simulator. Both aircraft are used by UPS to provide the long-range international lift needed for the company to maintain its global reach.

Source: United Parcel Service

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.

Commenting on the re-opening of the warehouse, Vann Cunningham the Assistant Vice President of Economic Development for BNSF note that the facility is the "only yard of its type close to the growing housing market in the western Chicago suburbs and with immediate access to major North/South and East/West highways."

Cunningham also eluded to BNSF’s confidence in Partners Warehouse by pointing out the company’s knowledge of the local market, and experience working with lumber and other building products, making the Partners Warehouse "the perfect choice to run the Eola facility."

Other products that are expected to be shipped through the Eola facility include general building materials, lumber and other panel products, drywall products, roofing materials, steel (bar, pipe, and plate), as well as minerals, clays and cement.

Source: Marketwire

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.

Commenting on the new partnership, both the National Onion Association and CHEP expressed confidence that the alliance would provide the said benefits.  "Our partnership with CHEP will benefit both of our organizations," said Kim Reddin, Director of Public and Industry Relations of the NOA.

"CHEP is providing onion producers added support for their marketing efforts," added Reddin, and "we are pleased to endorse the CHEP program because of the supply chain benefits the company delivers to our industry.

Tim Smith the Vice President of Business Development for CHEP echoed Reddin’s sentiments, saying that CHEP was "pleased to partner with the National Onion Association for the benefit of their many grower members," and that "our team looks forward to helping them develop programs that help boost sales."

The CHEP company issues, collects, conditions and reissues more than 300 million pallets and containers throughout its worldwide network, handling pallet and container supply chain logistics for customers shipping raw materials, consumer goods, foodstuffs and beverages as well as catering to the home improvement, petrochemical and automotive industries.

Source: Business Wire and CHEP