Matt Guasco

As we spin towards the third decade or the Neo-Millennium as I call it; logistics professionals will see changes to the face of transportation un-conceived of 20 years ago. The way we physically handle cargo will go hand in hand with technology to further guide freight movement.

In 1960 America held 16.9 percent of the world’s tonnage with 2,926 cargo vessels and tankers, against a total capacity of 17,317 vessels worldwide. At the turn of the century that number had dropped to 282 vessels registered under the U.S. Flag.

On the evening of April 14th, 1912, the HMS Titanic was making her way from Southampton to New York. Steaming off the coast of Nova Scotia she collided with an Iceberg at 11:40 pm. By 2:20 am after taking on water along her starboard side, the “unsinkable” vessel foundered, broke apart, and sank with over a thousand souls onboard. In response to this tragedy the International Ice Patrol (IIP) was set up to monitor the flow of icebergs within shipping lanes between Europe, Canada and the United…

Launched in 1851 the “Flying Cloud” was the fastest clipper ship under sail. Making the run from New York to San Francisco in 89 days 8 hours, she set the record as the fastest Packet ship afloat, a record which would stand for 100 years. In 1838 the SS Great Western became the first trans-Atlantic passenger liner to integrate steam with sail.

Until his death in 1972 Walter Winchell entertained America with his views on everything from crime to maritime. His comments on the U.S. Merchant Marines even landed him in court.

Container ships exiting the Panama Canal either head into the Caribbean or make a sharp turn to starboard following the coast to load centers in Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad. Ports along the upper coast of South America handle the bulk of “Hub and Spoke” traffic headed to neighboring countries a…

Before its expansion, the Panama Canal was sending 4,500 TEU ships into the Caribbean with containers for trans-loading and final destination. Larger 8,500 TEU vessels transiting the Suez brought a little more volume to island hubs. Terminals in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic became trans-load centers for the Caribbean and US port range, while facilities in Colon could swing cargo to a wide range of destinations including South America.

In 1933 Carl Denham called King Kong the 8th Wonder of the World. If he were alive today, actor Robert Armstrong might say that distinction belonged to Yangshan Port.

Daily news coverage keeps the transportation industry up to date with maritime, ports and Terminal, rail, road and air cargo based transportation information,news and insights.

In the name of operational efficiency and improved service, COSCO, CMA CGM, China Shipping, Evergreen and OOCL agreed this spring to enter into a consortium they would simply call “the Ocean Alliance”.

The British International Freight Association recently supported the latest challenge by UK shippers against ocean freight surcharges. For years the Global Shippers Forum, National Industrial Transportation League and the ESC have also been complaining about carrier surcharges on behalf of their members. Let’s examine some of these charges, consider why they were enacted and see if they have any merit.

\As ocean carriers strive for greater productivity and less dwell time, terminal operators look toward automation as an answer to the question

The BNSF Railway has rolled out an integrated dispatch system for pickup and delivery of ocean containers and domestic equipment at their major intermodal facilities.