Intermodal

Port investments will stabilize supply chains, Biden says

President Biden speaking at podium with port cranes and ship in the background.

President Joe Biden visited the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday to highlight steps his administration is taking to alleviate middle-class burdens and planned infrastructure investments that will increase supply chain efficiency now, and in the future. 

The tour took place against a backdrop of consumer inflation at a 30-year high and Christmas products stuck on ships because ports and inland systems are too crowded to move more imports to their destination. Delays and soaring transportation costs...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-investments-will-stabilize-supply-chains-biden-says

Trucking trade group to Gov. Newsom: Enforce law on port fees

A trucking trade group claims terminal operators and ocean carriers are profiting from the supply chain crisis plaguing California ports. It is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to enforce a state law to prevent those businesses from charging port truckers excessive container and equipment fees when drivers are unable to return empty containers and grab customers’ loaded ones because of ongoing congestion issues.

The Western States Trucking Association submitted a letter to Newsom on Tuesday, urging him...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-trade-group-to-gov-newsom-enforce-law-on-port-fees

CMA CGM acquiring Port of LA’s Fenix Marine Services

The CMA CGM Group announced it will become the sole owner of the Fenix Marine Services (FMS) terminal at the Port of Los Angeles by acquiring the remaining 90% stake in a deal with an enterprise value of $2.3 billion. 

“After closing, the CMA CGM Group will take over the operations of this strategic industrial facility with a goal of improving its service quality to better deliver upon its customers’ expectations,” Wednesday’s announcement said.  

The French shipping giant already held a 10%...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cma-cgm-acquiring-port-of-las-fenix-marine-services

Forward Air acquires 2 Twin Cities intermodal operators

Forward Air adds to intermodal portfolio

Forward Air announced two acquisitions on Wednesday aimed at bolstering its intermodal transportation unit. The company acquired BarOle Trucking, the biggest intermodal carrier in Minnesota’s Twin Cities area as well as the trucking assets of TKI Intermodal, a Minneapolis-based provider of container drayage and storage.

The deals are expected to add $25 million in revenue and boost Forward’s intermodal presence in the Minneapolis market by four times.

Forward (NASDAQ: FWRD) also adds 95 drivers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/forward-air-acquires-2-twin-cities-intermodal-operators

Transportation capacity falls further and faster in October

LMI above 70% for nine straight months

Transportation and warehouse capacity sank further, according to data from an October supply chain survey released Tuesday. Transportation utilization and pricing increased but at a slower rate.

The Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI), which measures activity throughout various points in the supply chain, logged a 72.6% reading in the month, 40 basis points higher than September. The LMI is a diffusion index, in which a reading above 50% indicates expansion and a reading below 50% indicates...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/transportation-capacity-falls-further-and-faster-in-october

Breaking: Port of LA board endorses carrier fines for container backlogs

Tractors and containers moving about a marine terminal at a port.

The Port of Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Friday unanimously approved a plan to penalize ocean carriers with a $100 surcharge, compounding daily, for containers that sit too long on marine terminals in an effort to clear backlogs that are preventing vessels from unloading cargo.

Executive Director Gene Seroka said the California Association of Port Authorities on Thursday voted to support the joint effort by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, providing legal cover to add the fee to the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/breaking-port-of-la-board-endorses-carrier-fines-for-container-backlogs

Universal Logistics seeks expense relief from customers

Wages and accessorial charges at the ports are items of concern for Universal

Launch costs associated with a new business win at an auto manufacturer’s facility pulled down Universal Logistics Holdings’ third-quarter results.

The Warren, Michigan-based asset-light transportation and logistics provider recorded a $7.1 million loss on the new piece of business in the period, which in part pushed earnings per share 24% lower year-over-year to 38 cents, well short of the 64-cent-consensus estimate.

In total, $12.9 million in startup and litigation costs weighed on Universal’s (

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/universal-logistics-seeks-expense-relief-from-customers

SoCal ports could fine carriers for tardy containers by Nov. 15

Aerial view of containers stacked at a port.

Port authorities in Los Angeles and Long Beach plan to start assessing and collecting late fees on loaded import containers that remain on the docks for extended periods as soon as Nov. 15. The information was disclosed in agendas for emergency meetings of the respective harbor commissions on Friday.

The boards will vote on plans submitted by port staff to charge ocean carriers $100 per day, increasing in $100 increments per container per day, for containers scheduled to move locally by truck...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/socal-ports-could-fine-carriers-for-tardy-containers-by-nov-15

FreightWaves Classics/Fallen Flags: James Hill built the Great Northern Railway into a powerhouse (Part 2)

A set of Great Northern covered wagons and their mixed freight depart from Minneapolis' Union Yard during the 1960s. (Photo: Adam Burns Collection/American-Rails.com)

There are many people interested in former transportation companies, whether they were trucking companies, railroads, airlines or ocean lines. These companies are called “fallen flags,” and the term describes companies whose corporate names have been dissolved through merger, bankruptcy or liquidation.

In Part 1 of this article the early history of what became the Great Northern Railway was the focus. In Part 2, an overview of Great Northern’s history in the 20th century is the focus.

The Great Northern Railway logo. (Image: Adam Burns/American-Rails.com)The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-fallen-flags-james-hill-built-the-great-northern-railway-into-a-powerhouse-part-2

Minnesota port ready to handle waterborne international containers

Want to avoid the crowded Southern California ports? Have you considered Minnesota?

Duluth Seaway Port Authority officials have announced that the Clure Public Marine Terminal now can handle steamship-owned international shipping containers transported by vessel, “in an expansion that will augment existing road- and rail-based intermodal container service under the Duluth Cargo Connect banner.” 

The Clure Terminal has been welcoming vessel traffic since it opened in 1958, but over the decades...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/minnesota-port-ready-to-handle-waterborne-international-containers

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