L4 Logistics | Transport Shipping and Logistics News

TNT and Cosco enter strategic partnership to jointly develop China and Asia Pacific logistics business. Cosco Group, the world’s second largest and China’s largest shipping company, together with TNT, a world leading global mail, express and logistics company, unveil a strategic partnership, with the formation of a Joint Venture (JV). The announcement is made jointly by Captain Wei Jiafu, President of Cosco Group and Mr Peter Bakker, CEO of TNT.

Schneider National Named Wal-Mart Intermodal Carrier of the Year.Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. recently recognized Schneider National as the recipient of the company's annual "Carrier of the Year" award."Schneider National provided outstanding Intermodal service for Wal-Mart in 2004," said Tracy Rosser, Vice President of Wal-Mart Corporate Traffic. "It is our pleasure to recognize their associates for commitment to quality and customer service. Their great support throughout 2004 has ultimately allowed us to better serve our customers."

Kick-Off of Million-Euro Investment at Vopak’s Rotterdam Oil Terminals Yesterday signature of a Letter of Intent by Vopak and the Verwater – Visser & Smit Hanab construction consortium marks the kick-off of a million-euro investment in Vopak's Rotterdam oil terminals. This investment is part of a comprehensive investment programme focused on the jet-fuel and fuel-oil market segments. Vopak plans to invest a total of 55 million euros.

Environmentally-friendly DHL fleet continues to grow 100 extra natural gas vehicles.Deutsche Post World Net will, in future, focus more on natural gas vehicles when delivering its packages. Upon receiving fifteen natural gas vehicles in Berlin, the Group announced that it would purchase 100 further vehicles next year. This will increase the fleet of natural gas vehicles for package deliveries from DHL Express in Germany to over 170 vehicles.

State to become shareholder on 1/1/2006. The Lower House has consented to the terms agreed last summer by the various PMR partners in the Administrative Agreement and the Execution Agreements. This includes 25% State participation in the Port of Rotterdam Authority, as of 1/1/2006. This means that the Port Authority can proceed with preparations for the construction of Maasvlakte 2 according to schedule and that the State will definitely become a party to the venture, as shareholder.

Nurminen Prima Seeks Growth with Fine Art Logistics and Conservation Services. The logistics company John Nurminen Oy will establish a new company to take over its fine art logistics and conservation services on 1 December 2005. The company will be called Nurminen Prima Oy. It will operate in a field with promising growth prospects, and the aim is to provide the Fine Art Logistics Unit with an opportunity to grow and develop independently.

Deutsche Post World Net increased its profit from operating activities (EBIT) by 19.9 percent to around 2.4 billion euros in the first nine months. Revenue rose slightly by 2.5 percent to 32.5 billion euros compared with the first nine months of the previous year. Consolidated net income grew by 51 percent to around 1.3 billion euros, after 890 million euros in the previous year.

Southampton will see the return of Maersk ships in early 2006 after an eight-year gap, writes Lloyd's List. The Danish line will divide UK calls for its Asia-Europe services between Felixstowe and Southampton once it has completed the integration of P&O Nedlloyd. Each port will receive 3 services a week from the Far East.Maersk stopped calling at Southampton in 1997 soon after it brought in its first generation of post-panamax ships, and concentrated UK deepsea operations on Felixstowe.

Declining Prices in the WMS Market Benefit Small Businesses. The worldwide market for Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) has had its best year in several years. After several slow years, the market grew by over 5 percent. The fastest growing customer segment is Tier 3, the small businesses segment. ARC defines these as businesses with under $250 million in revenues. This segment is a $256 million market today that will grow to $342 million in 2009.

Eurovignette Directive: Road transport seen as a cash cow by legislators! The European Parliament's Transport Committee voted on the Eurovignette Directive. This legislation will determine a common framework of principles that Member States must adhere to regarding road user charging systems. The International Road Transport Union (IRU) welcomes the initiative.

Schneider National Named Wal-Mart Intermodal Carrier of the Year. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. recently recognized Schneider National as the recipient of the company’s annual “Carrier of the Year” award.“Schneider National provided outstanding Intermodal service for Wal-Mart in 2004,” said Tracy Rosser, Vice President of Wal-Mart Corporate Traffic. “It is our pleasure to recognize their associates for commitment to quality and customer service. Their great support throughout 2004 has ultimately allowed us to better serve our customers.”

Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) has announced today that it entered into an agreement with the Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC) to invest and operate a container terminal in the Port of Sohar, Oman. The Port is managed by SIPC, which is a joint-venture between the Government of Sultanate of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam.

Qingdao Bonded Logistics Park recently underwent an inspection by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and received its endorsement. The park is an experimental linkage between ports and regions in Qingdao, a coastal city of east China’s Shandong provinceThe linkage between ports and regions is one popular international means of developing free trade zones (FTZ). It expands the policy of bonded areas to port areas for the implementation of regional connections, functional linkage and informational linkage between ports and bonded areas.

"Bangkok Chosen over Shanghai to Host Aeroceanetwork Asian Meeting" Delegates representing logistics companies all over the world descend upon Bangkok this week to attend Aeroceanetwork's All Asia Regional Conference.

New Facility To Enhance Service for Local Customers, Positions DHL For Long-Term Growth in Area . DHL, the world's leading global express delivery and logistics company, today announced plans to build its largest U.S. on-airport service center facility at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. DHL expects to invest $6 million in the development of the new facility, consolidating four Charlotte, N.C.-area facilities into a single service center location.

Mitsui O.S.K.Lines, Ltd.(MOL) and A.P.Moller-Maersk (APM-Maersk) announced that agreement has been reached with to acquire the existing operations of P&O Nedlloyd (PONL) on the trade between Europe & South Africa.

Kuehne + Nagel expands activities in the niche market of wine & spirits logistics. Kuehne + Nagel has acquired the Danish forwarder Ziegler & Co. ApS. This takeover marks a further step in the group’s strategy to globally expand capabilities and capacities in the wine & spirits industry.

TNT Logistics Launches New Parts Distribution Center for BMW in Northern California. TNT Logistics North America (Jacksonville, Fla.) has opened a 250,000 square-foot distribution center for BMW of North America, LLC in Stockton, Calif. Employing more than 55 people, the new distribution center receives after sales replacement parts and accessories from more than 100 domestic and international suppliers and ships to more than 40 dealers in northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and northern Rocky Mountains.

Cargo Connection Logistics Corp. to Offer Financial Assistance for Cargo Connection Logistics Holding's Newly Established Independent Transport Group, LLC (ITG) Through its Factor, Accord Financial, Inc.Cargo Connection Logistics Holding, Inc. (OTCBB:CRGO) today announced it has entered into an agreement with its subsidiary, Cargo Connection Logistics, Corp., to provide financial support for its newly established Independent Transport Group, LLC (ITG) subsidiary. Accord Financial, Inc., Cargo Connection Logistics Corp's, current factor, has agreed the arrangement can fall into Cargo's current credit facility.

British American Tobacco opened a $20 million logistics center in St. Petersburg on Friday, BAT-SPB plant director Jonathan Jones told a press conference.The new center has an area of 27,000 square meters and is BAT's largest facility in Europe, he said. All of the company's products transported throughout Russia will flow through the new logistics center, which is capable of handling the company's growing needs for warehouse storage, he said.(Source: Interfax)

German railroad Deutsche Bahn AG is buying BAX Global, a U.S.-based logistics company owned by Brink’s Co., for about $1.1 billion in cash, Brink’s said Wednesday.BAX Global, an international freight transportation and supply chain management company, is based in Irvine, Calif., and has some 12,000 employees.

Two issues of JSC Russian Railways rouble bonds floated on November 16, 2005 at auction on the Moscow MICEX stock exchange, total bond placement of 15 billion roubles.Two issues of JSC Russian Railways bonds were placed: series 06 with bond turnover of 5 years (1820 days) at a volume of 10 billion roubles, and series 07 with bond turnover of 7 years (2548 days) at a volume of 5 billion roubles.

One crewman was missing on Friday after a South Korean ship sank off the northern Philippines. The 38,000-dwt "Bright Sun" (built 1985), operated by Daeshin Shipping of Seoul, went down in rough seas 25 nautical miles off the town of Curimao, coastguards said.

The demonstrational block train left Berlin for Moscow on the night of November 17. This morning it crossed the Byelorussian-Polish border and arrived to the Brest station. Thus it took the train less than a day to reach Brest, thus 14 hours of delivery time was saved.

Russia, Germany, Poland and Belarus have signed a joint statement on railway freight cooperation, the press service of Russia's railroad monopoly Russian Railways (OAO RZD) said Sunday.