Work Undertaken in Europe and the US Proceeds Apace to Negate Emissions US – NETHERLANDS – SPAIN – Materials handling equipment manufacturer Hyster says it is progressing in its bid to perfect zero-emission container handling trucks. Two Laden Container Handlers and one ReachStacker are currently in development at the Hyster Big Truck Development Centre in the Netherlands. The zero-emission machines incorporate electricity at high voltage as the main energy source…

Full Load Box Management System Adopted UK – WORLDWIDE – As with many of the global port groups Hutchison Ports, operator of the Port of Felixstowe, has been branching out into other areas of logistics, and one venture, PARIS Optimal Transport Planning, which offers an enterprise and API solution for optimising full load transport via truck, rail and barge freight by using algorithms to reduce the number of empty miles,…

Sulphur Cap and the Demands of Cooperation Will Spur Newbuilds WORLDWIDE – When Danish group Maersk Line announced in 2011 it had ordered the first of the mega box vessels with the building of the Triple E series, it marked a watershed in containership design. At circa 18,000 TEU news of these giants was received with a variety of reactions, culminating in a host of maritime rivals following suit. The…

Ex Editor of Handy Shipping Guide Passes Away UK – This week’s round-up of staff changes in the shipping and logistics world starts with the sad news of the death of Ian Martin Jones, a former Editor of the Handy Shipping Guide, who passed away after a short illness in the early hours of June 17, at the age of 72. Jones had been in the editorial business for almost…

Consultations by European Commission Draw Comments EUROPE – In the latter part of this year the European Commission will open a public consultation in which stakeholders in the sector will be asked to provide their personal views on how the functioning of the rail freight corridors could be improved. Most industry experts take the view that the corridors are not currently maximising the opportunity to exploit the long haul cargo…

New Technologies and Equipment at the Core of Emission Reductions US – When it comes to environmental issues the State of California is often in the van, and now the Port of Oakland Commissioners have approved an air quality plan intended to drastically cut diesel and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the Port’s maritime operations. The plan, called the Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan, envisions a zero-emissions operation…

IAG Shows Faith in Supplier US – WORLDWIDE – Despite the well-publicised problems surrounding Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft, grounded after two MAX 8’s crashed within months of each other killing 346 people, the company has now received an order from the International Airlines Group (IAG), parent company of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus amongst others, for a total of 200 model 8 and 10 aircraft. The two fatal crashes…

Santiago de Chile Back on the Itinerary for European Airline CHILE – EUROPE – Last week, Cargolux Airlines returned to Santiago de Chile on a redesigned South American routing. The air freight only carrier said that the destination, which been reinstated in the airline’s expanding global network, offers new and interesting opportunities for development in the Latin American market. The weekly connection serving Santiago will be part of an extensive…

Virgin Looks to a Greener Future UK – WORLDWIDE – Virgin Atlantic Cargo customers will get a further capacity boost as the airline becomes the first UK airline to announce a firm order for 14 Airbus A330-900neos, with an additional six as options, which it says reaffirms its commitment to flying the cleanest, greenest fleet in the sky. The aircraft will operate on both business and leisure routes for the…

Multi-Million Dollar Investment in Rail Freight Infrastructure in Ohio US – In US rail freight news the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant to the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) in the amount of $3,284,000. The money, together with other funds, will be used to rehabilitate the Port Delta Yard and construct mainline siding capacity in Delta, Ohio…