Freight Costs

A Call for Transportation Management Upgrades

Reduce the Headaches: The Need for an Upgraded Transportation Management System In 2009, the United States alone shipped more than 2.2 billion pounds of goods such as coal, crude materials like wood, sand and gravel, and primary manufactured goods (United States Census Bureau). Undoubtedly, this required complex logistical planning for companies shipping their goods and left many transportation managers with headaches. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there is an uptick in interest to invest in upgraded transportation management systems that help companies manage shipping both domestically and internationally. In fact, a recent survey by EyeForTransport showed transportation management systems to be the top category for future IT investments at 53%—ahead of CRM, WMS and other software applications. But what are the reasons that more advanced transportation management systems are piquing the interest of companies around the world? Commercial transportation faces unprecedented complexity. For shippers and logistics service providers (LSPs), ever-increasing customer demands for efficiency require more transportation accuracy, speed, and flexibility than ever before. So to help keep customers happy around the world by ensuring that the correct goods are shipped and received on time, transportation managers are leveraging systems that enable an end-to-end order management process

U.S. Cargo Preference Billing

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation released a report stating that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) is required to reimburse the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for “excess” ocean freight costs that food assistance programs incur in order to comply with cargo preference statutes. There is a dispute between MARAD and USDA regarding how to calculate the amount owed. USDA recently billed MARAD $379 million in excess freight charges

Submarines As Ore Carriers?

Russia'sNorilsk Nickel - a big metal producer -- has finished a feasibility study of a project to use nuclear submarines for ore shipments, which once started will cost $80 million, Norilsk's chairman said. "The feasibility study has been prepared and now the board of directors has to approve spending of up to $80 million for its implementation," Yuri Kotlyar said. "But even then the decommissioning of the submarines should be sanctioned by the state."

Improving Freight Rates May Help Shippers Cope With Fuel Costs

The shipping industry is in a better position to cope with soaring fuel prices because of growth in trade as Asia recovers economic crisis, analysts said. The price of bunker fuel, which typically makes up about five percent of a shippers' total operating costs, has over the past six months doubled to $140 per ton. The spoils from improved conditions have not been evenly shared within the industry, with tanker owners the worst hit

SeaBridge Freight - New Cargo Service

SeaBridge Freight, Inc. of Jacksonville, FL announced that it will launch its “marine highway” short sea transportation service on December 1, 2008. SeaBridge Freight will initiate its bluewater container-on-barge operation between the Port of Brownsville, TX and Port Manatee, FL. The Company’s 600 TEU capacity barge (approximately 300 truckloads) will link the large and growing Texas/Mexico and Southeastern U.S. markets.

NOL Group: $254m 1Q Loss

High fuel costs, low freight rates conspire to create tough 1Q NOL Group, the Singapore-based container shipping and logistics company, reported a first quarter 2012 net loss of 254 million compared to a net loss of $10 million in the same period last year.  NOL said high fuel costs and low freight rates in container shipping affected first quarter 2012 performance.   NOL said that in the first quarter of 2012 it achieved about $100 million of cost savings under its ongoing

Shipping Lines Estimate Costs to Rise

Bloomberg reported that Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. and 11 of the largest shipping companies plying the Pacific Ocean said costs of moving cargo to the U.S. in 2006 will rise 7 percent on higher fuel prices, which may spur them to raise freight rates. The cost of transporting containers by trucks and railways will increase as much as 25 percent, the 12-line Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, whose members ship about 70 percent of trans-Pacific trade, said in a statement today.

Which way will container freight rates go? Carriers at crossroads, says Drewry

New Drewry special report examines drivers of container freight rates, provides five year forecasts of major east-west trades and offers suggestions for carriers and shippers on how to smooth pricing volatility. London, UK, 14th March 2011 – Container freight rates go up and then they go down - that’s just the way things are. This almost pathological acceptance that things cannot and will not change is a symptom of a deficiency within container shipping’s DNA that prevents

UK FTA Sulphur Directive Marine Fuel Survey

UK's Freight Transport Association (FTA) conducts survey on whether Sulphur Directive could cause modal shift from sea to road freight. The FTA is asking short sea users for feedback on how the directive could affect them. A five-minute FTA survey has been set up which will gauge the impact the directive will have across the industry. The survey is confidential and only asks for estimates based on respondents' understanding.

Improving Rates May Help Shippers Cope With Fuel Costs

Shipowners are now better placed to cope with soaring fuel prices because of growth in trade as Asia recovers from economic crisis, industry sources and analysts said. The price of bunker fuel, which typically makes up about five percent of a shipper's total operating costs, has - over the past six months - doubled to $140 per ton. The spoils from improved conditions have not been evenly shared within the industry, with tanker owners hit the worst.