Remotely Operated Locks: Progress, But Still Under Study
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is evaluating remote operation of locks within the U.S. inland waterways system. Timetables are hazy, but the Corps plans to include remote operations capabilities during rehabilitations or new construction, in the work planned, for example, in the Upper Ohio Navigation Project, part of the USACE’s Pittsburgh District.In fact, the first install project is being readied at Lock & Dam 4 on the Monongahela River. L&D 4 is also known as Charleroi Locks and Dam because it’s at Charleroi, Pa, at river mile 41.5, between Pittsburgh and Fairmont, W.Va.
E-Navigation is the Future of Shipping
Trading worldwide without electronic tools is no longer an option, young navigators and crew are switched on to digital technology and they want to have this new technology at their fingertips rather than the messy, slow and labour and paper-intensive methods of the past.Tor Svanes, the founder and CEO of NAVTOR, believes that electronic chart and display information systems (ECDIS) is now a must have navigational tool in the modern era.ECDIS has become the modus operandi on all ships…
Kalmar New Reachstacker to Boost Performance
Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has announced the launch of its new Gloria reachstacker specifically designed for empty and semi-laden container handling. With the ability to handle all types of containers, flat racks and single loads of up to 10 tonnes, the DRG100 is the latest addition to Kalmar's highly successful Gloria range of reachstackers. Available in two models, the DRG100-S6 stacks 6 containers high in the first row and theDRG100-S8, which has the capacity to stack containers 8 high in the second row, an option that only Kalmar is currently offering to the market. Commenting on the launch, Stefan Johansson, Director, Sales & Marketing…
PayCargo Re-introduces its Logistics Credit Program
Provider of electronic invoicing and settlement solutions for the shipping industry, PayCargo, LLC, says it has brought back its highly successful PayCargo Credit Program. PayCargo provides a global, online freight payment system that allows shippers, carriers and freight brokers of all sizes to settle accounts faster and more safely than ever before. Since being spun out of a major financial services company earlier this year, PayCargo has been expanding into other transportation segments such as air cargo, trucking, rail, and warehousing. As part of its expansion, PayCargo has arranged funding of the credit facilities it offers its clients. PayCargo can now offer very competitive financing options.
Safer Navigation with International Standards for Electronic Systems
Carrying an estimated 90% of world trade and billions of passengers every year, international shipping represents the life blood of the global economy. Safety, always a major concern for seafarers, has made huge advances in the last century. However, the massive increase in traffic in recent decades requires, among other things, new or better global communication and navigation solutions resting on internationally-agreed standards to maintain and improve safety levels. Shipping was among the very first industries to adopt widely implemented international safety standards.
The eNav Strategy and its Implications
Virtually everyone is, by now, familiar with the concept of electronic navigation, also called eNavigation or eNav. The problem is that the term means different things to different people. Historically, it started with radio beacons. Radar, loran, and GPS have been added over time. Now we have AIS and electronic charting. Most mariners view this as an increasingly sophisticated set of tools installed on the ship to improve the ability to avoid collisions, groundings, and related casualties. That is only part of the story.
New Company to Enhance Marine Safety
The Hudson Group announced its agreement with Morris Environmental Inc., a Texas-based company engaged in emergency management, oil spill resource, tracking, crisis management solutions and cutting-edge response software. Morris Environmental is well known in the maritime industry for its ability to support a client’s Incident Management Team with staff and equipment to assist with incident information management through the development of computerized contingency plans. Morris builds and maintains high-resolution maps and detailed incident response planning information in high-risk areas around the world. The maps and data are maintained in a computer-based geographic information system (GIS)…
