Transportation Mode News

Mary Ann Bucci has spent her entire career in many different aspects of the logistics profession, selling container space on international vessels for SeaLand Service, leasing railcar equipment for GE Railcar Services, and negotiated rail rate for Aristech Chemicals. Having spent the last 19 years advocating for the inland waterways system, specifically for the Port of Pittsburgh District, Bucci weighs in on some of the top issues and key projects underway at one of the nation’s busiest inland ports.Please describe the Port of Pittsburgh Commission’s role in supporting waterway commerce…

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) offered praise for Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ for the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) work plan that lays out allocations for funds provided in the FY20 Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill toward the Corps’ civil works mission. The work plan was released late yesterday.Critical to the nation’s agricultural shippers and American family farmers, the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) (Upper Mississippi River – Illinois Waterway System: IL…

Japanese shipping and logistics company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has placed an order to build a second LNG-fueled pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) with Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co.The shipbuilding contract was signed at NYK’s head office on January 31. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2022 and will become NYK’s second LNG-fueled PCTC."With this new vessel, NYK will be able to provide more customers with a low-carbon transportation mode, and the company will continue its efforts to reduce its environmental load and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society," said the shipping company.It said that NYK…

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders earlier this month during the association's annual Spring Convention held in Washington, D.C. Scott Merritt, former Chief Operating Officer for Foss Maritime Company, LLC, was elected Chairman. Arthur F. Mead, Vice President and General Counsel at Crowley Maritime Corporation, was elected Vice Chairman. Mr. Merritt succeeds outgoing Chairman Tom Marian…

Rear Admiral Mark Buzby is the Maritime Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration.Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby was appointed by President Donald Trump and sworn in as Maritime Administrator on August 8, 2017. Prior to his appointment, Buzby served as president of the National Defense Transportation Association, a position he has held since retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2013 with over 34 years of service. A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Buzby earned his Bachelor of Science in Nautical Science and U.S. Coast Guard Third Mate License. He was commissioned in the US Navy in June 1979, is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College and holds master’s degrees from the U.S.

Intercargo welcomes the landmark initial strategy for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from ships adopted by IMO. "We firmly believe that IMO is the appropriate body to address the global challenge of GHG emissions, as the competent authority to do so. Shipping is the most efficient transportation mode and, moreover, its regulatory body, the IMO, was the first to address GHG emissions by adopting technical and operational requirements for new and existing vessels with global application as early as 2011. It is disappointing that we have witnessed the demonstration of regional and insufficient thinking outside the IMO framework in the meantime," said a statement.

CMA CGM Group, a world leader in maritime transport, is pleased to announce the start of the Ocean Alliance Day Two Product. Based on the success of Ocean Alliance, the Ocean Alliance Day Two Product strengthens CMA CGM’s service offering by providing even better services and upgrades to the Group’s customers. The Ocean Alliance Day Two Product has a carrying capacity of around 3.1 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) with 331 containerships deployed on 41 services. CMA CGM will continue to play a major role within the alliance, deploying a fleet of 121 ships. 20 Transpacific services, 4 Transatlantic services, 6 Asia-North Europe services…

Just before the anticipation of good things to come on Valentine’s Day, on February 12, the inland waterways transportation industry was left feeling disappointed and puzzled after the release of the long-awaited Trump Administration infrastructure principles, and then the release of President Trump’s FY 2019 budget request. During the Presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump said he would undertake a $1 trillion infrastructure initiative that would focus on a wide array of projects, from sewer systems to bridges to Veterans Hospitals to rural broadband expansion.

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) reacted to the Trump Administration infrastructure principles released today, expressing disappointment that the proposal moves toward eliminating the role of the Federal government to construct, operate and maintain the nation’s waterways by transferring that responsibility to nonfederal public or private entities. The President’s FY2019 budget request and the infrastructure initiative also propose to modernize the waterways transportation system…

On May 22, the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, containing major recommendations of the Capital Development Plan (CDP), was passed by a vote 91-7 in the Senate. As MarineNews was going to press, President Obama finally signed the bill into law. The conference agreement had passed the House on May 20 by an overwhelming 412-4 vote. The bill contains four key elements of the Capital Development Plan that were included in the House WAVE 4 (H.R. 1149) and Senate RIVER Act (S.

Urges President’s Signature into Law. Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) today celebrated the passage of the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, containing major recommendations of the Capital Development Plan (CDP*). WCI urges the President to sign the bill into law. The conference agreement passed the House on Tuesday by an overwhelming 412-4 vote. Today’s Senate passage by a strong vote of 91-7 underscores the strong bi-partisan effort to enact the critical water resources bill.

The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon, announced that the Vessel Master of the Adfines East plead guilty to operating a commercial vessel under the influence of alcohol in the Port of Portland. Valeriy Sharykin, 62, a Russian citizen, and captain of a Maltese freighter plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate John V. Acosta. Defendant Sharykin was charged by information with negligent operation of a commercial vessel, a class A misdemeanor. Sharykin was the licensed Vessel Master on the Adfines East, a 602 foot commercial vessel, weighing over 24,000 gross tons and sailing under the flag of Malta. While conducting an official inspection of the vessel on April 8…

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) announced the opening of the Seaway’s 55th navigation season with the transit of Canada Steamship Lines’ newly built Baie St. Paul through the St. Lambert Lock. Marking the first of a series of new vessels being constructed specifically for use in the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Baie St. Paul ushers in a new era in domestic shipping. “Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) ranks prominently among a number of Canadian shipowners who are committing hundreds of millions of dollars to build new vessels…

The 2013 Great Lakes shipping season began on March 2 with the sailing of the tug/barge unit Prentiss Brown/St. Mary’s Conquest. The vessel, operated by Port City Marine Services, departed its winter lay-up berth in Milwaukee and sailed for Charlevoix, Michigan, where it loaded 9,200 tons of cement for delivery to Chicago. Next to get underway was the tug/barge unit Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder. The vessel, one of 10 operated by The Interlake Steamship Company, loaded about 13,000 tons of iron ore at Cleveland Bulk Terminal in Cleveland…

U.S.-flag shipping on the Great Lakes provides efficient, safe, and environmentally sound transportation services to industries that are the backbone of the American economy finds a report released on February 12 by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. The U.S.-flag Lakes fleet is “competitive with other modes of freight transportation in the movement of dry-bulk commodities and appears to be adequately capitalized to meet current market demands. The MARAD report notes that “studies have demonstrated that, on average, transportation cost savings from $10 to more than $20 per ton are associated with the use of lakers compared to the next most competitive transportation mode (rail or truck).”  This is crucially important…

In a special meeting called to consider this proposal, the Executive Committee of Waterways Council, Inc. unanimously voted to support The Reinvesting in Vital Economic Rivers and Waterways (RIVER) Act of 2013, has announced  by its sponsor, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). The plan, introduced in Pittsburgh -- where some of the most aged locks and dams reside -- would establish a sustainable, cost-effective way to ensure that the inland and intra-coastal waterways of the United States remain economically viable.

The Executive Committee of Waterways Council unanimously support 'The Reinvesting in Vital Economic Rivers & Waterways (River) Act of 2013'. The plan, introduced in Pittsburgh -- where some of the most aged locks and dams reside -- would establish a sustainable, cost-effective way to ensure that the inland and intra-coastal waterways of the United States remain economically viable. This bill, sponsored by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), would modernize America’s inland waterways system, create jobs, relieve traffic congestion, and optimize American competitiveness through the most low-cost, energy-efficient transportation mode. The proposal…

WCI Immediate Past President Rick Calhoun Testifies on need for WRDA Bill. Rick Calhoun, President of Cargo Carriers, a business of Cargill, Inc., and Immediate Past Chairman of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), testified today before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on “Water Resources Development Act: Growing the Economy and Protecting Public Safety.”   Mr. Calhoun addressed the need for a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which he called “a real opportunity…

America’s Ports, Freight System Recognized in MAP-21 Surface Transportation Bill Reauthorization. With congressional passage today of MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century), the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) says elements in the two-year, $105 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill elevate the priority of freight movement in a way that constitutes major progress in recognizing the value of America’s seaports and freight network to the economy, jobs creation and business development.

U.S. TRANSCOM General Says Domestic Maritime Industry is “Fourth Arm of Defense.” On National Maritime Day, Calls Industry Critically Important to National Security. U.S. TRANSCOM Commanding General William Fraser III today said maintaining a strong domestic maritime industry is critical to the defending the homeland, describing the sector as the “fourth arm of defense.”  The Air Force General’s remarks came at a National Maritime Day celebration at the Washington Navy Yard. “Maintaining…

An estimated 155 American maritime industry representatives from throughout the country are gathering today in Washington, D.C. This eclectic group of maritime professionals is gathering to update Congress a day after the release of a new study from the Navy League of the United States that says a unified domestic maritime industry plays a “unique and extraordinary” role in promoting U.S. economic, national and homeland security. “The Sail-In is the one time of the year that nearly…

Today, Maersk Line CEO, Eivind Kolding, addressed the container shipping and logistics industry as the keynote speaker at the TOC conference in Antwerp, Belgium. His message was clear and simple: If container shipping is to secure its license to operate in the future, the industry needs to change now! Containerization revolutionized world trade. The potential it unlocked by efficiently connecting producers and consumers across the world enabled both shipping lines and their customers to develop their businesses in ways that previously had seemed impossible.

As Earth Day approaches, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) announced that 2010 saw the lowest-ever recorded number of tank barge oil spills. The 2010 spill statistics newly released by the U.S. Coast Guard show that the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry had a record low of 75 spills and a record low volume of 919 gallons spilled. AWO is recognized as the industry’s safety leader, with its members required to comply with the AWO-developed Responsible Carrier Program, a safety management system that mandates operational audits every three years. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) has successfully helped the industry to put in place safeguards that have dramatically improved the industry’s safety record.