Paper Transportation News

American Commercial Lines Inc. announced it has established a national sales force in key geographic locations. The Regional Sales Directors include Mr. Vanta Coda -- Gulf Region, Mr. Gabe Forir -- Midwest Region, Mr. Michael Wiercinski -- MidAtlantic/Northeast, Mr. Neil Grossman -- Southeast Region, Mr. John Bryan -- Pittsburgh, and Mr. Sean Smith -- Ohio River Valley. The new directors have extensive backgrounds in rail, barge, 3PL logistics, chemical transportation, pulp and paper transportation, trucking, and truck brokerage.

Open-hatch bulk carrier technology, championed by specialist operators in the North American trade, is to be taken an important stage further through the adoption of deck gantries promising gains of up to 50 percent in cargo handling productivity. Whereas a 40-ton lift capacity is the norm for the traveling cranes fitted on such vessels, which are typically heavily involved in pulp and paper transportation, each of a new series of 48,000-dwt bulkers is to be equipped with a pair of Konecranes-Munckloader gantries plated at 68-tons apiece. Designed for optimized handling and stowage of a wide range of unitized forestry goods, industrial cargoes, and containers, with the hatchways opening out to the full width of the holds, the latest newbuilds have been ordered from Oshima Shipbuilding.