Transportation Industries News

The biggest operational crane on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard towered over Baltimore's port on Friday, ready to begin clearing the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge days after a cargo ship crashed into it, sending the span crashing into the harbor.Crews were still surveying the damage as of midday Friday. The crane, which can lift up to 1,000 tons, arrived late Thursday night and will probably start hauling debris out of the water on Saturday morning, according to U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Carmen Carver.A second crane is en route and expected to arrive soon to assist the effort…

Dave Lee recently joined Louisiana-based maritime leasing and financing company Maritime Partners as its new vice president of technology and innovation. A well-known figure in the U.S. maritime sector, Lee has previously held leadership positions at ABB, American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) and Jeffboat. His next task: help guide one of the nation’s leading maritime companies through the next chapter of technological advancement.“Right now, every marine company around the globe…

Hornblower Group announced Monday that Adam C. Peakes has joined the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Peakes will report to Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive officer, Hornblower Group.As Hornblower Group’s CFO, Peakes will oversee the company’s global shared services functions of finance and accounting, human resources, information technology and marine operations.“I am excited to welcome Adam to the Hornblower family and work with him as a trusted partner,” said Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive officer, Hornblower Group.

A new approach to safety is necessary along the maritime industry's rapid transition to a decarbonized, digitally smart future, says classification society DNV GL in a new white paper released this week, and as discussed on Maritime Reporter TV with Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL - Maritime and Fenna van de Merwe, Principal Consultant at DNV GL, the report’s author.The white paper entitled “Closing the Safety Gap in an Era of Transformation”, identifies a looming “safety gap”…

The State University of New York Maritime College, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, National Academy of Sciences, academic institutions, industry partners, and federal, state and local agencies, will host the 10th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS 2019) Nov. 13-15, 2019, at New York Maritime College located in the Bronx, New York.MRS 2019 will bring together academics, government and commercial entities to discuss the threats, challenges and risks associated with the Marine Transportation System with a focus on current and future marine transportation challenges and threats.

Pure Safety Group (PSG), a company dedicated solely to fall protection, has introduced the Checkmate TR3 Tripod, used as Personal Protective Equipment to access workers and provide fall protection in confined space environments.The tripod features an innovative new crown and foot design that makes it stronger yet more lightweight than other tripods. The design is representative of the new advancements in height safety that are being created by the innovation team at Checkmate.The TR3 is one of 20 new fall protection products PSG is launching in 2019 into the construction…

“To be a top performer, you must embrace technology,” said Søren Meyer, Chief Strategy Officer, Maersk Tankers, speaking at the Marine Money Week conference in New York on Tuesday.Meyer was referring to the industry-wide digitalization evolution currently underway in the tanker shipping sector, as part of a panel discussion with Frank Coles, President, Transas Group, Wartsila Voyage Solutions; and Scott G. Borgerson, Ph.D., CEO, CargoMetrics Technologies LLC.Digitalization has…

The 5th annual inland IMX show coincides with the first ever FreightWeek STL. For transport professionals, supply chain stakeholders and inland operators alike, there was something for everyone. St. Louis, MO: This week’s IMX inland marine industry tradeshow may have been the primary focus for inland stakeholders, but there were many more reasons to be here in St. Louis. Parallel with and coordinating with the 5th annual event was the weeklong FreightWeek STL event intended to spotlight freight and transportation industries, opportunities and to underscore the St. Louis region as a global freight hub. Importantly, the collaboration also highlighted the need for intermodal solutions and not necessarily modal competition.

For more than 30 years, Markey Machinery has worked with the LNG and marine transportation Industries with the goal of developing winches designed to work under the most challenging conditions. The effort includes extensive design shop testing and actual commercial work, a combination that has ultimately produced an understanding of the operational issues facing terminal and tug operators. The many milestones in the development of Markey’s Asymmetrical Render/Recover (ARR) – technology by which hawser winches are able to maintain mean line pulls up to the bollard pull of the tug – came over a period of time that spans 25 years. The initial 20+ years of hawser winch design and Render/Recover development followed a traditional design path, influenced, in part, by market pressures.

If you’ve been working in the marine insurance industry lately, you will have heard about “blockchain” at some point; it is the electronic, distributed ledger, notoriously known for enabling the use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether. But the blockchain technology’s utility goes beyond cryptocurrencies, potentially offering creative ways to solve other real-world problems. Within blockchain ledgers, the use of ‘smart’ contracts essentially converts contractual obligations into lines of computer protocols, which facilitate, verify, or enforce its performance.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has made a new appointment to the role of Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSRep) Maritime Salvage & Intervention, which oversees the response to accidents at sea. Les Chapman has been appointed to the role and will join the Agency on Monday 21 August. He will work alongside the existing SOSRep Hugh Shaw OBE for several months, to allow a substantial transition period in this important role, and will not assume the role and responsibilities of the SOSRep until an agreed time later on in the year. The SOSRep is responsible for reducing the risk to safety and the environment arising from accidents at sea.

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced that Hovertrans Solutions Pte. Ltd. (Hovertrans Solutions), a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd (ST Marine) has been placed under members’ voluntary winding up pursuant to Section 290(1)(b) of the Companies Act, Chapter 50. Hovertrans Solutions was set up as a joint venture company between ST Marine and its partners, Hovertransport Consultants Ltd, Clearstone Investments LLC and Oasis Marine Consultants Pte. Ltd. to exploit the use of hoverbarges for heavy lift in difficult terrain in the global oil and gas, and specialist transportation industries. The decision to liquidate Hoverstrans Solutions was mutually agreed by all shareholders.

Caterpillar Inc insider Jim Umpleby will become chief executive of the heavy equipment maker on Jan. 1, faced with the challenge of reversing a multiyear sales decline triggered by the global commodities slump. He replaces Doug Oberhelman, who will retire as CEO on Dec. 31 but stay on as executive board chairman until March 31, the company said on Monday. Caterpillar shares were down about 0.58 percent to $87.20. Under Oberhelman the company recorded record high revenue in 2012, two years after he became CEO. However, a decline in metals and oil prices hit the company hard and its sales have fallen since 2013. A 35-year company veteran, Umpleby must grapple with Caterpillar's sober outlook.

The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC), the nation’s leading oil spill response organization, has announced that Steven T. Benz, the company’s President and CEO, will be retiring on April 30, 2017. Tim Plummer, Chair of the MSRC Board of Directors, said “We are thankful to Steve for his many years of strong leadership. During his tenure, he has solidified MSRC as the preeminent spill response organization in the nation, as demonstrated by the critical role MSRC played in the “Deepwater Horizon” response.

The 23rd Annual International Maritime Hall of Fame reception and awards dinner took place yesterday evening in New York where five individuals were honored in front of more than 350 of their colleagues from the international maritime transportation industry. The Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey founded the Annual International Maritime Hall of Fame in 1993 to recognize maritime visionaries who, through excellence in their company, organization or services, best exemplify the qualities of futuristic thinking that guides the maritime industry.

A delegation of Middle East maritime heavyweights including H.E. Khamis Juma Buamim, chairman & group CEO Drydocks World and Maritime World and Rashid Mohammed Al Habsi, the chief executive of Tasneef, will attend the ‘Maritime Transportation of Energy and Mediterranean Ultra Deep Water Exploration’ event in Athens. On the sidelines of the event, the UAE delegation will meet with various industrial groups from Greece including those specialized in shipbuilding, repair and maintenance; maritime transport; ship owners and renewable innovations in ship design industry to explore avenues for mutual growth of the UAE and Greek shipping sectors, says a press release from the company.

Naval architecture and engineering firm Alan C. McClure Associates (ACMA) announced today that Registered Professional Engineer Nicholas Barczak has joined the ACMA team as a naval architect. Nick received his Masters of Engineering in Naval Architecture and Small Craft Design in 2008 from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. He also attended Michigan Technological University where he studied Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining ACMA, Nick worked as a Naval Architect with Art Anderson Associates and Elliott Bay Design Group.

Leaders from the petrochemical, maritime, logistics and transportation industries delivered robust economic forecasts for the Houston Ship Channel region during the 5th annual Economic Alliance Houston Port Region Petrochemical & Maritime Outlook Conference held at the Pasadena Convention Center Thursday, September 4. More than 650 people listened to encouraging news about expansion plans amid a resurgent energy renaissance in Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston Authority and the Panama Canal Authority gave presentations recognizing their growth as 100-year anniversaries are being celebrated for both the canal and the Houston Ship Channel.

The Canadian Ferry Operators Association (CFOA) expresses approval of industry-related budget measures. “This government continues to demonstrate its commitment to transportation infrastructure,” said Serge Buy, CEO of CFOA. Ferries are an integral part of Canada’s transportation system. Collectively, CFOA’s members: Run a fleet of almost 140 ferries Employ approximately 7,400 people Carry over 40 million passengers and nearly 17 million vehicles annually. “In many parts of Canada, ferries are a crucial part of our transportation system,” adds Mr. Buy. The Canadian Ferry Operators Association is the national voice of ferries in Canada. Its members operate with the highest professional and operational standards and promote the safe operation of ferry services in Canada.

Videotel, part of KVH Industries, Inc., has launched a new program, Social Media at Sea, addressing the unique dangers of inappropriate use of social media by shipboard personnel and providing simple solutions to ensure that seafarers understand the dangers - and benefits - of this onboard revolution. Since the use of the Internet has now become commonplace on many vessels, seafarers often have much more freedom to communicate with friends and family using social media tools.

Iridium Communications Inc. today announced Iridium GO!, the industry’s first portable satellite hotspot that connects to any smartphone or tablet, dramatically extending voice and data coverage for personal devices when they are out of range of cellular networks. Iridium GO! creates a satellite-backed Wi-Fi zone anywhere on the planet, enabling up to five smartphones to make calls, get their email, text and use some apps, even when terrestrial networks are non-existent, unreliable or costly.

Until January of this year, Sean Connaughton oversaw seven state agencies with more than 9,700 employees and combined annual budgets of $5 billion. Connaughton is probably better known to MarineNews readers as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administrator during the second Bush Administration. As U.S. Maritime Administrator, he was responsible for the daily management of that agency and its promotional programs for the marine transportation industry. This included advising and assisting the Secretary of Transportation on commercial maritime matters…

Ben Billings serves as President & CEO of the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA), a nationwide trade association headquartered in New Orleans that represents more than 200 member companies. OMSA’s membership includes approximately 100 firms operating more than 1,200 vessels that provide transportation services to the offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world. It’s arguably a very good time to be at the helm of OMSA, with a resurgent U.S.