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Limits of Liability (Cargo Claims)
By Sea - Hague Visby Rules
SDR 2 per kilo or
SDR 666.64 per package
By Road - CMR
SDR 8.33 per kilo
By Air - Warsaw/Montreal
SDR 17 per kilo
IIFA Standard Trading Conditions
SDR 2 per kilo
The SDR rate on 30/04/2009
according to the
International Monetary Fund was
ISDR = 0.8862810000 Euro
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IIFA Golf Classic 2009
The annual IIFA Golf Classic in aid of C.A.R.I will take place on Thursday 14th May 2009 in Skerries Golf Club. There are still a few places available on the day and if you would like to enter a team please contact the office on 01 845 5411. |
IWT to operate a block train from Dublin in September
International Warehousing & Transport, a full trading member of IIFA, are finalizing plans with Iarnrod Eireann to operate a rail service for freight between Dublin and Ballina. Co. Mayo beginning next September. The service will consist of a dedicated block train directly between the west and Dublin port.
Project manager, Colin Dunne has told us that the new service follows 12 months of research and marketing into the project and will be available to other forwarders who wish to use the service.
Today, (May 1), in County Mayo, the Irish Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey will announced in a keynote conference address that the state-owned national rail company, Iarnrod Eireann will reopen the line and complete the necessary amendments in readiness for IWT's first scheduled train in September.
The service will start with two trains per week, rising to three trains within six weeks, and plans are to develop it into a daily service by the end of this year.
The new intermodal service - which after modification will cater for 45ft as well as high-cube containers - has already attracted significant interest from major west coast manufacturers.
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AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW !!!!
The TruckTrain Concept
Letter from Phil Mortimer of TruckTrain Developments. Bognor Regis. UK.
"Hi Colm,
The recent reports about getting rail freight back into contention in the domestic freight markets in Ireland (North & South) were interesting but I think failed to make the connection between the limitations of the existing business/technical/operational model and what shippers would want from any rail service. Effectively they would want equivalent or better than the services provided by truckers in terms of reliability, consistency, through transit security, precision, availability 24/7, cost effectiveness and a credible management. Not difficult really but the existing rail service suppliers seem to have made a first of it.
I'm not sure where Ireland sits in terms of open access to the railway system by new entrants. The scale of investment required by any new market entrant could be significant (kit, insurance, accredited crews, safety case etc). The limitations of the big loco hauled train of dumb wagons are clear in that shippers want something else.
Enter TruckTrain. This has been designed specifically to get after cargo that orthodox trains cannot service because of the limitations of the technology, operational and planning methods. The project is moving into detailed design for manufacture/certification and trials and we believe it could be an attractive option for some of the larger haulage/transport/logistics players faced with rising fuel costs, concerns over emissions, driver hours all of which put existing logistics and transport systems under pressure. We have developed a model whereby the new trains could be integrated into existing road based logistics and supply chains and to achieve a modest transfer of traffic from road to rail with positive commercial benefits as well as the green issues which flow as an automatic endowment.
We are still some way from deployment but it might be useful to get some markers down with the key transport/logistics decision makers, particularly those looking forward 3-5 years. Whether the incumbent rail operators are remotely interested I cannot gauge. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.
We'd be happy to present the concept if it is of interest. There is EC funding around for this type of initiative plus commercial sources despite the recession. This might just be the best of times to be laying down markers for the future.
Regards
Phil
PS There are some other configuration options as well as those shown below."
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Aer Lingus Cargo Appointment
Aer Lingus has appointed Remo Hanselmann as its new head of cargo. He will be responsible for the development and targeted expansion of Aer Lingus' cargo division.
His most recent posting before Aer Lingus was as regional cargo manager for Qatar Airways.
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Investigation goes on:
More airlines fined for fixing rates
Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines International, Japan-based Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), and South Korea-based Asiana Airlines Inc have each agreed to plead guilty and pay criminal fines for conspiring to fix prices in the air cargo industry. In addition, Asiana was charged with fixing passenger fares charged on flights from the USA to South Korea.
These cases have arisen from the USA's ongoing investigation into the air transportation industry. 15 companies (including these three) have pleaded or agreed to plead guilty in the US Justice Department's investigation. British Airways, Korean Airlines, Qantas Airways, Japan Airlines International, Martinair Holland, Cathay Pacific Airways, the SAS Cargo Group, Air France-KLM, LAN Cargo, Aerolinhas Brasileiras and EL AL have also pleaded guilty. Additionally, three executives have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the illegal activity. Collectively, the companies have paid or agreed to pay fines totalling more than USD 1.6 billion and all three executives have been sentenced to serve jail time.
Martinair Exec Agrees to Jail Time
In an article since the above one, we read in the Journal of Commerce;
"A Dutch airline executive for Martinair Holland will plead guilty, serve jail time and pay a fine in connection with a price-fixing conspiracy for international air cargo shipments, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Franciscus Johannes de Jong, former vice president of cargo sales in Europe for Martinair, will serve eight months and pay $20,000 in a criminal fine under a plea agreement, subject to court approval, DOJ said.
That makes four executives and 15 airlines that have pled guilty or agreed to penalties in the ongoing probe of conspiracy to fix prices in air shipments. Fines have topped $1.6 billion, and three persons have already been sentenced to jail time.
In a charge filed in court against de Jong, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, DOJ said he and other conspirators held meetings and engaged in other communications to set prices on cargo, in a period from April 2002 to at least February 2006.
"By fixing prices for the shipment of products to and from the United States, this cartel targeted a critical piece of our country's economy," said Scott D. Hammond, deputy assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division's Criminal Enforcement Program.
The department said its investigation continues into this cargo pricing conspiracy, which included coordinating fuel surcharges on international air cargo hauls."
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Number of illegal immigrants to the UK increasing every year.
Irish hauliers who use the UK as a gateway to/from mainland Europe have been warned that the incidence of illegal immigrants trying to reach the UK is on the increase.
The number of illegal immigrants caught trying to enter the UK by hiding in HGVs moving through the French ports toped 28,000 last year, figures released by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) confirm.
This figure was up from 17,000 attempts in 2007 and 16,000 in 2006 and the figure for 2009 could be much higher, according to the UKBA.
The UKBA has also raised concerns over the increasingly dangerous methods people are willing to use and said it would seek government support from both sides of the Channel to tighten security.
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APL Feeder Service
MV Achiever has been replaced by MV Ice Runner - 700teu.
It will continue on the same schedule as before:
Cork Sunday
Dublin Monday
Rotterdam Wed and Thursday
And back to Cork for work am Sunday
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Transport Companies called on to enter Sustainable Energy Awards 2009
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) has commenced its annual search for Ireland's most energy efficient businesses with the launch of the Sustainable Energy Awards 2009. This year SEI is hoping to see an increase in the number of transport companies entering the awards. The Awards, organized by SEI in association with ESB Customer Supply, recognize the achievements of Irish businesses succeeding in their efforts to cut energy costs and improve environmental performance. Entrants to the 2008 Awards demonstrated energy savings of over €17m, with projects typically delivered energy savings of 20% or more as a result of their energy management activities. Given that energy accounts for up to 30% of operating costs for the majority of transport companies, any saving in this area would greatly affect a company's bottom line and simultaneously help the environment. Entries to the awards, open to all companies of any size in the transport sector, span a range of sustainable energy categories from employee awareness programmes to sustainable buildings and renewable energy. Last year's entrants recorded energy savings of €17 million as a result of their energy management activities. The Sustainable Energy Awards highlight these successes and allow others to replicate their success. For more information or to download an entry form, please visit
www.sei.ie/energyawards
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IRHA describes duty increase as
'potentially fatal to small haulage operators'.
The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) I.R.H.A. has described the five cent duty increase on diesel as "unwelcome, damaging and potentially fatal to small haulage operators. IRHA President Vincent Caulfield commented: "Hauliers are already struggling to support Irish industry through these difficult times and are now faced with no option but to pass on this unwelcome additional cost."
"While we acknowledge everyone has a role to play in our economic recovery the IRHA is gravely concerned that this increase will result in company closures and further unemployment." "Members are already paying higher levels of PRSI, PAYE, insurance and toll charges. This is a hugely disappointing day for our industry; an industry which is critical to the revival of our economy given our country's dependence on road transport for the movement of over 95 per cent of freight."
Caulfield confirmed that the association has lobbied the government in the run up to the Budget and went as far as urging the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Transport to introduce an essential user rebate to counteract any such increase in the event of a general hike in excise.
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Midwest States to Consider Truck-Only Lanes
Ohio is among four states studying a proposal to create separate lanes for commercial trucks traveling along an 800-mile stretch of Interstate 70, according to the Associated Press.
Supporters say the plan would increase safety, decrease traffic congestion, and allow trucks to move freight more efficiently by hauling more trailers at one time.
If funding is approved for the so-called "Corridor of the Future," it would be the nation's first truck-only interstate corridor.
Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri are the other states taking part in the study.
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Canadian Trucks Get Bigger
Ontario, Canada will begin a pilot program this summer to assess the benefits of pulling two 53-ft. trailers behind one cab.
The one-year program will include up to 100 vehicles. Longer combination vehicles, known as LCVs, are already allowed in Western Canada, Quebec and 20 states in the United States.
Studies conducted by the Canadian government showed LCVs were involved in 60 per cent fewer collisions than single trailer trucks. While the vehicles can double the volume pulled by a single cab, the test will not allow the vehicles to carry more weight than existing single tractor-trailers.
"This is a good thing for Ontario's retailers and manufacturers," said Bob Ballantyne, president of the Canadian Industrial Transportation Association, a shipper group. "LCVs will reduce transportation costs, fuel consumption and emissions associated with truck transportation."
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Dutch Innovation on Waterways
Dutch companies have announced several innovative waterway projects.
On April 19th a series of test voyages between Rotterdam, Tiel and Hoorn began, where trailers were transported on a Ro-Ro ship. This is a new form of inland shipping on Dutch waterways. The transportation with the Ro-Ro ships is an initiative of North Holland waterway management and must become a cost efficient alternative to road transport. If the test runs are successful a permanent service will be implemented.
In another innovation, over the next three years, fresh produce will be transported between Rotterdam, Greenport Venlo, Fruitpact Betuwe, Vlissingen and Antwerp. The project, named "Fresh corridor" was officially opened on March 30th.
The third project will use sixteen motorized and coupled barges of 45 x 5.0 meters, to transport malt from the north of France to Brabant, with beer crates on pallets being transported on the return journey. The barges are manned by seven skippers, each one of which will take responsibility for part of the route. Navigation will be assisted with GPS, depth gauges and computerised sensors.
The project begins in summer 2009, with the first two barges beginning the route.
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Air freight to indicate a turning point in world trade
According to IATA's latest Economics Briefing ( Brian Pearce Chief Economist IATA) looking at the use of air freight data to indicate a turning point in world trade some key points to consider are:
* Air freight has proved to be a very timely indicator of overall world trade volumes;
* IATA data on air freight released around 4 weeks ahead of most timely release of world trade data;
* Turning points in world trade often signalled 4-5 months ahead by air freight;
* Typically air freight falls faster than world trade during a downturn as shippers switch to cheaper transport modes;
* Air freight rises faster at start of upturn as speed of delivery becomes a competitive advantage once more;
* Slower trend growth in air freight FTKs, relative to constant dollar world trade measures, due to faster growth of higher value to weight products;
* AIr freight driven more by industrial production than retail sales, and most recently by the sharp inventory reduction in manufacturing;
* A peak to the inventory-sales overhang may have been reached leading to a floor for air freight volumes in recent months;
* However, upturn not yet in sight as inventory overhang still high and consumer leverage remains excessive;
* When upturn arrives air freight is likely to provide an early signal.
For the report please use the following link:
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