Supply Chain Watch
December 12, 2006
Air
TSA Delays Air Cargo Security Rules
As many in the air cargo industry had hoped, the
Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new air cargo security rules
will be postponed until mid-2007 in order to give the industry more time to
implement changes necessary to comply with the broad reaching rules.
Some of the changes include Security Threat Assessments,
which carriers must submit to the agency, as well as background checks and
proof of credentials for a variety of industry employees.
Although the rules do not call for the mandatory physical
screening of all air cargo carried on passenger aircraft, it does tighten up
existing regulations. For starters, the TSA plans to consolidate the roughly
4,000 ‘Known Shipper’ lists maintained by the private industry into a
centralized government database. In addition, three hundred more air cargo
inspectors will be added to the ranks at 102 airports around the U.S.
Ocean
New Container Terminal for Port of Mobile
The Port of Mobile, Alabama along with Mobile Container
Terminal LLC has broken ground on a new container terminal, which is expected
to begin operating in early 2008.
“Alabama is experiencing unprecedented economic growth that
is bringing new jobs and new opportunities to citizens all across our state.
The improvements that are occurring at our port will help create an economy
that is even stronger,” remarked Alabama Governor Bob Riley.
Mobile Container Terminal LLC is a joint venture between APM
Terminals North America, a subsidiary of Maersk, Inc., and Terminal Link, a
division of France’s CMA CGM. APM Terminal, which has an 80 percent stake, will
operate and manage the terminal.
The new container terminal will initially have a capacity of
over 350,000 TEUs, although eventually it will accommodate 800,000 TEUs once
the project is completed.
Rail
BNSF Tops 1 Million Container Mark
BNSF Railway’s Southern California on-dock facilities moved
1 million loads so far this year, the most the company has ever moved in a
calendar year.
The 1 million mark was reached on October 15, though with
holiday freight still in transit, the number is likely to expand substantially.
BNSF is operating 66
eastbound trains this year compared to 52 last year.
Union Pacific to Build Terminal in New Mexico
New Mexico has agreed to eliminate a locomotive fuel tax and
provide road improvements in exchange for a new $150 million intermodal
terminal to be built by Union Pacific Railroad.
The 934-acre facility will handle 100,000 containers per
year, including a fueling station, train inspection area, and yard.
UP’s president and chief executive, Jim Young, noted, “The
facility will enable us to improve efficiency and expand our operations in the
southern New Mexico/western Texas region.”
Construction in slated to begin in 2008 and completed in
2010.
Trucking
Truck e-Manifests Surge Thirty Percent
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),
truckers filed 30 percent more e-manifests in September than in August—a
substantial increase.
Specifically, thirteen thousand electronic manifests were
filed in September via the Automated Commercial Environment system, compared to
10,000 in August.
Beginning in 2007, truckers will be required to file
e-manifests at all border crossings.
CBP is still rolling out the system at several crossing
along the northern U.S. border, and it’s expected that the system will not be
fully operational until the middle of next year.
Mandatory Diesel Blend Will Cut Emissions
As of October 15, the federal government has required fuel
producers to sell an ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel to replace the old diesel
formulation, and it’s 97 percent cleaner than the previous blend.
“Diesel is the invisible force that moves the American
economy, but until now it has also been a big polluter,” said the head of the
Natural Resources Defense Council’s Clean Fuels and Vehicles Project.
“Combining the new fuel with cleaner and more energy-efficient engines will
mean healthier air and help reduce our dependence on oil.”
Diesel trucks move 94 percent of the nation’s goods—more
than 18 million tons of freight each day.
The new rules will
add less than 5 cents per gallon to diesel prices.
3PLs
Logistics Providers Form Aid Network
U.S. trade associations representing all phases of logistics
and supply chain sectors announced last month that they would combine resources
to collaborate in the event of a disaster, such as last year’s hurricanes in
the Gulf of Mexico.
The newly created American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) was
launched during October’s Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
(CSCMP) annual conference in San Antonio.
“ALAN’s mission is to unite the supply chain community to
support and assist humanitarian relief efforts,” explained one of the founding
members.
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