Pack  n send is posting this article written by Ryan  Phillios at News 21  as a service to your customers. We found the entire article published on msn.com.  While the trucking industry is making improvements, it looks like the DOT still has a way to go as far as monitoring its own policies.

Trucker Bob Caffee needed a medical card fast. His certificate from the U.S. Department of Transportation was to expire in two days, and he was in Southern California, halfway across the country from his regular doctor. So Caffee headed to one of the medical clinics that have sprung up at truck stops across America.

The clinic in Ontario, Calif., where Caffee stopped, is housed in a small, rundown building next to a Travel Centers of America truck stop. A sign advertises "DOT Physicals" next to a picture of a red truck.

"You say, 'I need a DOT physical,'" and the assistant says, "'OK, come back here and I’ll call the doctor,'" Caffee said.

About this project

1. This project was reported by journalism students in the Carnegie-Knight  News 21 program in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization.

The two of them checked his blood pressure, urine, breathing, hearing and vision. Caffee remembers that he had trouble reading past the top two lines of the eye chart. "I told her I wear glasses, and she OK'd me," he said, even though his driver's license didn’t say he was required to wear glasses.

The whole thing was over in 20 minutes, and Caffee emerged with a medical certificate that states he is healthy enough to drive a commercial truck for the next two years. Cost of exam: $30.

The exam Caffee underwent is required for all interstate commercial drivers. However, in many states, almost any health professional, including chiropractors, physician assistants, osteopathic doctors and advance practice nurses, can issue medical certificates for truck drivers. There are no training requirements and only minimal standards for what to check.

If a trucker is denied by one doctor, he can easily try another. There is no database to check whether medical certificates are valid, or whether a driver is "doctor shopping."

Drivers can download a medical certificate from the Internet and fill it out themselves. Others don’t bother getting a medical certificate — genuine or false. Few are ever caught. A trucker caught without a certificate is often given a fine — and allowed to drive on.

Deadly consequences
The problem of medically unqualified commercial drivers first drew national attention in 1999 when a bus driver veered off Interstate 610 near New Orleans, struck a guardrail, went through a chain-link fence, vaulted over a golf cart path and rammed into a dirt embankment, killing 22 of the 43 passengers on board.

The driver, who had a current medical certificate, had been in and out of the hospital the day before for treatment of his kidneys. He was released less than eight hours before reporting to work, according to an NTSB report. Post-accident tests were positive for marijuana and an over-the-counter sleep medication that can cause drowsiness and dizziness. A passenger reported seeing the driver "slouch down" prior to the accident.

Conclusions

1. Findings of the News21 investigation include:

• The National Transportation Safety Board has essentially given up on 1,952 of its safety recommendations – one of every six it has made since 1967.
• Federal agencies, states and transportation industries are taking longer than ever to act. Over the past decade, the average number of years to implement recommendations went from 3.4 years to 5.4 years.

The accident prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to issue a series of stern recommendations in 2002 to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, whose primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.

Specifically, the board directed the FMCSA, part of the Department of Transportation, to "prevent medically unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles" and "establish a medical oversight program for all interstate commercial drivers."

Mitch Garber, a NTSB medical officer, said the FMCSA’s response to the board’s calls for tougher medical standards has been disappointing. The agency has addressed a few problems, but the approach has been piecemeal and largely ineffective, he said.

"It’s no more difficult for a medically unqualified driver to drive today than when the recommendation was made," Garber said.

For information on freight and cargo shipping from Houston, TX, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 PAKISTAN – LUXEMBOURG – The catastrophic floods which have swept through Pakistan bringing misery to millions prompted the people of the Duchy of Luxembourg, encouraged by an appeal from the local Pakistan Consulate, to initiate a countrywide collection resulting in around 600 boxes, containing used clothes, sheets, shoes, plus tinned foods being donated.

Now Europe’s largest all-cargo airline, Cargolux, will transport these charity boxes free of charge on board its B747-400 freighter to Karachi on 14 and 21 September 2010. From Karachi, the shipment will be forwarded to the flooded areas by the local relief organization Edhi International Foundation.

Coordination and documentation were done by Cargolux’s Charity Committee at head office Luxembourg, taking care of the company’s worldwide charity activities, in line with the available space on Cargolux freighters.

Free storage room was offered by Streff, Luxembourg, who will also take care of the delivery of the boxes to the Luxair Cargo Centre, while Luxair Cargo arranges for free security screening of the Cargolux charity shipments.

On behalf of the People of Pakistan, The Honorary Consul General, Mr. Mark Samuel, extended his sincere gratitude to Cargolux Airlines, enterprise Streff, Luxair Cargo, and the People of Luxembourg at large for contributing generously with their valuable donation to help the floods affected people in Pakistan.

Pack n send has reprinted this article from the Handy Shipping   Guide as a service to our customers. Freight, cargo and airline companies consistently assist with disaster relief.

For information on cargo, and freight shipping from the United States, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Pack n send is monitoring Freight and Cargo Shipments both within the United State and worldwide.  This article taken from Handy Shipping   Guide highlights new strengths seen in US shipping markets.

Long Beach, California based UTi, a non asset based 3PL supply chain specialist turned in better than expected results yesterday following a general upward trend for the industry. With over 23 million square feet of warehousing in 23 countries the US company shows a pattern that seems fairly typical for the freight market at the moment. The CEO however offered a customary word of caution in today’s volatile conditions.

 Eric W. Kirchner, chief executive officer, speaking of the second quarter results said in a statement:

"Our improved results were primarily driven by strong volumes and better operating margins. Airfreight and ocean freight volumes continued to grow faster than the market and were higher than volumes recorded in the second quarter two years ago, prior to the financial crisis. Results remain tempered by yield pressure due to continued high transportation rates, and we expect these rates to remain volatile on many trade lanes for the rest of the year. We are also expecting volume growth to moderate during the second half of the year due to a slowing global economy and more difficult comparisons to the prior year.

"We continue to be encouraged by improvements in our contract logistics and distribution business, which reported solid revenue growth and higher operating margins. Client volumes improved in the quarter, particularly in retail and consumer markets, and we continue to manage our operations more efficiently. Our transformation initiatives remain on schedule and we are making good progress in all areas."

UTi saw increased operating costs, up 9% against last year but it seems although traffic volumes were higher, rates were more competitive dragging profits back somewhat. Net revenues were up 12% for the half year against 2009 at $379 million.

 For more information on Houston shipping, freight and cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Pack n send is posting part of the information posted by MSNBC.  While we are in the process of adjusting freight shipments for our customers, and rescheduling when necessary, we are keeping an eye on the storm.

 HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. — Hurricane Earl was barreling toward the Eastern Seaboard Thursday with winds swirling at around 145 mph, as forecasters issued a new warning for New York's Long Island and tried to work out how badly North Carolina would be hit.

With the storm expected to start hitting North Carolina later Thursday, officials expanded mandatory evacuation orders across new areas of the state's low-lying barrier islands.

The orders affect all visitors throughout Dare County as well as residents and visitors to the popular town of Nags Head, county emergency relief officials said.

Mandatory evacuations, similar to those already in effect for Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island, were also ordered for the beach communities at Morehead City, authorities said.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a tropical storm warning early Thursday for the coast of Long Island and a hurricane watch was issued for areas of Massachusetts. A hurricane warning was already in effect for the North Carolina coast.

Canadian officials also put parts of the Nova Scotia coast under a tropical storm watch.

Category 4 storm Earl, which has maximum sustained winds near 145 mph, was located about 410 miles south of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and was moving north-northwest near 18 mph.

Forecasters said the storm had strengthened slightly, but expected gradual weakening to start later Thursday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward 90 miles from its center.

Watches and warnings were posted along the Atlantic coast for most of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts, alerting residents that hurricane and tropical storm conditions were possible within 36 to 48 hours.

No storm has threatened such a broad swath of the U.S. shoreline — the densely populated coast from North Carolina to New England — since Hurricane Bob in 1991, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.

The last Category 4 to approach the Outer Banks was Helene in 1950, NBC News Meteorologist Bill Karins reported.

'Very significant impact'
Large swells roiled the coastline and experts warned Earl would bring dangerously high seas.

The first winds were expected to reach the North Carolina's barrier islands by Thursday afternoon and gain force during the night, though the hurricane is then expected to start weakening, the NHC said.

Tourists were largely gone from North Carolina's Outer Banks, but those resolute residents who stayed behind said they were prepared to face down the powerful hurricane. The islands jut out into the Atlantic and are frequently smacked by hurricanes and storms.

"There is still concern that this track, the core of the storm, could shift a little farther to the west and have a very significant impact on the immediate coastline. Our present track keeps it offshore, but you never know," Feltgen said.

The storm was forecast to pass just off Cape Hatteras, bringing wind gusts of up to 100 mph and several feet of storm surge both from the Atlantic and the sounds to the west of the islands.

Evacuations continued Thursday with residents and visitors leaving a barrier island in Carteret County, N.C.

Emergency services director Jo Ann Smith, of Carteret County, said she wasn't sure how many people were affected by the order to leave the Bogue Banks areas.

Unlike some of the barrier islands on the Outer Banks who had to take a ferry, Smith said people could simply leave in their cars.

 For more information on freight and cargo shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

 Photo by Wang Yish/Imaginechina

Pack n send has been following alternative uses for containers used in freight and cargo shipping. This article from NBC news caught our attention because the the term “pod” housing. 

Huang Rixin, a spritely 78-year-old former engineer turned Beijing landlord, has made a name for himself in recent months producing cage-like, 21.5-square-foot living spaces dubbed “capsule apartments” for the capital’s burgeoning class of jobless and underemployed college graduates.

Two Chinese men sit in their own small spaces in capsule apartments in Beijing, China, in a photo taken June 12, 2010.

Taking Japan’s famous capsule hotels for inspiration, Huang has improved on previous iterations of his pod houses by doubling the size of the rooms and including more shelf space. Huang views his pods, with rent of about $51 a month, as a cost-effective way to house the estimated 3 million recent university graduates seeking employment or earning less than the average starting salary of approximately $400 a month.

In many ways his capsule apartments highlight the social and economic problems that belie China’s gaudy GDP numbers.

Even as the national economy surges, China’s per-capita income has simply not kept pace, and millions of people have been left out of the nation’s economic miracle.

China’s per-capita income, at around $6,600, is closer to that of Turkmenistan or El Salvador, rather than to the U.S.’s $46,000 or even Japan’s $33,000.

While China’s liberalized economic policy has certainly pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and transformed the country into an industrial dynamo, little of that prosperity has trickled down to the majority of would-be Chinese consumers – the very people who many economic experts insist will fuel China’s growth well into the 21st century.

In essence, China is still the largest market in the world for virtually everything, and despite claims otherwise, Chinese consumers are very willing spenders. However, Chinese wages are currently so low that consumers simply are unable to contribute to domestic consumption unless serious wealth redistribution or salary adjustment occurs.

Whether that economic stature is fleeting – as it was for the Japan – or relatively more long-term, as it has been for the U.S., will bear close watching.

Pack n send has reproduced portions of this story from NBC News' Arata Yamamoto contributed to this report from Tokyo.

For more information on shipping freight and cargo from the United States, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

The Port of Houston offers an up close look at cargo shipping. Pack n send is posting the information  taken from the Port of Houston website as a service to our customers.

Get ready for an unforgettably spectacular waterborne tour of one of the busiest ports in the world aboard the Port of Houston Authority's free public tour boat!

Named for the legendary military commander who led the fight for Texas independence from Mexico and later statehood, the M/V Sam Houston offers free leisurely 90-minute round-trip cruises along the Houston Ship Channel.

Embarking from the port's Sam Houston Pavilion, visiting sightseers can enjoy passing views of international cargo vessels, and operations at the port's Turning Basin Terminal. Measuring 95 feet in length and 24 feet in width, the boat carries a maximum capacity of 90 passengers with air-conditioned lounge seating and additional standing room on the boat's rear deck.

The M/V Sam Houston has been operating as the Port Authority's public tour vessel since its inaugural voyage on July. 30, 1958. By 1979, a total of 1 million passengers had taken the tour.

No food or beverages are allowed to be brought aboard the boat or into the pavilion. However, a free beverage is provided on the boat during the trip. We want all of our visitors to enjoy the tour experience in a clean and safe environment, therefore picnics in the pavilion are not allowed.

The tour is free; however reservations are required 24 hours in advance of the planned tour. Enhanced port security measures require government-issued photo identification for passengers ages 18 and older. Examples of acceptable identification are state-issued drivers license, state of Texas Identification card, or passport.

Register online anytime, or call 713-670-2416, Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Please note: a maximum of 45 reservations is allowed for any one group. Also, a maximum ratio of one adult per four children under the age of 12 will be enforced.

SECURITY NOTICE

Because of heightened security measures, regularly scheduled tours aboard the M/V Sam Houston may be canceled without advance notice. Before making the trip to the Port of Houston for a tour aboard the Sam Houston, please consult this Web site for information on the status of your tour.

Security regulations also prohibit the carrying of any camera equipment aboard the M/V Sam Houston and the taking of photographs from aboard the ship is strictly prohibited.

Also, large baggage such as backpacks and oversized purses are not allowed on board. Passengers' personal belongings may be subject to searches in accordance with federal regulations. The PHA reserves the right to refuse passage to board the vessel to any person for any reason at any time.

 We advise that you arrive at least 15 minutes, preferably half hour, before your tour launches to assure that you have plenty of time to check in through security and to board the vessel.

For more information on international shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Now that a one hundred square ice piece has broken off a glacier, the cargo ships now face a new peril. 

After dealing with pirates and colliding ships this floating island is another worry for boat captains.

 This ice island break off follows six months of unusually warm record.  These past six months have recorded the warmest temperatures since 1962.

Since glaciers are melting faster than any one had anticipated, they are adding to threats of flooding coastal cities all over the world.

It should take approximately two years for this latest breakaway piece of ice to melt. At this point, the worry is that the iceberg may head toward shipping lanes off of the Canadian Coast, and also in the North Atlantic Ocean.

By monitoring the progress of this large ice mass, ships should be able to adjust their course during the next two year time period.

For information about freight and cargo shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Two ships registered to Panama have collided off the coast of India.  The cargo on one of the ships has been seen floating in the water. 

We do not have any more information a bout the collision at this time, but will keep you updated as we receive more information.

 Pack n send regularly ships out of the Port of Houston. For information about our container loading and freight shipping, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

CANADA – After harsh words had been exchanged over what the Innternational  Transport  Workers   Federation  (ITF) called last week “a needless overreaction” it seems talks are to resume at the  Port  of Montreal   which will possibly mean an end to the labor dispute which commenced in June. On the 27th of that month the dockworkers claim that employers changed the working conditions of 169 dock workers with the least seniority. The longshoremen responded by refusing to work overtime as of the 9th July.

On Sunday the 18th July the union and employers met all afternoon and planned to continue ongoing negotiations during the following week. During the next 48 hours however there was a lockout preventing access to the port and infuriating union officials. The lock out was described as “incomprehensible and pointless. News of the lockout reached them they were in the middle of a general meeting to cancel the planned application of pressure tactics. They pointed out that overtime is voluntary and no reason to be excluded from work.

Now it appears common sense has prevailed on both sides and they have agreed a protocol to return to work enabling the port to function whilst negotiations continue, with union representative Michel Murray saying that with both sides talking an agreement could be reached in the next few weeks.

Shipping through the port, Canada’s second largest behind Vancouver and capable of handling one and a quarter million TEU’s per annum, has been diverted to other ports, principally Halifax, since the dispute started and the problems are causing delays and possibly the cancellation of new contracts and investments.

 Pack n send has reproduced portions of this article from Handy   Shipping News as a service to our customers.

Pack n send monitors port operations throughout the world.  While most of our cargo shipments go via ship to ports in Central America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, any port closure or slowdown can affect freight shipments throughout the world.

 For more information on overseas shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that clerical workers  went on strike at several terminals in both Los Angeles Long beach. These workers are responsible for critical paperwork for ocean cargo in California.

While the ports are fully functioning, there have been some picketing by workers at the port. 

An arbitrator declared that the strike was improper and ordered the employees back to work. 

The clerks who have walked off their jobs are responsible for export paperwork as well as transport documentation.

This job action along with the governor call for minimum wage for all California state employees not currently under contract, could set a double whammy for the already beleaguered economy in California.

Other ports around the nation that handle freight and cargo shipping have not been affected by this labor dispute.

For information on shipping  freight and cargo from the Port of  Houston, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

www.pack-n-send.com

Pack n send is posting this press release issued by the Port Authority of Houston.  Pack n send ships cargo and containers through the port of Houston. 

Freight shipping from Houston has a major impact on the Houston economy.

By unanimous vote, the Harris County Commissioners Court and the Houston City Council today jointly re-appointed James T. Edmonds as chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. County commissioners and city council members gathered at Houston City Council Chambers for the re-appointment vote.

"I am deeply honored and grateful for the confidence Harris County Commissioners and the Houston City Council have expressed in me since I was first appointed chairman in 2000," Edmonds said. "I will work even harder over the next two years to ensure that confidence is well-placed."

Initially appointed to the port commission in October 1996 to represent Harris County, Edmonds was first appointed chairman in 2000 by the city and the county. Edmonds is also a member of the board of commissioners for the Houston Pilots Association. Port of Houston Authority (PHA) commissioners serve two-year terms without pay.

Under Edmonds' leadership as chairman, PHA has implemented some of the most innovative initiatives in environmental stewardship, security and facility operations while experiencing the most aggressive growth, capital expansion and profitability in the organization's 96-year history.

"I'm glad to see Jim Edmonds reappointed for another term as chairman of the Port of Houston Authority," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "It's in times of economic uncertainty like these that Jim's foresight and calm, steady guidance are most needed. All of us in Harris County benefit from Jim's experience and wisdom."

The port authority made history in 2002, when it became the first U.S. port facility to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) that meets the rigorous parameters of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 system. Under Edmonds' leadership, the port authority continues to set standards in environmental stewardship and security measures. In 2008, PHA became the world's first port authority to initiate a Security Management System worthy of certification for ISO 28000:2007. In 2009, the recertification of its EMS raised the bar yet higher, with the additional certification of the Bayport Container Terminal. Opened in February 2007, the Bayport terminal has added to PHA's capability to process 1.8 million in container TEUs annually.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker stated, "I am pleased to join Harris County Commissioners and Houston City Council in reappointing Jim Edmonds as chairman of the Port of Houston Authority. He is a proven leader who has guided the port through a period of unprecedented growth and environmental advances. Keeping him at the helm will help ensure this progress continues."

In addition to operating or leasing the public port facilities, the Port of Houston Authority is the sponsor of the Houston Ship Channel. In 2009, Chairman Edmonds worked closely with U.S. Rep. Gene Green and other members of the Texas congressional delegation to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers receive $98.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It was the largest single allocation of federal funding for infrastructure projects the channel had ever received. The waterway's impact on the region includes about 785,000 jobs and $118 billion in economic activity. Across the U.S., 1.5 million jobs and $285 billion worth of economic activity are related to the ship channel.

Edmonds' leadership also enabled the port authority to play a major role in advancing railroad transportation efficiency by helping create the state's first Gulf Coast Rail District. The Houston Ship Channel Security District also gained state legislative approval during Edmonds' tenure. Both projects are highly regarded for setting standards of excellence in public- private partnerships.

The completion of the $700 million Houston Ship Channel deepening and widening project in 2005 is considered a testament to Edmonds' strength in building coalitions among congressional members and various local stakeholders. In addition to enhancing navigational safety for commercial vessels, the project created more than 4,200 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitats.

PHA's opportunities with small businesses also were elevated under Edmonds' leadership. In 2002, PHA created and implemented its Small Business Development program with a 35 percent participation goal and - since its inception - the program has awarded nearly $285 million in PHA eligible contracts to registered firms.

In addition to his civic service with the Port of Houston, Edmonds also serves as a board member of the Memorial Hermann Hospital System, Gulf Coast Rail District, I-69 TxDOT Advisory Committee, and the Alliance for I-69 Texas. Edmonds is president of Edmonds & Company, a business consulting firm. business consulting firm.

For more information on shipping freight through the Port of Houston, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

While pack n send has been concentrating on the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf, we need to remember how hurricanes can affect both Houston Shipping as well as general freight and cargo shipping throughout the region.

US - CARIBBEAN - With the start of the hurricane season now officially upon us lives will doubtless be lost at sea, some unnecessarily, and the advice from the Texas  Coast Gurad applies equally to all at risk from a big blow. The   Marine Safety Information Bulletin  regarding severe weather safety planning issued by the Houston - Galveston sector this week offers sound advice to all mariners, and port side operators, likely to be at risk from the storms.

Using the experience gleaned from other catastrophic storms such as Hurricanes Rita (2005) and IKE (2008) the Guard have compiled an eight point plan which, although specific to the area of their jurisdiction, would equally serve seafarers and dock operators anywhere in the ‘at risk' zones.

A revised précis of the plan is as follows:

1) Deep Draft vessels should leave port well in advance of a threatened storm.

2) Such vessels unable to leave port should advise local authorities and issue a declaration of their intent to remain in port where necessary. These ships are generally at far greater risk whilst in port than on the open sea.

3) Commercial boat and barge tows (tugs etc.) that usually ply their trade on intra coastal waterways should leave the threatened area completely as early as possible or, if unable to do so, to head inland as far as possible and make use of any available shelter. Cargo vulnerability (hazardous goods etc) should be given special consideration and local advice sought.

4) Commercial fishing vessels should plan ahead for locations of safe shelter. During prior storms, vessels that sought sheltered moorings and kept a live watch onboard to tend lines and apply horsepower fared best. Once again when threatened by an approaching storm, commercial fishing vessels should leave port or find shelter as far inland as possible to avoid damage during a storm's passage.

5) Skippers should establish if there are plans to relocate Coast Guard offices and other responsible authorities during the severe weather and ensure communications are possible.

6) Facilities with storage tanks, missile hazards, dangerous cargoes, and container and pallet stacks are encouraged to take positive action to secure or remove these entities should they be threatened. Flying objects such as these pose a major threat to lives and property

7) Waterfront facilities are encouraged to conduct an annual survey prior to the Hurricane Season. Also, each facility should have an emergency survey at their docks as soon as possible after a hurricane passes.

8) Local authorities and those responsible should conduct inspections of all susceptible items prior to and immediately after a storm with attention paid to such items as hoses etc which should be drained and secured.

This article was reprinted from the handy shipping guide.

Pack n send will provide further hurricane preparation updates as we find are relevant to this hurricane season.

For more information about Houston shipping and freight preparation, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

www.pack-n-send.com

 Tanker Cleaned Offshore with Minimal Delays

This news release is reprinted with permission of the Port of New Orleans.

Mississippi River remains open and unrestricted

Update no. 9-- A tanker heading upriver requested to be cleaned this morning after encountering oil. The tanker was cleaned by two offshore work boats outfitted with fire hoses. The cleaning process took about 30 minutes to complete, and was conducted roughly 4 miles away from the entrance to the Mississippi River at Southwest Pass around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The tanker was inspected further after it entered Southwest Pass, where two launch vessels equipped with pressure washers are stationed to conduct more detailed cleaning while the ship is slowly moving upriver. No oil was detected at the second cleaning site and the vessel proceeded upriver.

The tanker was not calling the Port of New Orleans, but was headed to another facility elsewhere on the lower Mississippi River.

A few other vessels were inspected this morning but did not require cleaning.

The Mississippi River remains open to maritime traffic, and no ship calls have been canceled because of the spill.

Pack n send has been paying attention to freight and cargo shipping out of the Port of New Orleans.

With this press release, it looks like good News for the Louisiana coast.

For information about shipping freight out of the port of Houston, or other ports throughout the world, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

Pack n send is reprinting this article form the handy shipping guide. DHL is offering  humanitarian aid to Guatemala.

GUATEMALA - The problems faced in Europe by the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland, with the resultant ash clouds disrupting air traffic, pale into insignificance when compared to the disaster unfolding this week south of Mexico. The double disaster of Pacaya, the giant active volcano which sits less than 20 miles from Guatemala City erupting, coupled with tropical storm Agatha sweeping the region has left over 100 dead, thousands homeless and the country virtually cut off from international assistance.

With the reopening of the main airport on Tuesday the DHL Disaster Response Team (DRT) for Americas were amongst the first to arrive to try to assist in alleviating some of the logistical problems associated with any such disaster. A team of 20 DRT volunteers deployed yesterday at La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City and began to set up a temporary, professional warehouse, including sorting facilities and making a full inventory of donated goods. Depending on the situation the mission is expected to last for 7-10 days initially.

Due to its international presence in over 220 countries, DHL can deploy its trained volunteers quickly to any severely affected area around the globe. Out of the 450 DHL employees in Guatemala, 32 are trained DRT volunteers, essential in a country where volcanoes cause problems regularly, most of whom usually work in different business units of DHL Guatemala. Everywhere, the DHL DRTs work on a pro-bono basis as part of the companies Corporate Responsibility Programme.

DHL can respond in this fashion partly because of the agreement they signed last year with the National Coordinator for Emergency Disaster Risk Reduction (CONRED). Once called on by the local authorities, this Memorandum of Understanding gives the DRT the option for a swift deployment as well as the immediate set up of the necessary logistics for the handling of relief goods at the airport.

In 2005, DHL entered into a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in the area of Disaster Management. DHL's global DRT network consists of three teams which are assigned to a specific geographic region covering Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and Africa. Each of these teams consists of a pool of about 80 specially trained DHL employees, who - in addition to their normal job - have volunteered to take part in the pro-bono humanitarian efforts.

The DRT can be deployed to a crisis area within 72 hours and for a period of up to three weeks. By that time, the initial wave of international charter aircraft bringing in aid supplies has normally subsided to a level that is manageable by local authorities. Up to fifteen members of the team are present at any point in time during the deployment.

Gilberto Castro, Disaster Response Team Manager for Americas, said: "Due to our global presence we have 32 DRT volunteers in Guatemala ready for an immediate deployment. In times of disaster, time is essential and we are glad to be able to provide a quick and efficient service to support the local relief efforts."

Rainer Wend, Executive Vice President Public Policy and Responsibility, says: "It is important that the worst affected areas in Guatemala will receive essential goods such as water, food and aid material as quickly as possible. I am therefore glad that we have been asked by the Guatemalan government to bring in our logistics expertise at the main airport to help manage incoming goods and so make the relief efforts run as quickly as possible."

For information on freight and cargo shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.  As more information is posted about the relief efforts in Guatemala, we will try and keep our customers updated on this situation.

President Obama Pushing For Higher Fuel Standards

US - Much lobbying from  freight trucking interests culminated in a White House meeting on Friday when President Obama signed a presidential memorandum before industry leaders including carriers, engine manufacturers and truck builders, directing the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop national standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for heavy- and medium-duty trucks. The  (ATA), who recommended the benchmarks be adopted in their Sustainability Task Force (STF) recommendation two years ago, was well represented at the ceremony.

ATA Chairman Tommy Hodges, who chaired the STF for three years, said:

"I would like to thank the members of the Task Force, and the ATA Board of Directors, who created the Task Force in 2007. They had great foresight, and they have positioned ATA well to be at the front of the fuel economy issue. They have put ATA on the road to affecting a solution that is beneficial for the environment, the public, and for all of trucking.

"President Obama told us this morning that this could be a model of industry and government cooperation in developing beneficial regulations," Hodges said. "We set out in 2007 to have the trucking industry become leaders on this issue when the EPA would begin to regulate truck fuel economy. Today we reached one of our goals. ATA's members and staff have given the industry an opportunity to have significant input on this issue."

After a meeting with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson he continued:

"She acknowledged that the trucking industry has made huge advances in reducing the emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides from trucks. Unfortunately, some advances have come at the cost of a reduction in fuel economy and a slight increase in carbon dioxide output. Now we have the opportunity to fix that and substantially increase our fuel economy."

The intention of the ATA is to correct what they see as unproductive truck and combination weight categories, standardize the national speed limit at 65 mph, with governors to ensure compliance on trucks, update the interstate highway system and various other measures to make vehicles more productive.

President Obama himself said that products and technologies available today could improve fuel economy by 25 percent and that the new regulations should be completed in 2011 and go into effect starting with model year 2014 equipment. The move is considered an important first step toward a big reduction in emission levels coupled with a countrywide reduction in fuel consumption for trucks shipping freight across the country. This memorandum follows last year's instructions for a similar program for smaller vehicles.

"Instead of fighting higher standards, auto manufacturers are engaged in a race to meet them. And over the next five years, we expect fuel efficiency standards in cars and light trucks to reach an average of 35.5 miles per gallon," he said.

"Today's announcement is an essential part of our energy strategy, but it's not a substitute for other necessary steps to ensure our leadership in a new clean energy economy," he added, reiterating his support for Senators' Lieberman and Kerry's energy and climate change bill.

Pack n send has printed this article taken from Handy Shipping Guide.

Pack n send is constantly looking for ways to improve the environment, and ship our cargo in a safer more efficient way. For  information about out recycling efforts, or freight shipping, please feel free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Containment and recovery (Civilian Flotilla)

By pgray

May 19, 2010, 9:32PM

By pgray

May 19, 2010, 9:32PM

A large and growing chunk of the Gulf is covered with a layer of $70 per barrel oil. If you have a sea-worthy boat and maritime expertise, you can contain and recover AND SELL that oil.
Anyone with a vessel suitable for deploying booms on the open ocean can assist in the containment of the Gulf Slick. You will need to deploy a chain of booms around an area of slick. You will then need a mechanism to tighten the boom chain, reducing the enclosed area and deepening the trapped oil. One method would be to support the boomline with 3/8 cable. To close your trap, thread the free end of the cable through the first boom and reel in the cable, detaching booms as you go. As the oil deepens, it will reduce wave action, preventing emulsification, as well as splashing and wind-borne spray. The excess booms can then be used to contain another portion of the slick. Extend a tube connected to your pump and storage tank beneath the boom chain. An auxiliary fuel tank with 5000 gallon capacity will hold almost 1200 barrels or $8400 worth of crude. On the end of this tube, fit a flat piece of material heavier than oil, but lighter than water such that it will support the mouth of the tube above the waterline, but immersed in oil. As the oil is recovered, continue to tighten the boom line to maintain the flow of oil into the pipe. It may be necessary to attach floats and weights to the tube to maintain optimum position in varying conditions. As lighter fractions are recovered, the degrading oil beneath the surface can be recovered. Adjustment of the intake depth may be required. Recovery vessels must be vented to prevent buildup of volatile gases.
For those with barges, go for the mother-lode. Encircle the area where new oil surfaces. Employ multiple intakes to stop the slick.
If you are interested, or know others who might want to get in on this. pass it on. If you have questions or comments, please respond Thanks Phil 903-780-5644

Pack n send has been monitoring web sites with comments about the oil spill.  While most of them are discussing blame, we found this on the City of New Orlans web site. It is one of the comments listed that not only offered a possible solution, but also suggests a call to action.

While pack n send can ship their cargo out of the port of Houston, businesses in New Orleans are directly impacted by this oil spill. Trucking of cargo to the port of Houston will cost businesses additional expenses that could have been avoided.

Phil has sent this to Horizon support - a task force put together by the government and BP.  Phil is still waiting to hear if they are going to use his idea. The coast guard also puts their ideas through Horizon support. He is hoping that the government will raise the depth of the spill and then surround the spill with barges.  Private industry could help in this recovery since they already have 5000 gallon auxiliary tanks. 

For information on cargo shipping out of the port of Houston, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

Pack n send is once again publishing reports of delayed freight shipments to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

While the winds had improved for much of Europe during the last few weeks, they have once again changed and are causing problems for both England and other parts of Europe.

This travel disruption effects both human and cargo travel.

The latest update was provided by Handy Shipping News.

Pack n send is able to prepare your freight and cargo shipments for shipping. We are watching newscasts and keeping our customers up to date on cargo delays. A the current time we are able to store your freight as it awaits departure.

UK - Another few days, or possibly weeks, of misery face UK shipping interests as warnings were issued today that the high altitude cloud of fine debris drifting in from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano after another series of eruptions poured huge quantities of fine ash into the atmosphere, may suspend all passenger and cargo flight bringing despair to British exporters and importers, their suppliers and customers

Once again our readers are referred to the websites of the relevant authorities. The current cloud is likely to start to encroach on British airspace from the North of Scotland moving rapidly to prohibit any traffic from the South East of England due to the prevailing winds. The area is likely to include all of Britain's main airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Yesterday we reported that the cloud had fallen to around 18,000 feet at it's highest point but the latest eruptions, encouraged by local weather, meant that the settled ceiling of ash has risen to around 21,000 feet although this should remain lower than a level which would seriously disrupt transatlantic travel for those not traveling to or from the affected UK airports. Above the volcano itself heavy quantities of ash reach over 27,000 feet (around 8 kilometres).

For more information on international freight shipping, please feel free to contact pack-n-send at  713 266 1450.

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Good news for economic outlook

Malaysia Airlines Cargo and Southern Air have announced that they have entered into a multi year aircraft lease agreement.

Why is this good for the United States ?   Maskargo had a nine year absence from the US market.  They now have a viable plan in place enter the United State through China.

This is a multi year deal. This shows their positive viewpoint that air freight volumes in both the Asia-Pacific and Americas is about to recover.

They want to restart flights to the United States of
America after a nine year absence. As quoted by on Sharma Suleiman , "After looking at the US market very carefully we can find a viable plan with Southern Air to enter the US through China.

Suleiman also stated "After a very comprehensive evaluation process, we have selected Southern Air to provide us with the freighter services capacity to meet our demands until the end of next year. As the air freight market has shown encouraging signs of growth in recent months, we are excited that we can offer our customers more value from our new partnership with Southern Air."

At this point the  project is through the end of next year.

Southern Air will provide, crews, maintenance, and aircraft.

With the announcement that  Fed Ex  agreed  to purchase six additional B777F air freighters for its fleet it looks as if the larges air- cargo airline in the world is viewing the current economic downturn as merely a temporary business environment.  Fed Ex will purchase four B777fs from Boeing. They are planning on purchasing two additional B777F air freights from additional sources.

Including this new order Fed Ex has placed orders for a total of thirty eight B777F aircraft.  Four of these have already been placed into service.

It looks like Fed Ex is taking a forward looking stance on the worldwide economy.  The Asia-Pacific and Americas regions appear to be the target areas for Fed Ex's optimistic views.

From our perspective, the orders placed over time, will give the worldwide economy time to heal and reboot before all of Fed Ex's orders are received.

In our business we have noticed a current decrease in air shipping, and an increase in cargo going both by cubic meters and via containerized shipments. Customers appear to still be very price conscious and wary about expending funds.

With two major companies announcing new air craft pack n send sees a very optimistic future in the  air freight shipping industry.

For more information on international shipping and freight shipping, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.