Pack n Send Blog

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.

AP has reported that a cargo ship on the Danube River has collided with a cruise ship carrying tourists.

 The tourists are being picked up by another boat. The Cargo ship that was carrying corn did not sink, but is badly damaged.  It appears that no one was harmed in this occurrence.

 Pack n send tries to report both good and bad news in the shipping and cargo industry. Pack n send tries to track all incidents worldwide that have an impact either on shipping or on the environment.

 For information about shipping, moving or freight forwarding, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

 JAPAN

At the request of the Japanese government, a subsidiary company, MOL Ferry has cooperated to transport members of the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) who were assigned to rescue operations in northeast Japan. This afternoon, four ‘Sunflower’ ferries, Sapporo, Furano, Shiretoko and Sunflower Daisetsu, started taking on the task of transporting vehicles and members of the JSDF from Tomakomai in Hokkaido to Aomori, which is close to the quake-stricken area.

Regarding the status of MOL vessels the company tell us the only vessel directly affected from their fleet was the MOL-chartered C.S. Victory (Flag: Panama, 20,212 Gross Tonnes),which was swept toward the breakwater by the tsunami and now rests on the bottom of the shallow harbour at Ishinomaki (Miyagi prefecture). All the crew members left the vessel on orders of the harbour master, and none were injured. None of the cargo of kaolin or fuel oil has spilled from the vessel so far.

MOL will announce further developments regarding the aid program as they unfold and we shall publish them as they happen. Together with MOL we at the Handy Shipping Guide of course express our heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost loved ones in the earthquake.

 Pack n send has reprinted the portion of the article describing sea assistance from Handy Shipping News.

For further  updates on assistance offered by freight and cargo companies, pack n send in Houston will try and keep our blogs updated for our customers.

 For other assistance in shipping, freight and cargo preparation in Houston, please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Ships are full, containers are picked over and truck drivers are in demand.

 Houston's trading community is moving more cargo these days as higher oil prices and a rebounding economy have driven up  exports  and  imports.

We're definitely seeing the wheels of the economic engine starting to turn," said Jeff Joachim, president of World Trade Distribution, a Houston company that provides warehousing, trucking and container storage, among other services. "You're starting to see people stock inventory again."

Houston's trade with the world rebounded by 26 percent last year compared with the doldrums of 2009, according to a recent report by WorldCity, which tracks trade data.

But it still hasn't reached the levels of 2008, a banner year for many in the local shipping business.

Last year, Houston traded $211.5 billion in goods with the rest of the world, up from $167.5 billion in 2009, WorldCity reported. That's still less than the record $240.8 billionthe Bayou City traded with world markets in 2008.

Nationwide, trade increased to $3.2 trillion in 2010 from $2.6 trillion in 2009. Last year's numbers were still below the $3.4 trillion in trade during 2008.

Like much of the rest of the U. S..Houston imports more than it exports and had a trade deficit of about $22  billion in 2010.

Pack n send has republished portions of this article written by Houston Chronicle journalist Jenalia Moreno.  We look for positive upswings in the Houston and US economy for both freight and cargo.

 For more information about packing, crating, cargo and freight shipping from Houston, Texas please contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

Container Loading for Household goods requires using a knowledgeable company that has experience with both packing as well as shipping international goods. Each country has a separate list for goods that are not allowed into the country. A company that can accumulate your items as well as pack and load them is a good way to start the process.

  Look for a company that has experience with container loading. Certain items will need to have cardboard wrapping for protection. Other items will need to be bubble wrapped and put inside boxes for protection.  High value or delicate items may need to have special crates built.

 Blocking and bracing will need to be done inside the container. A complete list of items  will need to be kept to be presented to customs.

 Customs documentation will need to be filled in.

 Ask if the company can provide you with a commercial bill of lading. They will also need to provide you with contact numbers when your shipment is delivered to your destination port.

Ask them for a quote up front for the pick up, packing and shipping charges.

If you need any advice for your next international move, please feel free to contact pack n send  at 713 266 1450.
 

 This article from the Wall Street Journal has peaked our interest. While freight and cargo carrriers are consolidating operations and making green choices, the USPS is now taking huge steps for more efficeint and cost effective operations. 

HOLMES MILL, Ky.—The U.S. Postal Service plays two roles in America: an agency that keeps rural areas linked to the rest of the nation, and one that loses a lot of money.

Now, with the red ink showing no sign of stopping, the postal service is hoping to ramp up a cost-cutting program that is already eliciting yelps of pain around the country. Beginning in March, the agency will start the process of closing as many as 2,000 post offices, on top of the 491 it said it would close starting at the end of last year. In addition, it is reviewing another 16,000—half of the nation's existing post offices—that are operating at a deficit, and lobbying Congress to allow it to change the law so it can close the most unprofitable among them. The law currently allows the postal service to close post offices only for maintenance problems, lease expirations or other reasons that don't include profitability.

The news is crushing in many remote communities where the post office is often the heart of the town and the closest link to the rest of the country. Shuttering them, critics say, also puts an enormous burden on people, particularly on the elderly, who find it difficult to travel out of town.

The postal service argues that its network of some 32,000 brick-and-mortar post offices, many built in the horse-and-buggy days, is outmoded in an era when people are more mobile, often pay bills online and text or email rather than put pen to paper. It also wants post offices to be profitable to help it overcome record $8.5 billion in losses in fiscal year 2010.

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

 Pack n send is reprinting portions of this article  from mfrtech.com as a service to our customers. With manufacturing expected to increase during 2011, both freight and export cargo shipping should also increase.

U.S. manufacturing sector will grow in 2011, with manufacturing revenue increasing by 5.6% according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) semi-annual,  forecast released.

The overall forecast projects optimism about the U.S. economy for 2011. The manufacturing sector, overall, is positive about prospects in 2011 with revenues expected to increase in 16 of 18 industries. ISM also predicts that business investment, a major driver in the U.S. economy, will increase substantially in the manufacturing sector.

The 16 manufacturing industries expecting improvement over 2010 — listed in order — are: Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Machinery; Textile Mills; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Chemical Products; and Paper Products.

"Manufacturing purchasing and supply executives have expectations for continued growth and are optimistic about their organizations' prospects as they consider the first half of 2011, and they are even more positive about the second half," said Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. "While 2010 has been a year of recovery in manufacturing, our forecast sees improvements in both investment and employment in 2011. Respondents expect cost pressures in 2011 to be somewhat greater than in 2010. Manufacturing growth is now in its 16th consecutive month as measured by and reported in the monthly Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®."

In the manufacturing sector, respondents report operating at 80.2% of their normal capacity, up from 72.8% reported in April 2010. Purchasing and supply executives predict that capital expenditures will increase by 14.5% in 2011, compared to a 5.9% increase reported for 2010. Survey respondents also forecast that they will reduce inventories in an effort to improve their purchased inventory-to-sales ratio in 2011. Manufacturers have an expectation that employment in the sector will increase by 1.8%, while labor and benefits costs are expected to increase an average of 1.9% in 2011. Manufacturing purchasers are predicting strength in exports and imports in 2011. They also expect the U.S. dollar to weaken on average against the currencies of major trading partners.

The panel also predicts the prices they pay will increase 2.7% during the first four months of 2011, and will increase an additional 1.3% during the balance of the year, with an overall increase of 4% for 2011. Survey respondents expect to realize supply chain improvements through improved inventory/asset management; cost reduction; supplier development/better metrics; supplier consolidation; and better risk management.

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

When shipping marble furniture, there are a few important things to consider.  First and foremost if it the marble can be removed from the piece of furniture.  You need to look for a company that has the capability to remove the marble. They also must have the ability to custom build a crate to place the marble in for shipping. Below we have listed some standard guidelines for crating the marble.

Depending on the size and fragility of the piece the crater should use up to 3 inches of Styrofoam on the bottom of the crate and 1-2 inches of Styrofoam on the sides and top. Before putting the piece into the crate, make sure that the marble has double or triple bubble surrounding it.

The crate should be closed with staples on the bottom and screws should be put on the top for easy opening.

Metal banding should be secured  around the crate.

 The company that you choose to crate your marble should offer both on site crating as well as crating at their facility.  The company should have a preferred list of shipping companies, as well as preferred movers for your delicate marble.  The company needs to offer valuation protection for your marble piece.

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

 Pack n send is publishing this article taken from the Handy   Shipping News to show that weather and natural delays in freight do not only occur in the Untied States.

NEW ZEALAND – After our story  earlier this month  on the hardships endured in South Island in the wake of the earthquakes there were immediate disruptions the following day (15th September) when landslips on North Island in the Manawatu Gorge closed State Highway 3 to all traffic, including freight trucks. At that time the road was swiftly cleared and reopened within a few hours.

NEW ZEALAND – After our story earlier this month on the hardships endured in South Island in the wake of the earthquakes there were immediate disruptions the following day (15th September) when landslips on North Island in the Manawatu Gorge closed State Highway 3 to all traffic, including freight trucks. At that time the road was swiftly cleared and reopened within a few hours.

Now however the Gorge is closed to rail freight for the next two days at least after a further slip caused a train carrying a cargo of 400,000 litres of milk to derail yesterday (Saturday). The freight train was heading for Palmerston North from Hawkes Bay when upon rounding a bend the driver saw the blocked track. Despite efforts to stop in time the KiwiRail train ran into the earth slip, fortunately with no injuries to the crew. Another train also hit a slip at Taumarunui on Saturday morning, fortunately again with no injuries and no reports of major delays.

Further interruptions to cargo have occurred due to the persistent bad weather which closed State Highway 73 to high sided lorries and caravans when high winds threatened to overbalance tall vehicles and heavy snowfalls occurred in some mountain areas. The outlook however is good for the next few days with dire weather warnings lifted. Meanwhile the stricken milk locomotive remains stranded after the wagons were removed and towed via an alternative line to their destination and efforts to clear the earth fall using other trains continue whilst the main line at Kaikoura is due to open later today after almost two weeks following the massive landslip there.

Now however the Gorge is closed to rail freight for the next two days at least after a further slip caused a train carrying a cargo of 400,000 liters of milk to derail yesterday (Saturday). The freight train was heading for Palmerston North from Hawkes Bay when upon rounding a bend the driver saw the blocked track. Despite efforts to stop in time the KiwiRail train ran into the earth slip, fortunately with no injuries to the crew. Another train also hit a slip at Taumarunui on Saturday morning, fortunately again with no injuries and no reports of major delays.

Further interruptions to cargo have occurred due to the persistent bad weather which closed State Highway 73 to high sided lorries and caravans when high winds threatened to overbalance tall vehicles and heavy snowfalls occurred in some mountain areas. The out look however is good for the next few days with dire weather warnings lifted. Meanwhile the stricken milk locomotive remains stranded after the wagons were removed and towed via an alternative line to their destination and efforts to clear the earth fall using other trains continue whilst the main line at Kaikoura is due to open later today after almost two weeks following the massive landslip there.

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

Cargo Shipping-Port of Houston Appointment

 Good news for the Port of Houston.  The Port is reporting that Kase Lawal will serve along side President Obama.  Having someone from the Houston area working within the administration can only help the Houston economy. Pack n send monitors news and happenings at the Port of Houston, and tries to provide our customers with updated information.

 We have reprinted this press release from the Port of Houston as a service to our customers.

 Port Commissioner Lawal Receives Presidential Appointment

 Port of Houston Commissioner Kase Lawal has been tapped to serve as a member of the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that Commissioner Lawal would be appointed to this important post.

Administered by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the ACTPN provides information and advice with respect to U.S. trade agreement negotiation objectives and bargaining positions, the operation of trade agreements, and other matters related to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. trade policy.

“It is an honor to serve President Obama as a member of this advisory committee,” Commissioner Lawal said. “I remain a dedicated steward to opening markets throughout the world and lending my expertise to shape policies and strengthen opportunities.”

Houston Mayor Annise Parker remarked, “As an international city that is home to a port that is ranked first in foreign tonnage, we are, naturally, very interested in matters that impact trade with other countries. Mr. Lawal’s strong knowledge of these areas will make him a productive asset to the ACTPN. President Obama could not have made a better choice.”

 Lawal has served on the port commission since June 1999 as an appointee of Houston’s mayor and city council. He has served as the commission’s vice chairman and is a member of the board of pilot commissioners. He was instrumental in organizing and serves on the board of the Port of Houston Authority International Corporation (POHAIC), which provides management consulting and technical assistance to foreign ports. Commissioner Lawal also helped establish the port authority’s Small Business Development Program, which has an aggressive goal of awarding at least 35 percent of all eligible contracts to certified small businesses.

Port Commission Chairman James T. Edmonds applauded Lawal’s appointment. “Kase Lawal relies upon his international business acumen to help lead the port authority, and our port is all the stronger because of his leadership. He works diligently with his colleagues to accomplish our objectives, and I am confident that he will be a tremendous asset to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.”

Professionally, Lawal is chairman and CEO of CAMAC International Corporation, a global energy corporation with interests in oil and gas exploration and production, engineering services and crude oil and refined products trading. He is also the chairman of Allied Energy Corporation, vice chairman of Unity National Bank and vice chairman of the Houston Airport System Development Corporation. Active in developing international trade relations, Lawal has been an appointee to the U.S. Trade Advisory Committee on Africa and has served on the board of the Corporate Council on Africa. Additionally, he has participated in several trade missions to Africa.

Lawal earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas Southern University and a master’s degree in business -Freight Shipping & Receiving administration, finance and marketing from Prairie View A&M University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy from Fort Valley State University and a doctorate of humane letters honoris causa from Texas Southern University.

 For more information on shipping freight and cargo out of  Houston and the Port of Houston, 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.

Pack n send is publishing this article from Handy  Shipping News as a service to our customers.

US - Always keen to promote  innovation  and  education throughout the shipping industry, German heavy lift and oversize project freight specialists Beluga  Shipping  GmbH is the latest company to support a short  course designed to fast-track project cargo management skills that otherwise may take years to acquire.

Beluga will join the sponsors supporting the Certificate of Achievement in Project Cargo Management that will be offered during the education component of the 21st Annual JoC Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference & Exhibition at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston from 12th to 15th October.

Port Corpus Christi is also a sponsor of the training that will be run over two days from October 14-15 and is a joint venture initiative between the JoC Break Bulk Conferences (a division of UBM Global Trade) and international over dimensional 3PL network, Project Professionals Group. Course trainer and the general manger of the Project Professionals Group, Kevin Stephens, said the support from the project forwarding industry was much appreciated and showed that they were committed to education and training that delivered a higher standard of handling services for clients:

“Understanding how to manage multimodal project cargoes is extremely challenging and increasing skills through practical training is in everybody’s best interests to ensure the successful delivery of the freight.”

For more information about freight and cargo shipping as well as household goods shipping overseas, please fell free to contact pack n send at 713 266 1450.

As we reported earlier on our blog, a shipping container was being used to house a subway restaurant. We have found another innovative use for shipping containers in the country of Haiti.

In Haiti, 20 foot containers are now serving as independent housing units with many going on to provide shelter for the survivors of the January earthquake. The earthquake cost the lives of around 230,000 people. We have commented previously on the innovative uses of the ubiquitous container but with one million made homeless by the disaster this means a relief effort of gargantuan proportions is required and each 20 foot container is capable of carrying steel building sets for 50 homes

 There are  continuing efforts to bring some sort of normality back to the island most recently by transporting the emergency housing units to homeless families. Shipped in the containers and packaged into kits, the homes are assembled in country by trained Haitians and humanitarian aid workers.

To date, there have been 68 containers shipped to Port-au-Prince. In all, the plan is to send 300 containers to relief organizations in Haiti. The temporary structures, which replace tents, measure 10 feet by 20 feet and are hurricane resistant, fire resistant and earthquake resistant and are the ideal structure for harsh environments and are being delivered to various aid organizations in Port-au-Prince and Leogane, including CHF International and the Lutheran World Federation.

Logistics teams worked closely to ensure that fifty of the structures were loaded into each 20-foot container at a new 70,000-square-foot warehouse near the Jacksonville Port Authority's Dames Point Marine.

The housing of displaced Haiti residents is still one of the toughest logistical challenges faced by many aid organizations according to individuals working in Haiti.  While the recovery in Haiti is expected to be slow, this is a great help in the restoration of normalcy in Haiti.

 Parts of this article have been taken from Handy  Shipping News.

Pack n send prepares freight for shipping and ships cargo worldwide.

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

 Our services include:

Packing and crating

Domestic and international shipping

Pick up and delivery

Small moves- both local and long distance

Packing and  unpacking

Estate packing

Document shredding

Full value coverage

Choice of delivery method

Freight preparation

Container loading

Freight receiving

Turnkey eBay Service

Pack n send is located at 6214 Beverly Hill Street in Houston Texas.  We are between Fountainview and Hillcroft, at the light at Greenridge. 

We operate an 8400  square foot facility and are open Monday-Friday from 9:00 am to 6 p.m. 

Se habla  Espanol. 

Please call us at 713 266 1450.

In the closing days of the 2010 legislative session, Delaware lawmakers took quick action to exempt some mobile two-way radios from a pending law that would have barred their use by motorists.

Legislation signed into law by Gov. Jack Markell on July 6 (HS 1 for HB 229) prohibits Delaware drivers from using hand-held cell phones or other electronic devices to hold conversations, send text-messages or access the Internet. The legislation also outlaws the use of two-way radios in moving vehicles.

Schwartzkopf said that, while police and first responders were excluded from the original ban, he was embarrassed to admit that he forgot transportation workers and others still use the dated, but proven, technology.

Delaware will be breaking new ground when the law is implemented. No other state in the country prohibits motorists from using CB radios installed in their vehicles.

On the issue of hand-held cell phones, the First State will actually be the seventh state to enforce the prohibition on motorists. It’s already illegal for drivers to use the devices in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Oregon, and in Washington, D.C., as it is in the Delaware municipalities of Wilmington and Elsmere. Maryland’s hand-free cell phone law will go into effect on Oct. 1.

Additionally, 25 states have enacted laws prohibiting texting while driving.

Supporters of the Delaware law point to the increased distraction caused by cell phone use and the hazard impaired drivers posed to their fellow motorists and pedestrians.

 “This new law is about improving safety for everyone who shares the road. We hope we can reduce the number of drivers who text and e-mail while driving, and therefore, reduce the number of distraction-related crashes. Just as we’re keeping our focus as a state on creating more jobs, we want drivers keeping their focus on the road,” Markell said.

Violators would not accumulate any points on their licenses. Drivers would be permitted to punch in the phone number or activate the hands-free device, but then cannot have the phone in their hands.

The bill also allows drivers to use a hand-held cell phone to report an accident, fire, reckless driver or another emergency.

Sen. Karen E. Peterson (D-Stanton), who was the primary Senate sponsor of the bill, acknowledged that it was controversial.

The new laws go into effect 180 days from signature – on Jan. 2, 2011.

Portions of the article written by M.  Patricia   Titus,   

Coastal   Point  News have been printed here as a public service.

While pack n send specializes in freight preparation and cargo shipping, we are always looking for ways to keep our customers informed about new laws affecting drivers.

For information about shipping furniture on pallets, please call us at 713 266 1450.

Travelers who slog through long lines at   airport  security just to reach their seats might be surprised to learn that not all the cargo beneath their feet has been screened for explosives. But that's about to change.

As a result of the 9/11 Act endorsed by Congress in 2007, all cargo ferried aboard passenger aircraft originating in the United States must be screened, a mandate that federal officials say affects some 25 million pounds of cargo a day.

The law has ramifications for metro-area shippers and freight forwarders, who moved 24,825 tons of cargo -- including 4,263 tons of mail, as well as chemical materials, fruits and vegetables, high-tech machinery and electronic equipment -- out of Portland International Airport last year on passenger flights. It wouldn't take much for that kind of volume to interrupt timetables and back up cargo.

Next month, cargo headed for the belly of a passenger plane will be screened here before heading out through open doors in the back and down the tarmac for loading.

The law requires screening at the piece level, which means that shipments that are bundled together and shrink-wrapped on pallets or packed in containers have to be taken apart and reviewed and then repackaged.

The mandate also applies to shipments coming in from foreign countries, but  T S A not expect to meet that requirement any time soon. It does not apply to all-cargo companies such as UPS and FedEx.

According to James Fotenos, a TSA spokesman, 47 percent of cargo is already being screened by certified freight forwarders.

He said the agency doesn't anticipate any major problems once the law fully takes affect, though acknowledged that "There may be minor back ups in some of the major gateway airports."

Shippers and air forwarding companies opposed the 2007 law, formally known as the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act, arguing instead for a "risk-based" system that would call for screening only when there was a known security risk, but Congress opted for the 100 percent solution.

 The law has been phased in. Last year, airlines were required to screen 50 percent of all cargo;in May of this year that went up to 75 percent.

In fact, nearly all cargo going on narrow-bodied aircraft is screened now. Most of the remaining cargo to be screened is shipped in the hold of wide-bodied aircraft.

The final 25 percent includes the most difficult to screen products, such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and perishables.

The mandate doesn't specify the method of screening and allows for hand screening, or X-ray and other scanning types of systems. It requires that the screening for cargo basically be the same as the   T S A expects for passengers' bags and carry-on items.

A recent survey by the  Air Forwarders Assn. found that 64 percent of its members expect the airlines to handle the screening. But the airlines lack space and manpower, and airline officials have made it clear they will fly when they are ready, and if the cargo isn't screened, it will sit at the airport until it is.

A March 2009 Government Accounting Office report said that participation in the Certified screening program may be cost prohibitive for small freight forwarders, which constitute 80 percent of the industry.

 In an effort to keep our customers informed about trends and laws in the cargo industry, we are publishing parts of the article written by Pack n send is publishing by James Mayer of the Oregonian.

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

US – Regular readers will know that we are always pleased to publish stories about the new generation of environmentally sound freight delivery vehicles (just type Electric into the News Search box as evidence) but today sees a special honor for one of the foremost companies in the field who are producing practical commercial vehicles every day.

President Barack Obama is making a special trip to visit the Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation (Smith US) facility in Kansas City, Missouri today where he will discuss the economy with the plant’s 50 workers. Smith US is the only company the President is visiting that day.

Smith US, which is America’s first manufacturer of new technology, all-electric trucks, recently received $22m in grants from the Obama administration. The funding, which follows an initial $10m government grant, is helping Smith US to build more than 500 of its market-leading ‘Smith Newton’ electric trucks. Designed for urban operations, the Newton has a top speed of 50mph, a range of up to 100 miles on a full battery charge and payload capabilities of up to 16,000lbs (7,500kg).

Smith US is an associate company of Smith Electric Vehicles UK (Smith UK), which was founded in 1920 and is the longest established electric vehicle manufacturer in the world. Based in Tyne & Wear, the company produces the world’s largest range of electric commercial vehicles (vans and trucks), in the Smith Edison van and minibus (electric Ford Transit) and the Smith Newton truck. Hundreds of these electric vehicles are now in service in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Hong Kong and Southern China.

Bryan Hansel CEO of Smith US, said:

“This is a very proud day for everyone at Smith Electric Vehicles. The Government has been extremely supportive of Smith US since we started work in Kansas City last year. This help is enabling us to quickly grow and develop our business, attracting new customers and already creating a significant number of jobs.

“Electric trucks represent a fantastic opportunity for America to create green collar jobs, cut carbon emissions from the most polluting vehicles on our highways and reduce reliance on foreign oil.”

The President will witness first hand the range of Smith’s electric commercial vehicles including the development of their latest project a purely electric version of the iconic London black taxi. Smiths US only began production in October last year and have already supplied vehicles to numerous blue chip companies

Pack n send has reproduced this article originally published in the Handy   Shipping  Guide.

Pack n send has recycles peanuts and boxes in an effort to help the environment.

For information on international and domestic shipping and moving, please call pack n send at 713 266 1450.

While pack n send has noticed an uptick in freight in both Houston and in the US in general, the article below from the handy shipping  guide highlights the precarious situation of the world wide freight industry.

WORLDWIDE - Despite the fact that companies like  Maersk   Line tell us that they have container ships coming out of mothballs as the call for empty boxes comes from Asia to service increasing levels of export cargo, there is often a darker side to such tales to remind us of the parlous state which world trade sank to so recently. We now understand that at least one of the ‘container repositions' being undertaken will terminate with the scrapping of the carrying vessel, the ‘Sealand Performance' which, after ferrying the empty boxes between the US and China for redistribution, will remain there to be broken up.

There are many other ship owners who still have spare capacity with freight vessels still idle after long periods anchored up in locations as diverse as Indonesian inlets and Scottish lochs and, never ones to report bad news, doubtless many owners will quietly follow the same course as Maersk with the ‘Performance' and realize what is left of their older assets. As we have   reported numerous times many new build vessels have been cancelled despite sizeable deposits which were then forfeited but lately several companies have invested in the excess stock with a view to increasing their fleets with a minimum outlay.

It seems the situation can be just as hard in the airfreight market and now we hear of freight aircraft available for sale, hire or ‘wet lease', otherwise known as ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance)as life toughens up even in previously lucrative sectors. We spoke to Air Charter Agent Ray Bowyer who told us he has several   Anontov AN-12 (20 ton payload) and AN-24 (5 ton payload) freighters and PAX/freight combination aircraft available fresh from African and Middle Eastern oil contracts.

So who will be proved right? Those disposing of underutilized assets? Or has the market in bulk and container vessels and used aircraft leveled out? Only time will tell, but as usual, the trick is sell high buy low; you just have to figure when things are at the bottom of the tide.

For more information about shipping freight in Houston and freight shipping in the United States, please contact pack n send at  713 266 1450.

Due to the winter storm in various parts  of the United States, UPS and Fed Ex have adjusted their pick up and delivery guarantees and schedules. Houston Freight Company can answer questions about shipping.

For your specific shipment, please feel free to contact pack n send for information. Our number is  713 266 1450.

 www.pack-n-send.com 

The following article is an update of UPS services to Haiti.

 UPS is working with the Red Cross, but at this time is not shipping personal packages directly to Haiti. 

USA / HAITI - Atlanta-based freight and parcel carrier UPS has announced they are to donate more than $1 million worth of support to the international efforts to assist the survivors of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday.

The contribution shall be made up of $500,000 in cash with the rest made up of in-kind support services.

The assistance is to be split between The Red Cross, UNICEF and CARE to be used in their long-term relief efforts for the blighted country.

Speaking of UPS' commitment Dan Brutto, president of UPS International, said that: "With hundreds of thousands of people affected, our hearts go out to Haiti.

"Through our financial commitment and logistics expertise, UPS is positioned to respond quickly to the urgent needs and tremendous suffering that have been created by the earthquake. We felt it was critical that we act fast to support the relief efforts."

UPS is also part of the World Food Programme's Logistics Emergency Teams (LETs), who deal with the rapid response and long-term logistic requirements that are created by disaster. The initiative involves providing "loaned" logistics experts to oversee on-site disaster response, normally for a deployment of three-to-six months and UPS has stated that is prepared for the activation of its team members.

For more information on shipping into Haiti, please contact pack-n-send at 713 266 1450.

www.pack-n-send.com