Shipping Auto Parts

Freight transportation provider Estes Express has launched three-day service to Toronto, Canada, from eight terminals in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas.

The ability to offer three-day service is a direct result of an initiative to increase network efficiency. Estes accelerated processing time, reduced freight handling and utilized direct lanes to create the three-day service from terminals in Memphis, TN; Alexandria and Hammond, LA; Jackson, MS; Fort Smith, Texarkana and Little Rock, AR; and Houston, TX.

The company recently reduced delivery times to Vancouver from the Pacific Northwest from two days to one and initiated a three-day service to Calgary and Edmonton, Canada, from six terminals in Texas and Oklahoma.

One of the ways the company has achieved higher efficiency to Canada is by consolidating freight at inland regional gateways. This avoids congested border terminals and initiates document processing before a customer’s shipment arrives at the U.S.-Canada border. Estes also provides access to experienced, bilingual PARS and PAPS specialists to help prevent needless delays at the border.

Echo Global Logistics, Inc., (Echo) is a provider of technology enabled transportation and supply chain management services. Its Web-based technology platform compiles and analyzes data from its network of over 20,000 transportation providers to serve its clients’ shipping and freight management needs. Its technology platform, composed of Web-based software applications and a database, enables it to identify excess transportation capacity, obtain rates and executes shipments while providing services. Echo focuses on arranging transportation across the modes, including truckload (TL), less than truck load ( LTL ) and small parcel, and it also offers inter-modal domestic air, expedited and international transportation services. Its logistics services include rate negotiation, shipment execution and tracking, carrier management, routing compliance, freight bill audit and payment and performance management and reporting, including executive dashboard tools.

In 1934, Lex and B.D. Benton pooled their savings together to open a filling station off of Highway 78 in Atlanta, GA. The two brothers would sleep above the shop at night while pumping gas and serving barbecue during the day. Over the next few months they learned about the movie film distribution through an acquaintance that stopped at the station weekly. With a desire to make a better living, they investigated the idea further. The Benton boys then decided to buy a used Ford Panel Truck and started to sell the idea of delivering movie film reels from Atlanta to South Georgia by truck.

In those days, no film was transported by truck, only by rail. The theatre managers had to go to the rail depot to pick up their new film and return their old film. Benton’s service was new -”give us a key to your theatre and when you come to work tomorrow, your new film will be there and the old film returned.” Because of the new convenience created by Benton, the service quickly grew. But the Benton Brother’s real success came in 1948 when the union struck against the rail. Because of the strike, the theaters not using Benton by this point could not get their new movies.

Upon temporary request to the Interstate Commerce Commission, the film companies asked for Benton to begin covering the entire state of Florida and Georgia during the strike. After the strike was over, the film customers did not want to lose the new increased service levels gained by using Benton, so they convinced the government to grant the Benton Brothers permanent authority to transport film throughout both Georgia and Florida. This type of service and freight kept Benton Brothers Film Express going strong down the same road until 1980.
The Motor Carriers Act of 1980 essentially deregulated interstate freight making it easier for trucking companies. This ruling placed Benton Express in an excellent position to take advantage and move into the general commodities business. The leaders of Benton at this time said that if they could deliver film and newsprint in an expedited manner on time, then the service levels should be no different for general commodities.

Saia was pleased to announce that it was honored with two awards for its exemplary 2009 safety record at the American Trucking Association (ATA) Safety Management Council’s recent Safety and Human Resources National Conference and Exhibition held in Rogers, Ark.

Saia took first place honors in the “General Commodities LTL/Local” category for companies driving 50 to 100 million miles. In addition to this award, the company placed third in the “General Commodities LTL/Linehaul” category for companies driving over 70 million miles.

Among other initiatives, Saia’s commitment to safety includes intensive, ongoing employee training, use of the Iteris Lane Departure Warning System and Eaton’s VORAD Collision Warning System, and participation in the ATA’s Safety Council.

The ATA is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. The ATA’s National Truck and Industrial Safety Contests are the only two national safety programs that recognize the extraordinary safety accomplishments of motor carriers across the United States by operation type and size. The ATA, through a federation of other trucking companies, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.

A. Duie Pyle, a leading shipping logistics provider, was pleased to announce that two of the company’s drivers, Leo Flack and Brian Singelais placed second and third respectively in their divisions at the 2010 American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships.
ATA’s Truck Driving Championships include top professional truck drivers from around the nation. They must first qualify at the state level to order advance to the national competition each summer. A Duie Pyle sent four drivers to the national championships this year.

Leo Flack placed second in the tank truck division and Brian Singelais placed third in the three-axle division. Also competing for Pyle this year was Rick Sly in the straight truck division, and John Forgione in the four-axle division. Nearly 400 drivers from all 50 states competed in Columbus for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry.

A Duie Pyle was recognized for providing the Northeast with the most customer-focused people in the transportation industry.  They continue to find new and better ways to meet the demands of the challenging Northeast. They use a reliable Regional model that keeps them close to the customer markets they serve.
A. Duie Pyle was awarded first place in safety by the Pennsylvania Motor Trucking Association. This  is recognition for being the safest motor freight LTL carrier in Pennsylvania was based on miles driven and accidents, in the under 15 million miles category.

DB Schenker Logistics has expanded its network in southeastern Europe, adding a new logistics center in Pardubice, Czech Republic. One of the center’s first customers is ESAB, an international provider of welding materials and accessories. The new 12,000 square meter facility in eastern Bohemia, not far from the Polish border, can hold 13,500 pallets. It has 15 hydraulic loading ramps, one of which can also be used for side loading and unloading which help their shipping service.

The new logistics center, owned by the Czech national company Schenker spol. s r.o., is located in an important economic region. “We were very deliberate in our selection of this new location,” explained Karl Nutzinger, Member of the Management Board of Schenker AG responsible for European Land Transport. “Pardubice is an important transport hub whose infrastructure is being expanded and it also has an excellent connection for trucking freight to the European rail network.”

In addition to the good transport connection, the facility also has a private siding. Six wagons can be unloaded on the covered ramp. The warehouse is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and is protected from intrusion by a surveillance system. A 400 square meter office building is located next door. According to current plans, 65 employees are expected to perform a variety of logistics services in Pardubice by the end of the year. The new facility is one of ESAB’s three distribution warehouses worldwide.

With an investment volume of more than $59 million, DB Schenker Logistics is building its new hub and corporate office for Finland in Vantaa near the airport. In addition, logistics facilities are being built for the capital of Finland in neighboring Kiila.  A complex for warehouse logistic services with a length of 280 meters will be built in the first step. Construction work on the 25,000 square meters facility is scheduled to start in the spring of 2011. Operations are expected to begin in the spring of 2012.

Trucking companies activities will be concentrated near Helsinki-Vantaa airport. A 41,000 square meter logistics center for domestic shipping services and international land transport, for air and ocean freight as well as for parcel services and deliveries to end consumers is currently in planning. About 770 parking spaces for vehicles, trailers and containers will be provided on the area with a size of 15 hectares. Existing facilities are to be relocated to Kiila. Construction work is set to begin in the summer of 2012 and the facility is expected to enter into operations in the summer of 2014.

“The new locations have excellent transport connections and benefit from their proximity to the airport as well as to the new port in Vuosaari,” explains Göran Åberg, CEO of Oy Schenker East Ab.

The development of the new facilities also benefited from the cooperation with Technische Universität Dortmund. Detailed simulations facilitated the conception as regards functionality, safety and environment, while simultaneously strides have been made towards the sustainable use of land, water and energy resources. The new terminal activities also aim to optimize overall the number of truck runs.

DB Schenker Rail had some unusual freight shipping.  It transported 72 concrete elements of up to 37 meters in length each from Neumark in Upper Palatinate, Germany, to Wroclaw in Poland for the Max Bögl construction company. The concrete elements weigh up to 100 tons each and are being used to build a new soccer stadium that is being constructed for the “EURO 2012″ European Soccer Championship.

“A perfectly coordinated international network forms the basis for this unusual cross-border transport. Extreme dimensions and weights always represent a challenge for us. DB Schenker Rail Deutschland and DB Schenker Rail Polska are working closely together to provide our customer Max Bögl a single source for high quality and flexible solutions,” notes Karsten Sachsenröder, Member of the Management Board of DB Schenker Rail responsible for Sales.

DB Schenker Rail is using six block trains to transport the total shipment of 6,600 tons. Special cranes are being used to load the trains in Neumark. The trains cross the Polish border at Zgorzelec/Görlitz and then travel on to Wroclaw Kuzniki. The last kilometers of the journey take place at night when the elements are transported to their final destination by trucking company. The first train left on August 20 and the last one is planned for the end of September.

Grube announced that DB Schenker will launch a series of measures in the coming years to improve quality. He mentioned a specific example in Berlin: by the end of 2011 financial support from the government’s economic stimulus program will make it possible to install dynamic signage units at about 2,800 locations in stations across Germany. Located on train platforms, the units will provide information about changes in scheduled train services visually via an electronic ticker display, and audibly via loudspeakers. Within the framework of the Customer and Quality Initiative launched by DB Schenker, these information systems will additionally be installed in stations across Germany. This step represents an additional investment of $27.5 million. Grube further stated: “There is no question that we must improve our service and quality. The Management Board will present additional elements of our Customer and Quality Initiative in September.”

During the first half of 2010 net debt was further reduced by $198 million to currently $19.5 billion. Chief Financial Officer Dr. Richard Lutz stated: “Once again we were able to finance our capital expenditures from our cash flow and reduce our debt. This is a further example of the financial stability and performance that DB Schenker has stood for since years. And this reliability also creates maneuvering room to make future investments.” As of June 30, 2010 Deutsche Bahn AG had nearly 240,000 employees or almost 3,000 more than in the same-year period. Freight cargo is up.