February 10, 2015: Turmoil continues at West Coast ports; Southeastern Freight Lines expanding; Building drone delivery vehicles.
Feb. 10, 2015
Here is a look at what is happening in the world of transportation this morning:
- The first union contract for drayage drivers is issued at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Press Telegram.
- Drayage trucking firms are declaring a “force majeure” situation in regards to container delay fees piling up the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, reports the Long Beach Post.
- All this strife at West Coast ports may push freight away to other locales, according to the Portland Business Journal.
- Southeastern Freight Lines is expanding into Kentucky, says Louisville Business First.
- XPO Logistics is getting more deeply involved in the e-commerce market with a $59 million acquisition, reports Reuters.
- Snow storms continue to pound the northeastern U.S., notes CNN International, making travel treacherous.
- Buffalo NY has resorted to hiring trucks specifically to haul snow away from its packed streets, according to WIVB 4.
- The International Energy Agency says in its latest global oil market outlook that demand is now expected to outpace supply and that the “political risk” to crude supply will remain extraordinarily elevated in the next few years, both on the upside and the downside.
- Scania is beginning to test autonomous trucks on Dutch public roads, according to MYCE.
- AMP Electric Vehicles is putting the finishing touches on what’s being called a “drone delivery vehicle” that will see service with UPS, notes WVXU Cincinnati.
- Georgia legislators unveiled revisions to a controversial transportation bill, reports WXIA TV News; changes that include eliminating a $5,000 tax break for electric cars.
- Transportation needs are growing fast in southern Utah, according to The Spectrum.
- Golden state legislators want to hike California’s sales tax by half a penny to boost transportation spending, says The Sacramento Bee.
- State and local transportation agencies raking in big time savings from low oil prices, notes the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- The Baltic Sea Index hit an all-time low this week, reports Reuters, spooking analysts as it may indicate weakening global industrial activity.
