Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 14.8% higher in March 2006 than in March 2005, reaching $68.2 billion, the highest monthly level ever recorded, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Table 1).

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported that total North American surface transportation trade rose 14.1% in March from February (Table 2). Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

The previous monthly high was $64.0 billion in October 2005. Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90% of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land.

Total North American surface transportation trade value in March was up 35.8% compared to March 2001, and up 100.5% compared to March 1996, a period of 10 years (Table 3). Imports in March were up 114.6% compared to March 1996, while exports were up 84.8%.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $44.0 billion in March, up 11.4% compared to March 2005 (Table 4). The value of imports carried by truck was 8.6% higher in March 2006 than March 2005 while the value of exports carried by truck was 13.3% higher.

Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in March with $6.7 billion (Table 5).

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

U.S. – Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $24.2 billion in March, up 21.5% compared to March 2005 (Table 6). The value of imports carried by truck was 18.1% higher in March 2006 than March 2005 while the value of exports carried by truck was 21.9% higher.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in March with $7.7 billion (Table 7).

The Transborder Freight Dataset is a special extract of the official U.S. foreign trade statistics. The data are tabulated for BTS monthly by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division. March transborder numbers include data received by BTS as of May 15.

Tags: surface trade, canada, mexico, usa, foreign trade, statistics, transborder, bts

The United Kingdom’s Department for Transport has today published National Statistics on freight traffic handled at UK ports in 2005.

These provisional port statistics for 2005 show that:

• Total freight traffic rose by 8.5 million tonnes (Mt) to 581.6 Mt in 2005, 1.5 per cent up on 2004;
• Inwards traffic rose by 9.7 Mt to 352.1 Mt, whilst outwards traffic fell by 1.2 Mt to 229.4 Mt;
• Freight traffic through the 52 major UK ports totalled 565.8 Mt, up 7.6 Mt on 2004. This represented 97 per cent of total UK port freight traffic in 2005;
• Grimsby and Immingham maintained its position as the UK’s leading port in 2005 with 58.1 Mt (0.4 Mt up on 2004), followed by Tees and Hartlepool with 55.8 Mt (up 2.0 Mt) and London with 53.8 Mt (up 0.6 Mt);

The top ten ports in 2005, in terms of tonnage, were as follows:

Tags: uk, ports, port statistics, europe, navigation, shipping, london, liverpool, freight traffic

Last month, in West Sacramento, President Bush visited the California Fuel Cell Partnership headquarters to learn about the progress of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

During his visit, the President toured the solar-powered facility including CaFCP’s hydrogen station and a vehicle service bay — one of eight — to see the work that goes on a daily basis. He also saw fuel cell vehicles produced by eight auto manufacturers and two fuel cell buses.

At the conclusion of the tour, President Bush spoke about advanced transportation technology to an audience comprised of CaFCP members and White House guests. Here are short excerpts:

“I strongly believe hydrogen is the fuel of the future. That’s what we’re talking about,” the President stated during his speech. “Hydrogen is used in a fuel cell that can power a car that uses no gasoline, produces no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen vehicles can be twice as efficient as gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen is clean; hydrogen is domestically produced; and hydrogen is the wave of the future. And the people here at the California Fuel Cell Partnership understand that.”

To this day, a total of 134 fuel cell passenger vehicles and 9 fuel cell buses have been placed on California’s roads. They fuel at the 22 hydrogen stations located in major metropolitan areas, across California.

These vehicles are powered by electricity produced onboard by fuel cells that combine hydrogen fuel with oxygen from air. Their only tailpipe emission is water. This truly represents an alternative for the future of transport.

Founded during Earth Week seven years ago, the California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of 31 member organizations working together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP members include automotive manufacturers, energy providers, government agencies, fuel cell technology companies and transit agencies. Through collaboration, the members share learnings, develop common practices and prepare the California market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP is committed to promoting fuel cell vehicle commercialization as a means of moving toward a sustainable energy future, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing or eliminating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The official CaCFP press release has a few more details and you can also read President Bush’s exact words during his speech about advanced transportation technology, in the State of California.

Tags: hydrogen, green cars, california, pollution, greenhouse gas, emissions, transportation

Just when you thought gas prices couldn’t go higher, they broke new records! When you’re a manager or business owner in the T&L industry, this is alarming news which consistently affects your bottom line.

Moving things around the world or around the block just got pricier and any new gas alternative out there will suddenly become a lot more interesting. That’s exactly how the US Department of Energy sees things. The spirit of their initiatives go something like “If it can be built, then let’s promote it… and perhaps even celebrate it.”

You should bookmark their Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy information web site for extensive reviews of technologies that apply to the T&L industry in part but may have significant impacts on several fronts on your business operations, such as:

• Biomass
• Building Technologies
• Distributed Energy
• Vehicle Technologies
• Geothermal Technologies
• Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies (Must Read)
• Industrial Technologies
• Solar Technologies
• Weatherization
• Wind and Hydropower

But that’s not all, the EERE operates the US Government’s Fuel Economy web site, dedicated mainly to consumer vehicles, which also apply to many commercial fleets. Many engaging themes are available, such as: gasoline prices, gas mileage tips, hybrid vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles and energy efficiency. The Fast Fuel Cost Calculator can also come in handy to see how much fuel efficient cars can save you and your company, over the course of several years of operation.

If you’re a fan of ethanol, the Alternative Fuels Data Center’s interactive Ethanol E85 map quickly shows where you can find refueling stations across the United States. Minnesota seems to have the lead, for now!

As expected, there’s a lot of activity going on for altertive fuels applied to consumer vehicles. Battery powered city buses and such have been successfully deployed but it’ll be a few years before you can replace your current fleet of large vans for alternative fuel equivalents. That’s fine because consumer vehicle progresses can often serve as tangible inspiration to companies who serve the transports and logistics operators.

Let’s not get overly enthusiastic. After all, commercial transportation is all about performance. Heavier loads, shorter delays. Nowadays, only fossil fuel can deliver in the face of such demanding standards. Even if you dream about going to your local Peterbilt truck shop to order a hydrogen fuel powered model, it’s just not possible.

So why should you care about all that’s going on in the consumer market?

Because the progress is real, on almost every front.

Never in recent history have we been closer to getting our hands on fully functional altertive energy cars that perform as well, if not better, than current gasoline comparables. Almost all auto makers are actively building tomorrow’s technology today and some models can help you save the environment, even if it’s in a small way, at first.

If you would like to know more about how you can “green up” your company’s vehicles and operations, you can also visit the US Environmental Protection Agency to get a bigger picture of how fuel economy fits in a greener future scenario.

For now, all eyes are on “alternative” solutions!

Tags: alternative fuels, greener cars, epa, hydrogen fuel, fossil fuel, transportation, economy

A revised international investment proposal released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation would strengthen requirements initially proposed last November concerning U.S. citizens’ control of all safety, security and national defense obligations of domestic airlines while allowing international investors to make decisions on commercial matters involving U.S. airline management.

The supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking issued by the Department reflects comments provided on the November, 2005 proposal from consumers, airlines, aviation personnel and other interested groups. That proposal would make it easier for U.S. airlines to raise money, restructure their businesses and form strategic partnerships and alliances by allowing international investors more say in some aspects of airline operations such as scheduling and marketing.

The supplemental proposal issued today would make clear that U.S. citizens who are members of a domestic airline’s board or the voting shareholders, must retain the authority to revoke decision-making authority that international investors may acquire. For example, domestic board members might decide to revoke international investors’ decision-making authority over scheduling and fleet composition if they felt that those decisions were not in their airlines’ best interests. The new provision would make clear that U.S. citizens remain in “actual control” of the airline, as required by statute.

In addition, the revised proposal would strengthen the original proposal’s requirement that U.S. citizens have full control over all policies and implementation relating to safety, security and national defense airlift commitments. The new proposal would specifically prevent international investors from having the ability to hire, fire or control the budgets of senior airline managers with direct responsibility for safety, security and national defense airlift commitments.

As with the original version, the revised proposal would only apply to international investors from countries that have Open-Skies aviation agreements with the United States and allow similar investments by American citizens in their domestic airlines.

Here’s a partial list of US domestic airliners targeted, directly or not, by this proposal:

• Alaska Air
• Aloha Air
• America West Airlines
• American Airlines
• Continental Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Northwest Airlines
• Pacific Coastal Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines
• US Airways
• WestJet Airlines
• World Airways

The Department is seeking additional comment for another sixty days to allow for all interested groups to comment on the revised proposal.

Tags: airlines, investments, us, dot, proposal, safety, security, national defense, citizens

Five projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the freight transportation sector have been selected to receive funding under Transport Canada’s Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program.

Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that the selected projects will receive funding totalling approximately $582,000. This funding will support a variety of initiatives ranging from enhancing the fuel efficiency of aircraft engines to the management of fuel consumption by trucking companies using a satellite tracking system.

“The companies awarded funding under this program have shown innovation and a willingness to experiment,” said Minister Cannon. “The results have the potential to enhance not only our environment, but also the processes and equipment that we use in freight transportation every day.”

The following organizations will receive funding under the program: Freight Wing Incorporated, Sunbury Transport Limited, Jazz Air Limited Partnership, Polymer Distribution Incorporated and Ronald A. Chisholm Limited.

The Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program supports the demonstration and evaluation of innovative tools, technologies and practices that have the potential to reduce the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from the freight transportation sector in Canada. The Government of Canada will contribute up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenses, to a maximum of $250,000, with applicants and their partners contributing the remainder.

This announcement represents the eighth round of funding under the program, and brings the total funding allocated under the program to approximately $4.7 million for 34 projects across Canada.

More information is available on the Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program.

Tags: greenhouse gas, freight, canada, emissions, sustainability, infrastructure, communities

Trucking companies and fleet operators know the general road safety tips by heart.

Over time, it’s only normal that your memory should be freshned up a bit and to that end, what better way to review the latest road safety tips than visiting the following, finely crafted, governmental web sites.

UK Department for Transport
THINK! Road Safety

Transport Canada
Road Safety – Hot Topics

Road and Traffic Authority, NSW
Australian Road Safety

US Department of Transport
General Safety Information
Road Safety overseas (very useful)

EUROPA – European Commission
Road Safety Action Programme

Overall, the message is clear: follow the regulation, think before you take to the road and use your good judgement, especially when driving a large truck. From country to country, the challenges are similar. Excessive speed, lack of judgment, health problems (including alcohol and drugs) mixed with the all too frequent failure to observe basic road regulations have claimed way too many lives in the past years.

Governments have taken a strong stand against road-related deaths and these web sites will help you make sure you or someone around you isn’t one of them.

These online road safety information repositories are also quite useful if you need to follow the latest driving regulations. You may want to bookmark their new feeds for quick access.

Keep in mind that driving in densely populated areas, like Singapore, means you’ll have to deal with countless pedestrians. To make each run downtown a little safer, perhaps reminding yourself of some basic road safety advice for pedestrians could prove useful.

Knowledge is power, on the road and off!

Tags: road safety, safety advice, pedestrians, cars, regulations, good judgement, transportation

Transport companies all over the world may have noticed, space exploration is becoming a reality for more and more people therefore, countless new collateral business opportunities are emerging.

Virgin Galactic‘s sales pitch is uplifting and targets the “Average Joe”, as long as “Joe” has boatloads of dispensable income:

“By the end of the decade, Virgin Galactic – the most exciting development in the story of modern space history – is planning to make it possible for almost anyone to visit the final frontier at an affordable price.”

Fortunately, the Virgin Galactic experts have prepared a little primer on space travel for regular folks just wishing to see the Earth from an exciting new perspective:

“The reason Virgin Galactic has become possible is thanks to the vision of one man, Paul G. Allen, who has taken the risk of funding the world’s greatest aviation designer of the modern era – Burt Rutan.

Rutan’s vision for mass space travel was born in the early years of interplanetary transport. The fathers of space exploration never planned sending man into space on what are basically large intercontinental ballistic missiles. They foresaw that people would somehow be taken up to a height and then launched into space. The Cold War forced the hand of space development. All the budget for space technology was usurped for military development, so the space programme became geared to what the superpowers were building – missiles.

Burt Rutan has gone back to basics and developed a number of things crucial to making Virgin Galactic and sub-orbital space tourism possible:

Firstly, the technology to get people into and back from space cheaply and simply, using an environmentally friendly aircraft that creates virtually no pollution.

The key to Rutan’s design is a craft, which on its return to earth turns from a beautiful sleek space plane into a ‘shuttlecock’ – to gently drift back through the atmosphere without overheating. It then metamorphoses once again into a conventional aircraft shape ready for landing.

Cost is another factor to make space tourism of the moment not of the future. Burt adopted a much more efficient, and up to date approach to making his space craft, using composite materials as opposed to metals. The most important factor that brings us to the precipice of mass space exploration is safety. Burt has utilised a much safer fuel than ever before – nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and rubber. The two things separately are inert. Only when the nitrous oxide has been forced onto the rubber and then ignited will the motor start, producing its tremendous energy. This is much safer than liquid propulsion systems or solid fuel rockets.

All these elements would be useless without the final component to this breakthrough – the ability to carry people into space without first having to train them for half a year at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.

A few days of medical assessment and pre-flight familiarisation is all the space tourists of this decade will require prior to their real ET experience.”

If you’re not excited by the possibility of reaching for the stars perhaps the sheer technological armada destined to make Virgin Galactic possible will someday apply to terrestrial transport companies. Low polluting emissions, new ignition engine, amazing safety features, innovative materials and semi-automated navigation can all find echos in the T&L industry.

Although you can’t hop on this ship and say “beam me up, Scotty” already, there’s a cool web page describing what the flight would be like, including the famous 5-4-3-2-1-lift off countdown, NASA-style.

For the readers who still wonder why in the world we need to leave our blue planet, even for an instant, perhaps this page can shed some much needed light on the reasons going into space is so meaningful.

We’ll continue monitoring Virgin Galactic and similar projects for the fun of it, the technological breakthroughs and the somewhat reassuring feeling that the human race is making ways into brand new, virgin territory.

Tags: virgin galactic, space travel, breakthroughs, energy, propulsion system, sub-orbital tourism