Web Masters

UPS Technology Expands to 20 Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean

UPS is making it easier for customers in Latin America and the Caribbean to conduct business around the world through the implementation of web-based shipping applications and visibility technology tools such as UPS Internet Shipping, UPS CampusShip and UPS Quantum View Manage.

The technology expansion is promised to save customers time and money by streamlining the preparation, management and tracking of their small package and freight shipments whether international or domestic.

The countries that stand to benefit from the technology expansion are: Argentina, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela.

“Our investment in technology aims to better satisfy the needs of our customers, regardless if they ship a letter or high tech components, subassemblies or finished goods,” says Jose Acosta, president of Latin American operations and public affairs for UPS Americas.“By adding these tools to our portfolio of services and technology solutions, we are making it easier for our customers to expand around the world.”

Victory at Sea

Shipping Carriers Evergreen, Hamburg Süd North America, Hapag-Lloyd Ag, Maersk Line, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming are First to Sign on to Port of Los Angeles Clean Ship Incentive Program

Six shipping carriers are the inaugural participants in the Port of Los Angeles Environmental Ship Index (ESI), an international clean-air program that rewards ocean carriers for bringing their newest and cleanest vessels to the Port.

Developed through the International Association of Ports & Harbors’ World Ports Climate Initiative, the ESI program is the first of its kind in North America and the Pacific Rim. Shipping carriers Evergreen, Hamburg Süd North America, Inc, Hapag-Lloyd AG Maersk Line, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming have registered for the global program and are in line to begin receiving incentives later this year.

“We applaud these early adopters of the ESI program and encourage not only other carriers to participate but also other ports to join this global port program,” says Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz. “Growing participation among ports worldwide will increase the level of incentives available to ship operators that invest in and deploy the cleanest, most efficient and environmentally friendly fleets.”

The web-based ESI program, already under way at 14 European ports, boasts immediate and significant clean-air benefits by rewarding vessel operators for voluntary engine, fuel and technology enhancements that reduce emissions from ships beyond the regulatory environmental standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The Port of Los Angeles developed its ESI with the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and other stakeholders. Its program also conforms to the San Pedro Bay Clean Ports Air Action Plan, which sets specific bay-wide targets for near-term pollution reduction through 2014 and long-term objectives through 2023.

Specifically, operators whose vessels call at the Port can earn an incentive ranging from $250 to $5,250 per ship call by meeting one or all of the following three requirements:

1. Scoring 30 or more ESI points based on a vessel’s engine specifications and emissions certification; use of low sulfur fuel, plug-in ready on-board shore power technology and a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).

2. Deploying ships with a Tier II or Tier III engine to the Port of Los Angeles.

3. Participating in a demonstration program to test and improve vessel emission reduction technology.

Incentives are to be paid on a quarterly basis, with the first distribution scheduled for October. During the first sixth months of the program, ships can qualify for the first incentive with a score of 25 points. The lower introductory threshold is intended to encourage early participation and help operators familiarize themselves with the ESI website and reporting requirements.

Chain Links

Transplace and LLamasoft Partner to Provide Enhanced Benchmarking Services and Supply Chain Optimization for Customers

Transplace, a leading provider of transportation management services and logistics technology, announced it has partnered with LLamasoft, the global leader in supply chain design solutions, to integrate Transplace truckload benchmarking data into LLamasoft Supply Chain Guru software. The partnership aims to enable the transportation industry leaders to better provide customers with real-time shipping data and powerful supply chain design technology to optimize their transportation network and save costs.

“LLamasoft is a recognized industry leader and we greatly respect the tools and innovation that they bring to the marketplace,” says Ben Cubitt, senior vice president of engineering and consulting at Transplace. “Integrating Transplace’s truckload benchmarking data into the LLamasoft Supply Chain Guru software makes it even more powerful and valuable to our shared and individual customers. We are very excited about what the partnership brings to our customers.”

Via the partnership, Transplace is to provide LLamasoft with benchmarking data and services based on the company’s known capabilities in that area and broad access to inbound and outbound rates. LLamasoft is to likewise provide Transplace with access to its industry-proven network optimization software. Customers stand to benefit from this combination of data and technology by having access to greater visibility of current market rates and the development of effective strategies for improving procurement activities.

“Transplace has developed impressive benchmarking capabilities,” says Don Hicks, LLamasoft founder and CEO. “Good, reliable market rates are critical inputs to our software, and we look forward to providing customers with the significant benefit that Transplace outbound and inbound rate data will offer.”

On Trac

NASSTRAC Announces Regional Meeting Schedule for Shipper Education, Networking

NASSTRAC, otherwise known as the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, has announced a slate of regional meetings in various markets throughout the United States this fall. The primary goal of these meetings is to provide local venues where shippers can network with other freight transportation executives, hear perspectives on industry issues, and learn from best practices in transportation and supply chain management.

Each event features a networking luncheon, followed by a panel of shippers discussing opportunities, challenges and issues in freight transportation and supply chain management. “We’ve found that periodically hosting these local meetings is filling a void in the marketplace,” says Brian Everett, executive director of NASSTRAC, which provides education, advocacy and provider relations for professionals involved in all modes of transportation. “Transportation executives who have participated have said they find relevant education and networking, which is big part of NASSTRAC’s mission.

CSI  FTZ  Miami

U.S. Department of Commerce Announces New Foreign Trade Zone in Miami

Paul Piquado, the U.S. Department of Commerce assistant secretary for Import Administration, has announced the establishment of a new Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) in Miami-Dade County at PortMiami, a move intended to help improve American businesses’ competitive advantage in the global economy. Piquado joined Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and other elected officials and community leaders for an official presentation ceremony to announce the FTZ, where he presented Gimenez with an original grant of authority, signed by Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank.

“The new Foreign Trade Zone in Miami will provide Florida businesses with new opportunities as they seek to export their products around the world,” says Piquado. “Florida businesses have a powerful new tool; those that use the zone will now save substantially on import duties and processing fees in addition to having stronger security measures and faster delivery of goods. This is good news for Florida exporters that will help spur Florida’s economic recovery.”

“Establishing this new Foreign Trade Zone is crucial in helping local businesses create jobs, stay competitive and stimulate our regional economy,” says Gimenez. “It gives an edge to American businesses as they compete in a global marketplace, and becomes an important component of our efforts to grow PortMiami as an international hub for trade and commerce.”

Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who chairs the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners’ committee that oversees PortMiami, also congratulated the Port on the new designation, which will be known as PortMiami Foreign Trade Zone 281. “This initiative is an example of the entrepreneurial spirit at PortMiami that will help us reach our goal of doubling cargo traffic over the next decade,” Sosa says. “We are grateful that the U.S. Department of Commerce agreed with our initiative to create this new mega-FTZ since it will be a great boost to our local and regional economy.”

The PortMiami FTZ stretches north from Southwest Eighth Street to the Broward County line. The new zone will be among the nation’s first to operate under new, streamlined processes. U.S. businesses that work within a foreign trade zone can receive warehouse and re-export products duty-free, thus reducing costs and helping businesses become more globally competitive. Thousands of businesses each year use foreign trade zones to coordinate foreign and domestic shipments.