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Saturday, August 30, 2008

World Wide Trucker's Strike Updates - Argentina Blocking Soy Oil

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In Argentina this week truckers on strike for better pay and conditions used about 200 trucks to block a soy oil producing facility from shipping its products.  This is a growing example of how the actual trucks themselves can be used to gridlock production, shipping and logistics in various areas around the world.

The truckers are not so much protesting oil prices directly but they are protesting for better compensation and benefits (health care, job security and term life insurance are all common demands), which all too often is linked to oil and fuel prices.  It is somewhat ironic that they are blocking soy oil, which can be used as an alternative fuel source.

Grains and vegetable oil exporters have condemned the protest, which is preventing soybeans from being delivered at the plant and could cause delays in the loading of ships in the river port of San Lorenzo.

Argentina is the world's top supplier of soyoil and soymeal and Bunge is among the country's biggest exporters.

Pablo Moyano, secretary of the Truck Drivers' Union, said about 2,000 truckers were blocking the Bunge plant to press their demands for better pay and conditions.

"In the coming days, we'll start adding Cargill, Molinos Rio de la Plata, Nidera, Louis Dreyfus," he told Reuters, referring to other leading exporters with operations in the ports in and around the Parana River city of Rosario.

USA Today Article

Friday, August 22, 2008

Free Gas Giveaway

With rising fuel costs and the cost of living skyrocketing across the board, the premise of free gas is now more attractive than ever. Combine free gas with great deals on telecommunications and you've got a winner. Charter Communications recently announced a Shell Gas Card and Compaq Presario giveaway to new subscribers to their telecommunications services. The $100 Shell gas card is free to anyone who subscribes to any one of their telephone, cable or high speed internet services. In addition to receiving the gas card and Charter's great service, you will be entered in a contest to win one of thirty new Compaq Presario C770US laptops! The Charter Laptop-a-Day Giveaway will award the first Presario on September 1st and an additional laptop everyday until the end of September. With back to school looming, why not bundle your utilities, get $100 of free Shell gas and a chance to win a great new laptop (an over $600 value) for your back to schoolers?

ABX Air and DHL Reach Severance Agreement

Corporate restructuring is seldom a god thing for the hard working folks on the front-line, and in this case about 200 of those hard working folks are going to be terminated in the next 60 days. The actual restructuring of DHL's United States operations was announced earlier this summer (May 28th), so needless to say there have been a lot of sleepless nights for ABX employees since then. Apparently, these first batch of cuts are due in part to the retirement of 23 DC-9 cargo planes this year, with the rest of the planes retired sometime in the next calender year. DHL has also announced that after this first round of terminations, additional cuts will be made following the retirement of more planes. Terminated employees have been granted a number of severance options such as continued welfare and health benefits. John Graber, ABX's President said, "We saw this coming when we heard the news from DHL on May 28th." In addition to President Graber's forsight, Frank Appel, CEO of DHL's parent company Deutsche Post claims that the decision is irreversible due to the need to reduce nearly $1 billion in annual DHL losses in the package delivery business. Although the agreement has been reached, it will be interesting to see what kind of taste this leaves in consumers mouths, if any.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Teamster's Striking and Picketing Ford Plant in Louisville

Teamster's are striking a Louisville Kentucky Ford plant after negotiations broke down between the Teamster's and a new Ford contractor, Auto Port. 

Disputes over the railcar-loading work began soon after Ford announced the switch from contractor RCS Transportation of Shelbyville to Auto Port, a subsidiary of Toronto-based CN International.

Auto Port, which had won a three-year contract for the work, notified Teamster employees that they would be out of a job June 1, but invited them to interview for their old jobs at less than half their former hourly pay of $20 to $22. - source

 

A temporary resolution had been reached, enabling the teamster's to work for less pay, but keep health benefits and job security, but it would appear that Auto Port and the Teamster's fell apart on their compromise with no hints of a new reconciliation.

For Teamster's their compromise, may have ultimately allowed them to give up the high ground in their battle to secure employees some jobs, and ultimately may push them completely out of work all together before all is said and done. 

It is said, that anytime you can't walk away from a deal, you are bound to receive the bad end of it.  It would appear that the Teamster's were unwilling to walk away from a bad deal, and have subsequently been dealt table scraps until even those were with held.  They would have almost been better off taking a Las Vegas travel trip and investing in slot machines rather than give in inch by inch until there was nothing left to give.

Over the years and decades, unions have all rapidly lost their direction and way.  Membership has declined rapidly as unions fail to protect new members and from a corporate perspective gouge the bottom line for older workers.  The things that made unions strong have almost completely evaporated with time and bad practice and this particular failure is just another example of the manifestation of this problem.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Trucking Sector Picking Up

The trucking sector of the economy has begun picking up steam the last few weeks. Recently, a Longbow Research analyst announced that the sector has been upgraded from "Underweight" to "Neutral", due to a survey of truckers that asked whether or not they had a positive feeling about the industry going forward.
Apparently, about half of survey respondents are expecting positive business growth the rest of the year, compared to about 17% this June. Out of all those surveyed,  20% expected the sector to further decline, whereas nearly 70% expected negative growth two months ago.
Regardless of how the trucking market responds, the truckers do see the light at the end of the tunnel. Longbow Research's analysts say, "We expect capacity to continue to shrink in the trucking market, spurring demand and improving pricing."

Attorneys focused on Illinois Nursing Home Neglect

Over the last few years, there have been several documented instances of elder abuse in the Chicago, IL metro area. Fortunately there are a number of reputable attorneys in the area who specialize in nursing home abuse and neglect. If you or a family member suspect that a loved one has been the victim of Illinois nursing home neglect or abuse, it is important that you speak to a professional today. 
There are many issues that affect patients in long-term care facilities. Whether it is neglect due to malnutrition, physical abuse or inattention to their basic needs, it is imperative to seek a consultation with a licensed professional. There are a number of Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys who specialize in educating the public regarding the many issues that affect those in long-term care environments as well as represent the individuals in question.
If you are searching for an experienced Illinois nursing home negligence lawyer, it is essential that you select a firm that maintains a staff of licensed professional attorneys who have a proven track record of dutifully representing their clients. Not only will you be helping your loved ones, but you will also be an integral part of exposing institutions that neglect their residents.

Pilgrim's Pride Cut-Backs

Yesterday afternoon, Pilgrims Pride announced that they were closing two processing plants in Arkansas and Louisiana. The plant closings are expected to eliminate 600 jobs. In the last six months, Pilgrim's Pride has cut over 2,300 jobs. The company insists that the job cuts are to strengthen the bottom line.
Clint Rivers, CEO of Pilgrims Pride, also said, "We believe that the actions announced, while painful, are needed to position Pilgrim's Pride to emerge from this down cycle as a much stronger, more efficient competitor."
Current market prices in the United States over the summer are at $1.33 per pound, down slightly from the prior five year average of $1.63 per pound. This announcement was made as food prices have risen nearly 10% since last year.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Precast Concrete Building The Future

With the current state of deteriorating infrastructure in the United States on everybody's mind, never before has the precast concrete industry garnered so much attention. Whether it is deteriorating bridges, roadways or sewers, it is essential that quality materials are ascertained through experienced professionals. Jensen Precast has been a leader in the precast construction industry for nearly 40 years and offers a number of solutions engineered to your exact specifications.
Whether you are a private contractor looking for Precast Concrete Septic Tanks or a city planner trying to streamline underground utilities, Jensen Precast provides a wide array of precast concrete products as well as steel reinforced structures to fit your needs. 
In addition to crafting concrete to exact specifications utilizing an in-house engineering facility, Jensen Precast also maintains large manufacturing plants in order to satisfy even the most demanding construction projects. Not only can they build it, they can deliver it in seamless fashion as well due to their responsive fleet of boom and flat bed trucks. 

Bridge Issues in U.S. Threatens Drivers Wallets

Unless you've been sleeping under a bridge, which isn't a good idea for many reasons, you might not be aware of the fact that much of the United States' infrastructure is beginning to crumble. After the collapse of a Minneapolis, MN bridge last year, the federal government began surveying bridges across the nation and found that 25.4% of bridges were either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Fortunately, over the last calender year, similar surveying and repair work has brought the percentage down to 25%. That might not seem like a large jump, but try to take into account just how many bridges there actually are in the United States.
Topping the list of states with the highest percentage of faulty bridges is Washington DC at 62.9%, followed by Rhode Island and Massachusetts at 55.4% and 51.5% respectively. States with the best bridges are Arizona, Minnesota and Nevada, ranging from 10.1% up to 12%.
Granted, not every bridge that was surveyed as structurally deficient and/or functionally obsolete is on the verge of collapsing. The majority of bridges from the list are not unsafe, they are simply in need of repair and or reconstructive maintenance. There are also a number of legislative initiatives to determine how to address the costs attributed to bridge repair. With all the other costs being racked up by drivers, it will be interesting to see who bears this new burden.
Saturday, August 09, 2008

World Wide Trucker's Strike - Columbian Coffee Trade Under Severe Pressure

image Columbia is facing a very serious situation as goods are stuck in warehouses, trucking is slowing to a stand still and the open market is seizing the opportunity to best the Columbian's in coffee bean sales.

A seven day truck drivers’ strike, projected to last into next week is threatening coffee reserves in Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast and Cartagena on the Caribbean.

Truckers' demands for more money to offset increased fuel costs and highway tolls forced talks into deadlock, while “no negotiation talks are scheduled,” according to Nemesio Castillo, president of the Colombian Truck Drivers Association .

A deal reached some weeks ago with Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe intended to improve freight payments and workers conditions have not been implemented.

Another consequence of the strike is that imported goods are also being tied up in warehouses in Colombia’s ports. A spokeswoman for the Buenaventura Port Authority said it only has capacity for two more weeks.

It is expected that Colombia will export between 750,000 and 800,000 sacks of coffee this month compared to 977, 000 for the same month last year.

FoodDigital

Columbia's politicians have definitely not helped this situation and their largest legitimate industry is suffering do to their lack of action reminiscent of an obsessive compulsive trying weight loss products left and right while sitting on a couch watching TV and eating donuts.

China Experiences Terrorist Attack by Truck

On August 5th, before the attack on an American couple in Beijing, a man used a truck for a terrorist attack on police officers in Western China.

KASHGAR, China — Authorities said they were treating a brazen attack that left 16 police officers dead and 16 others injured Monday as a terrorist strike, China's state-run media reported. The two men arrested after the attack were members of the ethnic Uighur minority, which has long chafed under Beijing's control of northwestern China.

The incident followed the release of a video last month in which a group calling itself the Turkestan Islamic Party threatened attacks during the Olympic Games, which will open in Beijing on Friday.

The group has said it wants to draw attention to its demands to establish an independent state and end Chinese repression of Uighurs, Muslims who speak a Turkic language and have made this area 2,000 miles west of Beijing their home for centuries.

In Beijing, an Olympic spokesman said Monday that the Chinese government has taken every precaution to prevent an attack at the Games. Details of Monday's attack remained unclear Tuesday.

Stateman

That same group is now blamed for the attack of a man wielding a knife against a couple.  The father-in-law of the indoor volley ball coach of the US Olympic team died as a result of the attack and his wife's status was serious.

While the rest of the world is protesting higher gas prices with trucker's strikes, the Chinese are working to quell possible terrorist attacks.  Due to restrictions on speech and reporting from the areas in question however, it is extremely difficult to trust this account let alone the cause associated with the attack on Americans in Beijing, which happened to be the same excuse.

The Chinese government works with a paradox whereby they want the rest of the world to turn a blind eye on their problems, yet they simultaneously want a Lasik like focus on their advancements.  What they fail to realize is that the contrast between the two areas is what defines them.

World Wide Trucker's Strike - South Africans take to the Street

The strike against oil and fuel prices continues to spread with most recent outbreaks of strike impacting South Africa.

image A crowd of almost 10 000 people gathered in Keizersgracht this morning for a march on Parliament to protest against rising electricity, fuel and food prices.

Cosatu's provincial general secretary Tony Ehrenreich had predicted yesterday that 30 000 protesters would bring the city to a grinding halt today.

The march was the focal point of the day-long national strike called by the federation to highlight the issue of rising living costs.

Thousands more people across the country answered the call, affecting key industries including the gold mines and motor industries

In the city, police were deployed to monitor the march, with officers in vans, cars and Inyalas lining the route and a police helicopter circled the area.

 

Weekend Argus

This particular strike included truckers, and many more everyday citizens.  The strike shut down shops and key industries, with protesters calling on many more industries from electronics shop owners selling MP3 players to gold mining to produce, to shut down as well in protest of higher prices.

Infor Distribution Solutions

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Infor Distribution Essentials offers a number of great distribution solutions designed to increase productivity, reduce operating costs and improve agility and supply chain performance. In addition to maintaining a client base of over 5,700 pure distributors, Infor Distribution Essentials is supported by domain experts who have a wealth of knowledge regarding the requirements of innovative distributors. 
Comprised of the following components, Infor Distribution Essentials is ready and waiting with the professional support your distribution business needs.
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If you are a distributor and are searching for innovative solutions for your business, give Infor Distribution Essentials a look.
Source: infor.com
Wednesday, August 06, 2008

HD Radio: Free, crystal-clear, Digital Radio

Imagine CD-quality sound and crystal clear reception from your car, home or office stereo without static hiss, station drop off or audio distortion. High Definition digital radio can offer you all those great features as well as an enhanced number of new music, new programming and a huge number of new channels and no subscription fee! In addition to all the great stations you're already tuned into, you'll have access to traffic, weather and the stock markets all readily accessible. 
HD Radio Reciever units are available in tabletop systems, shelf units and car and marine stereo units as well. Not only will you have unparalleled access to all your favorite programming, reception is free with no subscriptions or contracts. HD digital radio also offers a great external features such as iPod tagging which allows a user to plug in their iPod or iPhone into the unit and "tag" any song and purchase it later through the iTunes network. 
Whether you enjoy Left Coast Leanings, Chicago style blues or Texas High Definition Radio Stations, any listener is bound to enjoy the endless options of High Definition digital radio.

Texans Dealing With Congestion

It is no secret that congestion in and around major metropolitan areas can put a serious dent into a distributors bottom line. A recent release from the Federal Highway Administration stated that the two primary factors regarding congestion are poorly designed roadways which create bottlenecks and minor traffic accidents. Although there are a number of methods that can be implemented to alleviate congestion issues, some states are beginning to aggressively take matters into their own hands. 
The Texas Department of Transportation currently recognizes that many of the largest cities and municipalities are on the list of the top 85 most congested areas in the country. In an effort to help both drivers and distributors, TxDOT has developed a number of solutions ranging from alternative toll lanes, implementation of new corridors, new truck lanes and incentives for carpooling and utilization of public transportation.
Having spent a good deal of time in the Austin and San Antonio areas, I can attest to the congestion and the interesting bottlenecks all over I35 in Austin. There is good news however, the state has already begun construction on new tollways as well as rebuilding and improving older roadways within the metro area. Granted, I'm only trying to get to work or do some shopping, whereas there are entire industries that are effected much more severely when it comes to congestion. The next few years should be interesting due to energy prices and an aging interstate system.