newsworthy
spaces, the same as at Los Angeles International
Airport, according to Muscatello.
Gary Schultheis, senior vice president airfreight,
North America for Deutsche Post DHL, the world’s
largest air forwarder, was succinct in his opinion on
the necessity of a second cargo airport in the region.
Asked if one is needed, Schultheis replied in an e-mail:
“Not really.”
State and county officials are banking on continuing growth in commerce and population—Will
County is Illinois’ fastest-growing county—as well as
the multimodal nature of the project to carry the day.
They also point to the success of Rockford, Ill., about
70 miles from Chicago, where UPS operates a thriving
regional air-cargo facility. Rockford demonstrates that
the greater Chicago market is big enough for more
than one cargo airport, officials say.
The South Suburban project is still in the early
stages. According to Shea of IDOT, the state has purchased roughly half the land needed to construct the
first runway and terminal. It has also begun condemnation proceedings to acquire raw land for further
expansion. The state has started filing the necessary
paperwork with the Federal Aviation Administration
and has solicited the support of Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Illinois congressman.
Shea declined to specify a target date for completion
but said the state would like to have the airport up and
running no later than the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Games.
—Mitch Mac Donald and Mark Solomon
; And the winners are … Toyota Industrial Equipment
Manufacturing Inc. (TIEM), the U.S. manufacturing plant for
Toyota lift trucks, has announced the winners of its annual
supplier of the year awards. Recipients of TIEM’s Quality Cost
Delivery award are Aisan Corp. of America, Aisin Drivetrain,
MAC Machine & Metal Works, Commercial Fluid Power, Arvin
Sango, Brillion Iron Works, US Tsubaki, KYB America, Wayne
Metals, and Julian Electric Inc. In addition, three suppliers have
received a Special Service Award for their exceptional quality
improvements. They are Wayne Metals, Toyota Tsusho
America, and Precision Hydraulic Cylinders.
accolades
; A truckload of praise. PolyOne, a provider of specialized polymer materials, has named C.H. Robinson its Truckload Carrier of
the Year. C.H. Robinson has provided truckload and other trans-portation/logistics services to PolyOne for more than 15 years.
survey: brokers say equipment
shortages a possibility
For many months, transportation executives and analysts
have warned that ongoing reductions in transportation
capacity would lead to equipment shortages and rising
rates once demand picks up. If the results of a second-quarter survey of transportation intermediaries are any
indication, that time may be approaching.
The study, conducted by the Transportation
Intermediaries Association (TIA) among 42 member companies, asked respondents about the equipment availability outlook for the next three months. Forty-six percent said
shortages of refrigerated equipment were possible within
the next 90 days, while 20 to 30 percent saw a potential
for shortages of flatbed, dry van, and container capacity.
The percentages were higher than expected, TIA said.
The survey made no mention of whether respondents
were experiencing or predicting price increases as a result
of expected shortages.
C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., one of the most influential intermediaries, is unaware of any shortages at this
time, according to company spokeswoman Tracie
Stoltenburg. “We have heard people talking about the
possibility of equipment shortages, though at the moment
we haven’t experienced any to speak of,” she says.
The survey also found that total dollars billed by the participants during the second quarter rose by 7 percent over
first-quarter figures. In addition, 60 percent of the participants who responded to a question about future expectations described their outlook as positive.
—M.S.
; Crowning achievement. Crown Equipment Corp.’s GPC
3000 Series order picker has garnered a gold International
Design Excellence Award from BusinessWeek magazine and
the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). The GPC
3000, which is available in Latin America, Europe, China, and
Australasia, earned praise from the IDSA jurors for its user-centered design as well as its strong aesthetic appeal.
; Breathe a little easier. APL has
received the Port of Los Angeles’ top
environmental honor, the Clean Air
Action Plan Award, for improving air
quality at the port. In the past year, APL has been recognized
by the port for using cleaner-burning low-sulfur fuel in vessel engines and for a speed-reduction program that curbs
ship emissions near the California coast.
