DC Velocity - December 2016

It also cut loose some of its charters and renegotiated debt with banks and creditors, and next year will join an alliance with Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC). Hyundai needs to rationalize its fleet further, but it now has about four to five years of “ runway” to rebuild, Vaccaro said.

Vaccaro predicted there will be further merger and acquisition activity, citing some forecasts that in five to 10 years, the number of container carriers will be half what it is today. “Every container carrier now is subject to speculation about acquiring or being acquired by another carrier,” he said.

Intermediaries have benefited from the liner industry’s problems as shippers seek to spread their risk, Reeve said. That trend was confirmed by fellow panelist Trevor LaChapelle, vice president, global transportation, for BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. BJ’s has “embraced the idea of working with” ocean consolidators to gain more flexibility, assure the availability of containers, and get help with “things we hadn’t foreseen and had not negotiated into our contracts” with ocean carriers, he said.

—Toby Gooley

For the sixth consecutive year, CivilianJobs.com has named Schneider a Most Valuable Employer (MVE). The website recognizes companies that value the contributions of military-experienced employees. The MVE designation helps veterans and current military personnel identify the top employers to target for civilian careers. … East Coast Warehouse & Distribution has completed a rigorous accreditation process to earn the Safe Quality Food certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. … UniCarriers Americas honored its top 10 dealers with the President’s Club award, formerly known as The Nissan Nine award. … Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. was awarded the ATA 2016 President’s Trophy in the “Over 100 Million Miles” category. The trophy is the highest safety award available to motor carriers in the U.S. … Ryder System Inc. was named a finalist in the fourth annual Texas Oil & Gas Awards, an industry initiative to recognize organizations that are leaders in their fields. Ryder is a finalist in the Trucking Company of the Year category.

accolades

Auto-ID Solutions for the Fastest Business in the World

The logistics industry is continually confronted with increasing shipment volumes and tremendous time pressure. That’s why VITRONIC Auto-ID solutions offer you a complete range of systems to efficiently capture all relevant data – backed up by services that cover the entire lifecycle. The result: Solutions that fit all your requirements perfectly while optimizing your processes at the same time.