4 DC VELOCITY JULY 2018 www.dcvelocity.com
inbound
Busy port operators are always on the hunt for ways to improve
efficiency and boost throughput, but their efforts won’t count for
much if the skilled workers they depend on are out injured. To help
ports protect their employees from harm, one trade group recently
published health and safety recommendations for crane operators.
In an information paper released this spring, the Port Equipment
Manufacturers Association (PEMA) outlines 20 recommendations
for crane manufacturers and terminal operators on how to improve
rubber-tired gantry (RTG) and ship-to-shore (STS) container crane
cabin ergonomics and safety. Topics addressed in the paper include
cabin vibration, maintenance, ambient temperatures, airflow, emissions, integrity of glass floors, fall risks, and visual and audio warning
systems.
PEMA, whose member companies include crane manufacturers,
component makers, and software and automation specialists, has
made the report available online free of charge. To download a copy
in PDF format, go to pema.org/publications.
Here’s our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and
donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space.
; Memphis, Tenn.-based transportation and logistics giant FedEx
Corp. joined the international response to the Ebola outbreak in
Africa by donating services through its FedEx Cares “Delivering for
Good” initiative. On May 30, the company airlifted International
Medical Corps medical shelters and other lifesaving relief supplies to
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in support of efforts
to fight the deadly virus.
; New York-based freight forwarder MTS Logistics raised $21,925
for autism awareness through its 8th annual “Bike Tour with MTS for
Autism” event. A total of 100 cyclists pedaled across Manhattan and
Brooklyn to benefit the nonprofit charity Spectrum Works.
; Lima, Pa.-based transportation and logistics service provider
Pilot Freight donated $50,000 to fight childhood cancer as part of
this year’s Lemonade Days fundraising event. Proceeds benefited
the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a national childhood cancer charity that raises funds for
research into new treatments and cures.
; Lift truck vendor Yale Materials
Handling Corp. donated a Yale YA55-PT
manual hand pallet truck to the Pet Food
Pantry of Eastern North Carolina, a food
bank for cats and dogs whose owners can
no longer afford to feed them. The donation lets the nonprofit avoid the expense
of renting pallet trucks to process deliveries, thus allowing it to dedicate more
resources to its primary mission.
Port group offers tips on crane safety
Logistics gives back
We’ve all heard plenty about the shortage
of drivers needed to pilot big rigs over
the nation’s roads. Now, one provider is
taking steps to avoid a similar shortage in
another venue—the nation’s skies.
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of Memphis,
Tenn.-based transport and logistics giant
FedEx Corp., recently launched a pilot
development program designed to produce the next generation of cargo-plane
pilots. Known as “Purple Runway—A
FedEx Pathways Program,” the initiative
aims to recruit the best aviators in the
industry over the coming years, providing
the airline and its feeder operators with
a pipeline of highly trained and qualified
aviators.
FedEx Express, along with its feeder
operators Mountain Air Cargo and Empire
Airlines, will run an outreach and engage-
ment program to promote student interest
in aviation careers at selected colleges and
universities, the firm said. “FedEx is initi-
ating a new industry-leading pilot devel-
opment program to ensure a full pipeline
of pilots for us and the industry at large,”
FedEx Chairman and CEO Frederick W.
Smith said in a statement. “[The program
is designed] to assist two of our feeder
operators with the recruitment and reten-
tion of pilots who wish to develop their
skills and experiences to eventually qualify
for pilot opportunities at FedEx.”
The FedEx Express feeder network is
a component of the unit’s overall glob-
al linehaul network, serving markets too
small for direct FedEx Express air linehaul
service and markets where FedEx Express
does not have operating rights, the compa-
ny said. The feeder network includes more
than 300 aircraft serving 45 countries.
Learning to fly
