inbound
The steady rise in global temperatures has been melting the polar
ice pack and opening up new
trade routes—a development that
inspired Nordic countries to propose a rail line to newly accessible
ports and led the U.S. Coast Guard
to invest in more icebreakers.
One of the world’s largest ocean
carriers will be absent from the
rush to seek polar pathways, however. CMA CGM announced in
August that it would not send
any of its 511 vessels on the
Northern Sea Route. The route,
which runs the length of Russia’s
Siberian coast, has become navigable much of the year due to the
effects of global warming. Because
it is much shorter than the transit via the Suez Canal, it offers a
competitive advantage for carriers
shipping freight between Asia and
Europe.
But dispatching cargo ships
through the region’s unique natural ecosystems would boost the
risk of accidents, oil pollution,
or collisions with marine wildlife,
CMA CGM Group Chairman and
CEO Rodolphe Saadé said in a
statement. Those impacts could
pose a danger to the area’s largely
unexplored biodiversity as well as
to the Arctic’s role in regulating
ocean currents and global climate
patterns, he said.
“We make these choices to meet
the needs of our employees and
our customers, who are increasingly concerned about the environment. But above all, we make
these decisions for the future, to
leave our children a cleaner planet,” Saadé said. “These are brave,
bold choices, which go far beyond
purely business decisions.”
CMA CGM says no to
Northern Sea Route
Say the letters “DC” at Comic-Con, the popular comic book convention, and
most people would assume you were talking about DC Comics Inc., the publishing rival to Marvel Worldwide Inc. But visitors to Future Tech Live!, an exhibition of immersive experiences and technology co-located with Comic-Con’s
annual event in San Diego, quickly learned that it can mean something entirely
different: distribution center.
Greene, N.Y.-based forklift manufacturer The
Raymond Corp. decided to exhibit at Future Tech Live!,
betting that its virtual reality (VR) simulator would
appeal to the show’s visitors, most of whom likely have
never set foot inside a warehouse.
As it turned out, Raymond was right. Costumed
super-heroes (Comic-Con aficionados often dress in
authentically detailed costumes) flocked to its booth,
drawn by the chance to try out the company’s forklift
simulator. Visitors included fans dressed as Batwoman,
“Joker” from the Persona 5 video game, and Rick
Sanchez, the scientist character from the Adult Swim animated television series “Rick and Morty,” among others.
The simulator lets users learn on an actual Raymond forklift by plugging into
the company’s Simulation Port (sPort) to connect the truck’s controls to the VR
system. VR provides a more productive way to learn forklift operating skills than
traditional instruction, according to Stacey Patch, business manager, Raymond
Virtual Reality Simulator.
The demo may have helped to recruit potential DC employees. Many of the
attendees who gave the forklift simulator a try were surprised by how entertaining it can be to “drive” a lift truck, Patch said.
Who was that masked forklift driver?
First there was Alice Isn’t Dead, the hit podcast about a truck driver crisscrossing
the country in search of a race of quasi-human serial killers. Now it seems that
dark narrative podcasts about truckers are becoming a genre. A new podcast
called Carrier tells the story of Raylene Watts, who
picks up a trailer to help out her trucker dad. The
trouble is, the trailer is sealed shut—and she’s not
sure exactly what’s inside.
Added to ordinary trucking horrors like fines
for late deliveries, missing backhaul loads, and the
difficulties of keeping fit on the road are conspiracy theories, a sinister agro-chemical company, and
some disturbing sounds coming from the back of
Raylene’s truck.
The podcast stars Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winner Cynthia Erivo in the
title role and also features acting heavyweights such as Elliott Gould and Lance
Reddick. It’s the perfect thing to listen to on a long haul—but perhaps not for
those who are easily spooked. Season One is available now on Apple Podcasts
and other popular podcast players.
New podcast is a highway horror show
