Logistical Challenge

Concordia to be salvaged by Dutch Co. Smit Tak

2012-01-16T15:08:00.006+11:00

Smit Tak crew are intransit to the Concordia sinking to carry out the salvage operation.

Priority 1 is securing any oil that maybe leaking to prevent a natural disaster.

A team of professionals will then assess the cruise ship's structure.

Smit Tak has tendered to salvage the entire vessel but are still negotiating with local government.

Understanding Incoterms

2011-10-18T22:54:00.003+11:00

Introducing Incoterms to someone new, 4 key questions, and an overview of the key differences.

What are Incoterms? Incoterms are International Commercial Terms, essentially a global set of universal trade terms developed to establish a happy medium between exporter and importer alike.

Where did they come from? Incoterms were developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France. They were first published in 1936 and the current set were published in 2000.

Why do we need them? Without Incoterms buyer and seller would would be at constant negotiation, international trade would simply not be as efficient. A generic standard set of rules are invaluable and can be thought of as a cost-saving measure. Once a trade term is agreed upon, the parties can continue without having to worry whom is responsible for freight, insurance or other related cost in the future.

How many of these things are there?? There are 13 Incoterms, yes it sounds daunting at first but if we break them down into categories it will improve your understanding. A simple breakdown and explanation of each term......

Departure Terms (here's the goods sort it out yourself!)

EXW – Ex Works The buyer takes control of the goods at the Suppliers Factory door, all the supplier has to do is make the shipment available at there set location. Any charge thereon falls completely on the buyer

Main carriage unpaid terms (hand balled to your carrier!)

FCA – Free Carrier Basically the seller will clear the shipment for export and drop it in the hands of the buyers selected carrier at there chosen location. This term can be used for all modes of transport.

FAS – Free Alongside Ship Similar to FCA, but maritime specific. The seller will clear shipment for export, and physically leave it at the chosen port, without incurring any Port service charge.

FOB – Free On Board Similar to FAS, although the seller will organize to load the shipment on board the buyer's designated ship. Port charge fees are divided between each party.

Main Carriage Paid (drop kicked to your door!)

CFR – Cost and Freight Seller will pay for carriage and all costs involved to the buyer's destination port. Insurance is buyers responsibility once goods have been loaded aboard vessel.

CIF – Cost, Insurance and Freight As above, however the seller must cover insurance cost to the destination port.

CPT – Carriage Paid To CFR, except Insurance risk commences for buyer as soon as the truck (or first carrier) delivering goods to the port is loaded.

CIP – Carriage and Insurance Paid The container freight/multimodal equivalent of CPT.

Arrival terms (confused yet!)

DAF – Delivered At Frontier is designed for Road and Rail freight. The buyer will organize customs clerance and transport to the frontier; country borderline / chosen destination. Insurance changes hands at the frontier.

DES – Delivered Ex Ship (named port) similiar to CIF/CIP the seller will cover insurance to the destination port. This term is generally used for bulk carriage e.g. minerals or agriculture, as the seller is required to make the product available onboard the vessel itself.

DEQ – Delivered Ex Quay (named port) Equivalent of DES, except insurance covers goods untill they are unloaded at destination port.

DDU – Delivered Duty Unpaid (named destination place) The buyer chooses a destination, from this point onwards the buyer is responsible for any loading charges, or insurance cover. Everything prior is the seller's responsibility. Local customs clearance entry costs or any duty tax can be negotiated in the contract.

DDP – Delivered Duty Paid (named destination place) Essentially the opposite of Ex Works, the seller will pay for all transport charges, insurance, customs clearance and duty. From origin to the buyers warehouse.

Melbourne to Sydney High Speed Train

2011-09-25T17:42:00.010+10:00

Ever since seeing the Tyco Super Turbo Train commercial as a child, I have been dying for a High Speed Rail Network linking Australian Capital Cities.

Furthermore after admiring the speed & efficiency of the ICE train around Germany, I have become a complete advocate of the proposed Melbourne to Sydney High Speed Link.

February 2010 I attended UFC 110 at Acer Arena Sydney Olympic Park, having traveled from Geelong Victoria, The round trip involved a 3am wake up call, and arrival home just after midnight, in other words an immensely long & tiring day for a 2.5 hour event.

The reasoning behind this was the available flight times & required Check in periods prior to and fro. The Interlinking public transport from home to Airport, Airport to Venue and so on...

Initial thoughts that passengers could fork out less than $100 per ticket, travel at +350kph and arrive in less than 3 hours blows my mind!

Yes this would be one hell of a expensive logistical challenge given the recent fall in our economy, but I feel the benefits alone should be merit to push this through parliament as soon as possible, and get the construction ball rolling.

(September 12. 2006). Tyco Super Turbo Train w/ Daredevil Jump. [online]Youtube; courtesy of user: panbiscuit. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 25 Sep 2011].

The Secret of calculating Air freight cost

2011-09-12T18:26:00.002+10:00

If your company is airfreighting quiet often and using an air freight forwarder, you should have received a rate sheet, usually split into regions.

Generally speaking each region will have four methods of calculating the total charge, maybe a fifth or sixth for a country or airport with additional handling or customs requirements.

An airfreight charge per kilogram, war/fuel surcharge, fixed local charge per shipment and variable local charge per kilogram will typically be the basis for calculating the cost of freight. Additional factors may come into play including origin terminal handling charges or document fees.

Information the freight forwarder will require to quote the shipment composes of the outer carton CBM (Carton dimensions - L x W x H), Volumetric Weight (Outer Carton CBM x 167), Gross Weight of Carton & the number of cartons.

The greater of the Volumetric Weight and the Gross Weight will equal the chargeable weight which will then be plugged into the freight forwarders rate sheet.

For further detail, e.g. calculating the freight per unit cost if say you were shipping 100 units per carton, a units per carton column can be added into the formula.

Click to Download the excel spreadsheet I use to calculate airfreight cost on a day-to-day basis.

WFP 125 x 125 Banner

2011-07-01T12:00:00.009+10:00

The World Food Programme, has offered great incite on logistical nightmares it has encountered through A-Grade Journalism. I have discussed and used examples in the past including Nepal Logistically Challenge and Libyas desert corridor realising logistical dream.

It is for this reason I have decided to place a 125 x 125 Banner on Logistical Challenge to help support there cause.

Once again thanks WFP, and as token of your appreciation, if you can afford it please click here and make a small donation now, If you want to add a banner to your webpage I encourage you too please follow my source below.

WFP (1 July 2011). Link to Us | WFP | United Nations World Food Programme. World Food Program[online] www.wfp.org. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 1/7/2011 July 2009].

Keywords in a plethora of text

2011-01-15T22:51:00.000+11:00

How often does this happen? There was a really relevant point in a body of text you read a few days earlier and after finally tracking down that webpage in Google, or finding that ebook on your PC, its time to start breezing through 500 odd pages of text to find that elusive statement.
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To save some time simply Hit CTRL & F, & an impresive "Find" Utility should appear which allows you to enter a specific keyword. After you have entered a somewhat unique word or phrase associated with your search, click "Find" and with some luck you should be teleported to the hidden line in no time.
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Im surprised how often this can be overlooked, people use find / search functions all the time to locate where they have saved files on there hardrive, but never think to use it as an indexing tool throughout large documents.

This could be handy, especially if your house bills, invoice or packing lists have been created in Excel or Word, and you need to find a certain field repeatingly, yet now efficiently.

5 reasons why your computer is crashing

2010-11-25T23:37:00.003+11:00

Hard disk drives (Hdd).

Quiet often data becomes fragmented. Thus it can be a good idea to defragment the hard disk maybe every few weeks; or even once a month to prevent the Hdd from freezing your computer.

Go to Start Menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are over burden. Get into a regular pattern of housekeeping your Hdd every few months and free some space on it.

Tip! Open the Windows folder on the C:\ drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free space.

Simply empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space.

Your Hdd should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors.

Go to Start Menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk

Fatal OE / VXD Exceptions.

These are often caused by graphics card problems..

These can be resolved by reducing the resolution of your video display..

Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, Display, Settings.Slide the screen area bar to the left. Glance at the color settings on the left. High color 16-bit depth is acceptable..

If your computer is freezing often it could be due to your graphics card.

Double check there are no hardware conflicts.. Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager,.Select the + next to Display Adapter.

A description of your video card should appear. Highlight it and select Properties. Go to Resources and select each line in the window, looking for a message that says No Conflicts..

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button.

Then search for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message..

Another useful way to resolve video problems is;.

Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, System, Performance, Graphics -.Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left..

By far the most common cause of graphics card problems are obselete or faulty drivers.

Look up your graphics card's manufacturer on the internet and download for the most recent driver for model..

Viruses.

If you do not have a Windows start-up Disk on hand, Get one.

Some Viruses attack the boot sector of your hard drive, making it impossible to start.

Nowdays you can use the Windows Operating system Cd that came with your system, but if your oldschool and still have a 3.5" floppy drive, you can create your own start up Disk..

Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, Add / Remove, Start-up Disk, Create Disk..

Im not going to go into specifics as it's pretty obvious, but you should have some form of Virus protection installed, just be very vigilant and always update your virus signatures; they are installed in a *.DAT file. Your *.DAT files should be updated periodically from your antivirus software website..

Overheating.

Central processing units (CPUs) are equipped with electric cooling fans. If the fan stops or is starting to make a whining noise (ball bearings dying) it may start to overheat and generate a kernel error.

This is a quiet common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they have been designed for..

One solution is to upgrade the fan / heatsink. Another is too simply vaccum / blow out with compressed air the copious amounts of dust clogging the case vents, heatsink fins & motherboard..

CPU problems can be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will reduce performance slightly, but increase stability..

Don't be afraid of cracking open your PC case, its not very difficult usually only 3 or 4 phillips head screws need to be undone to remove the side panel of a tower, or the top of a desktop machine..

Printers.

This ones right out of left field, so I thought Id include it, The action of sending a document to a printer generates a larger data file, often called a postscript file. Generally speaking Printers usually only have a select small amount of memory called the buffer, which can be overloaded by the post script. Printing a large document will also use a decent chunk of CPU power, slowing down overall PC performance.

Anything unusual throughout your document e.g. new fonts, characters or intricate diagrams, may confuse the printer, causing your PC to crash. The easiest method in solving these frustrating episodes, can be to clear the buffer by simply pulling the plug on the printer for ten seconds.

So there! 5 potential reasons why your computer is crashing, and what too look out for in the future to prevent these frustrating freezes.

Australian Ports - The 4 Victorian Hubs

2010-10-17T23:26:00.000+11:00

Geelong is the largest regional Port in Victoria, the 6th largest in Australia. With a heavy emphasis on bulk cargo it's major import/export commodity includes crude oil, fertilizer, automotive components, grain, steel & wood chips. Shell Refinery, Incitec Pivot, Toyota Tsusho, GrainCorp and One Steel dominate the Port regions of North Shore and Corio.

Portland is a deep water bulk Port positioned somewhat between Melbourne and Adelaide. Once again like its counterpart Geelong, it specializes in agriculture and mining. Whilst it also exports aluminum ingots and livestock.

Hastings specializes in oil, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), unleaded petrol (ULP) & steel. It is located approximately 75km from Melbourne. The discovery of LPG in Bass Strait during the sixties required immediate attention and extra Port facililites were developed shortly after. The following decade the steel industry established itself at Western Port.

Melbourne is the largest container port in Australia, over 40 shipping lines utilize Williamstown and Station pier. During 2007 - 2008 1,050,445 TEU's were imported alone through Melbourne, 727,037 TEU's exported.

For further information;

Department of Transport [online] www.transport.vic.gov.au

Port of Victoria [online] http://www.portofvictoria.com
Wiki Entry [online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Ports_Corporation

Image Courtesy: Ports of Australia Diagram; cropped and reduced 26th Febuary 2010; Ports Australia, [online]www.portsaustralia.com.au/, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 Febuary 2010]

Bill of Lading Requirements

2010-09-10T22:57:00.002+10:00

The Bill of Lading (BOL) is a document issued on behalf of the carrier describing the type and quantity of goods shipped, the shipper, the consignee, ports of loading/discharge and vessel details.

Generally speaking, it will be included at the front of a document package which contains the supplier's invoice, packing list, packing declaration and fumigation certificates if required.

The following details are required on a Bill of Lading document;

Shipper's Name and Address

Consignee's Name and Address

Notify Party

Unique Bill of Lading Number / Airway Bill Number

Country of Origin

Port/Airport of Loading/Discharge

Date of Issue

Freight Terms

Description of packages & goods

Dimensions (cube)

Purchase Order Number

Carton QTY / Unit QTY

Gross Weight

Chargeable Weight

Carrier Rates *Optional

Australian Ports - NSW

2010-05-18T19:22:00.001+10:00

Eden on the very South coast of New South Whales originated in the mid 1800's as a commerical whaling dock. Today it predominately exports timber product to Japan and South Korea. Mobil has there own private wharf for distribution of petroleum imports, and the department of defense use the eden port locale` to conduct naval repairs there on a regular basis.

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Kembla is best known for Bluescope steel works, and the export gateway for coal mined in the southern and western regions of New South Whales.

Botany services the New South Whales Capital; Sydney. Predominantly focused on bulk liquid and containerised goods. It is the second largest Port in Australia, preceeding Melbourne.

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Newcastle is a unique harbour and crucial to Australia's economy, not only is it the largest Coal export Port in Australia; it is the largest Coal export Port in the world.
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Yamba is very much alike Eden, with a primary focus on export Timber, it services the northern coastline of New South Whales, The Port of Yamba also doubles as the Gateway to Lord Howe Island.

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For further information;

NSW Ports Corporation [online] www.maritime.nsw.gov.au

Sydney Ports [online] http://www.sydneyports.com.au/

Image Courtesy: Ports of Australia Diagram; cropped and reduced 26th Febuary 2010; Ports Australia, [online]www.portsaustralia.com.au/, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 Febuary 2010]

DHL issues warning on Iceland Eruption

2010-04-17T10:55:00.001+10:00

Email I received yesterday from DHL issuing a warning on the Iceland Eruption.

Cancellation of Flights Caused by Iceland's Volcanic Eruption.

Due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, flights across northern Europe have been disrupted by a volcanic ash cloud that is drifting south and east from Iceland. Volcanic ash contains tiny particles of glass and pulverized rock which can damage aircraft engines and airframes.

The Countries where their flights to and from are affected include Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom. It's highly possible that additional Countries will be affected as the volcanic ash continues to spread.

This disruption and cancellation of flights is expected to effect weekend consolidations into and out of these Countries. We expect that once flights again resume there may be a backlog of cargo from those effected airports.

At the time of this notification there is no indication of when flights are expected to resume. However, the European Air Safety Authority has advised the disruption, the largest experienced in the region, could last for at least another two days.

DHL will continue to monitor the situation over the week-end and advise our customers as, and when, additional information is received from the respective Authorities.

Should you wish further information please contact your local DHL representative.

Shen Neng Ship Wreck

2010-04-03T11:35:00.001+11:00

The Shen Neng 1 a 230 metre Bulk Carrier ran aground about 70 kilometres easy of Great Keppel Island QLD, Australia when it sailed outside of designated shipping lanes.

According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the ship's original course was between Dougla Shoal and the capricorn islands, haphazardly straying 5.8 nautical miles away from the shipping lane.

The physical grounding or scraping of the Great Barrier Reef left a 3 kilometer , 250 meter wide abundant ditch.

Scientists are predicting a minimum 20 year recovery to its former condition; thriving with marine life.

The ships master and owners are currently undergoing investigation and the outcome shall be reviewed shortly.

Lost at Sea

2010-03-01T11:57:00.004+11:00

As you read this, more than 50,000 Nike tennis shoes are circling the globe like a convoy of tiny striped canoes.but this flotilla of footwear is hardly alone at sea. It's been joined by thousands of Tommy Pickles cartoon heads, plastic turtles, rubber ducks, 3 million Lego pieces and, at last report, 34,000 hockey gloves.

All this stuff and more is bob, bob, bobbing to a beach near you, said Seattle-based oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer.

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This month, Nike Cross Trainers are expected to wash up on Everett's beaches in Washington State, after falling into the Pacific Ocean in December 1999. This weekend will be a good time to

comb local beaches, as low tides of more than minus three feet (one meter) are predicted.

But be patient—some items won't wash ashore for another ten years, said Ebbesmeyer, who's mapped Puget Sound from Tacoma to Whidbey Island since 1966.

Each year, manufacturers around the world ship more than 100 million containers—each the size of a semi-truck—across the seven seas.

Gumball dispensers, doll heads, and Beanie Babies stitched and glued in China sail across the Pacific Ocean to U.S. ports. Made-in-Hungary frocks and Pez candies travel 10th class across the Atlantic on container ships, which carry on average 4,500 containers. But not all of them will reach port.

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Every year, more than 10,000 containers fall overboard and spill their cargo into the ocean. Storms are often to blame.

An 8-foot by 40-foot container (2.4-meter by 12.2-meter), which can carry up to 58,000 pounds (26,000 kilograms) of cargo, might hold 10,000 shoes, 17,000 hockey gloves, or a million pieces of Lego.

Ebbesmeyer and his partners at Evans and Hamilton, Inc., a Seattle firm, design and manufacture instruments that measure ocean currents. The company is mapping north Puget Sound for a King County project that will locate a wastewater treatment plant in Snohomish County.

If you didn't land a pair of Nikes in 1990, when 80,000 Nikes tumbled into the Pacific Ocean, don't despair.

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This year, beachcombers may find good-as-new 1999 Nike Cross Trainers along the shores of Washington and Oregon and Puget Sound beaches.

In February, some Nikes drifted into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This summer they're expected to wash up near Everett.

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Only trouble is, beachcombers will have to find the mates, because Nike didn't tie the laces together.

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The sneakers were lost at sea when the container ship P&O Nedlloyd Auckland encountered a hurricane mid-Pacific. Heavy rolling threw a dozen 40-foot-long (12-meter) containers overboard, two filled with Nike shoes.

Beach Junk Serves as Ready-Made Markers

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Until 1990, Ebbesmeyer dropped buoys, drift cards, and markers into the sea to track current flows without giving much thought to what was already adrift.

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But when his mom quizzed him about where beach junk comes from, he realized that the ocean was filled with ready-made markers whose course he could plot from ship to shore.

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Over the years, he's become the big Kahuna of beachcombers with a Web site, a newsletter, and a penchant for zipping around the country to attend beachcomber conferences.

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He prowls beaches for shoes, plastic toys, glass floats, and tropical seeds.

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Tall, with a raft of white hair and a salty beard, Ebbesmeyer could easily pass for a beach bum who traded his suit and tie for a straw-hat, a zinc oxide stripe, and a pair of flip-flops.

Far from being a curio, his hobby gives clues to the ocean's highway of currents. Shipping companies keep meticulous records. A ship's captain is required to note where a container went overboard.

If a Nike shoe washes onto a local beach, check the serial number on the insole, he said, and then trace its route from the point where it went AWOL. Proof that even a floating shoe leaves a footprint.

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Based on his knowledge of ocean currents, Ebbesmeyer can predict when and where the goods will eventually turn up. Millions of Legos plastic pieces that spilled overboard in three containers in the Atlantic last year are expected to drift north into the Arctic Ocean and then through the Northeast Passage.

In a few more years, they are expected to travel south toward the 49th state, Alaska. Their expected arrival time on Alaskan beaches is 2012 and on Washington beaches in 2020, Ebbesmeyer said.

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The coastline and inlet beaches of California, Oregon, and Washington are well-known destinations for floating goods. In Puget Sound the one percent rule applies, Ebbesmeyer said. About one percent of whatever is spilled or floats into the Strait of Juan de Fuca will reach inland beaches.

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"The oil companies don't like me saying this, but if a million gallons of oil spill in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, one percent—10,000 gallons—will show up in Everett and Puget Sound."

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In 1990, 80,000 pairs of Nikes in eight containers jumped ship during a storm in the mid-Pacific. Ten years later, some are still circumnavigating the Earth like miniature Magellans.

Shoes Can Float for Ten Years

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A pair of athletic shoes can float for ten years, Ebbesmeyer said.

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"They're still wearable even after three years at sea," he said. "A teenager will wear out a pair of Nikes in six months, proving that we're harder on shoes than the ocean."

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Every beach is different, depending on the current. Items that wash up in Edmonds may not necessarily be found in Everett.

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"They're like restaurants—some serve Thai food, some Indian or Chinese food. Some beaches are known for their glass or driftwood or artifacts."

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In Edmonds, beach ranger Owen Caddy is used to finding the bright orange drift cards released by Ebbesmeyer's firm as part of the Puget Sound currents study. And Caddy once assembled a little collection of his own.

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"When I was up in Alaska a few years ago, we were picking up little rubber duckies off the beach," Caddy said.

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In Everett, beachcombers have found beach glass, bottles and dishware dating from the 1800s. The spot where the Snohomish River drains into Puget Sound has proved an archaeologist's dream.

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When the river cuts into its banks during the flood season, it sometimes washes out Indian artifacts, tools, and arrowheads.

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"Five-thousand-year-old baskets have turned up at the mouth of the Snohomish. If you find one of those, call the Burke Museum," Ebbesmeyer advised.

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Not everyone turns up treasures, but there are plenty of collectibles out there.

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"Someone asked me if a plane full of hockey players had crashed. They were finding hockey gloves all over the beach."

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Ebbesmeyer discovered that two 20-foot by 40-foot (6.1-meter by 12.2-meter) containers of hockey gloves, chest protectors, and shin guards had fallen overboard in the middle of the Pacific in 1994.

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Manufactured items, glass, and sneakers are relative newcomers to the ocean's bounty; Mother Nature's spawn has been washing ashore for millions of years.

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Sea beans, a tropical seed, can stay afloat for 30 years. They bob across the Pacific from Southeast Asia. They can be found on Edmonds and Mukilteo beaches, and despite the lengthy saltwater immersion, some will still sprout.

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"But you don't want to do that," Ebbesmeyer said. "They're a tropical jungle vine, which grows to two feet (60 centimeters) in diameter—think of Jack-in-the-Beanstalk.

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"The bad news is that they'll envelop your house. The good news is they can't stand any frost."
Hamburger beans, which resemble miniature Big Macs, can sometimes be found on local beaches. A tropical seed, they drift across the Pacific. Despite their appetizing appearance, "you don't want to eat them."

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The beans are full of L-Dopamine, the chemical compound used to treat patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, and which woke actor Robert De Niro from a catatonic state in the movie Awakenings. "We think it's one of the bean's defenses against rodents," Ebbesmeyer said.

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As for the manufactured junk floating in the ocean, it's not all a waste or a wash. Those Nike shoes, for instance, they're ambassadors of goodwill, a floating thrift store. "Poor people around the world know, if you need a pair of shoes you go to the beach."

Podsada. J, Lost Sea Cargo: Beach Bounty or Junk? 19 June 2001, Lost Sea Cargo: Beach Bounty or Junk?[online] nationalgeographic.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 1 March 2010]

Most Powerful Truck in History

2010-03-01T09:54:00.000+11:00

Go ahead and Google something like "the most powerful truck" and im sure you will be inundated by a plethora of youtube clips and articles based on Volvo's FH16 primemover.

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Boasting a somewhat whopping 700hp 16.0 liter turbo diesal engine it has been labelled as a class leader in performance and efficiency.

You don't have to look far though for the real contender, fellow Swede manafacturer Scania have risen the bar, and redeveloped there previous v8 engine; with a new improved output of 730hp/2581lb-ft of torque.

This new european sledgehammer has been labelled as the R-Series 730, answering the calling of there customers, as performance has been recogized as one of the key important purchasing factors.

Australian Ports - Van Diemen's land

2010-02-18T22:49:00.002+11:00

Burnie is the fifth largest container port in Australia, specializing in heavy machinery, agriculture and forestry. Burnie maintains most of the West's mines, handling mostly bulk product including, minerals, fuels, woodchips and logs, as well as containerised consumables. Forestry Export is the top commodity/throughput. .

Devonport maintains grain, cement and containerised consumable exports, whilst imports include fertiliser, fuel and consumables. However most will recognise the standout or primary focus being the Spirit of Tasmania ferries, that travel daily between Devonport and Melbourne.

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Hobart is the major cruise ship stop off, and naval moor in Tasmania. It is responsible for Antartic expedition and supply. Incat high-speed catamaran's are built at the ship building operation nearby.
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Bell Bay is the gateway to Launceston. It is a major port for domestic and international bulk goods as well as container services.

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For further information;
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Tasports [online] http://www.tasports.com.au/

Tasmania [online] http://www.tas.gov.au/

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Wiki Entry [online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Ports_Corporation
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Image Courtesy: Ports of Australia Diagram; cropped and reduced 26th Febuary 2010; Ports Australia, [online]www.portsaustralia.com.au/, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 Febuary 2010]

Worst Supply Chain Disasters

2009-11-03T16:37:00.003+11:00

I recently came across this article written by Dan Gilmore Editor-in-Chief of Supply Chain Digest, I thought it was well worth a mention as it brought many monumental mishaps to my attention, many I have never knew exsited. This brief excerpt listing some of the major disasters Dan discussed from his article;

Foxmeyer’s 1996 Distribution Disaster: New order management and warehouse automation systems lead to inability to ship product and failure to achieve expected savings; bankruptcy and sale of the company follow GM’s Robot Mania: CEO Robert Smith spends $40 billion in the 1980s on robots that mostly don’t work, while Toyota focuses on “lean” and cleans up.
The WebVan Story: $25 million automated warehouses just make no sense given the market; company goes from billions in market gap to gone in just months in 2001
adidas 1996 Warehouse Meltdown: Not well known story, adidas can’t get a first and then second warehouse system and also its DC automation to work. Inability to ship leads to market share losses that persist for a long time.
Denver Airport Baggage Handling System: New airport opens late in 1995 due to failure of highly automated, hugely expensive system, which never really works and is completely shuttered
Toys R Us.com Christmas 1999: On-line retail division can’t make Christmas delivery commitments to thousands; infamous “We’re sorry” emails on Dec. 23; eventually, Amazon takes over fulfillment
Hershey’s Halloween Nightmare 1999: New order management and shipping systems don’t start right, as Hershey can’t fulfill critical Halloween orders; $150 million in revenue lost as stock drops 30%

Gilmore. D, First Thoughts 26 January 2006, Worst Supply Chain Disasters [online] scdigest.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 3 November 2009]

Solomon Islands and the Red Cross

2009-10-19T16:03:00.008+11:00

One issue I'm keen on consistently promoting is any logistical challenge story based on a non profit organization or charity appeal. I have been targeting war torn country's lately. I feel where relief is required most; this is where the real operational challenge's exist. Despite the age, please take the time to read this short article courtesy of the International Committee of the Red Cross;

Following surveys late last year to assess the needs of people displaced by fighting, ICRC staff last week carried out a relief distribution for some 1,000 families living in two provinces of the Solomon Islands: Temotu, about 700 kilometres east of the capital Honiara, and Rennell and Bellona to the south.
To help displaced people regain their self-sufficiency, tarpaulins, jerrycans, fishing lines and hooks, seeds and agricultural tools were packaged into family kits and transported by ship to these isolated islands (the voyage to Temotu takes over 60 hours).
The only way to get around the small island of Bellona is on foot or on a bicycle, and the only link with the outside world is by radio.
To ensure that the local population was informed of the relief operation, the ICRC had it announced over the national radio service. The intended beneficiaries were therefore on hand to collect the packages when these were brought ashore in canoes.
James Reynolds, the ICRC’s head of mission in Honiara, explained that following the ethnic tension on Guadalcanal last year, and the resulting closure of major places of employment, many people had been forced to return to their home islands.
The result had been a marked population increase on certain islands, and this was placing a strain on local resources.

ICRC News Release, 22 March 2001, Solomon's Island: A logistical challenge. International Committee of the Red Cross [online] icrc.org, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 19 October 2009]

Bluff the best view for HMAS Canberra sinking

2009-10-03T22:50:00.001+10:00

THOUSANDS are expected to take to the water for the scuttling of the HMAS Canberra tomorrow.

Marine experts say hundreds of boaters are planning to catch a glimpse of the historic scuttle, which is scheduled for 9.15am.

Dozens of charters along the Victorian coastline are expected to take to Bass Strait to watch the Navy frigate sink to its watery grave two nautical miles off Ocean Grove.

Charter companies, including Sorrento's Moonraker Charters, have been inundated with bookings as people race to secure their view from the ocean.

Dive Victoria and Queenscliff Dive Centre managing director Jason Salter has also been flooded with request to board his five charters, with 120 gearing up to see the scuttling live.

Unfortunately, some 40 dive enthusiasts have missed the boat.

"We're well and truly overbooked," Mr Salter said yesterday.

"We've got a few pollies on board and we're ready to go."

Mr Salter said he was relieved to learn on Thursday the scuttling would finally take place.

"It's been frustrating because we're eager to get in and dive, but it's only been delayed by the weather, and we all know how the weather works," he said.

Keen diver and member for South Barwon Michael Crutchfield is eager to see the ship sink. "It not only will be a spectacle on Sunday, it will be a massive drawcard for the Bellarine Peninsula," he said.

Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville and Federal Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman are also boarding charters to watch the scuttling.

Victorian Artificial Reef Society committee member Alan Beckhurst said those unable to get on the water could view the scuttling at Barwon Heads.

"The best place to view it would be Barwon Heads bluff," he said.

"Another good viewpoint would be the sand dunes off Ocean Grove but you'll be looking at the bum of the boat. At the Bluff you'll see the ship side-on."

Weather permitting, the former Australian Navy warship is scheduled for a 10-hour tow by tug from the grain wharf in North Geelong at 6am today.

The ship will make its way to the Port Phillip Bay Rip, crossing at slack tide about 1.20pm today before resting at the sinking site where final preparations will be done.

Navy personnel will create a 1km exclusion zone, and a safety 500m intruder intercept zone to prevent other marine crafts entering the site.

Five minutes before the scuttling an orange smoke flare will be activated and a minute before firing another flare will be set off into the sky with an audible signal lasting 15 seconds.

Oates, A. Bluff the best view for HMAS Canberra sinking , 3rd October 2009, The Geelong Advertiser [online] geelongadvertiser.com.au, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 3rd October 2009]

Swine Move

2009-09-15T22:11:00.005+10:00

I found this image on a chain email I received from a friend of mine today. If anyone has any information on this please post a comment. Otherwise Im stumped where to begin ...Googling "giant hog moved with semi float", "big pig moved with truck" has not been successful, this one poses a search engine optimization challenge!

DTM Event Coordination

2009-09-03T14:23:00.014+10:00

By now if you have been reading my post's regularly, your probably starting to establish a slight correlation of Racing related posts. I love my racing, and the logistical challenges behind setting up circuits and ensuring safety is of utmost importance, intrigues me.

The DTM, German Touring Car season; the most popular international car series in the world began in April, to gain an appreciation for the coordination involved in running a DTM event, continue reading for these jaw dropping statistics I found courtesy of the DTM website. (SOURCE)

On average 250 Steel crash-barriers will be errected over a 1500m circuit.

200 metres of concrete crash barriers and 2.5 kilometres of safety fences.

Security forces with more than 200 staff members will support the work of the police, fire fighters and medical service to prevent any dangerous situation.

At the same time, a 120-member catering staff working in 12 snack stands will provide the visitors’ sustenance.

They will have available 80,000 fried sausages, 10,000 steaks and cutlets, 20,000 pretzels, 15,000 meat balls, 8,000 meat skewers and about three tons of special dishes, for the visitors.

While 15 refrigerator trucks will make sure that everything will be fresh when served.

The pictures of the DTM Launch will be broadcasted in 175 countries all around the world.

On behalf of DTM, an 80-member production team of WIGE MEDIA AG will produce the TV pictures by dint of an OB-truck, a total of 12 cameras and two camera cranes.

65 loudspeakers with a total output of 10,000 watt will make for optimum sound all around the event area.

Meanwhile, seven video walls will offer the visitors the chance of perfectly witnessing the action taking place both all around the track and on the 170sqm show stage.

Altogether, some 14 kilometres of electricity cable as well as 25 kilometres of sound and video cable will be laid, for the event.

Last year, more than 200,000 visitors travelled to Düsseldorf for the event, to get very close to the motor racers and their cars - and were truly inspired.

Just as it was the case in the past, the admission to the DTM Season Launch will be free.

2009 DTM Launch, 4th August 2009, 2009 DTM Launch - A logistics challenge. DTM [online] dtm.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 2 September 2009]

Iraq exit poses daunting logistics

2009-09-02T16:57:00.007+10:00

WASHINGTON - For years, US military planners have worried about the risks of maintaining a large force in Iraq. Now, they are worrying about how to get it out.

In what is shaping up to be the biggest logistical challenge since the Vietnam War, the Pentagon is grappling with how to transfer out what a top official calls “mountains of equipment,’’ along with 143,000 troops and a similar number of civilians, amid the continuing threat of roadside bombs, ambushes, and suicide attacks from insurgents and terrorists.

There are worries, too, that arms will fall into the wrong hands, or that the complex withdrawal will drain resources needed for the buildup of the war effort in Afghanistan.

Concerns about the difficulty of the endeavor, which is set to be in full swing next year, have prompted a flurry of new government reviews and closed-door briefings for members of Congress who believe the process needs greater oversight.

Top officials say a big focus of the planning is ensuring adequate protection from a possible spike in attacks with improvised explosive devices - or IEDs - as troops pull out of relatively secure, fortified bases.

“We anticipate [attacks] possibly going up as we start moving these large units and convoys,’’ Army Major General Kenneth S. Dowd, the director of logistics for the US Central Command, said last week by telephone from Kuwait, where he was huddling with the logistics chiefs of each branch of the military. “If that keys up again we may have to slow down.’’

President Obama has set a timetable of removing the bulk of US forces by the middle of next year, and the rest by the end of 2011. A recent internal Army report laid out the sheer enormity of the task: 31 million items must be moved, including 100,000 pieces of “rolling stock,’’ 120,000 containers, 34,000 tons of ammunition, and 618 aircraft.

The job will require an estimated 240,000 truckloads, which translates to 8,000 convoys. Much of that material will contribute to 119 shiploads. Nearly 300,000 American personnel, military and civilian, will withdraw, and 350 bases large and small across the country will be shuttered or handed over to Iraqi forces.

At the Pentagon, top officials are working overtime to manage the process.

“When you get down in the boiler room and look at moving mountains of equipment that is accumulated over six years of war in Iraq and either bringing it home, or donating it to the Iraqi security forces, or taking it to Afghanistan, it is a huge logistical challenge,’’ Ashton B. Carter, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, said in a recent interview.

Carter, who recently traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to see the logistics effort firsthand, added: “We need to do all this as we complete the mission and make sure there is still stability in Iraq.’

US military officials are identifying what types of equipment, such as Humvees, could be donated or sold to the Iraqi Security Forces, Dowd said. But there is the question of what to do with the rest.

The most sensitive items, such as intelligence gear, will be flown out of the country. A major challenge remains identifying the safest and most effective ground routes for the bulk of the supplies, most likely through neighboring Jordan and Kuwait, where a large share of the equipment will be loaded onto ships for ultimate transport to the United States or Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, in addition to the primary travel routes, military planners are also identifying backup routes in case of disruptions, officials said.

Another major task will be to keep track of everything in transit - a notorious failure after the 1991 Persian Gulf War when the Pentagon had thousands of containers sitting in Kuwait but had no idea what was in them.

“One of the biggest challenges,’’ Dowd said, is “accountability and [knowing] what’s in the containers.’’

Unlike the first war in Iraq, when hostilities ended with a cease-fire, there are still armed groups attacking US and Iraqi troops so there is a higher risk in losing track of weapons, said retired General Jack Keane, a former Army vice chief of staff who is now a partner at SCP Partners, an investment company.

“There is an obligation to know what we have, where it is, and where it winds up,’’ Keane said.
There are also environmental concerns about abandoning hundreds of bases and camps that have been established since 2003.

Dowd said environmental experts have begun assessments of the first group of bases that will be abandoned or handed over to the Iraqis to ensure they are cleaned up.

All this is drawing increasing scrutiny from government auditors and congressional oversight committees. A team from the Government Accountability Office was in Iraq reviewing the situation last week, while the House Of Representatives recently passed legislation requiring the Pentagon to provide periodic reports on the progress of the effort.

One pressing concern is that the withdrawal from Iraq could at least temporarily deprive the war effort in Afghanistan - and possibly other military missions - of critical resources, such as cargo planes, ships, logistics personnel, and security teams.

“The redeployment of forces and equipment is an enormous undertaking which will affect Iraq and the countries in the region, and which will also affect the ability of the US to conduct war in Afghanistan and be ready to respond to other threats,’’ Representative Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement last week after receiving a classified Pentagon briefing on the redeployment.

Skelton said he also worries about too much equipment being left behind. He cited the Vietnam experience as a cautionary tale. “When I visited Vietnam years later,’’ he said, “I remember seeing rows and rows of US equipment that we left behind. We must do a better job managing the redeployment from Iraq.’’

Bender can be reached at bender@globe.com

Bender.B, 28 July 2009, Iraq exit poses daunting logistics. The Boston Globe [online] boston.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 2 September 2009]

The Heaviest Airlift

2009-08-30T21:34:00.005+10:00

Logistical Challenge is a definite fan of record breaking. After all what could pose a more difficult task than smashing the Guinness World Record, being put at the pinnacle, number one in your class. The Antonov (you can find more information on my Antonov post here) has done just that lifting a whopping 16.23m long by 4.27m wide gas power plant generator.

The generator weighed in a record 189.09 tonnes.

This Transcript from the Guinness World Records Website;

Antonov airlines are continuing to break records with their very impressive Antonov 225 aircraft – also known as “Myria”, meaning “dream”. This incredible plane already holds a number of records, including that of the only plane to have a maximum take-off weight of over 600 tonnes and the plane with the widest wing-span, at 88.4 m (290 ft).

Antonov airways were the current holders of the record for the heaviest item airlifted: in 1993, the Antonov 124 carried an item (which must be a single piece not requiring further assembly) weighing 124 tonnes. The Antonov 124 and 225 aircraft specialize in lifting heavy cargo, though they require a runway capable of accommodating adequate landing space as these are extremely large and heavy aircraft.

The crowds had started gathering before myself and the commercial
director of Antonov airlines, Mr Valery Kulbaka, we arrived at 9:30 a.m. Once two cranes had taken the weight of the cargo, which was a generator needed in a power plant in Armenia, I measured its weight; at a staggering 187.6 tonnes, it was indeed the heaviest item ever prepared to be airlifted. This was just the start of the operation, though: there followed a very intense and complicated process to get the item loaded into the massive 225. Many countries had been involved in getting the generator to Germany’s Frankfurt Hahn airport where this record attempt took place; all worked extremely well together and the operation went according to plan.
After they managed to load the generator carefully onto the specially prepared ramp, which had to be set at precisely 2.5 degrees, the team proceeded to winch the 187.6 tonne item slowly into the aircraft. Once it was fixed in place inside the aircraft, the Antonov team received a round of applause from the onlooking crowd. The record was not broken yet, though, as the aircraft still had to become airborne.
The crew continued to work extremely hard to get everything in place ready for take-off. By now it was past 11 p.m., but crowds of people were still flocking to the airport to get a view of this record-breaking lift-off.

Myself and Mr Kulbaka, accompanied by all the press teams, headed towards the end of the runway where the 225 was set to take off – and take off it did, the plane leaving the runway with a smooth elegance and grace, giving every appearance of being weight free. I then presented Mr Kulbaka with his well-deserved Guinness World Records™ certificate in front of the media; the onlooking crowds pressed up against the fences to witness this historical moment on the 11 August 2009.

Author Unknown; Date 11 Aug 2009; Heaviest Item Airlifted. Guinness World Records [online] community.guinnessworldrecords.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 30 Aug 2009]

First of new trains arrives in Melbourne

2009-08-25T19:38:00.004+10:00

THE first of Melbourne's new trains has been unloaded from the docks and taken to Newport.

Following a month-long journey by sea from Italy, the train was taken by truck through the inner-west overnight.

The first task will be to fit seats into the train before a lengthy period of testing until late November.

But the majority of the train is complete, with windows, interior panels and vinyl floorings already installed.

A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said all components of the train, such as the brakes and power, would be tested independently to ensure it is working properly.

“Being the first train, the testing phase is even more integral to smooth roll-out of the rest of the new trains,” spokesman Stephen Moynihan said.

“Any issues identified with this first train will be rectified and then help to smooth the production and delivery of the rest of the trains on order.”

Testing would only take place overnight when regular services aren’t running.

“Once all commissioning and acceptance testing has been completed, the train will be decked out with new livery and will be ready for service,” Mr Moynihan said.

To commuters, the trains will differ little from the existing Alstom X’Trapolis trains that already run in Melbourne, but there will be technical improvements for drivers.

It was the first of 38 new trains ordered by the State Government to cope with booming train patronage.

About half the order will be progressively shipped to Melbourne, while the others will be assembled in Ballarat.

The entire fleet of the new trains will be on the tracks by 2014.

Passengers will start using the new train that arrived last night later this year.

Gardiner, A. ; Herald Sun (August 25th 2009). First of new trains arrives in Melbourne. Herald Sun [online] news.com.au Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 25 August 2009].

Big Squeeze

2009-08-22T21:36:00.006+10:00

(August 21st, 2009). Is the squeeze about to ease?. Channel 7 News [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: VictorianTrainDebacle. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 22 August 2009].

Antonov. Heaviest & Largest

2009-08-20T18:33:00.000+10:00

In the late 1980's the Soviet Government required a Strategic Air lifter for the Russian Space Program, its primary mission to transport the Buran Orbiter Space Shuttle. Secondary mission, transport Over-size payload.

Introducing the Antonov An-225....

The world’s heaviest and largest jet ever built. The wing span alone 291 feet, the landing gear features an amazing 32 wheels.

It was designed for the Soviet space program in 1988 and able to airlift the Energia rocket’s boosters, Buran space shuttle or ultra-heavy and oversize freight, up to 250 tonne internally or 200 tonne on the upper fuselage.

Cargo on the upper fuselage can up to 70m long!

Photographer Unknown (Year Unknown). English Russia "The Eastern Entertainment Channel" [online image] Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 28 June 2009].

Afghanistan Ballot Box Mirage

2009-08-19T16:51:00.007+10:00

Tomorrow one of the most complicated elections ever will take place.

17 million eligible voters will treacherously make there way to one of the 35,000 odd voting stations across Afghanistan. Those who have not been deterred from the violence, will still face a tiresome journey, as many of the voting stations have been setup in remote locations. Not to mention the fact the country is still in conflict.

The IEC (Independant Election Commission) setup a gigantic warehouse in Kabul, where all final preparations for the August 20th Presidential poll will take place. Initial voter registration began late last year, last month all but five districts have now enrolled those missing out due to poor security measures.

As challenging as running the election will be, logistically Afghanistan remains one of the harshest terrains on the planet, endless desert and treacherous mountains add to the array of difficulty this operation knowingly attracts.

The IEC has arranged for 3,500 trucks to carry all voting materals to the various voting stations. In addition 3000 donkeys have been despatched to help move the populace to very remote areas.

Aurora Australis Breaks the Ice

2009-08-18T14:09:00.017+10:00

MV Aurora Australis, The bright orange icebreaker an all purpose built ship for clearing a path is designed to take logistical challenges head on. Well, technically as I learnt today from the top.

Icebreakers do not ram the ice as such. I've always assumed these ships split the ice front on dividing the remains aside, but hey you learn something new everyday.

The Australis and other icebreakers ride up onto incoming ice, allowing the dead weight of the ship to actually crack through the shelf.

Our very own big bright orange icebreaker can be found docked over the winter period at the AAD (Australian Antarctic Division) Headquarters in Kingston Tasmania, roughly 10 kilometers south of the capital Hobart.

The Australis was built by P&O Polar and sailed for the first time in September 1989 and nearly 20 years to date, it still remains one of Australia's most unique ships.

TRANSCRIPT FROM CHIEF ENGINEER BRAD ESSON; COURTESY - AUSTRALIA NETWORK, NEXUS (SOURCE)

BRAD ESSON: Hello, my name is Brad Esson, I’m the chief engineer on the RSV ‘Aurora Australis’. We’re tied up at the moment at Princess Wharf in Hobart.
The ‘Aurora Australis’ is an icebreaker. It can cut ice up to about 1.6 metres at a speed of around one to two knots through the heavier ice and up to 6 knots in the thinner ice.
We’re laid up at the moment doing maintenance work to our main engines, ready for the start of the Antarctic season this year. The ‘Aurora Australis’ travels to Antarctica during the Antarctic summer which is roughly from about October through to about April. And it resupplies all the Australian as well as overseas bases.
We also take expeditioners and scientists down there for the summer. At the moment, I’m standing on the navigational bridge of the ship. The ship is navigated from here, obviously, and steered from here. The ship’s captain controls all the operation up here. I’m in charge of all the technical side of operations so I work down in the engine room.
To get to Antarctica it operates in the Southern Ocean, which is without a doubt the worst seas in the world. We’ve had instances where waves are up to 30 metres or even more. Makes it very unpleasant to try and sleep. A lot of the expeditioners suffer chronically from seasickness and they’ll be seasick for weeks.
Getting down there sometimes, you do feel sorry for them because they don’t eat, but you haven’t got to queue up as long to get your meals. Here we have a chart of the various places this vessel has travelled since it was built. The main places we go is – Hobart is here. That’s Macquarie Island.
Down here we have Casey Base, here we have Davis Base and here we have Mawson Base. As we go further south to around about Macquarie Island and Heard Island is where the extreme weather is, in this belt here. As you head further south you start to strike icebergs at around 60 south.
And at 60 south and further, it gets calmer and calmer because the sea is damped down by all the ice. There are two main types of ice. One of them is sea ice and the other is icebergs. Icebergs have been broken off off an ice shelf or off a glacier and they’re fresh water. And the other ice, we call it pancake ice or just sea ice, which is, basically, the top of the sea is frozen. Here we have the lifeboats. There’s one on each side of the ship. We hope we never have to use them, but they’re here just in case. Inside here you can see each of those black marks is a bottom, is one man.
So as you can imagine, it’d be very cramped in there in an emergency. So we like to spend as little time as possible in the lifeboats. The absolute last resort. This is my cabin where I live. I’ve got the same as the captain’s cabin, so he’s got one exactly the same on the other side of the ship. Most cabins are a lot smaller. We’ll show you that later. I’m standing now in the galley which is where all the food’s prepared.
There’s three cooks, and cooking for up to 140 people, three meals a day. This is one of the expeditioners cabins. Each of those two loungers fold out to bunks and those other boards at the top there fold down to be bunks. So there’s four per cabin. I’m now standing in the cargo hold. This is a twin-deck cargo hold, so these plates lift up, there’s another area the size of this below us.
We carry all our provisions for the Antarctic in here for all the bases. There’s bulldozers and containers and food and all sorts of things. These doors above me fold open and we use the crane to lift the cargo out of here and put it on the ice. Here we are in the engine control room. All the systems are controlled from here. Everything is monitored from here, pressures and temperatures.
If we have a problem, if something isn’t operating correctly, an alarm will sound in here. And if it’s outside working hours, it will sound in the duty engineer’s cabin. We also control all the hotel services. This vessel has over 100 people on board, so you are basically controlling a small town. So we have all the waters, sewerage systems, electricity, airconditioning.
Basically, what my day-to-day life on here is work, eat and sleep. I don’t do anything else. I don’t read books, I don’t… I watch the occasional video, but maybe less than five in a whole trip. This area is the engine room so it’s very noisy. You need earmuffs and ear protection at all times.
And you can’t communicate with people. The only way to communicate is by gesturing or take them to another quiet area. We can burn up to 60,000 litres of diesel a day. We can load probably up to 2,000 tonnes, or two million litres, of diesel.
Here I am standing back out on deck again. Just fore of the bridge, or forward of the bridge. I hope you have enjoyed our tour of the ‘Aurora Australis’ and, yeah, it’s a great place, Antarctica.

Esson.B Transcript; Date unknown; Aurora Australis. Australia Network [online] australianetwork.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 18 Aug 2009]

Nepal Logistically Challenged

2009-08-17T16:38:00.000+10:00

The WFP always makes for a great source for nightmare to navigate countryside, horrendously difficult terrain and unique logistical predicaments us traditional office working logisticians usually don't come along throughout our day to day duties. Last month I posted another interesting article on the Libyan Desert Corridor (Link); this month a transcript from an interview discussing the current food epidemic in Nepal, South East Asia.

Nepal may be small, but the mountainous country presents vast logistical challenges to WFP. Country Director Richard Ragan talks to web writer Michelle Hough about the peace process and WFP's creative responses to Nepal's challenges.

1.WFP has over 40 years’ experience in logistics, but how does it cope with the remoteness of many communities in Nepal?

On a clear day, I pull myself out of bed in Kathmandu, which sits squarely in the middle of the country, and from my rooftop see Mount Shisapagma.

It's the 12th highest mountain in a country which is home to eight of the 14 highest mountains on earth. Just behind it sits Tibet so Nepal is really quite a narrow country. But one shouldn't be fooled by the size, geographically this stands as the most challenging place I've ever worked.

Sometimes I feel like we're trapped, logistically speaking, in an expanded version of Steve Martin's famous movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" that should be called "Planes, Porters, Tractors, Trucks, Yaks, Donkeys and Helicopters”.

So far, the only things we haven't exploited for delivering food are elephants.

Transcript: Ragan.R, Hough.M, (10th January 2008). Ain't no mountain high enough: WFP Country Director Richard Ragan talks about challenges in Nepal. WFP [online] WFP.org. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 17 August 2009].

A SPECIAL BIG THANKS to the World Food Program for this detailed logistical insight. As a token of your appreciation, if you can afford it please click here and make a small donation now.

Logistical Rally Race

2009-08-12T16:41:00.006+10:00

NAC Insurance International Rally of Whangarei

Media statement
21 May 2009

Rally brings international logistics challenge

When the NAC Insurance International Rally of Whangarei takes place over the weekend of 6 and 7 June, an integral part of the event’s preparation will have been the shipping of cars and equipment for the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) competitors.

The previous APRC round was in Queensland on 9 and 10 May and the aim is to have everything arrive a week prior to the next event, says APRC co-ordinator, Murray Brown, who manages the logistics of shipping the team’s valuable containers around the seven countries which host the APRC rounds. These are: New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

Christchurch-based Brown grew his logistics prowess having been responsible for freighting the late Possum Bourne’s cars and equipment around the globe. He says timing is critical with just four weeks between the Queensland’s mid-May round and the New Zealand event.

“We can’t afford to miss a boat or have a vessel delayed,” comments Brown. We have to fit in to sailing schedules as well as internal travel. Those four weeks disappear very quickly – especially when we like to have the containers on the ground for the teams a week before the event – so the timeframe shrinks very rapidly.

“With the current economic situation globally, a lot of the shipping lines are actually rationalising their shipping schedules so the length of time to transit from point A to point B has increased in a lot of cases, simply because they are calling in to point C along the way,” adds Brown.

With nine containers to ship safely to Whangarei, Brown says the job is to provide a country-to-country service so the teams can solely concentrate on the competition.

“Coming in to New Zealand we have a mix of five 40ft containers and four 20ftcontainers. Two teams run their own mobile workshop trucks, with rally cars reconnaissance cars and one team runs a people-mover as well, plus spare parts, and tyres. We have at least seventeen vehicles – a mixture of rally cars, reconnaissance cars and support vehicles.

“Normally included in the containers are 5-600 tyres spread across the teams, plus any others that get air freighted in, but the biggest other concern is the fuel, which has to be shipped separately.”

The APRC cars are required to run a commercially-available 102 RON (Research Octane Number) unleaded fuel, which isn’t available in all countries.

“So that is another service where I supply the fuel in the service park. It’s sourced from Shell in Australia and is shipped to all the individual events. Obviously there are issues around the dangerous goods side of things and any duties or taxes that may be payable due to it being a consumable item.

“It has to be done by the book.

“We offer a one-stop-shop, basically moving the container from service park to service park. So the only time the team has to worry about their container is when it’s on-event.”

And while the teams are busy with pre-event activities such as the driver autograph signing session and the ceremonial start on Friday 5 June, Brown will be busy planning what equipment needs to be packed and ready to leave Whangarei for transport to the island of Hokkaido in Japan for the next event just five weeks later.

Media Statement NAC Insurance (Mayt 21st 2009). Rally brings international logistics challenge. Rallybuzz [online]rallybuzz.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 12 Aug 2009].

Iveco Stretch Semi

2009-08-10T19:20:00.005+10:00

One way to reduce transport cost, is to increase your payload, or quiet simply deliver more product at once. Whilst its not uncommon here in Australia to see B-Doubles on a daily basis, legislation throughout Europe can be harsh.

Italian truck manufacturer Iveco together with various European Governments are trialing 18m long trailers, as opposed to the standard 16m unit.

Italy and Germany have led the way, "Progetto Diciotto" or "Project Eighteen" have been operating eight 18m trailers since May. If this trial is successful, Iveco may pursuade the government to legislate there widespread use.

Chamberlain Transport and the worlds largest freight forwarder DHL have leapt at the opportunity. The whole idea evolved originally from Iveco's safety concept truck on display at the 2006 Hanover show.

The United Kingdom Government are already conducting research on the feasibility of 18m long trailers, which has increased Iveco's confidence that a change in legislation may occur sooner than later....

"This is a way of talking about the concept and trying to get some momentum behind it" says Nigel Emms, one of Iveco's directors.

"We think this fairly straightforward increase in length, which would be hardly noticeable to the untrained eye, would allow our customers to maximise efficient running."

To conclude, stretching the trailer will increase efficiency, eventually begin reducing cost whilst as an added bonus help save the environment.

Dumped Dump Trucks

2009-08-09T19:08:00.005+10:00

From one of my favorite websites englishrussia.com; According to the author of the post, hundreds of these dump trucks were left abandoned by Russian Diamond Mining Magnate "ALROSA". This company holds a 97% share of diamond mining in Russia, thus being able to afford to quiet literally dump these dumpers in the hundreds and ordering a new batch after they expire.

The words Logisitical Challenge arise in my mind, the cost to freight these machines back and forth to maintenance depots, intertwined with hefty repair bills obviously outweighs the cost of simply attaining a new truck.

These heavy dump trucks are not exactly soviet communist relics rusting away in horrific weather, we can see quiet clearly from the images expensive well known equipment such as Caterpillar and Komatsu.

Photographer Unknown (Year Unknown). English Russia "The Eastern Entertainment Channel" [online images] Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 9 August 2009].

Toll ANL tackle the Bass

2009-08-08T09:22:00.003+10:00

Commencing August 12th, Bass Strait shipping services (Melbourne, Victoria to Burnie, Tasmania) will now be operated by the newly created Joint Venture between Toll Group and ANL Container Lines.

Toll Group Australia's largest logistics and transportation solution provider will own an 85% share, whilst ANL 15% to form "Toll ANL Bass Strait Shipping".

The "Tasmanian Achiever", and "Victorian Reliance" will continue operating there daily services. However August 12th will see the end for the "ANL Bass Trader" service from Melbourne to Bell Bay.

This from Toll's announcement offer to the Australian Stock Exchange;

“Toll Group’s customers will receive the same level of service from Toll ANL Bass Strait Shipping as they currently enjoy. Toll will continue to operate daily services of the Tasmanian Achiever and the Victorian Reliance between Melbourne and Burnie as the shipping service provider to the joint venture”, said Paul Little, the Managing Director of the Toll Group.

“The joint venture will commence operations on 12 August 2009, at which time ANL will withdraw the ANL Bass Trader from service between Melbourne and Bell Bay. We are confident ANL’s customers will enjoy the increased frequency in sailings and capacity offered to them by Toll ANL Bass Strait Shipping over the current ANL offering.

“The increased volume of goods transported between Melbourne and Burnie will improve the efficiency of the freight logistics task across the north of Tasmania and allow for an anticipated increase in volumes travelling on the Tasmanian rail network.
“Importantly, we also expect Tasmanian exporters to benefit from the joint venture’s offer of daily links to the overseas shipping lines in Melbourne including seamless connection to ANL’s shipping network.

“Our Tasmanian business is an important component of the Toll Group network which employs 30,000 people in more than 50 countries. Like many businesses around the world, Tasmania’s business community places its faith in Toll to ensure their products get to national or international markets as efficiently as possible.

“We believe this new joint venture will improve commercial prospects across Bass Strait – and that’s a good thing for all Tasmanians,” concluded Mr Little.

McInerney, Bernard; TollGroup (August 6th 2008). Media Release – Toll Group and ANL Join forces in Bass Strait Shipping. Wotnews [online] media.wotnews.com.au Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 8 Aug 2009].

Lockheed Martin Turbo Super Blimp

2009-08-06T13:24:00.006+10:00

Last months insight into the capability and comparison of three heavy lift helicopters (Link) , could be overshadowed by some leaked footage I found of a concept Super Blimp by aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Named the P-791, it looks as if it is powered and steered via four separate propellers. Two propellers at the rear potentially for propulsion and vectoring. Whilst unusually one fixed too either side possibly to assist with an air cushioning system or ground control ability.

None the less, this concept has endless possibility for airborne heavy lift. In the late ninties Lockheed worked on a similiar project called the Aerocraft, the 800ft long proposal supposedly was to have a lift capacity of over 1 million pounds, and move at a speed of up to 125 knots.

If those figures were anywhere near achievable then, 10 odd years later through this concept, the Lockheed Martin Turbo Super Blimp, could well and truly give business an extra option to conventional airfreight or seafreight if viewed commercially, otherwise offer military a new toy with unheard of unique characteristics that could be utilized along the lines of surveilance or high altitude command posts.

(November 21st, 2007). Lockheed-Martin "Skunk Works" P791 LTA ACLS dynmicpara. [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: dynmicpara. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 6 Aug 2009].

Seafreight Global Satellite Tracking

2009-08-05T18:02:00.003+10:00

The next phenomena to hit supply chain could be the innovative real time satellite shipment tracking system offered by freight forwarder DB Schenker.

The recently launched system will not only relay the coordinates of the vessel but record any deviation from the route, monitor container temperatures and ensure no unwanted tampering occurs undiscovered.

The new system has been given the name 'smartbox', and freight forwarder Db Schenker (ranked third largest ocean freight forwarder) has began implementing the new service amongst its impressive network of carriers, IT specialists, insurance companies and major customers.

Direct from the DB Schenker website; Innovation > GPS for more transparency>

In ocean freight operations, as part of the DB SCHENKER smartbox service, containers with valuable goods are tracked in real time. Sensors measures parameters such as temperature, humidity, door alarm and shocks which are linked with the position data of the GPS receiver and transmitted via a data connection. This telematics data is stored in the CIS customer information system and can be retrieved by the customer at any time, creating a new dimension of transparency within the transport chain. This enables immediate identification and rectification of any weak points, faster processes and better data quality.

Freight status can be retrieved at any time
More than 60 percent of the freight transports handled by DB Schenker cross a national border at some point. To ensure that we can also offer our customers full information on such international routes, 15,000 freight cars have meanwhile been equipped with GPS. These GPS devices transmit the exact location of the consignment as well as certain defined freight parameters by mobile radio: Has the freight car been exposed to shocks in the course of the journey? Has it deviated from the intended route?
This means that shock-sensitive goods such as laptops and other valuable items can be monitored at all times. If shocks occur in the course of the transport, it is possible to ascertain afterwards where and when the goods were exposed to what shocks. It is also possible to determine when and where a door was opened. If a door is unexpectedly opened by force, this triggers an alarm as well as other security measures. The GPS applications also help to monitor the timetable for the freight cars: At the start of the transport, the timetable is transmitted to the GPS device and a comparison of the target/actual times is conducted throughout the transport.
GPS and RFID – for even more security
In combination with modern radio frequency identification technology (RFID), this makes the localization data even more accurate. Schenker Deutschland AG is currently fitting 3,500 swap bodies throughout Germany with modern RFID technology to ensure automatic inventories management and monitoring at all German locations. While the data obtained from the RFID devices indicates which locations the freight has passed, only the GPS system provides the exact location of the freight.

Author Unknown; DB Schenker (November 13th 2008). Keeping an eye on your consignments - GPS for transparence, control and efficiency. DB Schenker [online] dbschenker.com Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 5 Aug 2009].

Linfox National Foods record $2bn contract

2009-08-04T19:43:00.002+10:00

Linfox already one of Australia's largest private owned company's, with well over 10,500 employees continues to dominate the industry as a leading logistical provider.

Linfox has just signed what could be known as the single largest transport and logistics contract in history, a $2 billion dollar deal with National Foods, officially now making them one of there largest contract customers.

Linfox CEO Michael Byrne has said 300 additional employees will be hired to manage the major account. Linfox will begin there plan to implement a new network of distribution centers interlinked through linehaul and local delivery.

"Linfox helped review National Foods’ Australian supply chain operations and developed a powerful supply chain solution that will establish a state-of-the-art distribution centre network and specialised delivery vehicle fleet," Michael Byrne says.

"We are using cutting-edge SAP IT to provide leading transport and warehouse systems to effectively manage our customer’s distribution operations."

"The National Foods business has grown rapidly in the last two decades and our expertise will help them achieve significant distribution efficiencies," he says.

"We have worked with National Foods for several years and share their commitment to safety and operational excellence. We look forward to partnering with National Foods to deliver new value in their supply chain functions."

National Foods remains one of Australia’s largest food and beverage companies, and that of an often referred 'iconic' one. Its major product includes milk, juice, dairy, soy and specialty cheese.

Popular known brands under the National Foods banner include Berri, Coon, Dairy Farmers, Farmers Union, King Island, Pura and Yoplait.

Linfox will help the company reduce supply chain complexity while increasing visibility, National Foods’ logistics chief Conor O’Malley says.

He says the Linfox solution will deliver a "best-in-class service to our customers".

"I am confident that working together in a strategic and strongly commercial partnership, both National Foods and Linfox will deliver improved value to both customers and shareholders," he says.

Mercedes-Benz Actros Voted ‘Truck of the Year 2009’

2009-07-30T16:51:00.004+10:00

The new Mercedes-Benz Actros wins the seal of approval of the international specialist press
Hat trick: every Actros generation has now been named ‘Truck of the Year’

Third generation a market trendsetter with innovative technology

First truck model series with transmission automation as standard.

At the recent International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, a panel of experts elected the new Mercedes-Benz Actros ‘Truck of the Year 2009’

The specialist journalists from 21 European countries paid tribute to the enhanced economy, environmental compatibility, safety and comfort afforded by the innovative technology.

With the Mercedes PowerShift 2 automated transmissions installed as standard in the road vehicles, truck drivers will find their daily lives made even easier.

The Mercedes-Benz Actros for road transport has been available since March 2008 in its third-generation version. New members of the award-winning Actros family made their debut at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover: the Actros construction vehicle range and the Actros heavy-duty tractor unit with its 250-tonne GCW.

Since entering the market in 1996, more than 600,000 of these impressive vehicles have been sold.

All three generations of the Mercedes-Benz Actros have been market trendsetters and each new generation has been elected "Truck of the Year" on making its debut.

It remains the only truck with Active Brake Assist - also known as Emergency Braking Assist. Through the "Safety Technology" initiative, the Mercedes-Benz Actros has made a name for itself as a safety truck far beyond its field.

Milestone: first truck range with automatic transmission as standard

In the new Actros, the improved Mercedes-Benz PowerShift 2 transmission is installed as standard, offering an integrated inclination sensor as well as an optimised shift strategy.

A refined sensor system leads to a gentler and yet noticeably quicker change in gear ratios.
Engines in nine performance classes: economical, environmentally compatible Power is provided by the well-honed OM 501 LA and OM 502 LA engines in Euro 4/5. The range encompasses six 11.9-l V6 engines from 235 kW (320 hp) to 350 kW (476 hp) and three 15.9-l V8 engines from 375 kW (510 hp) to 440 kW (598 hp).

The engines have proved themselves with their exceptionally economical and environmentally friendly BlueTec technology in over 200,000 trucks.

Active Brake Assist triggers emergency braking in the event of danger

The new Actros was the first and remains the only series-production truck which can be equipped with Active Brake Assist as an option. It is based on the Telligent proximity control and independently triggers emergency braking in the event of acute danger of a rear-end collision with a vehicle ahead.

Further optional safety systems are available to support the driver: by means of an acoustic signal the Telligent Lane Assistant warns if the vehicle is in danger of leaving its lane. The Telligent stability control is an active driving safety system which reduces the risk of a semitrailer skidding.

The Telligent roll control provides vehicle damping appropriate to the circumstances. Safety assistance systems are also supported by insurers in the form of discounts on premiums.

Author Unknown; Truckworld (October 20th 2008). Mercedes-Benz Actros Voted ‘Truck of the Year 2009. Truckworld [online] truckworld.com.au Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 30 July 2009].

Limited run for new Melbourne trains

2009-07-29T15:54:00.012+10:00

The Victorian Government has admitted that new trains for the Melbourne rail network will not run on all lines. 38 new trains are being built in Italy and will start arriving in December.

The state government says they'll be used on the lines near their maintenance centres.

As a result the Dandenong, Frankston, Sandringham, Werribee, Sydenham and Craigieburn lines will miss out. The Transport Minister, Lynne Kosky, says the arrival of new trains will mean older models can be redirected onto the other lines.

"This frees up capacity right around the system," she said.

However, the opposition's transport spokesman, Terry Mulder, says the situation is a mess.
The Victorian Government says the new trains will be more reliable in hot weather.

Author Unknown; ABC News (July 28th 2009). Limited run for new Melbourne trains. ABC News [online] abc.net.au Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 29 July 2009].

1 Cubic Meter

2009-07-28T20:42:00.012+10:00

When dealing with other customers, clients or other departments within your company, often the smallest concepts can cause confusion, explaining something to someone in marketing, accounts or elsewhere whom have no previous logistical experience can be very frustrating for both parties.

Believe it or not, one of the most simple concepts misunderstood at times in freight terminology is the cube; or one cubic meter. The cubic meter is a unit of volume in the International System of Units.

The cubic meter symbol is "m³", sometimes abbreviated as "cu m" or "cbm". One Cube is equal to the space of one meter wide, one meter long, and one meter high.

Please see below for some visuals examples of how cartons may fit within one cubic meter.

Of course shipping is not limited to one cubic meter, to determine the "cube" of a particular shipment; simply multiply the dimensions of the carton (length x height x width); and then multiply that figure by the number of cartons; provided all the carton sizes are identical.

Take these examples from Oceanfreightusa.com; shipping 20 boxes with dimensions 18cm x 14cm x 12cm (0.18 x 0.13 x 0.12) has a total value of 1.42 cubic meters. Shipping 6 boxes with dimensions 18cm x 18cm x 22cm (0.18 x 0.18 x 0.22) is equal to 0.7 cubic meters.

In Sea Freight terms;

1 Standard TEU (20ft Sea Freight Container) has a cubic capacity of 33 cbm.

1 Standard 40ft Freight Container has a cubic capacity of 67.3 cbm.
1 High Cube 40ft Freight Container has a cubic capacity of 76.0 cbm.

Images and Cube Examples Courtesy of Amid Logistics LLC (Last updated 2009). About the CUBIC METER & W/M = Weight or Measurement in respect of shipping ocean freight from the USA. Amid Logistics LLC [online] oceanfreightusa.com. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 28 July 2009].

Road of Death

2009-07-27T21:12:00.009+10:00

North Yungas Road, a 70km hell strip between La Paz and Coroico; Bolivia is the worlds most dangerous stretch of road today.

Nearly 200 fatalites occur annually, on average an accident every 2 weeks. It is not uncommon to find numerous 3000 meter drops and countless hairpin corners throughout the relentless journey.

The North Yungas Road has appropriately been named "The Death Road".

Images Courtesy of: Author: Free (June 23rd 2008). Top 5 most dangerous roads of the world. Yeeta [online] Yeeta.com. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 27 July 2009].

Cheetahs on a Plane

2009-07-24T16:25:00.006+10:00

A Delta baggage worker got a bit of a fright before Halloween when she opened a jetliner's cargo door and found a cheetah running loose amid the luggage. Two cheetahs were being flown in the cargo area of a Boeing 757 passenger flight from Portland, Ore., to Atlanta on Thursday when one escaped from its cage, Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said Friday.

"They told us a large animal had gotten out of a container in the cargo hold and they were having to send someone to tranquilize it," said one passenger, Lee Sentell of Montgomery, Ala.

He said luggage was delayed, but baggage handlers promised to send his bags to him in Alabama.
The good news for passengers: The escaped cheetah didn't damage any of their luggage.

The airline summoned help from Zoo Atlanta, and experts rushed to a closed airport hangar and tranquilized the escaped animal and took both big cats to the zoo.

Both 1-year-old female cheetahs were on their way from the Wildlife Safari Park in Winston, Ore., to the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, Memphis Zoo spokesman Drew Smith said in an e-mail. He said the two cheetahs will stay a few days at the zoo in Atlanta until the Memphis Zoo gets a team together to fetch them.

The cheetahs are on loan to the Memphis Zoo, but Smith said he wasn't sure how long they would stay there.

The Associated Press Copyright 2009 (October 31st 2008). Cheetahs on a plane: Animal gets loose in cargo hold during flight, gives baggage worker a scare. ABC News [online] abcnews.go.com. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 24 July 2009].

Australian B-Triple Baseline dimensions and loads

2009-07-23T19:27:00.014+10:00

As im attempting to cover the local B-triple debate regularly, for any curious international reader please find this quick snap shot I've taken of the diagram from the Smart "Blueprint B-Triple specifications sheet" a document by the National Transport Commission Australia. The document provides specifications for a B-Triple that is deemed to satisfy Level 3 Performance Based Standard Requirements.

For the full version pdf document download please click here

Author unknown (July 2007). Blueprint B-Triple specifications sheet. National Transport Commission [online] ntc.gov.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 23 July 2009].

Air conditioning will not be fixed in time for this summer

2009-07-22T20:16:00.006+10:00

(July21st, 2009). Air conditioning will not be fixed in time for this summer. Channel 10 News [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: VictorianTrainDebacle. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 22 July 2009].

Brumby promises 'cool' summer trains

2009-07-22T12:20:00.003+10:00

Victorian Premier John Brumby has boldly ruled out any heat-related disruptions to trains this summer, even though the train operators say there is no point fixing the problematic air conditioning.

In January and February, 3,830 metropolitan trains were cancelled and thousands more delayed as a record heatwave gripped the state.

Air conditioning breakdowns were blamed for many of the cancellations and the government now admits it is responsible for upgrading cooling.

But doing so would cost tens of millions of dollars and require cancellations, so passengers will instead be forced to sweat it out in stifling carriages, an upper house inquiry into last summer's disastrous meltdown heard on Tuesday.

Asked by reporters if more heat-related train disruptions were likely this summer, Mr Brumby simply said "no".

More than half of Melbourne's metropolitan trains, run by private operator Connex, have air conditioners that "trip" when the temperature hits 34.5 degrees.

The government's top transport bureaucrats told the inquiry upgraded air conditioners would be trialled this summer but not across the entire troubled Comeng fleet.

Connex boss Jonathon Metcalf said it would cost tens of millions of dollars to take the trains out of service and replace their air conditioners and wiring.

"Recognising that these trains are sort of heading towards 30 years old ... is that a really good, sensible use of limited investment? And the answer ... is almost certainly no," he told the inquiry.
"Given the choice of cancelling a train or keeping a train in operation to the end of that morning peak to avoid cancellations and disruption - that seems to make a lot of sense."

Connex will not have to deal with the fall-out of packed, hot trains, anyway. Its contract to run the trains expires in December and has not been renewed.

Hong Kong-based Metro Trains will take over the network in December.

Secretary of the Department of Transport Jim Betts said the air conditioning glitch in the Comeng trains, which represent 92 of the 165 strong fleet, had been known since the trains were commissioned in the 1970s.

But it only became a major problem in the recent heatwave.

Mr Betts admitted upgrading the system was the responsibility of the government, not Connex.
"It's entirely appropriate that the government should fund the capital works on the rail system because it owns it, it regulates it and ... it is accountable for the performance of the system."
Mr Brumby said the entire public transport system is being upgraded.

"We're building a system to cope with more extreme conditions," he said.
"I'm confident that you'll see continuing improvements as we move through the year."

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the government would have to shoulder the blame for more train disruptions this summer unless it wanted to "cook the people on board".
"There is no other avenue for the government or the operator to go other than to take this type of action," he said outside the inquiry.

Author not specified, G (21 Jul 2009).Brumby promises 'cool' summer trains. The Sydney Morning Herald [online] smh.com.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 21 July 2009].

USS Cole Recovery

2009-07-21T21:25:00.021+10:00

October 2000, the USS Cole was attacked by suspected terrorist group Al-Qaeda. A 40 foot by 40 foot hole was blasted into the portside, killing 17 U.S Sailors.

After a two year long operation, the five hundred and fifty foot long Aegis equipped destroyer returned to its fleet in April 2002.

From my perspective, the logistics involved in between were to say the least an amazing effort.

Owners at the time, Offshore Heavy Transport of Oslo, contracted the heavy lift ship to the Navy to quiet literally carry the wounded destroyer from Yemen back to the United States.

The Norwegian MV Blue Marlin was chosen because it was conveniently located close by in the Persian gulf after dropping a pair of specialized Mine hunting ships from Texas.

The Blue Marlin remains one of the world's largest heavy lift ships. Later on in 2004 it went on to move a 60,000 tonne Oil platform, followed by a massive sea-based X band Radar in 2005.

Once the Norwegian lift ship was selected and dispatched, the race was on for the Navy to work alongside the recovery team to design custom made mounting blocks and gigantic restraining straps to secure the load. When the drawings were complete construction was off sourced to a local Dubai Ship builder; whom installed the components on the Blue Marlin before it left for Yemen.

On Arrival, Blue Marlin opened its Ballast Tanks, submerging the entire deck so that the Aft towers and house were only visible above sea level. Tug boats then maneuvered the USS Cole in a position above the Marlins underwater deck.

Once everything was in place the Ballast tanks were emptied slowly so the deck would rise and meet the hull of the destroyer placing it gently in the custom built mounting blocks. The entire lift procedure took approximately 24 hours.

Like me if you were wondering why the USS Cole was stowed on an Angle, the purpose was to protect the Sonar Dome mounted on the very front of the destroyer’s bow, by letting it overhang the Marlins deck.

The contract cost the Navy US$4.5 Million dollars, a skeleton crew aboard the destroyer remained on board for the long voyage home to the United States.

One key issue that may draw attention, is the fact the world’s most advanced military force, does not have its own heavy lift ship of this size and capability, could having to outsource internationally pose a problem in the future ?

-Matt

Photo courtesy of US Navy (31 October 2000). NAVSEA [online] dcfp.navy.mil, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 22 July 2009].

Bathtub V

2009-07-20T13:27:00.002+10:00

Bathtub V from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

B-TRIPLE TRUCKS ON TRIAL

2009-07-19T22:15:00.005+10:00

B-triple trucks could travel through Colac this year as part of a Victorian trial.

A spokesman for Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said the State Government expected a trial of B-triples to “begin in coming months.”

“VicRoads is still working on determining the routes for the trial,” the spokesman said.

The government announced its plan to consider introducing 36-metre long B-triples last August.

Information leaked from Mr Pallas’ office identified Colac as a possible route for the trucks.

Colac Roadsafe chairman Cliff McAliece and Member for Polwarth and opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder have raised concerns about the Princes Highway’s ability to carry the trucks safely.

Mr Pallas’ spokesman was unable to confirm yesterday whether Colac was in the current list of possible B-triple routes.

Howden-Chitty, G (22 May 2009). B-Triple Trucks on Trial. Colac Herald Page 2 [online] terrymulder.com.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 19 July 2009].

Venice a Logistically Challenged City?

2009-07-18T17:19:00.029+10:00

Just a few of the snaps I took when I visited Venice in June 2008.
Main railway that connects the mainland to the Venice archipelago of 118 connected islands.

Single drive Volvo Globetrotter pulling a tri-axle refrigerated semi waiting at the docks to board a Ferry to Greece.

This image was taken from the top deck on board the Minoan Ferry (cruise ship if you ask me)

As we were leaving Venice through the main canal; an Iveco Taught Liner with dog trailer being moved by some sort of barge with hydraulic ramps.

Rear shot of one of the loop ferrys to Greece; they have loading ramps at either end.

From the Middle deck of the Minoan Vessel looking down port side at the vehicles waiting to board.

Logistical Challenge Post (18 July 2009). Venice a Logistically Challenged City? No enforced Copyright as such, but I would much appreciate if permission was requested for use of the photos elsewhere -Matt

Largest Container Vessel

2009-07-17T16:29:00.005+10:00

The Emma Mærsk launched in 2006 remains the largest purpose built container ship, and the longest overall ship in use today. Mærsk down rates the ship as having a 11,000 TEU capacity as to account for weight requirements (14t/per TEU); however it has been estimated to hold anywhere between 13,000 - 15,000 TEU's.

Emma Mærsk is of Scandinavian origin, having been built at the Odense Steel Ship yard located in Denmark. To gain a grasp of how the immense sized parts are moved around Shipping yards check out my earlier post on Shipyard Transporters.

The Wärtsilä RT-flex96C, the worlds largest diesel engine powers the Emma Emma Mærsk. The unit itself is capable of 109,000 horsepower, it makes use of all it's exhaust emissions gas via a steam generator which in turn powers on board electrical generators.

The vessel commenced its maiden voyage on the 8th of September 2006, starting at Aarhus, Gothenburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Algeciras, through the Suez Canal arriving at Singapore on the 1st of October. Its regular trip commences at Ningbo, then Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Algeciras, Rotterdam, Bremerhavem returning to Ningbo.

-Matt

Specifications courtesy of Wikipedia
Emma Mærsk. Wikipedia [online] Wikipedia.org, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 17 July 2009].

Career (Denmark)
Name:	Emma Maersk
Owner:	A. P. Moller-Maersk Group
Builder:	Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd, Denmark
Homeport:	Taarbæk, Denmark
Identification:	Callsign: OYGR2
General characteristics
Type:	Container ship
Tonnage:	170,974 GT 55,396 NT
Length:	397 metres (1,300 ft) LOA
Beam:	56 metres (180 ft)
Draft:	15.5 metres (51 ft)
Depth:	30 metres (98 ft) (deck edge to keel)
Propulsion:	80 MW (109,000 hp) Wärtsilä 14RT-Flex96c plus 30 MW (40,000 hp) from five Caterpillar 8M32
Speed:	over 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph)
Capacity:	156,907 metric tons deadweight (DWT) 11,000+ TEU 1000 TEU (Reefers)
Crew:	13, with room for 30

Mainroads QLD - B-triple road network access

2009-07-16T13:30:00.000+10:00

Establishing a national B-triple network is a key freight-efficiency initiative under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

B-triples have been successfully operating in Queensland since 1996 and have been proven as a freight-efficient heavy vehicle combination that contributes to regional development, improving road safety and reducing adverse environmental impacts through fewer trips.

Typically, one B-triple has equivalent carrying capacity of two semi-trailers.

Queensland provides an extensive road network for B-triple access, with most areas west of the Great Dividing Range approved for access, covering approximately 21,700 km of the arterial network.

A B-triple network map (PDF, 3.29 MB) is available that outlines Queensland’s approved B-triple network.

Work is currently underway to extend existing B-triple network access to key freight hubs, such as Townsville and Gladstone, where this can be safely achieved.

Mainroads QLD Government Update (30 June 2009). B-triple road network access. Mainroads [online] mainroads.qld.gov.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 13 July 2009].

Busiest shipping ports Trend Analysis

2009-07-15T18:55:00.009+10:00

First glance at the graph, its not hard to see China has well and truly firmly established itself as the worlds most important container shipping market. The Shanghai gradient stands out significantly with a substantial growth of 11,590,000 TEU's over a four year period.

It appears the once rapid growth of containers in Taiwan during the early 90s has slowed down to a steady average of approximately 9,800,000 TEU's over the four year course. With the exception of a small drop in numbers for Taiwan during the 2004 - 2005 period, one thing is very clear, all other Ports have increased there numbers of TEU's processed annually.

Dubai and Hamburg are portraying a steady growth trend, whilst Rotterdam and South Korea are managing to creep that little bit higher each year. -Matt

Heavy Lift Helicopter Comparison

2009-07-14T16:25:00.014+10:00

Today I've been reading up on heavy lifting helicopters, and based on my research so far, there have been three particular stand outs.

I have downloaded the side on specification images for each chopper, they are of public domain copyright; available for anybody to use. I have then done my best to replicate them on a scale (1cm = 2.5m) in photoshop to depict there comparative size.

Introducing the first pick, the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane. The smaller of the bunch, however it was specifically designed to save lives as opposed to dispatching soldiers or military equipment much like the latter. The S-64 is an American twin engine heavy lifting helicopter, it has gained notorious fame over here in Australia as a very valuable bush fire fighting behemoth.

During December 2001 "Elvis" the sky crane, having only arrived in Melbourne, was immediately dispatched to New South Whales to assist with fighting the onslaught of fire surrounding Sydney. During its time, its been accredited helping save nearly 300 homes, and saving the lives of 14 firemen in the Burragorang Valley. I found this nice closeup footage on you tube of the sky crane in action.

Second in line the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, was chosen because of its distinctive look. The twin engine tandem rotor heavy lift chopper is a Vietnam war icon. Even with its aging retro appearance, it was faster than many attack helicopters in its era, and many choppers this day and age. Rated number 7 on Discovery Channels Top 10: Helicopters documentary, please watch the clip below for further detail.

The third helicopter I found stood out with good reason. The Soviet / Russian Mil Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter is the biggest and most powerful helicopter in service fulfilling both military and civilian roles. -Matt

Unknown Author (Febuary 12th, 2007). Biggest Helicopter. Unknown [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: abhikaushikin. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 14 July 2009].

Unknown Author (April 17th, 2007). Erickson Skycrane. Unknown [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: applepiemac. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 14 July 2009].

Discovery Channel (April 11th, 2007). Top 10: Helicopters - CH-47 Chinook(No.7) Discovery Channel [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: 7dc. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 14 July 2009].

Libyas desert corridor realising logistical dream

2009-07-13T16:56:00.005+10:00

Libya presents a desert corridor to sub-Saharan Africa, where WFP contends with some of the worst food crises in the world. When UN sanctions against the country were lifted in 2003, tranporting aid through Libya finally became a possibility that the agency wasted no time exploring, as logistics officer Tamer Hassan told spokesperson Mia Turner.

When WFP logistics officer Tamer Hassan stepped off the only flight of the day at Tripoli International Airport in Libya, he was amazed by the lack of activity in what had, since ancient times, been a hub of commerce and tourism.

It was April 2004, and after 12 years of international sanctions, Tripoli was eerily quiet compared to the bustle of Cairo he had left behind, with few tourists on the streets and hardly any commercial billboards.

“I thought I had stepped back in time to what Egypt was like 20 years ago,” Hassan recalls.

International pariah

WFP logistics officer Tamer Hassan with a truck loaded with food

Hassan had never imagined he would one day be working in Libya. Sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council in 1992, after Tripoli refused to hand over suspects wanted for the 1988 bombing of an airliner over Lockerbie in Scotland, had turned the country into an international pariah.

But for WFP, Libya had long been a logistical dream, presenting a desert corridor to sub-Saharan Africa, where the agency contends with some of the worst food crises in the world, and offering a critical alternative to airlifts, which are expensive and logistically challenging.

Viable alternative

For years we had been eyeing Libya as a major viable alternative to reach some of the most landlocked countries in the world
Tamer Hassan, WFP logistics officer

“For years we had been eyeing Libya, which we saw as a major viable alternative to reach some of the most landlocked countries in the world - especially during the rainy season when other corridors from the south are inaccessible,” says Hassan.

“But there were always the sanctions which prevented us from exploring the option further.”

Logistical bottlenecks

When UN sanctions against Libya were finally lifted on 12 September 2003, transporting aid through the country suddenly became a possibility, and a much-needed blessing.

At the time WFP desperately needed to get food into Chad and the Sudan, where over three million people affected by the conflict in western Sudan’s Darfur region were facing a hunger crisis.

WFP’s supply of aid to the region was facing logistical bottlenecks with the approach of the rainy season, with roads to reach 200,000 refugees in Chad quickly made impassable by torrential rains.

Spiralling numbers

For the Libyan government it was a step back into the international community
Tamer Hassan, WFP logistics officer

West African and Sudanese ports have only a limited capacity for handling cargo and were already congested. Despite all its logistical know-how, WFP was increasingly struggling to keep up with the spiralling number of people in need of its help.

WFP’s first request to the Libyan government was for the urgent use of the port of Benghazi and overland route to Abéché in Chad, from where food could be taken on to the Darfur region.

Positive reaction

The government reacted immediately and positively, and shortly afterwards Hassan found himself in Tripoli with other WFP staff from headquarters in Rome, finalizing the arrangements.

“The Libyan government said it was happy to help out. For them it was a step back into the international community,” he explains.

With time of the essence, Hassan went about setting up the new corridor. The objective was to ensure an initial flow of up to 8,000 metric tons of food per month from the port of Benghazi and then overland to Chad: 3,000 tons for refugee camps in northeastern Chad and 5,000 tons to Darfur itself.

Port of Benghazi

Unloading at the port of Benghazi

To set the wheels in motion, Hassan flew to Benghazi, where the food was to be offloaded. He needed to find out if the port had cranes and warehouses, and could handle WFP’s big cargo vessels.

Before sanctions were imposed, Benghazi was a bustling hub on the Mediterranean coast. It was no such thing when Hassan landed there last year.

“Benghazi is an excellent deep-water port, but when I arrived everything was very outdated,” he recalls. Fortunately, it was still operational; WFP’s first consignment of wheat from Switzerland was due to arrive in August, just four months later.

Oasis town

With the port prepared, Hassan began the search for trucks to carry the food 1,200 kilometres along paved roads to the oasis of El Khufra, the next stop before starting the 1,500-kilometre journey through the desert sands to Abéché in Chad.

El Khufra is a small oasis town, the last before the Libyan desert unfolds. The two weekly flights that serve the town are always full. There are no phone lines or network coverage for mobiles, so Hassan had to rely on handsets and a Thuraya satellite phone.

To transport 8,000 metric tons of food a month, he needed to commission at least 250 trucks, and have the same number again on standby. He didn’t think it would be a difficult task.

Tracking down trucks

We heard there were a thousand trucks left over from the wars with Chad in the 1980s, but finding them was not easy
Tamer Hassan, WFP logistics officer

He quickly discovered that Libya had no trucking companies and that the individuals who owned trucks were already commercially engaged. Moreover, the drivers could not give WFP the corporate bonds needed as guarantees for advancing money.

“We heard there were a thousand trucks left over from the wars with Chad in the 1980s, but finding them was not easy. Many had been handed over by the military to desert drivers, but they were already employed,” says Hassan.

As a regional logistics officer, Hassan had managed trucks all over the Middle East. But in Libya it was a completely new experience, thanks to a lack of infrastructure and the need for specialist ‘desert trucks’ and ‘desert drivers’, who could manoeuvre around dunes and through sandstorms.

Expensive solution

When the first big shipment of food aid arrived at Benghazi in August, there weren’t enough trucks to transport it, and some of the goods had to be stored at the port. It was an expensive solution that the already poorly funded US$4.3 million operation could not afford.

“We ended up with huge storage costs and not enough trucks,” Hassan recalls. “This was when we decided to change strategy.”

Steel bunkers

Hassan approached the government for help in finding cheap warehouses in El Khufra. Again, Libya was anxious to help and offered space in underground steel bunkers formerly used by the military, which proved ideal for storing food thanks to the lack of humidity and insects.

The government also found a solution to the shortage of trucks, setting up ‘Khufra Desert Transport’ to work solely with WFP, and initiating a ‘Darfur Crisis Committee’ at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help the agency solve any other transport problems.

“Our humanitarian work became a kind of national project for them,” says Hassan.

Desert drivers

Trucks transport food shipments through Libya

The 250 trucks and drivers were finally found to transport the food shipments that began arriving regularly in Benghazi, and the ‘desert drivers’ proved to be a unique professional group.

All are Bedouin who live in the desert and are familiar with its landmarks, and each truck carries a live sheep which is killed, roasted and shared along the way.

“These drivers use the stars when they travel at night. Sometimes the winds are so strong that the tracks of the trucks in front are no longer visible, but they always find the way,” says Hassan.

Night driving

The trucks, carrying 25 metric tons of food each, travel in convoys of about 25 and leave on a weekly basis from El Khufra. The ten-day trip to Chad begins at sunset and the drivers travel through the night, resting under their trucks during the day.

“The heat is so hot that if they drive when the sun is up, the tires will explode,” says Hassan. Each truck has ten tires, and a new tire costs about US$1,000.

Extra airlifts

The Libya corridor has been a boon for us and the people we help. We couldn’t have reached them without it
Tamer Hassan, WFP logistics officer

With the situation in Sudan going from bad to worse, WFP decided to speed up food deliveries and opted for extra airlifts.

Libya’s civil aviation authorities helped to set up ‘Air Khufra’, and two Ilyushin-76s that could carry 38 metric tons each, twice a day, were made ready. WFP was soon flying an additional 5,000 metric tons of food into Western Sudan every month.

Boon corridor

This new air corridor and the overland route to Chad have greatly increased WFP’s previous delivery capability of up to 50,000 metric tons a month using road, rail and air transport links within Sudan.

“The Libya corridor has been a boon for us and the people we help. We couldn’t have reached them without it,” says Hassan.

Author Unknown (22 December 2005). Libyas desert corridor realising logistical dream. World Food Program[online] www.wfp.org. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 13 July 2009].

A SPECIAL BIG THANKS to the World Food Program for this detailed logistical insight. As a token of your appreciation, if you can afford it please click here and make a small donation now.

Channel deepening submarine cable relocation

2009-07-12T18:51:00.002+10:00

The Port of Melbourne Channel Deepening project involves deepening sections of the existing Great Ship Channel at the Entrance, parts of South channel, and the Port of Melbourne, Williamstown and Yarra channels to accommodate the world-wide need for larger container ships.

This requires major civil works in densely populated suburban areas and in highly environmentally-sensitive areas such as the Yarra River site, south of the West Gate Bridge.

As part of their project the Port of Melbourne authorities approached Telstra to relocate two cables crossing the Yarra River. As a result, Telstra’s Network Construction team was asked to project manage a major infrastructure relocation project (see fast facts for a summary of works undertaken).

Collaborating closely with Port of Melbourne authorities, the Network Construction team quickly developed an Environmental Management Plan which ensured Telstra’s Asset Relocation Project ticked all the environmental boxes.

The biggest challenge the team faced was the cleaning of four submarine steel pipes under the Yarra River, two of which housed Telstra’s cables.

The Telstra cables had to be removed from the pipes and rerouted via new, non-submarine routes. The four pipes then had to be thoroughly cleaned because they were previously used as bulk oil pipelines before being leased by Telstra over 20 years ago. Once this work was done, river dredging down the Yarra could continue without risk to the environment.

John Gibbs, Executive Director Telstra Network Construction said,

“This type of task has never previously been undertaken by the Network Construction team. But they quickly developed a solution which satisfied environmental concerns and exceeded the client’s accelerated deadline.”

How was this outcome achieved?

To begin, the team took samples from each of the four pipes to determine the level of residual oil contaminant in each pipe.

They then thoroughly investigated and implemented the most environmentally-friendly option to clean the ex-oil pipes. They used negative pressure (suction) rather than positive pressure (forcing air down the pipes) which would have risked blowing a hole in the pipe under the Yarra and leaking oil into the water.

By using negative pressure the team were able to remove most of the oil and water from the pipes and they followed this procedure by deploying foam pigs** for a more thorough clean.

The pipes were then filled with liquid expanding foam which had the chemical attributes to absorb the remaining hydrocarbons. This was a unique task for the foam pumping company subcontractor used as they had never pumped the foam through pipelines over the distance required to complete this job (430 metres).

Mr Gibbs explains how team work was a key part in the successful outcome of this project.

“Within Telstra, Network Construction worked to plans designed by Network and Technology, Service Delivery provided communication technicians to assist with fibre testing and commissioning and Telstra’s Global Operations Centre assisted with co-ordinating the migration of services required due to the cable relocation.

“Working closely with Port of Melbourne authorities also ensured work progressed well. In fact, when authorities requested an accelerated time frame to have the conduits under the Yarra River cleared 30 days ahead of the contract schedule, we exceeded client expectations by coming in 45 days ahead of schedule,” Mr Gibbs said.

David Salomon, Infrastructure Upgrade Manager for the Port of Melbourne Channel Deepening Project recognised the team’s efforts via email.

“I appreciate the effort that you and your team have put into getting the works done ahead of schedule and considering the tight timelines the Channel Deepening Project is working to, it makes our job a lot easier and your extra effort is much appreciated,” Mr Salomon said.

User: nowwearetalking, (24 June 2009). Channel deepening submarine cable relocation. Now we are talking[online] nowwearetalking.com.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 12 July 2009].

The Bridgestone Tire Company's Formula 1 Challenge

2009-07-11T22:57:00.009+10:00

The Bridgestone Tire Company provides tires to all of the Formula 1 teams. In addition to the challenge of preparing the tires for the cars, the company has one of the biggest logistics challenges in the sport.

The tires begin their life in Southeast Asia, where natural rubber is produced, and where Bridgestone owns rubber plantations. The tires are made of both natural and synthetic rubber.

Bridgestone designs and tests its racing tires using computer software and on track testing. The results of test are used to further refine the tire construction.

Bridgestone uses approximately 10 major different materials in its of F1 tires, including sulfur, carbon black, oils, synthetic rubber, steel and other materials.

"For the 2007 F1 season," a Bridgestone company statement says, "Bridgestone will produce wet and extreme wet weather tires as well as four new dry tire specifications – hard, medium, soft and super soft compounds."

The company produces around 60,000 Formula 1 tires each year in Bridgestone’s factory in Kodaira, near Tokyo. Before it leaves the factory it is checked for faults and quality, and each tire is identified with a Bridgestone number and an FIA barcode. This is used to allocate the tires to teams and drivers.

The Bridgestone European base for race activities is in England, at Langley, which is near the Heathrow Airport. "The tires usually travel by sea, but if time is tight they are sent by air," said Bridgestone. "If this is the case, the tires are shrink-wrapped at Narita Airport for protection."

The Langley base is also a storage place for thousands of the tires throughout the season and the winter testing period. But it serves too as a working base for the engineers, technicians and other staff.

Bridgestone takes the tires to each of the European events in 12, 32-ton tire transporters. Tires going to a race are loaded on the Friday of the week before a Grand Prix, and it takes one to two days to reach any European circuit from Langley.

The Bridgestone tire transporters act as storage areas for the tires once at the track. But they are also turned into work areas for the tire fitters and other technicians who fit, strip and balance the tires using purpose-built machines.

Work for the fitters starts on Wednesday afternoon before a race. It is not done in just any old order, either. Priority goes to the teams in the order of their results in the championship of the previous season. So the winning teams are always served first! Crews from each team deliver the rims to the fitting area and they also pick them up once stripped of the tires. Bridgestone itself keeps the tires after the race.

From the Friday to the Sunday, through practice, qualifying and the race, Bridgestone engineers and technicians closely monitor all of the tires. They note the tire temperatures and pressures, and also work throughout the weekend in the the fitting area on any last minute work. That area becomes especially busy if the weather moves from dry to wet, and more rain tires are required to be fitted.

Bridgestone remains on top of the job all the time, even after the race ends. The teams do not keep the tires. They only keep the rims. The Bridgestone technicians strip the tires from the rims and send them back to Langley, and sometimes back to Japan for analysis or to be recycled.

Spurgeon, B., (Not dated). The Bridgestone Tire Company's Formula 1 Challenge. About [online] About.com. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 11 July 2009].

Ship Yard Transporters

2009-07-10T17:50:00.019+10:00

After glancing at a post earlier on giant transporters, four or five unique featured machines fascinated me, they were Ship Yard Transporters. Essentially a low slung steel chassis, with a crane style glass cube cockpit, riddled with 24 - 30 heavy duty rubber tires all held together by an intricate hydraulic suspension system

Sanjiang Wanshan, Wuhan, CHINA a professional shipyard transporter manufacturer, provide three series.

Series A

The various series A models have an overall load capacity between 75 to 204 tonnes, 16 steerable tires with a fully loaded speed of 6 - 8 km/h. The unit itself can weigh anywhere between 24 to 52 tonnes a piece. Despite there size after looking through the model range one would think this is the more nimbler option for scooting smaller pieces of the ship jigsaw puzzle.

Series B

Load capacity starts at 104 tonne, right up to a whopping 484 tonne pinnacle. Doubling the steerable tire quantity (32 tires!) plays an essential part in coping with all this extra weight The fully loaded top speed drops to a meer 6 km/h, and the weight per unit 24 to 93 tonnes.

Series C

It looks as if this group does the work in between, with a load capacity range of 90 to 175 tonnes. Strangely enough they come with 22.5 steerable tires (im not sure how that works?). Series B and C have a very comparable top speed of 6 km/h.

-Matt

Photos Courtesy of the Sanjiang Website.

Unknown Photographer (Unknown Date). Sanjiang Shipyard Transporter. Sanjiang [online] sanjspace.com Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 10 July 2009].

Unknown Author (March 24th, 2008). 100 tonne shipyard transporter. Unknown [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: sinotrailers. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 11 July 2009].

The Very Large Array

2009-07-09T23:02:00.000+10:00

The Very Large Array (VLA) is a radio astronomy observatory found in the San Augustin plains, around 80 kilometers west of Socorro, New Mexico. It is an important component of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

The observatory contains 27 antennas, each weighing in at 209 tonnes with a dish diameter of 25 meters. There are three 21km long legs, in which the antennas can be independently moved via railroad track with a custom built lifting locomotive.

Eric Chevalier, of Tulsa, Oklahoma USA, has had the awesome opportunity to visit this site first hand and I personally thank him for his permission to use these incredible photographs on logistical challenge. I've inserted some of what Eric had to say after his visit to the VLA, so we can appreciate what it's all about first hand, please take the time read his comments, and view the remainder of his story at his own website e-tech.

The Antenna Assembly Building (AAB) is the barn in which the antennas were originally constructed and where they are brought for periodic maintenance and repair.
The AAB fascinates me for some reason I can't explain. (Heck, it's just a big building that's missing a wall!) But the AAB doesn't get any attention on the VLA's official web site, so I though it would be fun to give it a little attention here.

If you look closely in the foreground of this photo, you'll see a set of railroad tracks that lead into the AAB. Notice that there is a second set of railroad tracks that intersect at right angles.

This second set of tracks is the railway for the southwest arm of the array. I point this feature out because it ties into the following two photographs...
n the foreground is one of the two transporter vehicles that are used to move the antennas around the complex. (The VLA has two such transporters; the second can be seen parked just in front of the AAB.)
The transporters roll on parallel standard-gauge rairoad tracks. Each arm of the VLA consists of one such railway. At various points along the main railway are spurs that branch off at right angles to the individual antenna mount locations.

The transporter works by rolling underneath an antenna. Hydraulic jacks on the transporter then lift the antenna off of its mounting piers and the transporter and antenna combination then roll away to the next stop.
Another view of the transporter. Sorry, but I haven't a clue as to which end is the "front" and which is the "back"!
Here's something fascinating that I hope to see someday: as I mentioned, there are short spurs that lead from the antenna locations to the main railway of each arm. The spurs intersect the main railway at sharp, 90-degree angles, just as you might have noticed in the photo of the AAB, above.

If we take the southwest arm as an example, suppose a transporter is bringing an antenna back to the barn for repairs. Once the transporter reaches the intersection you see in the AAB photo, how does it change directions?

The only thing I can figure is that there are hydraulic jacks on the bottom of the transporter that lift the entire vehicle off the ground enough so that the wheel assemblies can now be rotated 90 degrees to match the orientation of the spur! I would definitely like to watch the movement of an antenna someday so I can see, firsthand, how this is performed!
My attempt to be a little bit "arty" with the camera; one of the southwest arm's antennas framed underneath the transporter.

Chevalier, E., (Un - dated). The Very Large Array. E-Tech [online]tulsagrammer.com. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 10 July 2009].

Progress of Channel Deepening Project

2009-07-09T22:02:00.001+10:00

Days project has been running

512 as at 03/07/2009

Percentage of material dredged from the total 22.92 million cubic metres allowed

About 19.80 million cubic metres, 86% of the total project volume (As at 28/06/2009)

Previous week’s activity

26 June to 1 July 2009

Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June 2009

The Queen of the Netherlands dredged in South Channel.

The CoZa dredged sand in South Channel.

The Storken remained at Short Road depot for maintenance and hydraulic repairs.

The Goomai dredged in Port Melbourne Channel and placed rock over the ethane pipeline in the
Yarra River.

The Ain D’Schalut dredged at 32 South Wharf and at Yarra River North.

Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July 2009

The CoZa was scheduled to continue dredging in South Channel.

The Goomai was scheduled to dredge uncontaminated clays in Williamstown Channel and Yarra
River South.

The Queen of the Netherlands was scheduled to continue dredging sand in South Channel East and West.

The Storken was scheduled to continue maintenance. Once this is complete the Storken is scheduled to dredge uncontaminated clays in Gellibrand Swing Basin.

The Ain D’Schalut was scheduled to dredge the remaining contaminated clays (32 South Wharf and Yarraville) after maintenance works.

Sweeping of Williamstown Channel, Yarra River and different docks was carried out.

Upcoming activity

The Queen of the Netherlands and the CoZa are both dredging in South Channel.

The Storken is scheduled to dredge in Gellibrand Swing Basin and undergo maintenance.

The grab dredge Goomai is scheduled to dredge in Swanson Dock today and over the weekend.

The Ain D'Schalut is scheduled for maintenance.

Unknown Author, (July 3rd, 2009). Dredging of Port Phillip Bay weekly Update. Office of the Environmental Monitor [online] oem.vic.gov.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 9 July 2009].

Call for calm over ‘B-triple’ trucks

2009-07-09T13:00:00.001+10:00

The state’s peak transport group has called for calm over the looming arrival of B-triple trucks in the region, claiming they would reduce emissions, fuel consumption and improve road safety.
South Australian Road Transport Association director Steve Shearer’s comments follow confirmation from the State Government that B-triples will be considered for operation in the South East.

This follows Grant District Council writing to Transport Minister Pat Conlon requesting information about the possible arrival of B-triples.

B-triple trucks, which have been operating in the north of the state for five years, are prime movers that tow three trailers, weigh up to 82 tonnes and are up to 36 metres long.

The possible introduction of B-triples across country Victoria, including the Green Triangle, has sparked a backlash from nearly 80 councils. The move to allow B-triples into the Green Triangle has been triggered by the looming bluegum harvest.

Transport company Noske Group has flagged operating modified vehicles to haul woodchips to the Port of Portland.

Mr Shearer told The Border Watch yesterday the community should embrace these trucks because they would increase road safety and reduce the wear and tear on roads by 15pc.

While anticipating a “little hysteria and nervousness” because of the size of these trucks, he said the community’s fears would fade after they started operating.

“The community will forget what all the fuss was about,” Mr Shearer said.

He said B-triples would reduce the amount of trucks on South East roads by half, also emissions and fuel consumption.

“B-triples have been travelling through northern metropolitan Adelaide for some years. They have proven not to be a problem,” Mr Shearer said.

He said these trucks would only use roads that were accessed as suitable by Transport SA.

But Member for MacKillop Mitch Williams warned road infrastructure would need to be upgraded to cope with the arrival of B-triples.

He also fired a broadside at the State Government, claiming it had failed to plan for their arrival in the region.

“There has been very little or any action from the State Government,” said MrWilliams, who claimed passing lanes would need to be lengthened to cope.

He also raised questions about whether these trucks would come into the centre of Mount Gambier and if the northern bypass could accommodate B-triples.

Meanwhile, Grant District Council chief executive Russell Peate said his council wanted more information on the impact of B-triples and whether community consultation would be undertaken.

He said council would approach a Transport SA representative to attend its next meeting to discuss the issue.

Mr Peate said the issue, which was expected to be debated at last night’s meeting, had triggered a number of initial concerns, particularly surrounding the need for road upgrades and road safety.

He said it was not clear at this stage if the $3m northern bypass route could accommodate these large trucks.

City of Mount Gambier operational services director Daryl Sexton said council was compiling a report into the impact of B-triples on the city.

No comment was available from Mr Conlon’s office yesterday.

Morello, S., (December 16th, 2008). Call for calm over ‘B-triple’ trucks. The Border Watch [online] borderwatch.com.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 9 July 2009].

Victorian councils want no truck with B-triple monsters

2009-07-08T13:00:00.010+10:00

COUNCILS across Victoria do not want giant B-triple trucks rumbling through streets or small country towns.

At a meeting of the state's 79 councils on Friday, held by the Municipal Association of Victoria, municipalities voted to oppose the introduction of B-triple trucks on all urban roads and streets in the state. B-triples are prime movers that tow three trailers, can weigh up to 82 tonnes and are up to 36 metres long.

Documents leaked to Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder in August showed the Government had been secretly investigating the use of B-triples since January.

Under the Government's leaked plan, B-triple trucks eight times the length of a family car would be allowed to run on CityLink and many other main commuter routes.

A Department of Transport map showed the routes B-triples would take through Melbourne, and around Victoria, including EastLink, CityLink and the West Gate Freeway.

At present, B-triples are allowed on only one Victorian route: from Ford's Geelong plant to its Broadmeadows factory. Mr Mulder said the B-triple issue had worried councils because there had been "a total lack of consultation" by the State Government.

"That's created a sense of fear in communities that think they are going to have them forced on them," he said.

The president of the Municipal Association of Victoria, Dick Gross, agreed there was a "widespread fear and repugnance" of B-triples among the community, and councils did not want them in certain areas.

Cr Gross said there was "an acceptance" of a role for high-capacity vehicles, as B-triples are also known, but not in suburban streets or small country towns.

When the secret Department of Transport documents became public in August, Premier John Brumby said no decisions had been made.

"The Government is examining this issue, but before we made any decision in relation to B-triples, we would consult very widely," he said.

Running B-triple trucks would mean there would be fewer trucks on the road.

"And fewer trucks in local roads, that would be a good thing," he said.

Lucas, C., (October 20th, 2008). Victorian councils want no truck with B-triple monsters. The Age [online] theage.com.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 9 July 2009].

Moving our Abrams

2009-07-07T13:32:00.001+10:00

$500m Abrams tanks in the wars

THE army's newest frontline weapon, the Abrams battle tank, arrived in Australia yesterday and immediately encountered problems, with no rail transport available to carry the tank to the Northern Territory. Its deployment will be further hampered because, at 68 tonnes, the Abrams is too heavy to travel across road bridges in the Northern Territory.

As the first 18 of the tanks were delivered to Port Melbourne, the operators of the Adelaide-to-Darwin railway said they lacked the equipment to carry them. Adelaide-based Freightlink said the tanks were too big.

"Freightlink has participated in a rail study with the implication for new rolling stock to be acquired," the company said.

It did not say when or if it intended to acquire the required rolling stock and suggested it was waiting for contracts to be signed with the Defence Department before going ahead with the purchase. A total of 59 refurbished tanks were bought from the US for $500 million.

Transporting them north by road is likely to be problematic.

A senior Northern Territory shire engineer said road bridges in the Katherine Shire had a maximum capacity of 50 tonnes, 18 tonnes less than the weight of one Abrams tank. Road trains weighing up to 50 tonnes are able to use the bridges by disconnecting a trailer, he said.

The tanks, described by federal Defence Minister Brendan Nelson as the best in the world, have a fuel economy as low as 200m alitre.

While the US-made tank provides unmatched protection for its crew of four, experts claim its jet turbine engine is three times more expensive to run than the diesel engines in the army's ageing Leopard 1s. A Defence spokesman said the Abrams's 2200-litre fuel tanks ensured they had a similar range to the Leopards and that an additional eight refuelling trucks would be provided to the army's 1st Armoured Regiment in Darwin.

Critics also claim the Abrams's high heat emission will constrict its ability to work with infantry in urban areas.

But a Defence Department spokesman said the Australian Abrams had been designed to minimise their heat emission to a level comparable to diesel-powered tanks.

Army mechanics will be kept busy if the US army experience is any guide. It allocates 25 per cent of its maintenance budget for ground combat systems to fixing Abrams gas turbine engines.

But Dr Nelson says the Abrams still offers the best value. "These tanks are the most advanced and capable in the world. This capability will be increasingly important as widespread proliferation of cheap, high-tech and lethal anti-armour, anti-personnel weapons could pose an increasing threat in any future conflict," he said.

Federal Opposition defence spokesman Robert McClelland questioned the need for such a large tank.

"The wisdom of the Abrams acquisition has to be questioned in the light of the limited use they are going to have in our region," he said.

"And specifically, in the light of the logistical issues they are going to present to the ADF simply within Australia."

The Abrams contract forms part of the Defence Department's new "hardened and networked" initiative to beef up the army's hardware.

Dodd, M., (September 23rd, 2006). $500m Abrams tanks in the wars. The Australian [online] News.com.au. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 8 July 2009].

AAP, Vic considering use of B-triple trucks.

2009-07-06T22:30:00.007+10:00

Giant B-triple trucks could soon be allowed on Victorian roads under a state government plan to cut road congestion.

Giant B-triple trucks could soon be allowed on Victorian roads under a state government plan to cut road congestion.

The trucks, a prime mover towing three trailers, can weigh up to 82 tonnes and are up to 36 metres long.

The Victorian government is examining whether the trucks are the answer to reducing traffic congestion and bottlenecks in the freight system, News Limited newspapers reported on Thursday.

Documents obtained under freedom of information and stamped cabinet-in-confidence show the government has been investigating the use of B-triples since January last year but polling of focus groups was delayed following the Kerang rail disaster last June.

Eleven people died when a semi-trailer ploughed into a passenger train at a level crossing on the Murray Valley Highway near the town.

Small numbers of B-triple trucks travel between the Ford car factories at Broadmeadows and Geelong under strict permits.

A substantial B-triple road network was announced in NSW last year.

The government is considering the crash risks of the larger vehicles, whether their increased carrying capacity will cut congestion and what effect they may have on rail freight.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the government had a secret agenda to introduce the trucks.

"Ratepayers and their local councils may face unexpected, multi-million-dollar bills from road pavement damage if longer and heavier B-triples are allowed on numerous arterial and local roads," he told News Limited.

A spokesman for Roads Minister Tim Pallas said the investigation had not been completed but RACV public policy general manager Brian Negus backed the use of the trucks on some roads.

Author Unknown, (August 7, 2008). AAP, Vic considering use of B-triple trucks. [online] Drive Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 6 July 2009].

The First B-Triple test

2009-07-05T16:58:00.002+10:00

Freightliner's revolutionary new Argosy cabover prime-mover has headed up the first maximum weight B-triple test on the Hume Highway in New South Wales.

One B-triple can replace two conventional articulated trucks and would significantly reduce truck numbers on the Hume Highway which carries one third of all interstate truck traffic in Australia.

B-triples are already in use in the Northern Territory and all mainland states except New South Wales.

They operate only on special routes deemed suitable for long vehicles.

The Albury to Campbelltown "Trial Evaluation" of the 33.5 metre long combination vehicle was under the close supervision of the NSW RTA and Police in mid-May.

The Argosy on the test was Freightliner's original Australian engineering prototype, now in Linfox colours with a 600 hp, 16 litre Caterpillar engine.

Big power and torque gave the Argosy B-triple ability to maintain speed on hills which is crucial in reducing the need for motorists to overtake the 33.5 metre combination vehicle.

"I wasn't below the speed limit on most of the two lane stretches", explained Linfox National Linehaul Manager Mick Best who drove the B-triple throughout the test. "I was amazed by the power on the hills", he added. "The test unit at 76 tonnes on 12 axles matched the road speed of half the B-doubles on the Hume."

The B-triple also stopped and did a "no problem" lift-off on Wagga Hill as part of the test. And at Marulan, the big unit demonstrated a 25 metre wall-to-wall turning circle for the RTA and Police.

The B-triple Trial Evaluation went off without any apparent problems, bringing Melbourne Sydney B-triples operation a step closer.

And the Freightliner Argosy will play a significant role when the barriers to B-triples operations fall.

Argosy comes with a 90t Gross Combined Mass rating which makes them B-triples capable in standard form.

Unknown Author; Autoweb (June 9th 2000). Argosy Powers NSW B-Triple Test on the Hume. Autoweb [online] autoweb.com.au Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 5 July 2009].

Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag

2009-07-04T15:46:00.008+10:00

Photographer Unknown (Nov 2001 - April 2009). Varyagworld, Gallery [online image] Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 4 July 2009].

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In Iraq withdrawal, equipment poses a key logistical challenge

2009-07-03T23:59:00.005+10:00

U.S. commanders are deciding what to take, and what to leave behind. Some of the material will go to replenish military warehouses in the Persian Gulf region, and some to Afghanistan.

By Julian E. Barnes
March 16, 2009

Reporting from Washington — The American withdrawal from Iraq marks the beginning of one of the largest relocations of military hardware and manpower in recent years. But much of the equipment will not be returning to the United States.

Instead, some will remain with the Iraqi security forces and some will be shipped to Afghanistan. But as important, millions of tons of armor and weaponry will be used to restock huge U.S.-run warehouses across the Middle East -- in case it is needed in the future.

The plans follow a pattern set by the military for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and again for the military troop buildup in 2007, when the Defense Department drew on equipment stored around the Persian Gulf region, including in massive facilities in Kuwait and Qatar.

Equipment removed from Iraq will be sent to those warehouses, officials said, to ensure that the military is able to respond to a variety of contingencies, including possible Iranian aggression or renewed violence in Iraq.

But other countries in the Middle East are watching warily as the U.S. plans unfold. Many foreign officials want to ensure the U.S. drawdown in Iraq does not leave them unprotected. But the U.S. remains unpopular in the region, and citizens in most Arab countries do not want a large U.S. presence on their territory.

Military experts believe that stockpiling weaponry is a good solution, avoiding the provocation posed by having troops on the ground, but giving the U.S. a head start in case military intervention is needed.

"The materiel is not that big a deal," said Andrew M. Exum, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. "When people in the Middle East think about the American presence, they think about bodies on the ground, not materiel."

Other experts said the United States must reassure its allies that the equipment stored in the area is for defensive purposes.

"What nobody wants to do is see the U.S. posture for an attack on Iran," said Anthony H. Cordesman, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The rhetoric here is, 'We would love for you to stay but we don't want to be the springboard for some sort of idiotic exercise in Iran.' "

Even just replenishing the warehouses can be sensitive. Seeking to downscale the U.S. presence in its country, the Kuwaiti government has said the military may only store equipment that would be used for the defense of Kuwait.

The Pentagon said it is adhering to those rules, but U.S. officials also believe the Kuwaiti position is open to negotiation. Historically, Kuwaitis have been tolerant of American military activities in their country because of the successful U.S.-led campaign that drove invading Iraqi troops out of their emirate in 1991. But many there no longer view Iraq as a critical threat. Military officials declined to say exactly how much equipment would be repositioned in Kuwait or elsewhere. In the past, the military has stored enough equipment for a heavy brigade each in Kuwait, Qatar and South Korea and for three in Europe. Both the Army and Marine Corps also maintain stores of equipment on ships.

To avoid expanding the warehouses, U.S. officials must choose carefully what to store.

"You are going to have make very hard choices about what equipment you leave behind," Cordesman said. "The force mix you put into the Gulf is not going to be the one designed to defeat the Iraqi army. But you do face a series of major challenges from Iran."

Gone from the stocks will be most of the soft-skinned Humvees and unarmored trucks. In their place will be the heavily armored Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dowd, the director of logistics for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.

"It will be primarily the big gear, stuff like MRAPs, tanks," Dowd said. "So we don't have to move and lift all this heavy stuff."

Central Command is working on its drawdown plan for Iraq and has run some tabletop exercises, or "rock drills," to test plans to pull out of Iraq.

"We are working six, seven days a week putting this plan together," Dowd said. "We've done a couple of rock drills, laid out all the units, when they would move. . . . It is a good plan."

The pace of the withdrawal of equipment is beginning to increase. The bulk is likely to come out through Kuwait, although the military has also stepped up its use of the Iraqi port of Umm al Qasr. Last year 8,500 containers were shipped out of Umm al Qasr. In the first two months of this year, 3,000 containers have been removed, a sharply increased rate.

Although Central Command is not giving exact timetables or cost figures on the logistics mission, military officials acknowledge the challenge before them.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. William "Gus" Pagonis, who oversaw the logistics effort in the 1991 Gulf War, said it would take a long time to get the equipment out.

"The bottom line is it is going to take a good 18 months to get out, but you can expedite that by dumping it all into Kuwait," Pagonis said. "And a lot of stuff can be left for Iraqi forces."

The military has begun identifying equipment that will be either sold or given to the Iraqis. That includes armored Humvees that are needed by the Iraqi military and generators that would be too costly to ship back to the U.S.

"If it doesn't make sense to bring it home, we are looking at opportunities to help the Iraqis stand up their units," Dowd said.

The military is also going through its equipment to determine what stocks should be diverted to Afghanistan, where an increase in the number of U.S. forces will require additional hardware. Equipment chosen for that war will be sent to Kuwait, repaired, then shipped directly to Afghanistan, Defense officials said.

julian.barnes@latimes.com

Barnes, J., (2009). In Iraq withdrawal, equipment poses a key logistical challenge. [online] Los Angeles Times. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 3 July 2009].

Redbull Air Race

2009-07-02T19:30:00.005+10:00

Transporting 380 tons of equipment around the world

SALZBURG, Austria - The Red Bull Air Race may be a major sporting and physical challenge for the pilots, but it is also a huge challenge for the Red Bull Air Race logistics team that works feverishly away from the spotlight to ensure that each race gets off the ground without a hitch in 10 different locations around the world.

The elaborate infrastructure that is packed up and transported to the events around the world includes the Grid Stand which is the tower at the temporary runway, the High Flyer's Lounge for hospitality guests, the hangars for the racing aircrafts, the portable barges that the Air Gate pylons are built upon, the electronics equipment, kitchens, catering equipment as well as a mobile broadcasting centre where the TV programme is produced. To make sure that the infrastructure can be moved around the world in time for races in Europe, the United States, the Middle East as well as Australia, there is even a second set of equipment consisting of all these elements.

Boeing 747 gives its wings

A Boeing 747 cargo plane gives the race infrastructure its wings, transporting equipment to the first race in Abu Dhabi, to the United States, back to Sweden and eventually from Europe to Australia. Right now, 380 tons of equipment are en route to the United Arab Emirates either as air or sea freight. “All the material is transported to Abu Dhabi in 40 containers on ships and two fully loaded Boeing 747 cargo planes”, explains Red Bull Air Race logistics manager Christof Reichl.

It takes three days to dismantle the entire race infrastructure from the moment the last plane has returned to the temporary runway at the end of the race. And that's where the journey to the next race location begins. Depending on means of transport, the material can be travelling several weeks to the next location. “Shifting 380 tons from one continent to another is a big challenge for the whole logistics crew, but our motivation is seeing the pilots competing in jaw-dropping races and crowds cheering on them when everything is up and in place", adds Reichl.

Kay, E., (2009). Transporting 380 tons of equipment around the world [online] Redbull Air Race. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 2 July 2009].

Oil Well Support . HydroRig

2009-07-01T18:48:00.006+10:00

During my pursuit of abnormal logistical feats; I found a post displaying some of these mean looking machines. Furthermore I got in contact with the photographer, Grant who has been very helpful thus far, providing me with extra information on these monsters.

Grant explained to me that the vehicles were engineered and built by Hydra Rig a division of the National Oilwell Varco, after a quick Google search one could see from there website content that meant serious business.

NOV / Hydra Rig recently opened a brand new assembly facility in November 2008, centering its Canadian operation in Calgary, Alberta. With over 30,000 square feet of factory space, 60 mechanics, 25 office staff, 15 work bays the state of the art facility immensely overshadows its former operation which was split between two separate locations at opposite ends of town.

The new setup has three facilities; the fabrication building, a paint/sandblasting building and the assembly/engineering plant. All together it sits on seven acres of land having a combined total of 90,000 square feet of work space accommodating up to 250 employees.

MTR, Will their reputation stick in Melbourne?

2009-06-30T21:16:00.019+10:00

I've been on the S-Bahn and U-Barn in Vienna, the tube in London, the impeccably kept Swiss alpine rail Berner Oberland Bahn, the BTS Sky train in Bangkok and the ICE train through Germany. Some of them you could say were highlights of my stint using public transport.

And then there were the likes of Trenitalia Italy, far from bad, but dicey at times in terms of timing and cleanliness. Still, nothing tops off our lovely metro system throughout Australia. Sydney and Melbourne, one memory comes to mind in particular. Five years ago, studying as a student in the western suburbs of Melbourne, led me to catch the then at the time Met-train on a regular basis. After hearing numerous vicious stories and rumors of certain disposed items, it was a common practice for me to brush my hand ever so cautiously over the stained cushion as not to place my buttocks on a protruding sharp object.

Another general concern I had was the sheer audacity of pedestrians performing suicidal runs between platforms over the railway lines. Sure, most the time there wasn't a train in sight or well off in the distance, but on occasion there were some close calls. One of the things I came to appreciate during my intercontinental travels was the safety incorporated thinking of station layouts. Glass shields with automatic doors proved successful in keeping people off the line and reduced the chance of victims falling onto the track when boarding the carriage.

Having being forced to rely on public transport throughout my time backpacking in Europe, I based a decent percentage of what I thought of a country and its government by their train system. I can't help but wonder what European backpackers think when they visit our major cities.

Now, there was one place I forgot to mention earlier, and that was Hong Kong, the first city I ever visited abroad. The train system, all I can say was very close to perfect. I found myself timing the train’s arrival at the stations to the second. For such a busy busy place, with thousands of reliant commuters, the carriages and stations were kept very well.

As you may well already know by now 'MTR' (Mass Transit Railway) Hong Kong's railway system, has won the takeover bid for the Connex Contract for the Melbourne Metropolitan rail system. Will we too one day be proud of our public transport infrastructure? Time will only tell, but one thing is clear, 'MTR' cannot be held fully responsible for trying to take over the current debacle and attempting to turn it into a something shiny, the government will still hold a big hand in the outcome.

-Matt, Logistical Challenge 2009

Photos Courtesy of Wikipedia SOURCE

This photos are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. In short: you are free to share and make derivative works of the file under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license identical to this one. Official license

Please read Part 1 of Melbourne Rail Revamp Collection

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New train, tram operators for Melbourne

2009-06-29T06:19:00.008+10:00

Mex Cooper, June 25, 2009- (courtesy of 'The Age')

The appointment of new operators for Melbourne's train and tram networks will not bring about major service improvements unless the State Government invests more money, a peak transport users group says.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said Connex had become a scapegoat for the networks' failures, which were mainly due to a lack of Government infrastructure investment. "I think realistically it would have been political suicide for the Government to give Connex the contract back again, whether it's their fault or not, they've been the fall guy for the rail system,'' Mr Bowen said.

Connex and Yarra Trams are on their way out as the state government announces new rail operators for Melbourne.

Connex was this morning stripped of its contract to operate the network, with Hong Kong-backed company Metro Trains Melbourne to take its place. The city's trams will also have a new operator with Keolis Downer EDI ousting the incumbent Yarra Trams as the Government's preferred tenderer.

The fresh contracts will begin in December, with the new operators offered an initial eight-year term, with an option to extend for a further seven years. Mr Bowen said he feared the handover could result in a change of brands with few service benefits unless the Government fixed the train network's underlying problems.

"The operators need to beware because they'll playing with the cards they're given which is a lot of infrastructure problems (and) a lack of investment in the fleet to reduce overcrowding so they're going to be facing those sorts of issues,'' Mr Bowen said.

Opposition public transport spokesman Terry Mulder said Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky should be the one getting the axe. "Changing the operators of Melbourne's rail and tram system changes little,'' he said. "The only meaningful change will be if Minister Kosky goes.

"It is Minister Kosky's fault, not Connex's, that 340,000 weekday rail commuters who each make a return trip are constantly late.''

The decision to oust Connex is likely to be warmly greeted by train passengers who have become increasingly infuriated with late, overcrowded and cancelled services across the network.

May was the fifth month in a row that Melbourne trains did not meet punctuality targets with almost one in 10 failing to arrive at their destination on time. Connex this year had $11 million wiped from its revenue by the Government after 2.8 per cent of all train services were cancelled in the first months of the year.

Asked if the tender decision was a condemnation of Connex, Mr Brumby said it "wasn't helpful to look back", but he admitted Connex's record showed that in some areas "obviously their performance could have improved''. Ms Kosky, a regular target of commuter fury, said MTM would deliver improved reliability and fewer cancellations for Melbourne's train passengers.

She said the change in operators would not affect current train and tram employees, who would be transferred to the new companies. Ms Kosky said the Brumby Government was investing in more tracks, more trains and trams through the $38 billion Victorian Transport Plan.

MTM is a joint venture between Hong Kong's MTR Corporation Ltd, Australian companies John Holland Melbourne Rail Franchise Pty Ltd and United Group Rail Services Ltd. MTR also operates the London Overground rail service.

The new contract will include a customer service regime, offering incentives for MTM to improve customer service announcements, cleanliness, graffiti removal and increased personal safety on the rail network.

The contract will also include a 50 per cent increase in funding for rail maintenance.

Announcing the tender winners this morning, Premier John Brumby said MTM had a proven track record of operating metropolitan train networks, achieving 99 per cent reliability on Hong Kong's mass transit system.

The new operator would bring "significant change" to Melbourne's transport network, he told reporters. Mr Brumby said the final cost of the contracts had yet to be decided, although he believed the winning bids represented value for money.

The tender decision had been based on reliability, punctuality, cleanliness, safety and cost, he said. The Government is yet to release the new names or livery for the city's train and tram networks.

Keolis Downer EDI (KDR), a consortium made up French firm Keolis and Australian maintenance provider Downer EDI, will also be offered an eight-year term with an option for a further seven years to run Melbourne's trams.

Mr Brumby said KDR's bid showed it was committed to customer service, including a greater focus on staff training and providing more timely and accurate information to passengers. "Our trams are an iconic symbol of our city and KDR has proven strategies to improve services, reduce cancellations and increase maintenance. KDR operates four tram networks in France,'' he said.

MTM chief executive officer Andrew Lezala said MTR in Hong Kong had a 99 per cent punctuality record. He said the company would draw on its international experience to improve Melbourne's train system.

KDR spokeswoman Maryanne Graham said the company would focus on putting passengers first and making trams safe. "We'll be thinking like a passenger and ensuring that reliability and punctuality are top of mind,'' she said.

Chief executive officer of Yarra Trams' parent company TransdevTSL, Dennis Cliche, said he was shocked and disappointed to lose the contract. "Over the 10 years of our incumbency, we've had a demonstrated track record of performance, value for money and low risk. We have proven expertise in operating the complex and unique Melbourne tram network,'' Mr Cliche said. "Naturally, we are deeply disappointed at today's announcement.''

Rail, Tram and Bus Union Victorian state secretary Trevor Dobbyn welcomed the new operators. He said the change gave the Government a chance to improve the public transport system for workers and passengers. "For too long public transport has been under-resourced, both in terms of staff and services provided to the public," he said.

Cooper, M., (2009). New train, tram operators for Melbourne. [online] The Age. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 29 June 2009]. | MTR Logo | Keolis Logo

End of the Line, Channel 9 News

2009-06-28T22:59:00.006+10:00

(June 27th, 2009). End of the line. Channel 9 News [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: VictorianTrainDebacle. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 28 June 2009].

MTR > Connex Takeover, Channel 7 News

2009-06-27T22:49:00.005+10:00

(June 26th, 2009). Dream Ride. Channel 7 News [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: jupjupz. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 27 June 2009].

Denis Child Collection

2009-06-27T19:17:00.003+10:00

Wow! What a find, this article really impressed me, Extra Heavy Duty Transport Enthusiast Denis Child and his achievements in South Africa; what an interesting insight, please join me in thanking Hank's Truck Picture's for bringing this to my attention

SAR&H operated a fleet of 23 (twenty-three) units; 5 x 800hp and the others were 500hp capacity. In the early 1980's till today they operate the roads of South Africa. They have covered over a 1 million miles already. SAR&H Pacific's are well known from 1977 as the "largest on-highway trucks in the world" The drivers that I know of have driven these machines for more than 26years (photo DSCF0118). In the early times they had radio's for communication with each as to change gears at the same time etc.. Today these drivers just watch the front trucks exhaust stack of the lead driver and then they change. These trucks are designed when four units are coupled together with H braces that they self steer. I was filming them one day when they approached a 90degree turning lane. Through the camera lens I noticed that three of the four drivers climbed out of the cabs and down the stairs. The lead driver drove the combination through the junction without any concern.

In 1999 I was given the opportunity by my employer to visit the USA and Canada for spares for these monsters. I visited Cummins in Columbus, Meritor in Detroit, PT&T in Canada, Vancouver Island BC, CCC in Tulsa and PACCAR in Seattle. I even meet the designer of the vehicles who is retired now these days. That was an experience! That was three weeks of most enjoyable driving and staying in the USA/Canada. Of the five large monsters (800hp) only two are operational due to spares. I heard one hour ago that one of the two units has stripped its diff gears.

These trucks have torque converters and retarders able to brake the tremendous forces being applied the front units especially when they are driving down steep hills. The thermal power station that I work at has six huge generator stators weighing 370each. The trailer that supports these generator stators weigh empty around 299ton. Add the load and trailer alone you get 670tons. Then add 45t per truck and there are five of them, four in front and one at the rear (braking not ballast for the rear unit) you get around 860tons gross combination mass. These monster average 1mile/gallon. They carry 2 000litres of fuel on each truck. They refuel every 200km. They empty a petrol (gas) station by themselves.

Suderman, H., (2006). Dennis Child Private Collection Extra Heavy Duty Transport Enthusiast SOUTH AFRICA. [online] Hanks Truck Picture's. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 27 June 2009

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Crawler-Transporter System

2009-06-26T18:29:00.007+10:00

The two tracked Crawler-Transporters previously used to move the assembled Apollo/Saturn from the VAB to the launch pad are now used for transporting Shuttle vehicles.

Weight: 2,721 metric tons (6 million pounds)
Length: 40 meters (131 ft) wide, 35 meters (114ft) long
Miles: 2,526 miles (1,243 miles since 1977)

KSC has 2 crawler-transporters. Each vehicle consists of four double-tracked crawlers, each 3 meters (10 ft) high and 12 meters (41 ft) long. Each of the 8 tracks on a vehicle contains 57 shoes per track and each tread shoe weighs about .9 metric tons (one ton). Click here to see the crawler moving a shuttle .

The Crawler/Transporter is powered by 16 traction motors powered by four 1,000 kw generators, driven by two 2,750hp diesel engines. Two 750 kw generators, drived by two 1,065 hp diesel engines are used for jacking, steering, lighting, and ventilating. Two 150 kw generators are also used for MLP power.

When they were built, the KSC crawlers were the largest tracked vehicles ever made. (Surpassed by the Bagger 288 German excavator). They move the Mobile Launcher Platform into the Vehicle Assembly Building and then to the Launch Pad with an assembled space vehicle. Maximum speed is 1.6km (one mile) per hour loaded, about 3.2 km (2 miles) per hour unloaded. Launch Pad to VAB trip time with the Mobile Launch Platform is about 5 hours. The crawler burns 568 liters (150 gallons) of diesel oil per mile.

The top of the orbiter is kept vertical within plus or minus 10 minutes of arc, about the diameter of a basketball during the journey. Leveling systems within the crawler keeps the platform level while negotiating the 5% ramp leading up to the pad surface.

The height of the crawler is 6 meters (20ft) to 8 meters (26 feet) adjustable. The top deck is flat and square, about the size of a baseball infield, 27 meters (90 feet) on a side. Two operator control cabs, one at each end of the chassis, are used to control all crawler systems.

KSC's two crawler-transporters have accumulated 1,243 miles since 1977. Including the Apollo years, the transporters have racked up 2,526 miles, about the same distance as a one-way trip from KSC to Los Angeles by interstate highway or a round trip between KSC and New York City.

Dumoulin, Jim; Kennedy Space Centre (April 21st 2003). Crawler-Transporter System. Kennedy Space Centre [online] science.ksc.nasa.gov Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 June 2009].

Images Courtesy Kennedy Space Centre Media Gallery (December 21st 2004). Kennedy Space Centre [online] mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 June 2009].

Port of Melbourne says channel project is "on time"

2009-06-25T23:25:00.002+10:00

A project to deepen a channel to Melbourne's port is on time and within budget as it approaches 500 days since it began.

In a report in The Melbourne Times, the Port of Melbourne Corporation said the project, which began in February last year, had removed 19 million cubic metres of sand and silt - equating to about 83 per cent of the total amount to be dredged.

The port said the project was on budget and on schedule to be completed by August 31st.

Port of Melbourne CEO Stephen Bradford said he was pleased with the project's progress. "Works have been carried out with minimal disruption to users of the bay and we have seen no evidence to suggest dredging has impacted on its ecological health," he said.

Unknown, (June 24th, 2009). Port of Melbourne says channel project is "on time". Dredging News Online [online] sandandgravel.com Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 25 June 2009].

Longest Road Train

2009-06-25T17:06:00.002+10:00

Preparations for the Big Attempt
Appeared in The Kalgoorlie Miner, Friday November 10 2000

Two days prior to the official “Tug Off” those involved were a buzz. People from everywhere were rallying together with what ever they could provide, from 1.4 kilometers of air hose, 7000 cable ties, 2000 hose clamps to 150 Eggs, 1 dozen loaves of bread and 20kg of sausages, everything and everyone was at hand.

The before mentioned items are only a small part of what was donated, the biggest donations of all came from those companies that provided the trucks and equipment that were taken off the road for a period of two days at a cost to their businesses. This, and the drivers and volunteers that gave their all were not paid for their time, is the spirit which turned the attempt into such a huge success. It would not have mattered to anyone involved if the truck had not moved, they broke all records by becoming one in achieving their goals.

The final preparations then began on Monday morning with a last ring around to confirm the supply of trailers and other equipment necessary to complete the task at hand. Trucks began to return home to their Kalgoorlie bases from various locations throughout Western Australia, some as far North as Karratha. Ten Compressors, Air hoses, fittings, cable ties and the like, signs and banners to be hung on trailers as representation of the various businesses involved in sponsorship began to arrive, the reality of what had taken months to organise had finally hit home. The time had arrived and the actual attempt was only days away, there was no backing out now.

On the Wednesday morning after completing nightshift, the main truck (KNL), which was to lead the pull, arrived in the Gould Transport Yard. Special attention was given to every minor detail of the truck to make sure it was able to deliver the goods when required. A group of dedicated people washed and polished every inch of exposed metal and chrome and at the end of the day it was well worth it, a credit to those who put in the hard yakka.

Also on that day, the day before the great attempt, the trucks were all being rigorously checked. This involved running them over pits and having several devoted mechanics scrutinise every last detail, checking for air leaks, making sure that all breaks were in good working order, that fittings and couplings were correct and that all trucks were safe and fully operational. This took approximately 18 hours to do. After they left the pits the trucks and trailers were washed, polished and run over the registered weigh bridge at Paddington. The weighing was witnessed by Mr Ron Van Dyk, an official representative of the Main Roads Department, this was also a very timely task as all weights had to be spot on to comply with “Guinness Requirements”.

Signs were hung on trailers and compressors put in place. The next step required that all trucks be driven from Paddington to a private haul road, this was done by one truck towing four trailers at a time. They were then placed in a predetermined order ready to be put into position the following morning. These preparations delved well into Wednesday night the eve of the attempt. It had been a long day, many started at 4am and didn’t finish until approximately 11pm.

The Big Day… Bright and early the next morning an entourage of bodies adorned in orange vests took to the Menzies Highway as the sun slowly rose over the Eastern horizon. They were on a mission and nothing could stand in their way. The task-to hook up 79 trailers at a total length of 1018 metres (this official length was recorded by main roads surveyors Bernie Millar and Ross Evans) and weighing in at 1072.3 tonne before the official “Tug Off Time” set for 9am.

The way this was achieved was by careful consideration and months of planning. The trailer lots that were once groups of four had now become groups of eight.

As time was of the essence it was necessary to close the southbound lane while this massive Road train was being formed. At around 7.30am KNL pulled out onto the Menzies Highway towing 12 trailers, it proceeded to the official starting line, which had been marked previously by main roads. This was only the beginning.

What followed was a continual stream of block trucks towing the trailer groups of eight to the area of hook up, approximately 3km from where they had been parked the night before.

Then using a loader fitted with an outrigger, which is used as a guide, and another truck to push the trailers up from the rear they were assembled.

Whilst this was taking place another group of volunteers were busy attaching auxiliary hoses, which needed to run the full length of the truck and trailers.

These hoses were then connected to compressors, which were allocated in approximately every eighth trailer, the compressors supplied air to make the brakes fully operational, if they were required. However the brakes were never used and the truck basically rolled to a standstill on completion of the 8.127 kilometres, the total distance travelled.

As the hours passed and the rear of the caterpillar of trailers began to disappear out of sight, the crowd grew (approx. 5000 people were in attendance) and the atmosphere increased in anticipation of what they were about to witness. Finally the last of six block trucks used in towing the trailers into position went past, and the entourage of orange vests began to assemble at the starting line.

All that was left to do, after several inspections, was the last and final check. “It took a while to come to the decision to let go but finally we figured that it was now or never. After months of living it and breathing it we suddenly realised what a mammoth task we had set ourselves-it was huge,” said Graeme ‘Techno Tug’ Terry, one of three fitters and a main player in the Doug’s Tug Team.

Steve “Stag” Mathews had taken his place behind the wheel accompanied by Gary Penn who, with a grin from ear to ear, was like a child let loose in a candy store.

The time had come a little over due, but no one cared for what they were about to witness will be a permanent fixture in their memories for years and years to come.

The Kalgoorlie Miner, (2000). Preparations for the Big Attempt. [online] Gould Transport. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 25 June 2009]

Euro Truck Simulator

2009-06-24T17:04:00.005+10:00

Generally in the gaming industry the last few trucking games released on the market have been some what comical with an arcade like feel to them.

Euro Truck Simulator is a European first - A truck simulation game in a European setting, with European long haulage trucks! Drive cargos from Rome to Berlin to Madrid to Prague - and many more cities - in realistic vehicles. Euro Truck Simulator is a faithful reproduction of driving trucks on the European road.

Drive across a realistic depiction of Europe, visit its beautiful cities, pick up a variety of cargo's, and deliver them on time!

The road network in Euro Truck Simulator is based on genuine European roads, and cities in the game bring the essence of their real-world counterparts to the game.

As the game is set in Europe, European truck-designs feature exclusively - all trucks use highly realistic, meticulously detailed models based on real trucks. The truck interiors of Euro Truck Simulator are as equally impressive as the exteriors. With actual working instruments such as flashing indicators, temperature and low fuel warning lights, wipers, and naturally - a full set of gauges including speedometer - all built into the interior 3D model, Euro Truck Simulator offers a truly immersive simulation environment. The player can pan around the cabin, just as if they were actually sitting at the wheel.

SCS Software; Euro Truck Simulator (Unknown Date). Euro Truck Simulator. Euro Truck Simulator [online] eurotrucksimulator.com Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 24 June 2009].

Cat 797B - World's Largest Truck

2009-06-24T16:57:00.010+10:00

The Caterpillar 797B is an ultra class mining dump truck built by Caterpillar. The 797B is the largest mechanical truck in the world. If this machine ever needs to be relocated, it cannot be driven on conventional highways for obvious reasons, it must be disassembled and reconstructed at the next job site. In recent times tyre prices for dump trucks of this caliber have jumped from a meer $35,000 a piece to a now phenomenal $60,000 a piece.

Specifications:

Gross Operating weight: 623.7 Tonne
Payload weight: 380 Tonne
Engine: 3524B Series, 24-cylinder, four-stroke diesal
Max speed: 67 km/h
Power: 2650kw
Length: 14.5m
Width: 9.8m
Height: 7.6m
Height with Dumper lifted: 15.3m
Fuel capacity: 6,800 Litres
Cost: between $4.7 million to $5.6 million US Dollars

Images Courtesy of: SOURCE, SOURCE, SOURCE [Accessed June 23rd 2008]

BURAN Space Shuttle

2009-06-23T16:53:00.004+10:00

An awe inspiring operation that I could not help but include on this blog, the sheer thinking, planning, finance & engineering behind such a move continues to amaze me.

"Stuttgart / Speyer – Not long ago, in the port of Rotterdam, a crane hoisted the BURAN onto a sixteen-axle low-bed trailer with a Mercedes-Benz Actros SLT 4160 8x6/4 heavy-duty tractor unit, which had previously been placed on a pontoon barge. The first thing onlookers saw when the barge carrying the BURAN came around a bend in the Rhine, was the leaf-green Actros heavy tractor unit of the Kübler haulage company. The Russian space shuttle BURAN ("snowstorm") fascinated spectators all along the Rhine valley, past Cologne, past the famed Loreley rocks and all the way to Speyer, the home of the Technik-Museum.

In the natural harbour at Speyer it was not just the BURAN that riveted the attention of visitors. Numerous heavy transport vehicle fans had also come to see the Actros SLT 4160 8x6/4 and its exotic cargo. Its drive configuration, approved for a maximum gross combination weight of 500 t, makes it a very rare sight indeed in the field of heavy-duty haulage. The Actros SLT 4160 8x6/4 is one of very few four-axle tractor unit with three driven and two steered axles. The all-wheel drive with the three driven axles and differential locks improves traction considerably compared with the 8x4 variant. And that this increased level of traction pays, can easily be seen, whether it is on the muddy ground of the natural harbour at Speyer, or simply on any large building site.

The two steered axles improve the tractor vehicle’s manoeuvrability immensely – and that is what the heavy haulage business is all about, whether it means centimetre-precise manoeuvring when driving off the pontoon barge, or just negotiating a roundabout.

Everything about the drive train of the Actros SLT tractor unit speaks of competence in heavy-duty haulage. The Mercedes-Benz OM 502 LA V8 16-litre turbocharged BlueTec 5 engine with charge-air cooling, delivers 447 kW/ 609 hp and a maximum torque of 2400 Nm at engine speeds between 1080 and 1800 rpm. The Actros SLT is equipped ex works with the largest radiator available. The Actros SLT heavy truck uses a Mercedes-Benz 16-speed G 240 range-change transmission with a WSK 400 torque converter clutch and retarder. The two-gear Mercedes-Benz VG 2400-3W transfer case with reduced-torque off-road ratio makes it possible to avoid gearshifts which entail an interruption of tractive force on slippery ground.

One look at the Actros SLT is enough to feel how it radiates power and self-assurance. Above the sun visor there is a chromed bar upon which four powerful searchlights are mounted, flanked by a compressed-air horn on one side, and a yellow rotating flashing beacon on the other. On the cab rear wall there are three searchlights for working at night. The red-and-white painted bumper and the Titan logo next to the Mercedes-Benz star all add to the powerful impression the Actros SLT makes; and it can afford to look powerful, simply because it is powerful."

Mercedes Benz South Africa (Not Dated). Actros SLT takes space shuttle move in its stride, Mercedes Benz South Africa[online] daimlerchrysler.co.za Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 23 June 2009].

Melbourne Public Transport - Connex issues

2009-06-21T23:06:00.004+10:00

(April 16th, 2008). Melbourne Metropolitan Rail Network. Unknown [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: Morphet. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 21 June 2009].

Dredging Port Phillip Bay

2009-06-02T23:08:00.003+10:00

(January 9th, 2009). Dredging Port Phillip Bay. ABC [online] Youtube; courtesy of user: Jaymes61. Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 2 June 2009].

Links

2009-06-02T20:17:00.014+10:00

Freight Dawg - http://www.freightdawg.com/

My name is Eric J. Joiner Jr. I've been fortunate to work in the logistics and supply chain field for a quarter of a century. I work with a large 3PL and logistics integrator in a global sales role. I am blessed to work in an industry that I love! Freight Dawg topics range from leadership, careers, green supply chains, supply chain technology, most transportation modes, passenger airlines, as well as logistics and supply chain strategy.

I'm not above the occasional tantrum on the trials and tribulations of my weekly air travel either! This is a truly multi-modal blog. Shippers, consignees and carriers are all covered here. The goal for Freightdawg.com is to provide industry level depth of content and perspective to logistics and supply chain professionals and
interested parties.

Logistic Forums - http://www.logisticforums.com/

LogisticForums - Transport, Warehousing & Supply Chain Discussion!
Please join our free logistics community and meet other logistics professional. Feel free to use anonymous username so no-one knows who you are. Your input to this forum would be much appreciated. You can register by clicking the register button at the top of the page. I hope to catch you onboard. Regards From The Leader - Forum Owner

3PLWire - http://www.3plwire.com/

We are now entering our third year here at 3PLwire and are looking forward to another great year in 2008. 2007 was a banner year for us; we completed our second full year, our readership doubled, and we were featured in an article in industry leading Inbound Logistics magazine.

Eye for Transport - http://www.eyefortransport.com/

Established in 1998, eyefortransport has become the world's leading provider of Logistics and Transportation information and services. We currently provide a number of services and products to this industry which include: Leading industry news source. Through our network of over 100 journalists, editors and consultants around the world, we are able to cover every important news story and report on new trends in the logistics and transportation field throughout every major economic region.

Tacho Blog - http://www.tachoblog.com/

Tachoblog wants your input! Whether it’s pictures of trucks of any kind - old or new - or of anything truck related, then please send them in with some text explaining the shots too please.
If you’re a driver then why not show us where you’ve been, what the weather’s like, news from the road, etc. The web’s a big place but the world’s even bigger and Tachoblog wants to have a truly global reach. Tachoblog will, of course, credit you as the source and, once Tachoblog sets it up, you’ll be added to the Tachoblog Community Page too.

eTrucker - http://www.etrucker.com/

Founded in 1934, Randall-Reilly Publishing the premier business-to-business media company focused on the trucking, construction and industrial markets. The company’s trucking division serves the fleet, owner-operator, recruitment, truck stop, used truck and trailer, dealer and heavy-duty aftermarket segments, with the following publications, products and events: (listed in there about us page)

Shipping in South Africa - http://shippinginsouthafrica.wordpress.com/

Hello all.. This is Hariesh Manaadiar.. As with every country in the world, South Africa is unique in terms of the shipping industry.. I have put together this blog with a view to provide information on the CONTAINER shipping industry in South Africa and the processes and procedures involved in the same.. I am hoping that this blog will help newbies to the shipping industry in SA and also help the existing shipping people in their work and at the same time providing the international shipping community with an overview into the SA shipping industry.

gCaptain - http://gcaptain.com/

Welcome to gCaptain.com, a new site that brings the tools of Web2.0 to the Maritime Industry. Launched in May 2007 the site gives ship captains, mates, maritime industry leaders and those interested in the shipping industry a home on the web.

English Russia - http://englishrussia.com/

English Russia is a daily entertaiment blog devoted to the events happening in Russian speaking countries, such as Russia (Russian Federation), Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, etc. Everyday something interesting happens in the countries occupying 1/6 of the populated world. We are here to inform you about it.

2009-06-01T13:00:00.008+10:00

Logistics, Supply Chain, Transport, Distribution, Warehousing it doesn't have to all be about the spreadsheets & bar charts! Logistical Challenge will expose you to the somewhat gritty yet impressive side of our industry. Logistical Challenge endeavors to provide its readers with up to date information on extreme situations and the ever enduring team spirit involved fulfilling these achievements.