Eric Joiner's Freightdawg.com - The Logistics and Supply Chain Blog!

Ferry Capsizes with Massive Loss of Life

Periodically the ocean reminds us that sailing the seas in ships is still a dangerous business.  Filipino Ferry Princess of Stars capsized on June 24, 2008 with only 62 survivors out of a passenger list of over 800.

The ferry capsized after being hit by Typhoon Fengshen on Saturday while sailing from Manila to Cebu City. Despite efforts by the Philippines Coast Guard, few passengers were able to be rescued from inside the capsized vessel. The ship remains afloat and rescue divers are still attempting to save those who may be trapped in air pockets.

Modern transportation has become so reliable in most cases that we often take it for granted until weather impacts the ships or planes involved. 

clipped from www.iht.com MANILA - What Rodel Laborte could not forget was the screaming of his fellow passengers. As the strong waves and wind tossed around the 24,000-ton ferry - "like a paper boat," he said - pandemonium broke out. The shrieks got so loud, he said, he could not determine if the captain gave an order to abandon the ship. "My heart was racing fast," Laborte said. "All I could think about was whether there were enough lifeboats for all of us." When the ship tilted heavily to the left, Laborte decided to jump, along with several others, into the churning water, where they clung to a lifeboat. It took only minutes for much of the ferry to disappear, he said. Laborte, 60, was one of the 62 survivors of the Princess of the Stars, which was struck by Typhoon Fengshen on Saturday, possibly killing most of the more than 800 passengers and crew on board. He and 27 others huddled in the lifeboat, which ended up Monday on the shore of Quezon Province, miles from the island of Sibuyan, near where the ferry capsized. The ferry disaster could turn out to be one of the worst in the Philippines in the past two decades. On Tuesday, rescue teams from the Philippine Coast Guard managed to penetrate the overturned ship and found many decomposing corpses floating inside.

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Scott Kalitta Killed in Drag Racing Accident

46 year old Scott Kalitta was killed yesterday when his DHL sponsored funny car dragster crashed. Kalitta is the son of racing legend Conrad "Connie" Kalitta.

The senior Kalitta also owns Kalitta Air , the all cargo airline. Kalitta Air lost a B747-200 in a crash in Belgium on May 25th, 2008.

Condolences to the Kalitta family on this tragedy.  This has been a very hard month.

clipped from www.southernledger.com Scott Kalitta died Saturday when his Funny Car crashed and burst into flames during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. The NHRA said the 46-year-old Kalitta _ the 1994 and 1995 Top Fuel season champion who had 18 career victories, 17 in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car _ was taken to Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, where he died a short time later. Witnesses told The Star-Ledger of Newark that Kalitta's Toyota Solara was traveling at an estimated speed of 300 mph when the crash occurred. The Palmetto, Fla., resident started his career at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in 1982. His father, Connie Kalitta, was a longtime driver and team owner known as "The Bounty Hunter," and his cousin, Doug Kalitta, also drives competitively. Scott Kalitta is survived by wife Kathy and sons Corey and Colin.

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Give me my Super Chief!

House Passes Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008

In days of $4.00 a gallon gasoline, the United States is in serious need of additional mass transit and longer range railroad infrastructure. Given the size of the United States and the speed and convenience of airline travel, passenger rail service in the form of government owned Amtrak has diminished substantially over the years and become unprofitable. However, now that fuel has become almost prohibitively expensive, rail service could make a come back.

HR Bill 6003, known as the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 aims to provide renewed funding for Amtrak, as well as to fund private efforts to establish rail service on class 1 freight rail lines as well as improve state and regional rail infrastructure.

The bill is primarily Democrat backed and lead by Rep James Oberstar (D-MN). Critics see it as funding of a dying horse in Amtrak. However, given the critical need of this country to create cost effective and fuel efficient mass transit services, I view this as a potentially great use of public funds.

The US, unlike Europe, does not have a significant passenger rail infrastructure to fall back on. We need one.  Airline travel has become brutal.  Security screening, high passenger volume, decreased service to smaller destinations and the shear cost of tickets, have made airline travel ugly. It's a necessity, but darned ugly.

Here's just some of what HR 6003 includes.

state preparation of state rail plans. Requires studies of passenger rail service, locomotive biofuel, and the use of bio-based lubricants. Requires Amtrak to establish a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee. Directs the Secretary to establish a rail cooperative research program, and the Comptroller General to compare the U.S. passenger rail system with the systems in specified other countries. Authorizes a public transportation authority or rail carrier to submit disputes over trackage use and railroad rights-of-way to the Surface Transportation Board for non binding mediation. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to establish a high-speed rail corridor program, including capital project finance grants. Directs the Secretary to solicit proposals for projects for an initial high-speed rail system between Washington, DC, and New York City (Northeast Corridor), as well as for additional projects on any other corridor. Directs the Secretary to conduct an alternatives analysis of the December 1, 1998, extension of the designation of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor.

What if train service became fashionable again?

In these days of high speed electric rail trains in Europe and Asia, as well as the Amtrak Acela trains, why cant rail services be established to serve 150 to 500 mile rail corridors profitably?   Consider a high speed train with modern internet connections, airline type seats,  meeting room cars,  satellite television, dining and bar cars (of course!) etc? Combine those amenities with modern, hybrid locomotives and this might be a real winner.

"I'm telling you, as a 100K a year flyer, I'd use these kinds of services. Delta could still haul my luggage and me to Los Angeles from Atlanta, but I'm not going to pay them $1400.00 to take me to Jackson, MS. when I could go from Atlanta to Jackson for less than $100.00 by train."

I need speed to get to where I am going, but more importantly I need productive time. If I could use my internet connections and cell phone while rolling through the countryside to a region where I would be for several days, I would use the train without question and happily.

Give me my Super Chief!   It's time for America to get back on the railroad.

Eric

clipped from www.progressiverailroading.com House signs off on Amtrak, high-speed rail bill Yesterday, the House approved the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. 6003) by a 311-104 vote. The bipartisan legislation was introduced last month. H.R. 6003 would reauthorize Amtrak for five years and provide more than $500 million annually for a state intercity passenger-rail grant program. The bill also would enable private operators to launch passenger-rail service pilot programs on freight-owned tracks in Amtrak's worst-performing corridors, and require the federal government to work with states and railroads to plan rail infrastructure projects. The bill aims in a number of ways to improve and expand U.S. passenger-train service," said National Association of Rail Passengers Executive Director Ross Capon in a prepared statement. "The bill will allow for significant investment in rolling stock and tracks, including the addition of needed track capacity at some key chokepoints where Amtrak and freight trains both suffer delays." In addition, H.R. 6003 calls for developing high-speed rail service between Washington, D.C., and New York City that would complete the trip in under two hours. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to solicit proposals for engineering, finance and development plans for the system; create a commission comprising state, local, federal, rail and rail labor stakeholders to evaluate the proposals; and report recommendations to  Congress.

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The Politics of Logistics

Now that the US Democratic party seems settled on Barack Obama as its presumptive candidate, and the Republicans have John McCain slotted to oppose him,  its time to start to evaluate what their individual political policies may mean for the logistics and supply chain industry.

Ben Gordon of BG Strategic Advisors wrote an excellent piece for Logistics Management Magazine that highlights four strategic issues where political differences may cost your logistics firm some serious cash.

These initiatives involve ease of union organizing, cargo inspection, free trade and taxes. Suffice it to say, supply chain operations in the US will likely be more expensive next year.

It's depressing really. All the more reason to do your homework now.   These issues will impact jobs, corporate profitability and the serious need to get the US economy moving again. 

clipped from www.logisticsmgmt.com This year we face a highly uncertain Presidential election. What are the implications of the 2008 elections for the supply chain sector? Here’s where each candidate stands on the hottest issues that could affect logistics and supply chain managers. By Benjamin Gordon, BG Strategic Advisors -- Logistics Management, 4/29/2008 12:05:00 PM "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Benjamin Franklin’s observation is as true today as it was in 1789. In 2008, we face a highly uncertain Presidential election. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and John McCain (R-AZ) represent dramatically different scenarios for the logistics sector. What are the implications of the 2008 elections for the supply chain sector, how can you prepare, and what opportunities should you pursue? As the elections approach, here are a few topics that you should watch closely as you seek to position your business for success: Card check: the new unionization drive 100% inspection: cargo screening and the growing cost of compliance Free trade frozen: threats to NAFTA The taxman cometh: the likelihood of tax hikes

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Stocks: Betting on Dry Bulk Shipping

The article below is clipped from thestreet.com.  Simon Constable points to reasons why investing in the bulk carrier shipping market is a potentially profitable thing.

Specifically Simon points to recent disasters in China, credit crunch and a fuel demand for coal as reasons why to invest. Iron ore is needed to make steel.  China has an insatiable appetite for steel to grow its economy and infrastructure. The earthquake there has now increased demand as reconstruction will have to take place. Coal is a primary fuel for electrical generation, and also for gasification to create liquid fuels such as Dimethyl Ether. DME can be used as a fuel or to create plastics etc.

(mini-rant mode on)

What bugs me though is how little some analysts actually know about the shipping business. References to dry bulk cargo vessels as "cruisers" gives me some pause to wonder whether this guy did much homework beyond macro stock trends and potential linkage between transportation and cargo demand. 

The analysts I know talk to people in the business daily.  I wonder whether that happened here. Thats not particularly unique to thestreet.com.  Motley fool does the same thing.  Even the title of the article below makes me wonder if there is understanding of the differences in demand for oil tankers, bulk carriers, container ship charters, etc.  All qualify as "shipping".

Shipping charters typically follow sales transactions by about 4 to 6 months.  Vessels for charter have to be deployed, then loaded etc. So a delay in a seasonal market, or a change in demand slowly shows up in the demand for shipping space. Simon gets this pretty much right, but what about availability of the right kinds of ships at the right size to meet spot markets? That is the difference between which company will be able to meet the spot demands of the global economy and natural disasters.

My experience is that analysts typically get the big picture right, but the devil is often in the details.  It is there that they often lose focus and why people actually "in the business" take analysts with about a 14 lb. grain of salt.   On that note, its wise to do your own homework.

(mini-rant mode off)

clipped from www.thestreet.com Three Reasons to Bet on the Shipping Sector The dry-bulk shipping stocks have been good to investors this year. But things stand to get a whole lot better. Why, when things are up so much, can they stand to go even higher? There are three reasons: coal, the earthquake in China and the credit crunch. First, a quick review of how things got to this point. Since I first highlighted the sector in late January, shares of DryShips (DRYS - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr), Navios Maritime (NM - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Eagle Bulk Shipping (EGLE - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) are up 73%, 42% and 52%, respectively. These stocks, the "Class A" acts in the dry-bulk shipping sector, have followed the roller-coaster ride in the cost of freight rates. Last November the Baltic Dry Index, which measures the cost of moving bulk commodities such as ores and grains, started plunging from a November high of 11,039 down to a low of 5,615 -- a 49% drop -- on Jan. 29.

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I asked for Racehorses...and this is what I got!

I'll admit that I sometimes get a little "far afield" when it comes to being a pure freightdawg. I'm simply fascinated by transportation of all kinds of things. Such was the case when I recently posted an article/request for an expert to come forward to discuss and write about transportation of racehorses. So far, nobody has done this, which is to my disappointment. But perhaps I can guilt somebody into it.

However, readers here are an eclectic bunch so periodically I get egged on by an editor or two from a larger trade journal to cover something a little wacky that perhaps they themselves wouldn't touch (perhaps because of better judgment or a more talented writing staff...)

Such is the case this week, when one of my favorite readers from the big boys read my request/article on racehorse transportation.   Figuring he can get me to publish ANYTHING... he referred me to the article below which covers "how not to ship a whale".  It's an interesting excerpt from the book "Operation Orca" on the early days of studying and collecting  "Killer Whales" from the Pacific Northwest and the shipment thereof to various places such as southern France for exhibition.   Nowadays, such practices would be considered politically incorrect, and probably (definitely?) illegal without a bunch of licenses.  In the late 1960's none of that was required.  (In fact, in the Northwest, I believe the locals thought of Orcas as varmints and shot at them.)

UPS once made a big deal of shipping the whale sharks that were to be displayed in the Georgia Aquarium from Taiwan to Atlanta.  Now that I think about it, there may be a tie in to racehorses yet since Big Brown was named after that other Brown company that plays a big role in the economic success of Louisville Ky.

Now one of you lazy experts who truly knows about moving animals give me an email.

clipped from thetyee.ca TheTyee.ca [Editor's note: The book Operation Orca (Harbour) recounts human efforts to save Springer in Puget Sound and Luna near Gold River from a lost whale's slow death. In this third of four excerpts on B.C.'s history of whale wrangling, Francis and Hewlett explore more wacky tales of fishermen, showmen, and a pair of unlikely teenagers trying to acquire orcas for public display.] Pender Harbour is a complex jumble of islands, coves and lagoons on the Sunshine Coast about 75 kilometers northwest of Vancouver. The whales first appeared in Gunboat Bay at the head of the harbour, where they were discovered by local fisherman Sonny Reid. The pod exited the bay despite Reid's attempts to contain them but they returned the next day to Garden Bay, another arm of the harbour. Reid and some other fishermen managed to drop a net across the entrance to the bay and trap one of the whales, an adult male almost five metres long...

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Driver Leasing Supplements Logistics Demand

My good friend and fellow freightdawg, Scott Sigman, works for Vanguard Services in Indianapolis. Vanguard is in the business of driver leasing to logistics companies who need to flex their workforce to meet demand.

The article below appeared in the Indianapolis Star today and highlights Vanguards business model. Scott wrote an excellent piece on this subject for Freightdawg.com some time ago.

I've been fortunate lately to see several current and former colleagues with their name in lights lately. Vanguard operates one of the larger driver leasing programs in the country.  For private fleet operators who need to flex for seasonal peaks, Vanguards services are potentially very valuable.

(And ...Yes, I changed the highlights to red.  I didn't like the goth look of all that black!)

clipped from www.indystar.com Vanguard Services in the driver's seat Company leases workers to meet rising demand in logistics industry By James Harper / Star correspondent Posted: May 9, 2008 More than 724 million tons of freight pass through Indiana -- the fifth-busiest state for commercial freight traffic every year Somebody has to deliver the goods. As the nation's third-largest driver-leasing company, Vanguard Services has added customers, opened an office in Nashville, Tenn., and launched a driver-on-demand service to meet that need, said Scott Sigman, the Indianapolis-based company's director of business development. Vanguard's driver work force now totals more than 1,100 men and women at its Far-Northside headquarters and four regional locations that also include Dallas; Allentown, Pa.; and Greenville, S.C. "We provide the detailed work of recruiting and certifying professional drivers," enabling customers to focus on their core revenue- generating business areas, said Jim Malarney, Vanguard's president. "From the beginning, we have tried to instill two basic core values in our work force -- safety and customer satisfaction -- and these values have served us well in building a long-tenured, successful business ," he said. Among Vanguard's secrets of success in filling this niche, Malarney said, are its stringent employment standards -- only one of eight drivers interviewed is hired -- and its low turnover, which has allowed it to nurture decades-long relationships with customers such as Bridgestone-Firestone, Pepperidge Farms and General Electric. John Rigel, 44, who has been driving for 18 years including the past two for Vanguard, appreciates the shorter trips to neighboring states like Ohio and Illinois, which allow him to spend more time at home with his wife and seven children. "It's stable. They've been fair with me," said Rigel, an Acton resident. "I don't have to drive constantly . . . so I get to watch my kids grow up." Bulk-distribution warehousing centers in Indianapolis, Plainfield, Whitestown, Mount Comfort and elsewhere have helped with driver-recruitment efforts, Vanguard's Sigman said, because it allows for those shorter regional trips, rather than long cross-country routes. Experienced drivers for Vanguard can earn annual incomes of $30,000 to $80,000, Sigman said. However, the TDL industry still faces a driver shortage, he added. "There is a shortage of drivers," agreed Clayton Boyce, spokesman for the American Trucking Associations, though he couldn't give a specific number. He said that shortage has eased, however, because of to a steady decline in freight since January 2007. One solution to the driver shortage has been an effort by companies such as Vanguard to work with local educators to get the word out to 18- to 21-year-olds about employment opportunities. The Supply Chain Orientation and Research Education pilot program encourages interest in TDL and manufacturing. "The ultimate goal is to prepare them for college-level courses that will lead to future careers," University of Indianapolis professor Leslie Gardner said of students in the SCORE program. That includes on-campus classes for high school seniors to help them earn college-level credit toward a TDL-related degree, she said. Jim Hopkins, president and chief executive of Laibe Corp., an Indianapolis well-drilling company, has worked with Vanguard since 2005. "Originally our manufacturing personnel were handling customer deliveries, and that consumed too much production time while they were on the road," Hopkins said. "Vanguard is now handling all of our deliveries. They are extremely reliable and very responsive." Greenwood resident Mel Lawson, 74, is semi-retired now, but said he has driven for 49 years -- 34 of them for Vanguard. Vanguard is "the best company I've worked with," he said Wednesday, as he prepared to team up with Rigel to drive two well-drilling trucks from the parking lot at Laibe to Baltimore for shipment overseas. "(They) are just good people. It's an overall good working relationship between the drivers and the company."

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NASSTRAC Recognizes Regan and Burba

It's great when two people you know personally receive well earned industry recognition for career leadership and personal commitment. Such is the case with Mike Regan, CEO of Tranzact Technologies and Al Burba, VP of Field Sales for DHL Express.

NASSTRAC recognized both at their annual Logistics Conference and Exhibition in Orlando on April 29th.  Regan was recognized as "Regular Member of the Year" while Al Burba was recognized as "Associate Member of the Year".

I serve with Mike Regan on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Transportation & Logistics and know him to be a visionary leader and substantive influence on the direction and strategic value of supply chain and logistics.

Al Burba is a great friend and colleague of mine at DHL and a superior talent for our company. Al's energy and customer care are well known. He teaches his troops by example and has built a reputation for quality in every part of the business he has touched.  Al was a major influencer on the NASSTRAC carrier advisory council for the previous two years. 

These are good guys getting well earned recognition. Congratulations Mike and Al!

clipped from www.trafficworld.com MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NASSTRAC recently announced that Mike Regan, CEO and chairman of Tranzact Technologies, has been named the 2008 "NASSTRAC Regular Member of the Year." Each year, this honor is awarded to an individual logistics executive who has demonstrated personal leadership, commitment, and dedication to the industry as well as to the association. NASSTRAC provides advocacy, education, provider relations, and networking for professionals involved in all areas of transportation, ranging from full truckload and LTL to containerization and global logistics. "As chairperson of the NASSTRAC Advocacy Committee, Mike is very well-known and has been an icon in our industry," said Gail Rutkowski, NASSTRAC's current chairperson. "However, this award is being presented for all of the things he has done behind the scenes. Two years ago, NASSTRAC made a commitment to aggressively devote significant attention to transportation advocacy issues.Mike has worked tirelessly to make sure the shippers within NASSTRAC not only know what the issues are, but also that they clearly understand them." In addition, NASSTRAC also announced that Al Burba, vice president of field sales for DHL Express, is the recipient of the 2008 "NASSTRAC Associate Member of the Year." Each year, the association presents this award to an individual from the service provider community who has shown leadership, continued commitment to the industry, and support of NASSTRAC. According to Rutkowski, Burba has been an active member of the carrier advisory council for the association for two years and has put forth significant energy in encouraging productive dialogue between shippers and service providers while assisting NASSTRAC in expanding membership into all modes and market segments of transportation.

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IATA: Open Skies Needs Cargo

The US-EU Open Skies agreement went into effect last Sunday, March 30th, 2007. It is generating a major land grab for landing rights at London Heathrow, as well as holiday destinations in Europe.  European air carriers, anxious to leverage opportunities presented by the favorable Euro-US Dollar trading environment are also cashing in on Europeans who want to take a cheap American holiday.

Whats missing is where cargo fits into the Open Skies agreement. Clearly for air freight forwarders the available belly space into London-Heathrow will be advantageous immediately. Round Two negotiations on the Open Skies agreement make it even more interesting for cargo carriers as well as forwarders. IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani is stumping for broader air carrier opportunities in Round Two, which should start discussion in the next 60 days.

Up for discussion in Round Two, will be EU carrier access to the domestic US market, as well as foreign ownership of air carriers operating in the US market.  Potentially that means that some forwarders and European carriers could operate their own airlines in the domestic US market.  I'm frankly surprised this hasn't come up as an election year issue yet, especially for the Democratic Party. 

That means challenging cabotage laws in the US, which for a hundred years have been sacrosanct. With a global economy and a global marketplace, these laws will need amendment at some stage. Trusted partners, and mutual regulation may eventually create regional markets beyond continents and single governments.That will allow air carrier and (one day...) ocean carriers to gain opportunities to serve local markets with increased efficiency.

So long as US jobs are considered in these developments and US unions can get past globalized ownership, this could be a good development. Trade is already global and trans border. Carrier operations should be able to grow to match the opportunities.  The unions could be part of the cure if engaged early.

clipped from www.logisticsmgmt.com Air Cargo: Open Skies needs expansion, says IATA Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 4/1/2008 GENEVA—In an otherwise bleak overview of the air cargo industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the US-EU Agreement on Open Skies is increasing trans-Atlantic frequencies by 11 percent in April. “London Heathrow and Spain are leading the change with an increase of 25 percent each, noted IATA analysts. “Increased competition will put pressure on yields in these markets.” Elsewhere in the report, IATA downgraded its industry profit expectations for 2008 to $4.5 billion based on global economic growth slowing to 2.6 percent and an average annualized oil price of $86 per barrel. “We still expect a positive bottom line of $4.5 billion, but it’s turning out to be a very tough year,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s director general and CEO. Bisignani also had some critical words to say about U.S. trade unions, and their resistance to expansion of the “Open Skies” agreement: “Labor must see the good results of the consolidation that we have seen in Europe and paint itself into the picture of even broader global consolidation,” he said.

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Understanding: Green vs. Carbon

I'm all over this green thing now. 

Mainly because I believe it will be the key to profitability in the supply chain sector in months and years to come.  It costs too much to move goods with fossil fuels costing north of 100 US dollars a barrel. It is killing everybody from the airlines and ocean carriers to parcel carriers and private citizens. We Americans spend well over US$ 50 dollars a tankful for gas, but thats nothing compared to what European drivers must pay. 

People tend to imagine "green" as planting trees and taking care of the environment.   In fact, its much more than that.  It is also about making the best use of all available fuel resources in order to drive cost out of a business. European governments are looking at ways to tax carbon fuel use. So, in a very real sense being "green" means more "bling" at the bottom line.

DHL is working on some pretty creative things on the green fuel consumption front in the UK.   Many DHL Express stations in the UK get their electricity now from wind energy. There are other initiatives also being considered. The article below discusses a service provided by a local Volvo commercial truck dealer in the UK who now is launching a fuel consultancy business.

From a dealer point of view, this comes down to educating the commercial haulier how to effectively use their new truck in the most fuel efficient way. If the driver and company don't follow recommended methods, the new trucks won't make an efficient cost saving (green) impact.

Now lets take it to a higher level. Lets say the transport company wants to trade carbon credits with a major conglomerate customer. The transport company runs an efficient operation and is considered a green service provider. If the local operations in a given country are inefficient, this opportunity can't happen because there won't be any credits to trade.  The net result is that this whole cycle comes down to measuring fuel and operational efficiency. When efficiency is getting traded,  it can be guaranteed that service will improve as well. 

Everybody keeps thinking this green thing is about hugging trees. It is NOT. It is about saving money that otherwise would be used to pay for fossil fuels. The efficiency will be translated into carbon credits. That will translate into everything from carrier selection to purchase of fleet vehicles and warehouse management resources. All this stuff ties together. Carriers and 3PL service providers who wind up with positive carbon credits will be able to use those as currency with customers who need those credits to prevent taxation. Folks this is not about rates...

Alternative energies and carbon trading can promote energy independence thats financially prudent, good for the environment and potentially lessens the power of the oil cartel on business. 

(Do you understand why I'm motivated now?)   

clipped from www.easier.com Thomas Hardie launches Fuel Torque 12 March 2008 Thomas Hardie Commercials, the main distributor for Volvo truck, bus & coach and LDV light Commercial Vehicles in the Northwest is the first dealer in the UK to launch a fuel consultancy scheme:- Fuel Torque. Fuel Torque is a concept designed to help transport companies make dramatic savings on their fuel costs. “The savings could be massive,” says John Parry, former Engineering Director DHL/Exel Supply Chain “and could have a major impact on a companies profitability”. “As an example, taking a 40-vehicle fleet currently averaging 8 mpg, a 5% fuel saving could potentially add more than £90,000 to the bottom line of the business.  Fuel Management should be a fundamental discipline of any transport operation”. Thomas Hardie Commercials would supply the resource to the customer, analysing the transport operation, vehicles and drivers over a pre-determined period of time.

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