Transportation, logistics firms shift M&A focus to infrastructure, consolidation

Buoyed by strengthening capital markets, growing interest from financial investors, and stronger corporate balance sheets, the transportation and logistics industry is poised to reach robust levels of deal flow by number of deals over the course of 2011, according to Intersections, a quarterly analysis of global merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the transportation and logistics industry by PwC US....

Distrigas LNG goes to Connecticut station

Distrigas of Massachusetts LLC, a subsidiary of GDF SUEZ Energy North America, announced that it is providing LNG (liquefied natural gas) to the first LNG refueling station east of the Mississippi River....

FTR Shippers Condition Index sinks in May

FTR Associates’ Shippers Condition Index (SCI) as reported in the firm’s May Shippers Update fell to a reading of –11.4, reflecting tightening capacity and accelerating transport costs. The SCI sums up all market influences that affect shippers; a reading above zero suggests a favorable shipping environment, while a reading below zero is unfavorable....

RollTek is now provided on Peterbilt trucks

IMMI announced the availability of RollTek side roll protection on Peterbilt Class 8 vehicles. ...

TransCore Freight Index decreases in April

TransCore’s North American Freight Index showed a 14% decline in spot market truckload freight volume for April 2011 compared with March, but a 12% increase versus April 2010. ...

Workshop will examine alternative fuels

Transportation professionals are invited to learn about the capabilities of propane autogas and other alternative fuels at a free training workshop hosted by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and Alternative Fuels Trade Alliance members....

Dole deploys CHEP pallets
for transporting bananas
from Central America

Dole Fresh Fruit Company, a subsidiary of Dole Food Company Inc, announced the signing of a new contract for pallet pooling services with CHEP, provider of pallet and container pooling systems....

General Mills agrees
to acquire Yoplait share

General Mills (NYSE: GIS) has signed definitive agreements with PAI partners and Sodiaal to acquire a 51% controlling interest in Yoplait SAS and a 50% interest in a related entity. ...

Cool Containers gets FAA
nod for PharmaPort 360

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the PharmaPort 360 temperature-controlled shipping container for use in commercial and military air transport....

TMW Systems acquires
routing and scheduling
software provider Appian

TMW Systems has acquired Appian Logistics Software, which has offices in Oklahoma City OK....

IARW, WFLO elect
new officers, board
members at gathering

New officers and board members of the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), an education and research foundation affiliated with IARW, were elected at the 2011 IARW-WFLO Annual Convention & Expo recently....

Alaska Air Cargo helps
to open salmon season

Alaska Air Cargo delivered the season’s first shipment of Copper River salmon to Seattle-Tacoma (WA) International Airport recently, marking the start of the summer salmon season....

C R England Dedicated
enters leasing agreement
for LNG-powered tractors

C R England Dedicated, a division of temperature-controlled carrier C R England Inc, and Paccar Leasing Company (PacLease) have entered into a full-service lease agreement on new Kenworth T800 tandem-axle day cab tractors powered with the Westport GX 15-liter LNG (liquefied natural gas) engine....

Fonterra boosts its profits,
productivity via eCertify

International dairy exporter Fonterra has increased profits and productivity by using the eCertify online system to process trade documentation electronically....

Courchesne Larose implements
AiroCide food safety technology

KES Science & Technology Inc announces Courchesne Larose Ltd will be using the NASA-developed non-chemical (no-ozone) AiroCide food safety air sanitation technology in its new building and expansion project opening later in 2011....

Linescape turns two,
expands its capabilities

Linescape, which provides searches of multiple carrier schedules, now includes key vessel profile information within search results as users browse vessel voyage schedules....

Alanco completes its sale
of StarTrak to ORBCOMM

Alanco Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: ALAN) has completed the sale of its subsidiary StarTrak Systems LLC to ORBCOMM Inc (NASDAQ: ORBC)....

Impact of driver shortage on fleet capacity is widespread, survey says

More than seven in 10 fleets surveyed for the Q2 2011 Fleet Sentiment Report indicate the shortage of drivers is either impacting their fleet now or may in the future...

Mack chooses VISTA competition winners

Mack Trucks Inc recently selected the winners of its second VISTA Team competition to find its top dealer service technicians, a seven-month event that challenged contestants’ in-depth and hands-on knowledge of Mack’s products and service procedures...

Preliminary Class 8 orders jump in April

A preliminary reading of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicle net orders for North American markets climbed to 38,200 units in April 2011, according to ACT Research Co. Net orders jumped 158% from year-ago April and represented the largest monthly order intake since March 2006. Preliminary net order numbers are subject to revision and are typically accurate to within 5% plus or minus...

National NGV Fleet Forum is established

Leading national fleet operators announced the formation of the Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Fleet Forum, a new membership organization dedicated to advancing the use of natural gas in the US transportation sector. The effort was announced at the 2011 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, a showcase of clean, alternative fuel vehicles...

fleetHQ provides photos of replaced tires

Goodyear’s fleetHQ dealers now offer photos of a replaced tire during a road service call as an added service to its fleetHQ systems portfolio...

Intermodal volume climbs in Q1 2011

Intermodal volume increased 9% year-over-year in Q1 2011 as international volume grew for the fifth straight quarter, posting a solid 9.6% uptick, according to a report released May 12 by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). IANA’s Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics report also notes that overall domestic intermodal volume also increased during the quarter by 8.4%...

Thermo King recognizes
leading dealers for 2010

Thermo King announced the top-performing individuals and dealerships for 2010 at its annual dealer meeting earlier in 2011....

Philadelphia Wholesale
Produce Market to open

The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM), home to 26 fresh produce merchants in a 700,000-square-foot facility, announced that the new market in Philadelphia PA will officially open its doors for business June 5....