<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">A move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to an international logistics solution.</div>

A move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to an international logistics solution.

<div><div><img></div>A move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to an international logistics solution. Photo credit: Seahawk Logitech.US project cargo importers face a rising tide of pressures today, ranging from fuel surcharges and congested ports to a growing clampdown on over-dimensional, freight-hauling permits and tight breakbulk liner capacity during peak periods when weather drives scheduling and demand.But a recently completed move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to a logistics solution that involved six Asian and US ports, seven ocean carriers, nine breakbulk...

A move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to an international logistics solution. Photo credit: Seahawk Logitech. US project cargo importers face a rising tide of pressures today, ranging from fuel surcharges and congested ports to a growing clampdown on over-dimensional, freight-hauling permits and tight breakbulk liner capacity during peak periods when weather drives scheduling and demand. But a recently completed move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to a logistics solution that involved six Asian and US ports, seven ocean carriers, nine breakbulk vessel crossings, and 75 containerized liner sailings over a 36-month period. The marathon move was orchestrated by Seahawk Logitech, a 17-year-old third-party logistics company in Itasca, Illinois, that won an award from a US-based global manufacturer of industrial heat transfer products. ‘You must have totally open communication’ “There is only one way a logistics service provider can protect his shipper-customer on a move of such enormous scale, when all parties to the supply chain are not always willing to give an inch,” John Bae, managing director, told JOC.com. “You must have totally open communication.” By the time Seahawk won the bid in 2014, Bae already had his pre-plan sketched out. In gathering information for his proposal, he discussed specifics with his personal contacts at seaports, ocean carriers, truck lines, and foreign-based forwarders. In all cases, they were people he had worked with before on project moves and whose reliability had been proved. “By talking openly and specifically and not hypothetically, we started formulating the pre-plan, including timelines, which still took four to six months to complete, review, and approve before the first shipment moved,” he said. The project originated in Vietnam and China. The out-of-gauge cargoes were three steel structures weighing 22 metric tons (24 tons) apiece, measuring 45 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 8 feet high that formed the housing for the air cooling condenser, and multiple ducting components weighing 26 metric tons each, measuring 55 feet long by 9 feet wide, and standing 11 feet tall. “These pieces were manufactured in Ho Chi Minh City, where we took possession of the cargoes,” Bae said. “We were not responsible for the drayage.” 450 FEU used over three years The heating cores, peripherals, components, and other parts that would meet up with the outsize cargoes at the construction site were manufactured in Xingang and Shanghai, also major port cities. The huge volume of smaller cargoes would require 450 FEU over the three-year life of the project. “Within the first month of winning the contract, we started identifying ocean carriers — both breakbulk and container vessels — and coordinating production and shipping timelines,” Bae explained. Singapore-based AAL was selected as a lead breakbulk carrier for its onboard multilift, 30,000-deadweight-ton vessels, its route network, and overall reputation. AAL recently won the 2018 Asian Freight Logistics and Supply Chain Award for the best project cargo shipping line in the region. Germany’s BBC Chartering, with its global feet of 170 heavy-lift and multipurpose vessels, and PACC Line, Singapore-headquartered operator of breakbulk vessels with extensive project cargo experience moving wind turbines, were also designated. Bae said BBC and PACC were assigned the breakbulk sailings because of their reliability, their service lanes matched the port requirements, and their rates were favorable. He would not disclose rate structures in detail. Most of the sailings were on scheduled service carriers, but at least one PACC crossing was a tramper charter. Vital face-to-face communication Choosing ocean carriers can be handled long distance with phones, emails, and faxes, Bae said. “But the real difficulty in a project move with multiple modes, ports, carriers, and destinations is to make sure the [foreign] shipper-manufacturer knows ahead of time the stricter requirements we have here in the US.” That takes face-to-face communications, he said, so Bae and two colleagues flew to Asia in April 2014 for 10 days and met with every participant involved in the supply chain to discuss all requirements and expectations. “This is where we go over things like the actual loading plans and maximum weights for containers and trucks, which are often overlooked at the point of origin. Then [there is] coordinating the availability of trucks, including standbys, and anticipating backup plans if you have weather delays or, in the case of Vietnam, where the ports are very small, when the carrier docked ahead of you is still being worked. “The major hurdle,” the Seahawk Logitech official continued, “is to always anticipate and alleviate delays and bottlenecks that will most certainly come up in a project like this.” Bae recalled that on a sailing from Vietnam, one of the ducting saddles on the breakbulk vessel was not secured. “The question was, do we load or not load. We had to get the manufacturer’s OK, but in the end, the saddle was fixed. It was not really that much of a hiccup, but it could have been if not detected.” There are just so many wild cards in any project cargo move, he said, that it’s necessary to have primary and secondary schedules, especially on the transport links of the supply chain. “Breakbulk liner services have variable schedules and transit times, and container shipments are affected by peak seasons,” he explained. “It’s just good practice to plan for extra storage capability at the calling terminal, or at alternative sites, at both origin and destination.” Bae said the ocean carriers he selected, based largely on their track record for meeting scheduled transit times, all “performed well” throughout the three-year move. Port of Houston — one of the best US ports for breakbulk The Port of Houston was chosen, not just because of its 300-mile proximity to the two construction sites in Wharton and Granbury, Texas, “but because it is one for the best US ports for breakbulk vessels and container lines,” he contends. The outsize cargoes on the breakbulk vessels made scheduled stops in China and Korea and took 60 days for the trans-Pacific crossing. Bae’s strategy at Houston was to use asset-based trucking companies rather than freight brokers and independent drivers. “With multiple moves on the same project, you want to use the same drivers and carriers because the learning curve is so steep. A new driver might have an address, but which gate? When you are hauling a huge load behind you, you can’t be making wrong turns and u-turns and wasting all that time.” The third breakbulk shipment, destined for a construction site in Prince George County, Maryland, went around Cape Horn, and across the Atlantic to Port of Morehead City, North Carolina, a 50-day trip. “This port was chosen because of its professional and supportive staff, less congestion, and ample storage space,” Bae said. One of the biggest potential problems in a project move of this magnitude is at the end of the supply chain — the construction site, he said. “We’re always asking, ‘What can the site live with?’ That’s where it takes boots on the ground, day-to-day communications, and a weekly matrix update.” Contact Chris Barnett at chris@cbarnmedia.com . ** RELATED STORIES: European breakbulk outlookbrightens Ocean carriers target breakbulk to diversify India business

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Seahawk — a case study in complex, import project cargo logistics

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Tobias Meyer said 10 dedicated DHL Supply Chain warehouses with 7 million square feet of capacity will go live in North America this year, specifically targeting data center logistics.</div>

Tobias Meyer said 10 dedicated DHL Supply Chain warehouses with 7 million square feet of capacity will go live in North America this year, specifically targeting data center logistics.

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<div class="phx-topic">DHL is targeting the booming US data center market to help boost revenues at its three main transportation divisions as part of efforts to develop its industrial customer base.  Group CEO Tobias Meyer, speaking during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Thursday, said industrial customers typically ship heavier cargoes that, in turn, would drive group revenues.  Meyer said 10 dedicated DHL Supply Chain warehouses with 7 million square feet of capacity will go live in North America this year, specifically targeting data center logistics. The facilities would support hyperscale and co-location data center operators amid AI-driven capacity expansion, he said.  “We see particularly high demand in North America to stage inbound supplies there,” Meyer told an analysts during the call.  Typically, DHL would transport components to warehouses close to data center job sites so they can be “stored locally to have components available when construction of the data center progresses,” he explained.  Meyer pointed out this would involve international and domestic shipments of data center servers, server racks, and other electrical equipment that are “significant components and significant tonnage” that would be moved by DHL’s three main transportation divisions: global forwarding, supply chain and express.  He gave no indication how much the business, which he described as “still unfolding,” would be worth. But real estate company JLL estimated US data center capacity would more than double to 109 gigawatts by 2030 from 49 GW last year. More than 1,500 data centers are in various stages of development nationwide, with 75% planned in the US Southwest and Midwest, according to a Pew Research Center report published in mid-April.  <h3>Jet fuel concerns in Asia </h3> More immediately, Meyer said jet fuel constraints in Asia, a key market for Middle Eastern crude, meant DHL is increasing the amount of fuel its aircraft carry on short-haul express cargo flights in the region to avoid airplanes running out of fuel.  He said aircraft have been "tanking" fuel from DHL’s regional hubs in Asia so they have enough for roundtrip flights in its Asia network rather than refueling at each destination. "We've seen at some airports there is no fuel available for additional flights or there are structural shortages," Meyer said.  He indicated that the situation could worsen, with jet fuel only available to airlines who were prepared to pay higher prices if Middle East oil shipments continued to be limited due to the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.  "If there's a continued shortfall of 10 to 12 million barrels of crude every day, something has to give at some point,” Meyer said. “And that's also why higher prices are a logical outcome that allows fuel to be distributed to those areas where there's biggest demand and highest willingness to pay."   Meyer declined to provide a full outlook for the rest of this year, but group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) this year are forecast to be unchanged from last year at $7.3 billion due to the “muted macro environment.”  His comments came after the company reported mixed first-quarter results.  DHL Global Forwarding saw air freight volumes climb 4% to 438,000 metric tons while gross profit was flat at $698 per mt. Ocean freight volumes increased 2% to 804,000 TEUs, but gross profit fell 20% to $378 per TEU on lower freight rates.   Overall, global forwarding saw its EBIT drop 19% to $193 million, while revenues fell 5% to $5.3 billion.  DHL Express saw a slight decrease in volumes, but EBIT surged 21% to $941 million, supported by higher prices and cost savings. Revenues slipped 2% to $7 billion, with Europe being the only one of the four main express regions posting a revenue gain.  Meyer said DHL’s total Q1 revenue was 2% lower at $24 billion, while net profit increased 3% to $956 million.  Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>.  </div>

DHL is targeting the booming US data center market to help boost revenues at its three main transportation divisions as part of efforts to develop its industrial customer base.    Group CEO Tobias Meyer, speaking during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Thursday, said industrial customers typically ship heavier cargoes that, in turn, would drive group revenues.    Meyer said 10 dedicated DHL Supply Chain warehouses with 7 million square feet of capacity will go live in North America this year, specifically targeting data center logistics. The facilities would support hyperscale and co-location data center operators amid AI-driven capacity expansion, he said.    “We see particularly high demand in North America to stage inbound supplies there,” Meyer told an analysts during the call.    Typically, DHL would transport components to warehouses close to data center job sites so they can be “stored locally to have components available when construction of the data center progresses,” he explained.    Meyer pointed out this would involve international and domestic shipments of data center servers, server racks, and other electrical equipment that are “significant components and significant tonnage” that would be moved by DHL’s three main transportation divisions: global forwarding, supply chain and express.    He gave no indication how much the business, which he described as “still unfolding,” would be worth. But real estate company JLL estimated US data center capacity would more than double to 109 gigawatts by 2030 from 49 GW last year. More than 1,500 data centers are in various stages of development nationwide, with 75% planned in the US Southwest and Midwest, according to a Pew Research Center report published in mid-April.    Jet fuel concerns in Asia    More immediately, Meyer said jet fuel constraints in Asia, a key market for Middle Eastern crude, meant DHL is increasing the amount of fuel its aircraft carry on short-haul express cargo flights in the region to avoid airplanes running out of fuel.    He said aircraft have been "tanking" fuel from DHL’s regional hubs in Asia so they have enough for roundtrip flights in its Asia network rather than refueling at each destination.  "We've seen at some airports there is no fuel available for additional flights or there are structural shortages," Meyer said.    He indicated that the situation could worsen, with jet fuel only available to airlines who were prepared to pay higher prices if Middle East oil shipments continued to be limited due to the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.    "If there's a continued shortfall of 10 to 12 million barrels of crude every day, something has to give at some point,” Meyer said. “And that's also why higher prices are a logical outcome that allows fuel to be distributed to those areas where there's biggest demand and highest willingness to pay."     Meyer declined to provide a full outlook for the rest of this year, but group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) this year are forecast to be unchanged from last year at $7.3 billion due to the “muted macro environment.”    His comments came after the company reported mixed first-quarter results.    DHL Global Forwarding saw air freight volumes climb 4% to 438,000 metric tons while gross profit was flat at $698 per mt. Ocean freight volumes increased 2% to 804,000 TEUs, but gross profit fell 20% to $378 per TEU on lower freight rates.     Overall, global forwarding saw its EBIT drop 19% to $193 million, while revenues fell 5% to $5.3 billion.    DHL Express saw a slight decrease in volumes, but EBIT surged 21% to $941 million, supported by higher prices and cost savings. Revenues slipped 2% to $7 billion, with Europe being the only one of the four main express regions posting a revenue gain.    Meyer said DHL’s total Q1 revenue was 2% lower at $24 billion, while net profit increased 3% to $956 million.    Contact Keith Wallis at  keithwallis@hotmail.com .   

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DHL targeting US data center development to boost group revenues: CEO

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With lower space allocations offered by Gemini, competing carriers have been able to keep their sailings on the routes maxed out and push rates higher, sources say.</div>

With lower space allocations offered by Gemini, competing carriers have been able to keep their sailings on the routes maxed out and push rates higher, sources say.

<div class="phx-topic">The capacity withdrawn by the Gemini Cooperation from the India–Mediterranean trade following its recent Middle East network adjustments has effectively tightened supply, thus proving a boon for active carrier participants in the market, market sources say. Gemini partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in early March, shortly after the war began, <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joc.com%2Farticle%2Fgemini-suspends-revamps-middle-east-services-amid-growing-conflict-6182114&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckevin.saville2%40spglobal.com%7C9bc4790300504e3d15ab08dea6a733c1%7C8f3e36ea80394b4081a77dc0599e8645%7C1%7C0%7C639131434230985857%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=U6cMDZFpCsKNvoKG%2Bh4hwX699iOagbTAe%2FcM2tzx4F0%3D&amp;reserved=0">halted their independently branded ME11/IMX network operations</a> linking the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean, and opened a revamped India–Middle East–Europe service (ME1/IOS) with access to a West Mediterranean hub. The suspended ME11/IMX loop deployed ultra-large vessels with an average capacity of 15,000 TEUs to 16,000 TEUs, so space availability on the lane for Indian head-haul loads was substantial. With lower space allocations now offered by Gemini for India-North Europe/Med loadings due to combined operations and comparatively smaller tonnage, existing competing carriers, most notably CMA CGM, have been able to keep their sailings on the routes maxed out and push rates higher, local freight forwarder sources told the Journal of Commerce. CMA CGM serves the India–Mediterranean trade through its “Medex” service, which transits via the Red Sea/Suez Canal, and loads for North Europe on its premier “Epic” loop. According to an analysis of port flow data, CMA CGM’s weekly liftings out of West India for Medex and Epic sailings through April have hit a level of 5,000 TEUs per call on average, thanks to additional volume uptake from that altered supply-demand picture. “All the recent vessels have sailed full despite persistent muted demand conditions,” said a forwarder executive who didn’t want to be identified. “CMA CGM has also benefited to some extent from the rotation update centered on Red Sea cargo demand via Jeddah [Saudi Arabia].” India-Med booking rates gained between $800 to $1,000 per FEU from late March through April before stabilizing over the last week, data from forwarders shows. “While varying from carrier to carrier, spot rates are now in the range of $3,000 to $3,200 per FEU from Nhava Sheva to Port Said or Valencia,” a forwarder executive said. <h3>Middle East inland bottlenecks </h3>Meanwhile, Maersk seems to be dealing with fresh logistics bottlenecks in Middle East-bound trades. The carrier said in a customer advisory that it has temporarily paused new bookings involving extensive land bridge solutions, including shipments to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar via Jeddah and Oman, as well as from Salalah/Sohar in Oman to the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Updates from Middle East-based industry sources who spoke with the Journal of Commerce indicate that a shortage of landside assets, especially trucks, is hindering the ability of carriers to move imports into the region inland. The sources added that CMA CGM is now doing much of its India-Persian Gulf cargo handling via Fujairah in the UAE on the back of a priority service arrangement it set up with port operator AD Ports Group. As a result, the carrier has curtailed Indian calls into the UAE’s Khor Fakkan, the other newfound alternative gateway to Jebel Ali, the sources said. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com.</a></div>

The capacity withdrawn by the Gemini Cooperation from the India–Mediterranean trade following its recent Middle East network adjustments has effectively tightened supply, thus proving a boon for active carrier participants in the market, market sources say. Gemini partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in early March, shortly after the war began, halted their independently branded ME11/IMX network operations linking the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean, and opened a revamped India–Middle East–Europe service (ME1/IOS) with access to a West Mediterranean hub. The suspended ME11/IMX loop deployed ultra-large vessels with an average capacity of 15,000 TEUs to 16,000 TEUs, so space availability on the lane for Indian head-haul loads was substantial. With lower space allocations now offered by Gemini for India-North Europe/Med loadings due to combined operations and comparatively smaller tonnage, existing competing carriers, most notably CMA CGM, have been able to keep their sailings on the routes maxed out and push rates higher, local freight forwarder sources told the Journal of Commerce. CMA CGM serves the India–Mediterranean trade through its “Medex” service, which transits via the Red Sea/Suez Canal, and loads for North Europe on its premier “Epic” loop. According to an analysis of port flow data, CMA CGM’s weekly liftings out of West India for Medex and Epic sailings through April have hit a level of 5,000 TEUs per call on average, thanks to additional volume uptake from that altered supply-demand picture. “All the recent vessels have sailed full despite persistent muted demand conditions,” said a forwarder executive who didn’t want to be identified. “CMA CGM has also benefited to some extent from the rotation update centered on Red Sea cargo demand via Jeddah [Saudi Arabia].” India-Med booking rates gained between $800 to $1,000 per FEU from late March through April before stabilizing over the last week, data from forwarders shows. “While varying from carrier to carrier, spot rates are now in the range of $3,000 to $3,200 per FEU from Nhava Sheva to Port Said or Valencia,” a forwarder executive said. Middle East inland bottlenecks Meanwhile, Maersk seems to be dealing with fresh logistics bottlenecks in Middle East-bound trades. The carrier said in a customer advisory that it has temporarily paused new bookings involving extensive land bridge solutions, including shipments to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar via Jeddah and Oman, as well as from Salalah/Sohar in Oman to the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Updates from Middle East-based industry sources who spoke with the Journal of Commerce indicate that a shortage of landside assets, especially trucks, is hindering the ability of carriers to move imports into the region inland. The sources added that CMA CGM is now doing much of its India-Persian Gulf cargo handling via Fujairah in the UAE on the back of a priority service arrangement it set up with port operator AD Ports Group. As a result, the carrier has curtailed Indian calls into the UAE’s Khor Fakkan, the other newfound alternative gateway to Jebel Ali, the sources said. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com.

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Gemini capacity cutbacks make India-Med market hotter for rival carriers

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">An FMC judge ruled the carrier committed several violations of US shipping law, including unreasonable practices, failure to meet service commitments, and refusal to deal with the now-bankrupt retailer between 2020 and 2022.</div>

An FMC judge ruled the carrier committed several violations of US shipping law, including unreasonable practices, failure to meet service commitments, and refusal to deal with the now-bankrupt retailer between 2020 and 2022.

<div class="phx-topic">OOCL has been ordered to pay over $45 million to bankrupt retailer Bed Bath and Beyond after an administrative law judge ruled the carrier engaged in a pandemic-era practice of refusing the company’s contract cargo in favor of spot bookings and later retaliated against the shipper. In a decision published last week, an administrative law judge for the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) ruled that OOCL committed several violations of US shipping law, including unreasonable practices, failure to meet service commitments, and refusal to deal with Bed Bath and Beyond between 2020 and 2022. The retailer, which went bankrupt in 2023, filed a slew of complaints that same year against <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-looks-to-recoup-millions-from-oocl-in-fmc-complaint-5192741">OOCL</a>, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-files-fmc-complaint-against-yang-ming-in-capacity-dispute-5220648">Yang Ming</a>, HMM, Evergreen Marine, CMA CGM, and Mediterranean Shipping Co., alleging the carriers failed to meet service contract commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead pushed Bed Bath and Beyond’s freight to higher-priced spot bookings. MSC and Bed Bath and Beyond settled their dispute in March. The other cases are still pending. In the OOCL case, the first one filed, the judge found that container bookings Bed Bath and Beyond made with the carrier had to go through OOCL’s internal yield-management software, which allocated space based on revenue and not on the already agreed service contracts. The software would routinely refuse a booking or keep it pending indefinitely with no confirmation, according to the ALJ’s decision, adding that in the case of Bed Bath and Beyond, it would make multiple different bookings to reach its allocated volume, only to have the software reject all of them. While there was some ability to override the system, OOCL was so short-staffed during the pandemic that few people had the ability to handle exceptions, according to the decision. “Throughout 2020-2022, OOCL’s own employees complained that the system did not provide sufficient space to meet minimum quantity commitments [MQCs] and did not function properly,” the judge’s decision said. “Moreover, the evidence shows [the software] was not implemented to ensure sufficient space allocations or the efficient flow of cargo. Rather, the system was used to maximize profits.” OOCL tried to defend the allocation limits it put on shippers, arguing that it had less shipping capacity during the pandemic. However, the judge ruled that US shipping law requires that carriers “must pro-rate their available space among contract shippers as an alternative to possibly acquiring additional capacity.” <h3>Incriminating emails </h3>After multiple complaints from Bed Bath and Beyond about bumped cargo, OOCL offered to put the retailer’s freight on premium services and ad-hoc vessels at higher rates. However, “the extent that these extra loaders created additional capacity, OOCL should have first fulfilled its pre-existing contractual requirements, rather than being utilized only as a premium service or at higher rates,” the judge ruled. Bed Bath and Beyond sent multiple messages to OOCL about its booking practices possibly violating US shipping law. Yet the retailer still sought to negotiate a 2022–23 contract with the carrier. Instead, the company retaliated and refused to deal, the judge’s decision said. An OOCL executive sent an email that said, “Simple solution is to cut back their bookings, then we will have fewer problems with them. With all the customers who want to expand with us, this one jumped to head of the class for deselection.” Another email from an OOCL executive said, “No need to reach out to Bed Bath &amp; Beyond as our rates are purposely higher than what they will ship against.” The emails were entered into evidence as part of the judge’s review. “The evidence shows that OOCL intentionally quoted a reduced MQC and rates so far above market that they cannot be considered a good faith offer or negotiation,” the judge said. OOCL could not be reached for comment. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

OOCL has been ordered to pay over $45 million to bankrupt retailer Bed Bath and Beyond after an administrative law judge ruled the carrier engaged in a pandemic-era practice of refusing the company’s contract cargo in favor of spot bookings and later retaliated against the shipper. In a decision published last week, an administrative law judge for the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) ruled that OOCL committed several violations of US shipping law, including unreasonable practices, failure to meet service commitments, and refusal to deal with Bed Bath and Beyond between 2020 and 2022. The retailer, which went bankrupt in 2023, filed a slew of complaints that same year against OOCL , Yang Ming , HMM, Evergreen Marine, CMA CGM, and Mediterranean Shipping Co., alleging the carriers failed to meet service contract commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead pushed Bed Bath and Beyond’s freight to higher-priced spot bookings. MSC and Bed Bath and Beyond settled their dispute in March. The other cases are still pending. In the OOCL case, the first one filed, the judge found that container bookings Bed Bath and Beyond made with the carrier had to go through OOCL’s internal yield-management software, which allocated space based on revenue and not on the already agreed service contracts. The software would routinely refuse a booking or keep it pending indefinitely with no confirmation, according to the ALJ’s decision, adding that in the case of Bed Bath and Beyond, it would make multiple different bookings to reach its allocated volume, only to have the software reject all of them. While there was some ability to override the system, OOCL was so short-staffed during the pandemic that few people had the ability to handle exceptions, according to the decision. “Throughout 2020-2022, OOCL’s own employees complained that the system did not provide sufficient space to meet minimum quantity commitments [MQCs] and did not function properly,” the judge’s decision said. “Moreover, the evidence shows [the software] was not implemented to ensure sufficient space allocations or the efficient flow of cargo. Rather, the system was used to maximize profits.” OOCL tried to defend the allocation limits it put on shippers, arguing that it had less shipping capacity during the pandemic. However, the judge ruled that US shipping law requires that carriers “must pro-rate their available space among contract shippers as an alternative to possibly acquiring additional capacity.” Incriminating emails After multiple complaints from Bed Bath and Beyond about bumped cargo, OOCL offered to put the retailer’s freight on premium services and ad-hoc vessels at higher rates. However, “the extent that these extra loaders created additional capacity, OOCL should have first fulfilled its pre-existing contractual requirements, rather than being utilized only as a premium service or at higher rates,” the judge ruled. Bed Bath and Beyond sent multiple messages to OOCL about its booking practices possibly violating US shipping law. Yet the retailer still sought to negotiate a 2022–23 contract with the carrier. Instead, the company retaliated and refused to deal, the judge’s decision said. An OOCL executive sent an email that said, “Simple solution is to cut back their bookings, then we will have fewer problems with them. With all the customers who want to expand with us, this one jumped to head of the class for deselection.” Another email from an OOCL executive said, “No need to reach out to Bed Bath & Beyond as our rates are purposely higher than what they will ship against.” The emails were entered into evidence as part of the judge’s review. “The evidence shows that OOCL intentionally quoted a reduced MQC and rates so far above market that they cannot be considered a good faith offer or negotiation,” the judge said. OOCL could not be reached for comment. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

OOCL ordered to pay $45 million for Bed Bath and Beyond’s bumped cargo

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">XPO and other LTL carriers say contract rates are rising by mid-single digits even though industrial demand remains soft, albeit with some bullish indicators apparent. </div>

XPO and other LTL carriers say contract rates are rising by mid-single digits even though industrial demand remains soft, albeit with some bullish indicators apparent.

<div class="phx-topic">US less-than-truckload (LTL) pricing is rising faster than demand, with large publicly-owned carriers reporting contractual rate gains in the mid-single-digit range year over year. The stage is being set for further increases in LTL costs when industrial demand really kicks into higher gear, whether that’s in the second or third quarter or as late as 2027. At XPO, the fourth-largest US LTL provider, rates included in contract renewals rose by mid- to high single-digit percentages in the first quarter, the company said Thursday. Average shipments per day rose 3% year over year to 49,834, although tonnage was flat. First-quarter yield, or revenue per hundredweight, in part a measure of pricing, was up 4% year over year, excluding fuel surcharges. Including fuel, yield was up 5.3% from a year ago. “We had a strong quarter of pricing performance,” XPO CEO Mario Harik said during an earnings call with Wall Street analysts. In the second quarter, “we see an increasingly constructive environment that will drive pricing in the future,” Harik said. That environment includes a US producer price index (PPI) for long-distance LTL that is hitting a record high. The all-inclusive LTL PPI rose 7.2% year over year in March to 278, up from its previous high of 259 in June 2022. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="8afcfdff-15ff-4ec3-8c50-af1aba47062e"></dynamic-object></div>In addition to XPO, national carrier Saia said contract renewal rates rose 6.7% year over year in the first quarter and 7% in March. Knight-Swift Transportation reported LTL contract renewals in the mid-single digit range, while price increases at ArcBest averaged 6%. Several converging factors support LTL price increases. Harik cited new customers, new markets, an expansion of premium services, and improvements in service. “We reduced our damage claims ratio below 0.2% with damages at a record low,” Harik said of the first quarter. “This is the service metric that matters most to LTL customers.” <h3>New shippers, new markets </h3>That service metric translates into higher pricing, Harik told the Journal of Commerce Thursday. And add to that an increase in premium services that comes with a higher price. In an interview, Harik said XPO is also pursuing business in markets beyond the traditional industrial sector, including the healthcare and food and grocery businesses. “Today we have a low single-digit market share in grocery, but in the first quarter we tripled our number of grocery customers on a year-over-year basis,” he said. Although industrial freight represents the lion’s share of LTL business, it’s not the fastest-growing segment. While Purchasing Managers’ Indexes (PMIs) have been positive in 2026, “we’re not seeing a meaningful increase” in industrial freight, Harik said. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="16105334-c54a-4d51-9403-6d5bac8369c4"></dynamic-object></div>That doesn’t mean no increase. “Chemicals are doing well, agricultural equipment is doing well, and automotive is starting to build some sea legs,” Harik said. “Other [manufacturing] sectors are not decelerating anymore.” Other carriers are following similar playbooks. FedEx Freight, the largest US LTL provider by revenue and shipments, is chasing <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fedex-freight-plans-diversification-as-spin-off-date-approaches-6201281">more non-industrial freight</a>, specifically data center, healthcare, energy and grocery loads, the company said earlier this month. Saia is also expanding in grocery and data center markets. When growth in core industrial markets is slow, carriers naturally look elsewhere for additional opportunities. Still, there are signals that industrial freight demand is set to increase. Beyond the improvement in manufacturing PMIs, LTL weight per shipment has been rising, albeit slowly and unevenly, with some carriers seeing more gain than others. “In April, our weight per shipment is up on a year-over-year basis, a little over 1%,” Adam Satterfield, CFO of Old Dominion Freight Line, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/odfl-sees-signs-of-growing-ltl-demand-in-sequential-volume-gain-6211522">said Wednesday</a>. “That’s usually a leading indicator of an improving demand environment.” Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

US less-than-truckload (LTL) pricing is rising faster than demand, with large publicly-owned carriers reporting contractual rate gains in the mid-single-digit range year over year. The stage is being set for further increases in LTL costs when industrial demand really kicks into higher gear, whether that’s in the second or third quarter or as late as 2027. At XPO, the fourth-largest US LTL provider, rates included in contract renewals rose by mid- to high single-digit percentages in the first quarter, the company said Thursday. Average shipments per day rose 3% year over year to 49,834, although tonnage was flat. First-quarter yield, or revenue per hundredweight, in part a measure of pricing, was up 4% year over year, excluding fuel surcharges. Including fuel, yield was up 5.3% from a year ago. “We had a strong quarter of pricing performance,” XPO CEO Mario Harik said during an earnings call with Wall Street analysts. In the second quarter, “we see an increasingly constructive environment that will drive pricing in the future,” Harik said. That environment includes a US producer price index (PPI) for long-distance LTL that is hitting a record high. The all-inclusive LTL PPI rose 7.2% year over year in March to 278, up from its previous high of 259 in June 2022. In addition to XPO, national carrier Saia said contract renewal rates rose 6.7% year over year in the first quarter and 7% in March. Knight-Swift Transportation reported LTL contract renewals in the mid-single digit range, while price increases at ArcBest averaged 6%. Several converging factors support LTL price increases. Harik cited new customers, new markets, an expansion of premium services, and improvements in service. “We reduced our damage claims ratio below 0.2% with damages at a record low,” Harik said of the first quarter. “This is the service metric that matters most to LTL customers.” New shippers, new markets That service metric translates into higher pricing, Harik told the Journal of Commerce Thursday. And add to that an increase in premium services that comes with a higher price. In an interview, Harik said XPO is also pursuing business in markets beyond the traditional industrial sector, including the healthcare and food and grocery businesses. “Today we have a low single-digit market share in grocery, but in the first quarter we tripled our number of grocery customers on a year-over-year basis,” he said. Although industrial freight represents the lion’s share of LTL business, it’s not the fastest-growing segment. While Purchasing Managers’ Indexes (PMIs) have been positive in 2026, “we’re not seeing a meaningful increase” in industrial freight, Harik said. That doesn’t mean no increase. “Chemicals are doing well, agricultural equipment is doing well, and automotive is starting to build some sea legs,” Harik said. “Other [manufacturing] sectors are not decelerating anymore.” Other carriers are following similar playbooks. FedEx Freight, the largest US LTL provider by revenue and shipments, is chasing more non-industrial freight , specifically data center, healthcare, energy and grocery loads, the company said earlier this month. Saia is also expanding in grocery and data center markets. When growth in core industrial markets is slow, carriers naturally look elsewhere for additional opportunities. Still, there are signals that industrial freight demand is set to increase. Beyond the improvement in manufacturing PMIs, LTL weight per shipment has been rising, albeit slowly and unevenly, with some carriers seeing more gain than others. “In April, our weight per shipment is up on a year-over-year basis, a little over 1%,” Adam Satterfield, CFO of Old Dominion Freight Line, said Wednesday . “That’s usually a leading indicator of an improving demand environment.” Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

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<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The STB now has 30 days to decide whether the application is complete; a formal review by the regulator would likely stretch for more than a year and include public hearings.</div>

The STB now has 30 days to decide whether the application is complete; a formal review by the regulator would likely stretch for more than a year and include public hearings.

<div class="phx-topic">Union Pacific (UP) on Thursday refiled its formal application to acquire Norfolk Southern (NS) with US regulators on Thursday, arguing that additional analysis shows the merger would take more freight moves off highways than originally thought. The updated application to the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) calls for 2.1 million truck moves converted to rail, including 1.2 million truckload-to-intermodal conversions. That’s up from 2 million and 1.17 million, respectively, in the original application filed last December that the STB <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/stb-rejects-up-ns-merger-application-as-incomplete-6154074">rejected as “incomplete” in mid-January</a>. UP also revised the number of long-haul drays eliminated annually to 70,000 moves compared with 67,000 in the first application. The eliminated drays would primarily come between Chicago to Ohio and Michigan, and Memphis to Alabama. The revised estimates were made possible because UP received access to other Class I volume data that was not available when it submitted the prior application. The STB now has 30 days to decide whether the application is complete. If the new filing passes that threshold, the formal review by the regulator would likely stretch for more than a year and include public hearings. “I have personally witnessed the benefits to Canada of two transcontinental [freight] railroads,” UP CEO Jim Vena wrote in the new application. “American industry deserves an equally efficient supply chain within its own borders.” Vena also argued that unified rail systems in China, India and Mexico have supported economic growth. He said the merger would save shippers $3.5 billion annually across all commodity groups. For intermodal customers, UP is promising faster service, new long-haul lanes and a slightly larger shift of freight off the highway. But the revised filing also puts more weight on the question regulators and shippers will care about most: Can the network handle that growth without sacrificing reliability? And will the UP-NS combination enhance competition in a way that’s not achievable through better cooperation between railroads? <h3>New and updated routes </h3>The most significant addition for intermodal customers is a new expedited Northern California-to-Southeast service that was not included in the UP’s December filing. The proposed lane would begin in Lathrop, east of Oakland, move through St. Louis and terminate in Charlotte. UP said the service would take 109 hours from origin to destination, versus 108 hours by truck. Containers moving to Atlanta and Jacksonville would connect to a second train in Charlotte for the final leg. The revised filing also addresses the Meridian Speedway, the nearly 300-mile corridor across Louisiana and Mississippi that remains a flashpoint between UP-NS and majority owner Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). In the December filing, UP said it would run 11,000-foot trains over Meridian. But CPKC, which controls traffic on the route, limits train length to 8,500 feet. In the revised filing, UP lowered its average train-length assumption to 9,000 feet and added a provision to split trains as volume grows. The filing also leaves unresolved whether the merged railroad could deliver the projected growth over the Meridian Speedway, as CPKC, not UP-NS, controls all train movements. If trains must be broken into blocks, transit times lengthen and the risk of delay increases. Nevertheless, the service will still likely be faster than the BNSF Railway-CSX Transportation alternative because the length of haul through the Meridian Speedway is much shorter by distance. There was no change to how international intermodal freight will be routed between Southern California and Memphis. UP would still remove 191 ocean containers per day from a train in Greggton, Texas, and place them onto a second train to Memphis.The route would be one of the few examples where a combined railroad would create additional work post-merger, rather than eliminate it, for intermodal customers. It is one of the clearest examples of the merger’s mixed intermodal effect: new conversion opportunities in some lanes, but more complexity and more service risk in others. Other intermodal services in the prior application remain unchanged. UP-NS would add trains from Southern California to New Jersey via Kansas City, bypassing Chicago. The application also keeps proposed services from Lathrop to New Jersey, from Southern California to Detroit, from Laredo to New Jersey, and from Houston to Atlanta. <h3>Trimming capital expenditures </h3>The revised application, however, trims the capital expenditures that UP would lay out to keep the network fluid. The December filing called for more than $1 billion in capital spending on signals, track, sidings and terminals to absorb growth without hurting service. The new filing cuts that sum to $923.3 million, which could raise the prospect of pushback during the public hearings about why UP decided to cut back on infrastructure spending. One of the biggest reductions is at UP’s Houston intermodal terminal. In December, UP said it would add 1,045 parking stalls, two new working tracks and an automated gate to support new Laredo and Houston intermodal trains. In the revised filing, that plan is scaled back to 558 parking spaces and a smaller automated gate, removing about $68 million in spending. UP said the lower investment reflects an updated analysis that shows a lower impact on terminals operations in Houston than originally anticipated. Other projects were dropped altogether. The December application included $7.4 million for 5,205 feet of support track at the Croxton intermodal terminal in New Jersey. That project is no longer in the revised plan. UP left spending unchanged for siding extensions, double-track additions and signal work across the Gulf Coast and Midwest. <h3>Opposition organizing </h3>UP’s revised application will nonetheless face swift resistance. Earlier this week, a new group was formed called the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, which organized existing merger opponents such as BNSF, CPKC, the Teamsters Rail Conference, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the American Chemistry Council under a single umbrella. The group released a report Wednesday that included a survey claiming that 71% of those polled oppose the merger after learning about its impacts, and that 68% believe the merged railroad would keep the promised cost savings for itself rather than pass them onto shippers. “This did not begin with a customer asking for a UP-NS merger to happen,” BNSF CEO Katie Famer said in a statement from Stop the Rail Merger Coalition. “It’s driven by Wall Street on the promise of a big shareholder payout. It will eliminate competition, raise costs for consumers, and destabilize the supply chain that powers the American economy.” Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Union Pacific (UP) on Thursday refiled its formal application to acquire Norfolk Southern (NS) with US regulators on Thursday, arguing that additional analysis shows the merger would take more freight moves off highways than originally thought. The updated application to the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) calls for 2.1 million truck moves converted to rail, including 1.2 million truckload-to-intermodal conversions. That’s up from 2 million and 1.17 million, respectively, in the original application filed last December that the STB rejected as “incomplete” in mid-January . UP also revised the number of long-haul drays eliminated annually to 70,000 moves compared with 67,000 in the first application. The eliminated drays would primarily come between Chicago to Ohio and Michigan, and Memphis to Alabama. The revised estimates were made possible because UP received access to other Class I volume data that was not available when it submitted the prior application. The STB now has 30 days to decide whether the application is complete. If the new filing passes that threshold, the formal review by the regulator would likely stretch for more than a year and include public hearings. “I have personally witnessed the benefits to Canada of two transcontinental [freight] railroads,” UP CEO Jim Vena wrote in the new application. “American industry deserves an equally efficient supply chain within its own borders.” Vena also argued that unified rail systems in China, India and Mexico have supported economic growth. He said the merger would save shippers $3.5 billion annually across all commodity groups. For intermodal customers, UP is promising faster service, new long-haul lanes and a slightly larger shift of freight off the highway. But the revised filing also puts more weight on the question regulators and shippers will care about most: Can the network handle that growth without sacrificing reliability? And will the UP-NS combination enhance competition in a way that’s not achievable through better cooperation between railroads? New and updated routes The most significant addition for intermodal customers is a new expedited Northern California-to-Southeast service that was not included in the UP’s December filing. The proposed lane would begin in Lathrop, east of Oakland, move through St. Louis and terminate in Charlotte. UP said the service would take 109 hours from origin to destination, versus 108 hours by truck. Containers moving to Atlanta and Jacksonville would connect to a second train in Charlotte for the final leg. The revised filing also addresses the Meridian Speedway, the nearly 300-mile corridor across Louisiana and Mississippi that remains a flashpoint between UP-NS and majority owner Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). In the December filing, UP said it would run 11,000-foot trains over Meridian. But CPKC, which controls traffic on the route, limits train length to 8,500 feet. In the revised filing, UP lowered its average train-length assumption to 9,000 feet and added a provision to split trains as volume grows. The filing also leaves unresolved whether the merged railroad could deliver the projected growth over the Meridian Speedway, as CPKC, not UP-NS, controls all train movements. If trains must be broken into blocks, transit times lengthen and the risk of delay increases. Nevertheless, the service will still likely be faster than the BNSF Railway-CSX Transportation alternative because the length of haul through the Meridian Speedway is much shorter by distance. There was no change to how international intermodal freight will be routed between Southern California and Memphis. UP would still remove 191 ocean containers per day from a train in Greggton, Texas, and place them onto a second train to Memphis. The route would be one of the few examples where a combined railroad would create additional work post-merger, rather than eliminate it, for intermodal customers. It is one of the clearest examples of the merger’s mixed intermodal effect: new conversion opportunities in some lanes, but more complexity and more service risk in others. Other intermodal services in the prior application remain unchanged. UP-NS would add trains from Southern California to New Jersey via Kansas City, bypassing Chicago. The application also keeps proposed services from Lathrop to New Jersey, from Southern California to Detroit, from Laredo to New Jersey, and from Houston to Atlanta. Trimming capital expenditures The revised application, however, trims the capital expenditures that UP would lay out to keep the network fluid. The December filing called for more than $1 billion in capital spending on signals, track, sidings and terminals to absorb growth without hurting service. The new filing cuts that sum to $923.3 million, which could raise the prospect of pushback during the public hearings about why UP decided to cut back on infrastructure spending. One of the biggest reductions is at UP’s Houston intermodal terminal. In December, UP said it would add 1,045 parking stalls, two new working tracks and an automated gate to support new Laredo and Houston intermodal trains. In the revised filing, that plan is scaled back to 558 parking spaces and a smaller automated gate, removing about $68 million in spending. UP said the lower investment reflects an updated analysis that shows a lower impact on terminals operations in Houston than originally anticipated. Other projects were dropped altogether. The December application included $7.4 million for 5,205 feet of support track at the Croxton intermodal terminal in New Jersey. That project is no longer in the revised plan. UP left spending unchanged for siding extensions, double-track additions and signal work across the Gulf Coast and Midwest. Opposition organizing UP’s revised application will nonetheless face swift resistance. Earlier this week, a new group was formed called the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, which organized existing merger opponents such as BNSF, CPKC, the Teamsters Rail Conference, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the American Chemistry Council under a single umbrella. The group released a report Wednesday that included a survey claiming that 71% of those polled oppose the merger after learning about its impacts, and that 68% believe the merged railroad would keep the promised cost savings for itself rather than pass them onto shippers. “This did not begin with a customer asking for a UP-NS merger to happen,” BNSF CEO Katie Famer said in a statement from Stop the Rail Merger Coalition. “It’s driven by Wall Street on the promise of a big shareholder payout. It will eliminate competition, raise costs for consumers, and destabilize the supply chain that powers the American economy.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

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