Month in Review – July 2024
Maritime
July 1: Schedule Reliability for Boxships Rebounds to Highest Level in 2024 – The Maritime Executive
Schedule reliability for the container segment rebounded from the lows of January and April to reach the highest point in 2024. While the industry has been able to stabilize after the shocks caused by the Red Sea diversions, it remains far behind its post-pandemic performance, while Maersk is warning customers that the pain is going to continue.
Data intelligence firm Sea-Intelligence released its monthly analysis of global trade reports showing a rebound on the container liner routes to nearly 56 percent, which is the highest for the year. However, in the mid-50s, the rate is at the same levels as in late 2022 and 10 percentage points behind the recovery in 2023.
“This is now the highest schedule reliability figure for 2024,” notes Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence. “Schedule reliability in May 2024 was 11 percent points lower,” he notes versus year-ago levels.
July 3: Managing Freight Spend the Main Concern as Red Sea Crisis Drags On – The Loadstar
Managing freight spend is the biggest concern for shippers and forwarders, as the supply chain volatility driving ocean rate hikes appears to have no end in sight.
In Xeneta’s mid-year ocean freight update, CEO and co-founder Patrik Berglund said: “Carriers were expecting to record massive financial losses in 2024, but the skyrocketing spot market will see them deliver a full-year profit, which seemed improbable six months ago.”
According to a Xeneta poll, ‘managing freight spend’ is the biggest concern for shippers and forwarders this year, 46% listing it as a primary challenge.
Xeneta chief analyst Peter Sand said: “It’s the one thing that is the mother of all that has to do with maritime supply chains and logistics – freight spend and the disruption that may or may not come about.”
July 4: South-East Asia Transshipment Call Omissions a Blow to India’s Exporters – The Loadstar
Indian shippers are being hit by a wave of late vessel arrivals and port call omissions, as Red Sea-linked schedule disruptions continue to wreak havoc on container supply chains.
The majority of schedule disruptions are tied to connections serving Asia and Middle East trades, due to congestion plaguing leading hub ports in the region.
Amid the schedule disruptions, Indian shippers and forwarders are also reporting serious space problems on vessels through July.
“Congestion continues to create havoc in the supply chain,” said one executive at a Mumbai-based industrial group. “Deteriorating schedule reliability has added to the longer transit times linked to the Red Sea crisis,” the executive said.
July 5: U.S. Court of Appeals Calls FMC “Illogical,” Awarding D&D Fee Win to Evergreen – The Maritime Executive
Evergreen won an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. in a case over the application of detention and demurrage fees (D&D) that could be a significant blow in the long-running battle between shippers and carriers over the hotly contested fees. While on face value the case was over $510 in fees, the court found that the Federal Maritime Commission was “illogical in its position,” siding with the Taiwan-based carrier that the government regulator had a “myopic focus” and was acting in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner.
July 7: ILWU Local 514 Issues Strike Notice, CIRB Determines It Contravenes Canada Labour Code – BCMEA bargaining updates
ILWU Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514 (ILWU Local 514) on July 6 provided formal 72-hour notice of intended strike action against DP World (Canada) Inc. to commence on July 8.
Later that day, the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) requested urgent interim intervention by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). Specifically, it asked the Board to declare proposals and strike action of ILWU Local 514 contrary to the Canada Labour Code.
CIRB met on July 7 to address this request. It determined that ILWU Local 514’s declaration of strike action against DP World (Canada) Inc. is in contravention of the Code. CIRB found that the union failed to bargain in good faith when it conducted a strike vote amongst employees of only one member employer of the BCMEA and issued a strike notice based on that strike vote. Accordingly, CIRB directed the union to rescind the strike notice of July 5 and advise members that it is rescinded.
Furthermore, CIRB found that the union’s Nanaimo dispatch proposal was illegal because it consists of a receding horizon in bargaining and amounts to a failure to bargain in good faith. Therefore, the Board directed the union to withdraw its proposal.
July 8: Maersk Warns of Shipping Delays in South Africa due to Extreme Weather – Transport Topics
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S warned extreme weather conditions and a storm surge lashing the South African coast are expected to cause shipping delays.
An intense cold front bringing snow to some areas of the country is resulting in damaging coastal winds, rains and waves that threaten infrastructure, the South African Weather Service said. High-speed winds could also pose difficulty to navigation in some offshore areas.
There has been an increase in vessels using the route as ships avoid attacks in the Red Sea. The impact of the disruption has been most acutely felt in container shipping, with about 690 vessels currently sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.
The conditions “will impact vessel movement and operations” along the South African coastline, over the next few days, especially between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, where the worst impact may occur, Maersk said in a statement on July 8. “Vessels are expected to seek shelter/alter their course to avoid the impacted areas, please expect delays over the next few days.”
July 9: ‘Usual’ Shortage of Seasonal Workers Creating Delays on Europe’s Waterways – The Loadstar
Shortages of seasonal workers have prompted delays across Europe’s inland waterways, leaving many in the sector aggrieved at the failure to address the years-long problem.
According to barge operator Contargo, delays hit 44 hours and 72 hours at Antwerp and Rotterdam, respectively, with one source in the sector highlighting the issue neither industry nor government had “bothered to address.”
“This is nothing new, we see it each summer: the typical seasonal worker shortages across inland terminals,” said the source.
“Every holiday season we experience this challenge from the start of July until the end of August. But it has become more worrying that it seems to be accepted and that no one wants to address it, particularly with Rotterdam’s box capacity set to double by 2033.”
July 9: Singapore Container Ship Logjam Spills Over to Malaysian Port – American Journal of Transportation
Container ship congestion in Singapore, one of Asia’s busiest ports, is spreading to neighbouring Malaysia, snarling supply chains and causing delays in the movement of consumer goods.
Around 20 container vessels are anchored in a cluster off Port Klang, on the western coast of Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur. Both Klang and Singapore sit on the Straits of Malacca, a vital waterway that links Europe and the Middle East to East Asia.
July 9: German Seaports Brought to Standstill by Strikes Ahead of Wage Negotiations – The Maritime Executive
German labour union Ver.di called another round of “warning strikes” at the major container ports starting on July 9 and continuing into July 10 ahead of the next round of wage and contract negotiations. The union openly says its objective is to pressure terminal operators represented by ZDS (Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe) into a deal, while calling the previous offers “inadequate” to keep up with inflation and the demands of the job.
Dockworkers staged a series of strikes during June tied to each of the three prior rounds of negotiations. Under German labour law, the union is free to call these short-duration “warning strikes” without conducting full votes of the membership each time. Negotiations began in May on the new contract for 11,500 employees at German North Sea ports.
Workers at the port of Hamburg walked off the job on the morning of July 9, at the start of the first shift of the day, and began protests in the port area. This strike was scheduled to continue through all three shifts on July 10, with Ver.di reporting there would also be a larger protest rally that day.
The port of Bremen/Bremerhaven joined in the strike on the afternoon of July 9 with its walkout scheduled to continue till the first shift on July 10. While Bremerhaven was due to resume work, dockworkers at the westernmost seaport of Edem were due to walk off the job for the full shift on July 10.
July 10: Storms Continue to Pound South African Coast – American Journal of Transportation
Storms pounded South Africa’s coastline for a fourth day on July 10, disrupting shipping operations, with massive swells forcing the evacuation of a cargo ship.
State-owned port operator Transnet SOC Ltd. said it was monitoring harbour operations impacted by the extreme weather. Vessel traffic rounding the Cape of Good Hope, which has increased as shippers seek to avoid attacks in the Red Sea, has encountered offshore storm surges, with swells forecast as high as 10 metres (32.8 feet).
July 12: Shortage of Reefer Boxes Plays Havoc with India’s Export Schedules – The Loadstar
Indian cool chain shippers could miss some export order commitments to western buyers for the upcoming holiday season because of their inability to secure sufficient reefer containers.
While an equipment shortage was expected to be widespread in the context of longer turnaround times, the pressure seems to be especially worrisome on refrigerated boxes.
“Reefer inventory is becoming a major challenge for all trades [out of India],” said one sales executive at a leading carrier. “But we are able to provide dry containers almost normally now,” the source claimed.
The executive said there were efforts to reposition more reefer containers into India to mitigate the developing crisis for shippers and forwarders.
Other carrier sources cited inventory management challenges. One senior operations manager at a European carrier said: “We are operating in abnormal times.”
July 12: FMC Defers Approval of Maersk-Hapag Cooperation for Competitive Review – The Maritime Executive
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission on July 12 reported that it is deferring its review and approval of the proposed Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. The commission said it requires additional information on the “potential competitive impacts of the arrangement”; both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd responded saying it is “fairly standard” from the FMC, noting the cooperation is not due to begin till February 2025.
“The Commission has determined that the Gemini Cooperative Agreement as submitted lacks sufficient detail to allow for a complete analysis of its potential competitive impacts,” the FMC wrote in its statement. It is invoking its Request for Additional Information, which defers the approval that otherwise would have happened 45 days after the filing. The commission will also now conduct a 15-day public comment period.
July 15: German Port Workers to Vote on Contract Proposals After Multiple Strikes – The Maritime Executive
Germany’s Ver.di union has decided to present two possible alternatives for a new dockworkers’ contract to the membership for comments after four rounds of contentious negotiations. Ver.di says it will determine its response after the membership survey to what the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) called its final offer.
The contract for 11,000 port workers expired at the end of May. The union staged a series of warning strikes during June and July, bringing cargo shipments and containers to a halt at major ports ranging from Hamburg to Bremerhaven and Edem. The stoppages ranged from one to two days at a time, with carriers such as Maersk warning that they could be forced to divert ships or experience delays.
“The offer falls short of expectations,” the union’s Federal Collective Bargaining Committee said after the fourth round ended on July 12. They noted however that the employers had accepted some of their demands, including a financial bonus and compensation for the stress of shift work.
July 19: Kaohsiung the Latest Victim of Asia’s Container Congestion Contagion – The Loadstar
The container congestion contagion effect appears to be manifesting itself in Taiwan with a recent build-up of boxes in its main gateway of Kaohsiung.
Congestion in south-east Asia’s key ports has prompted liner operators to divert transshipment containers to Taiwan’s main container port which, in turn, placed Kaohsiung’s road infrastructure under pressure as more trucks are needed to ferry containers between terminals.
A representative of the country’s port authority, Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC), said: “Mainline operators have been omitting calls to Singapore, Port Klang and Vietnam’s Cai Mep port due to congestion caused by disrupted schedules attributed to the Red Sea crisis. So they decided to divert some containers to Kaohsiung to be transshipped instead.”
Consequently, Kaohsiung processed 815,000 containers in June, up 13% year-on-year. Of this, transshipments comprised 375,000 containers, a 12% year-on-year increase.
EconDB’s data shows that in Kaohsiung, dwell time is seven days for inbound containers, nine days for outbound containers and eight days for transshipments.
July 22: U.S. FMC Finalizes Rule for Assessing Ocean Carriers’ Denial of Cargo Space – gCaptain
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has published its final rule defining what constitutes an “unreasonable refusal to deal or negotiate with respect to vessel space accommodations.”
The rule delineates the standards for assessing whether a refusal by an ocean common carrier (VOCC) is unreasonable and thus violates federal regulations. Specifically, it differentiates between refusals occurring during the “negotiation” phase and those during the “execution” phase.
Each claim brought before the FMC under these sections will be evaluated individually, ensuring that the unique facts and circumstances of each case are considered. Not every refusal by a VOCC will be deemed a violation; if a carrier can substantiate a reasonable basis for their refusal, they will not be found in breach of the law.
July 24: Bangladesh ‘Jam-Packed’ with Cargo as Curfew and Internet Restrictions Continue – The Loadstar
Bangladesh cargo flows have resumed after the government restored limited internet connections for airport, emergency services, hospitals and port operators on July 23.
The country’s imports and exports took a massive hit after internet connections were cut on July 18 and a curfew enforced on July 20 – although this has been partially lifted to facilitate shopping and business activities – in response to student protests over job quota reforms.
Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association secretary general Ruhul Amin Sikder said depots had some 5,000 TEU of laden containers ready for shipment.
“Today we are sending and bringing containers from the port,” he said, but he noted that, with the internet outage impeding customs entries, some 8,000 to 10,000 TEU of export containers could not be shipped during the chaos.
July 26: Container Shipping Rates Dip for First Time in Months as Restock Rally Fades – Supply Chain Brain
Spot rates for shipping containers fell for the first time in almost three months amid signs demand is cooling, after U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and other trade disruptions sparked an earlier-than-usual peak season for restocking.
The Drewry World Container Index composite of eight major trade lanes dropped 2.2% to $5,806 for a 40-foot unit, snapping a 12-week-long advance, according to figures released on July 25. That’s still about three times higher than the rate posted at the end of 2023, when cargo ships started diverting en masse away from the Red Sea to avoid Houthi attacks.
July 30: Box Lines Set for Price Hikes in August to Halt Asia-U.S. West Coast Rate Slide – The Loadstar
Mainline operators are looking for a price hike in Asia-U.S. West Coast rates in mid-August to undo the recent correction.
Hikes of $1,000 per 40ft have been announced for August 15, by carriers hoping to halt the declines of the past three weeks.
On July 26, the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index showed Shanghai-U.S. West Coast rates lost about 7% from the previous week, averaging $6,663 per 40ft, although this remained above the $1,943 of a year ago.
Air
July 16: ‘Unfair’ IATA CASS Rules Put ‘Severe Financial Strain’ on Forwarders – The Loadstar
IATA is causing “severe financial strain” for start-up and SME forwarders that could propel them out of business.
The airline association has been accused of anti-competitive and unfair commercial practices, and could face legal action as forwarders look to complain to national competition authorities.
The problems stem from an October 2022 change in IATA’s resolutions that means CASS associates are now obliged to provide financial guarantees to be able to access the payments system.
Companies say that not only are the rules unfair, but also the wrong formula is being applied.
July 17: IATA ‘Taking a Sledgehammer to Problem That Needs a Little Tack Hammer’ – The Loadstar
The forwarding industry has questioned IATA’s decision to require ‘potentially ruinous’ financial securities for some companies wishing to use CASS, its settlement system.
New offices, new company names or new locations – even for established forwarders – could result in the need to give IATA 20% of air cargo sales turnover in deposits, or expensive bank guarantees.
Turgut Erkeskin, president of FIATA, said: “It’s worth noting that the current payment success rate of forwarders to carriers stands at an impressive 99.99%. Therefore, there’s another valid argument for relaxing guarantee rules in light of this exceptional track record.”
Bill Gottlieb, former FIATA and CIFFA president [and current Chair of CIFFA’s Airfreight Committee], added: “CASS came out of the passenger settlements system, which involves travel agents. On the travel agency side, there is a greater risk of fraud.
“In cargo, we are a very compliant, very disciplined industry in terms of payments. In general, IATA makes it worse. But we pay our truckers. We pay our steamship companies. Otherwise, how long are we going to be in business if we don’t pay? A week, a month, two months? You know you’re going to fade away if you don’t pay.
“So show us, where are the numbers? What are we talking about here? And if we’re talking about .00 decimal places, why do you need a sledgehammer to deal with something a little tack hammer can resolve?”
July 18: Trade Associations Urge ‘Uncontactable’ IATA to Play Fair Over CASS – The Loadstar
Industry associations have joined the attack on IATA’s “potentially ruinous” financial security requirements for companies wishing to become CASS associates.
Forwarders that have failed to get satisfactory responses from IATA have turned to TIACA and FIATA to help, as well as national competition authorities.
Glyn Hughes, secretary general of TIACA, said he was concerned that the IATA process was unfair, and could harm industry growth.
Turgut Erkeskin, FIATA president, said: “It’s evident that SME freight forwarders are facing challenges due to the new financial security guarantees introduced by IATA.”
July 18: Cargo Logjam at Dhaka Airport as Clearing and Forwarding Agents Strike – The Loadstar
Over 1,500 tonnes of export-import cargo is waiting at Dhaka Airport in Bangladesh, following a three-day strike by clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents protesting against the introduction of an express delivery system.
The customs authority introduced a new rule on June 6 allowing courier services to assess cargo weighing below 30kg themselves, which helped importers receive cargo within two days – which also allowed for faster exports – but meant C&F agents lost business.
Shipments handled by C&F agents are slower; importers must wait around a week for their cargo, resulting in factories being forced to delay production.
The C&F agents temporarily suspended the strike on July 16, but warned they would strike again on July 22 unless a memorandum of understanding facilitating their business is signed by July 21.
Boxes have piled up at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), exacerbated by a government holiday following the strike, meaning cargo was not delivered for four days. Stakeholders say it will take at least a week to clear the backlog.
July 31: Airfreight Rates Remain Stable Despite July Global IT Outage – Air Cargo News
The latest data from airfreight price reporting agency TAC Index shows that global air cargo rates only edged up in the week ending July 29.
That news came as a surprise, given the massive global IT outage of July 18.
The overall Baltic Air Freight Index calculated by TAC in the week to July 29 was only 0.7% higher than the week previously (and 8% up over the same period 12 months ago).
“After the major global IT outage on July 18, some observers expected the disruption to cause a further bump in air cargo rates, which have already been relatively strong for the summer season,” TAC said in its latest market update.
Overall, rates maintained the firm tone of recent months – particularly out of Asia, where there has been a continuing boom in e-commerce. The index of outbound routes from Hong Kong rose by 1% week on week, for example, leaving it up by 21.8% year on year.
Rail
July 1: Canadian Rail Workers Keep Window Open for Strike – Supply Chain Dive
Represented workers from Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern overwhelmingly voted in favour of going on strike unless they get a new labour deal, the union announced on June 29.
The result of the vote by more than 9,200 Canadian railroad workers does not mean a strike is imminent. It does, however, position members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to conduct a work stoppage unless members receive a new contract to replace its previous deal that expired on December 31, 2023.
This is the second time the union has authorized a strike this year. Members previously approved a strike on May 1, which positioned the union to begin a work stoppage on May 22.
However, intervention by Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Labour, closed that strike window, as he requested the Canada Industrial Relations Board to investigate whether a work stoppage would impact Canadians’ health and safety.
July 3: CN Announces Net-Zero Target Approved by Science Based Targets Initiative – American Journal of Transportation
CN has announced that its net zero by 2050 target has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In using a science-based approach to its climate commitments, CN and the broader North American rail industry are aligned to reducing emissions and decarbonizing to deliver a sustainable future for all.
“At CN, we are focused on the long-term success and sustainability of our business,” said Tracy Robinson, President and CEO of CN. “We know that we cannot achieve our commitments alone, which is why we continue to collaborate with fuel producers and locomotive manufacturers, supply chain partners, governments, customers and peers in support of an effective transition to a low-carbon future.”
July 11: Port of Montreal Completes Rail Optimization Project – Port of Montreal press release
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has completed its extensive project to optimize rail capacity, a flagship project to improve the performance and fluidity of its logistics services. Phased in over three years at a total cost of $62.4 million, this ambitious project that extends from Bourbonnière Avenue to Panet Street, near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, signals a major increase in the Port of Montreal’s rail capacity.
Through the project, the MPA installed two new tracks totalling 6 km of additional track and six switches to serve the 14 terminals and relocated the Port Road and all related infrastructure (sewer, water supply, power and telecom networks, etc.).
July 12: CIRB to Issue Decision on August 9
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) informed CPKC and CN on July 12 that it intends to issue its decision regarding the Ministerial Referral on the maintenance of activities by Friday, August 9. The CIRB will issue the decision without holding oral hearings.
This development helps provide some predictability regarding the timelines for a potential work stoppage because the parties cannot legally take strike or lockout action prior to the CIRB issuing its decision and must then provide a minimum of 72 hours’ notice.
CPKC update: The railway has asked the CIRB to extend the cooling-off period by 30 days and has proposed to the union that the parties resolve this labour dispute through binding arbitration.
July 31: A Canadian Rail Strike Is Likely in Late August, CPKC CEO Keith Creel Says – FreightWaves
With labour negotiations at a standstill, a Canadian rail strike is likely to occur in late August, Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel said on July 30.
CPKC and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are still talking but remain far apart on a new contract, Creel said on the railway’s second quarter earnings call.
The Canadian Industrial Relations Board has said it will release a decision by August 9 on what commodities are vital to health and safety and must keep moving during a work stoppage.
Members of the TCRC, which represents engineers and conductors on CPKC and Canadian National, have voted to authorize a strike that could begin with 72 hours notice once the CIRB decision is issued.
Trucking
July 10: U.S. EPA Heavy-Truck GHG Rule Drawing Legal Fire – Today’s Trucking
Upon its release on March 29, the U.S. EPA’s latest final rule on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for new heavy trucks was met with stiff resistance by trucking interest groups.
Their initial salvos were strongly worded press releases countering EPA claims justifying the rulemaking. Now, they’ve escalated to launching lawsuits against the rule’s provisions. And environmental and health safety groups that aim to protect the rule are filing their own lawsuits to defend the rule as it is written.
July 18: CTA Warns of Potential Border Ramifications of CDC Dog Import Rules – CTA press release
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will implement a policy on August 1 that has the potential to cause significant disruption to commercial vehicle travel and all cross-border trade, says the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA).
In its recent correspondence on CDC’s upcoming dog importation rules, the Alliance is asking U.S. and Canadian trade committees to put pressure on decision makers to bring common sense to the situation before the August 1 deadline. Specifically, CTA is requesting the implementation of this rule be delayed until at least January 2025, or until the CDC and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have agreed that all issues have been addressed. The Alliance says pushing the deadline back will boost compliance and protect pets travelling with cross-border truck drivers.
If implemented as currently outlined, the policy could delay shipments carried by commercial drivers who are travelling with their dogs, which could potentially lead to a logjam in secondary inspection and cause backups that would impact all truck drivers, whether they’re travelling with a dog or not. There is also lack of clarity around how border admissibility will be impacted, and how truck drivers and their loads will be treated if unintentional noncompliance occurs.
The risk of these potential ramifications remains difficult to understand, as Canada remains a low-risk country for the spread of rabies. The CFIA states that dog rabies is currently not present in Canada.
July 22: Requirements Simplified for Taking Dogs into U.S. from Rabies-Free, Low-Risk Countries – Global News
The rules for Canadians wanting to travel with their dogs across the border to the United States starting on August 1 will now be easier than from some other countries.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs that have spent the prior six months only in dog rabies-free or low-risk rabies countries, such as Canada, will now be able to enter with a CDC import form online submission receipt as acceptable documentation.
This form can be filled out on the day of travel and the receipt can be shown to airlines and border officials as a printed copy or by phone. The receipt will be good for travel into the U.S. for six months from the date of issuance, including multiple entries. All dogs entering the United States must have a microchip and be over six months of age.
July 23: U.S. FMCSA Pleads with Congress for More Power to Punish Brokered-Freight Fraudsters – Overdrive
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a report to Congress this week on “Unlawful Brokerage Activities,” and essentially admitted it can’t crack down on bad actors without some serious help.
The report comes amid widespread hacks hobbling major load boards and brokers reporting “hemorrhaging” cash to freight fraudsters as the problem seems to grow nearly unchecked, but it’s written in response to an appropriations bill passed in 2022 that required FMCSA to ensure compliance with 49 U.S.C. 14916, Unlawful Brokerage Activities.
The report seeks to fully spell out FMCSA’s current route toward assessing fines for what it calls “commercial violations,” likewise “alternative enforcement mechanisms for unlawful brokerage activities” available to the agency. Also at issue is “whether new legislative authority or the clarification of existing legislative authority is necessary to address unlawful brokerage adequately,” the report states. “Additionally, this report addresses safety concerns arising from unlawful brokerage activities.”
July 24: B.C.’s CVSE Now Posting Carrier Safety Data – Today’s Trucking
Beginning this month, the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) branch in B.C. is posting a list of carriers holding a valid National Safety Code (NSC) safety certificate issued by the province.
The list will be updated monthly and will provide the public with information including: the carrier’s legal name and home city; its certificate status (Active, No Active Vehicles or Suspended); its safety rating; and number of registered vehicles.
The CVSE will also be posting a monthly listing of B.C. carriers whose authorities have been canceled for cause.
Both listings can be found on CVSE’s website, at www.cvse.ca.
July 26: Trucking Groups Say Some Carriers Abusing LMIA to Recruit Foreign Workers – Today’s Trucking
Trucking association executives say that a key component of the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program is being abused, with foreign workers paying tens of thousands of dollars for an opportunity to live and work in Canada.
“The Canadian Trucking Alliance on many occasions has seen unusual activity in our sector and irregularities when it comes to some carriers and the number of approved LMIAs [Labour Market Impact Assessments] they have,” said Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and Ontario Trucking Association.
“In some cases, we can see some companies with huge numbers of approved LMIAs in proportion to their fleet size. This should be an obvious red flag for authorities that draws questions as to why more drivers are required than trucks registered to the fleets.”
July 31: Highway 16 to Open to Commercial Traffic ‘Imminently’ as Jasper Wildfire Continues to Burn Out of Control – CBC News
While out-of-control wildfires continue to burn and smoulder in Jasper, the critical highway route through the national park is set to reopen to commercial traffic.
“The Government of Alberta understands this is an important economic corridor and it’s a priority for us to get large trucks and tractor-trailers passing through the park again,” Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said on July 31.
CIFFA Advocacy, Communications, Activities
July 30: CIFFA Brief to Industrial Inquiry Commission
On July 30, CIFFA submitted a brief to the Industrial Inquiry Commission on the topic of the underlying issues in longshoring labour disputes at Canada’s West Coast ports pursuant to Section 108 of the Canada Labour Code.
