Category Archives: Logistics

Oil train tank cars need upgrades

Posted on April 10, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Tank cars aren’t safe enough to carry oil, and explosive train wrecks will result.  And by the time we build them, will the oil boom become a bust, and the cars won’t be needed?  Or will new pipelines reduce the need for this mode?  Where should our transportation infrastructure capital be spent?  Should oil be going in trains anyway?

HomeUS safety board: Oil train tank cars need upgrades.

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Posted in Logistics, Supply Chains, Sustainability

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World’s largest container ship enters Panama Registry

Posted on April 10, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Thanks to Ana Casaca for this item.  It’s notable that the drive for large ships is being motivated in part by environmental concerns.  Such a large vessel is 35% more efficient than smaller ones, and 35% less polluting.    There are 20 more in new build.

Panama_Maritime_Authority_new.jpgWorld’s largest container ship enters the Panama Registry | Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide.

 

Do these large ships increase port congestion? Some think so.  Port operators need to react and design clever ways of coping with the sudden arrival of almost 20000 containers each anxious to be on its way.  Are they up to it?

The fate of some ports depends on solving this dilemma fast.

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Posted in Logistics, Shipping, Strategy, Supply Chains

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Canadian National to move more heavy oil from Western Canada

Posted on April 10, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Canadian National is a big player in the trend to move oil by rail.  they will be running unit trains to the East Coast and Gulf Coast.  Since Canadian sands oil is heavier and less flammable, safety will not be as big an issue. Two of my students wrote an interesting research paper on the impact of lower energy prices on logistics.  One of them was in the oil industry.  They concluded that more oil would be moving by rail and congestion and shortages of rail service for other products would be the result.  Looks like that is playing out, despite the low prices for oil

Platts  Canadian National plans to move more heavy barrels from Western Canada – Oil | Platts News Article & Story.

 

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Posted in Logistics