Can green shipping scheme learn to ‘herd cats’?

This article provides a valuable perspective on sustainability. There seems to be, despite all odds, a rising tide of concern about the environment and sustainability behavior for maritime firms. Investors and insurers are starting to pay close attention to how ocean carriers and ships themselves are matching up to green standards. They want disclosure and frequent reporting of consistent, meaningful measures, not greenwashing.

So the odd news release isn’t enough. A company needs a sustainability charter and plan with measures of their progress in greening their business. It’s costly if you actually have to do concrete things, like replacing ships, installing scrubbers, and taking care of seafarers. Some companies are far ahead of others on this path. And it seems that now those firms will attract the investment they need, whereas others will need to work much harder to get it, at potentially higher rates.

It’s good for sustainability, and for the global environment. Economic pressure is what gets sustainability done.

Greg Miller, Senior Editor Thursday, October 8, 2020

Can green shipping scheme lick ‘herding cats’ dilemma? – FreightWaves

Truckers counter ocean carrier effort to dismiss chassis complaint

It goes on and on. Truckers at ports are constantly being rattled by individual contract specifications that are probable violations of law. Chassis, as usual, are one of the flash points. There’s always something new to write about when we look at chassis use around ports.

The article has a series of links to past stories in this chain of events, making it quite easy to follow. At play is a $1.8 billion lawsuit against OCEMA, the ocean carriers’ vehicle for providing chassis for their containers.

Because of US liability laws the ocean carriers didn’t want to own chassis in the US. They then found that in the US they could not force truckers to own chassis. there’s a nice game theoretic reason why that won’t work economically. So they (and others) had to create pools. But now they want to control the pool activities. You can’t have it both ways– be out of the business, and running it at the same time!

Chris GillisTuesday, October 6, 2020

Truckers counter ocean carrier effort to dismiss chassis complaint – FreightWaves

Rail shippers say admin and maintenance service is falling behind with PSR

Is PSR just another shorthand for cost cutting? It seems shippers think they are getting more financial responsibility for admin and maintenance now that most class I rails have adopted PSR practices.

Firms are usually trying to save money. And with the declines and constraints of COVID-19, I’m sure cost cutting is being practiced. but are shippers seeing the short end of the stick on important practices?

It would not surprise me; perhaps rails need a warning to shape up.

AUTHOR

Emma Cosgrove @emmacos

Link: https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/rail-shippers-admin-maintenance-service-falling-behind-PSR/585691