The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced that the third round of tariffs on Chinese goods goes into effect September 24, 2018. The initial tariff is 10%, which will increase to 25% January 1, 2019. More details can be found below.
As a certified Great Place to Work®, we have some of the best employees in the industry. One of those employees is Daniel Yunes, Global Operations and Strategy, who works from the Logistics Plus Global Headquarters in Erie, PA.
This video is included in a series of new “Employee Spotlight” interviews over the coming weeks and months that will showcase many of our diverse employees from around the world. We hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about us and the “people who power the plus” at Logistics Plus.
A special thanks to Danny for his participation in this interview. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to learn more about the employees at Logistics Plus.
The National Hurricane Center expects a storm surge along the coastlines of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, with potential water swells as far north as Maryland. Freshwater flooding is expected due to heavy rainfall. Damaging hurricane force winds are likely along coastal areas and could spread inland into the Carolina’s and Virginia, and potentially Northern Georgia.
You can view all of the latest details regarding Hurricane Florence on the National Hurricane Center Website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Florence
Port Operations
Norfolk: In the last 24 hours, the forecast for Southeastern Virginia has improved significantly. Heavy rain and tropical storm force winds are possible, focused on Friday, September 14 – Saturday, September 15. The forecast for the next 24-36 hours – through Thursday night, September 13 – offers manageable conditions for cargo operations. Per the U.S. Coast Guard, the main shipping channel remains closed at the Virginia Capes. No vessels are currently entering/exiting the port. In the interest of customer service and cargo accessibility, The Port of Virginia announces the following:
Thursday morning, September 13:
TRUCK GATES RE-OPEN at all six Port of Virginia cargo terminals – observe normal/posted operating hours
No TRS reservations required – open hours at all terminals
No empty reefer movement in or out of NIT
PPCY/RSA remain CLOSED – all empties routed to the marine terminals
Please consult the matrix
PCY chassis yard – OPEN
Friday, September 14:
Operating status to be determined and announced by midday on Thursday, September 13
NC Ports: The Port of Wilmington and the Port of Morehead City are currently closed to all vessel traffic. NC State Ports Authority continues its Hurricane Preparation Plan and is taking all necessary steps to protect cargo, facilities and equipment.
Wednesday, September 12:
NC Ports’ terminals in Wilmington and Morehead City are CLOSED to commercial truck traffic, however, tenants have access to both Ports but must complete any storm preparations by 17:00.
Access will only be granted through Wilmington’s South Gate (Container Gate).
Thursday, September 13 through Saturday, September 15:
No access of any kind will be permitted at either Port facility as of 12:00 am Thursday, September 13 through Saturday, September 15.
Once Hurricane Florence passes, and the Port facilities can be evaluated, they will communicate plans concerning re-opening.
Savannah:
Port is open but will continue to track storm.
Baltimore:
Gates are potentially open Thursday, September 13. The vessel channel will remain closed due to channel swells, but the gates remain open.
Rail Updates
CSX Transportation (CSXT):
CSX is enacting comprehensive storm preparations as Hurricane Florence approaches the U.S. mainland. Precautions are being taken to protect rail traffic and assets in advance of this storm. Post-storm recovery planning, including holding trains at intermediate points across the network, is actively underway for rapid restoration of service and infrastructure once the weather moderates and conditions begin to improve.
Portsmouth, VA:
The CSXT-served Portsmouth, VA terminal closed Tuesday, September 11, at 1700 and will remain closed through the storm.
Charleston, SC:
The CSXT-served Charleston, SC rail terminal will close Wednesday, September 12, at 1700 and remain closed through the storm.
Final train arrivals and departures to/from Charleston will be aligned to the terminal closure and subject to change as more information becomes available.
Savannah, GA:
Closing rail ramp gates to Savannah as of Sept 12 1900
At this time, all other CSX Intermodal Terminals are maintaining normal gate hours, subject to change as more information becomes available. Customers should expect an interruption in train service for traffic in the mid-Atlantic / I-95 corridor as the storm approaches and continuing as the storm moves through the region.
Norfolk Southern (NS):
As of Sept 10, there is an inland embargo – stop acceptance of cargo at all inland points feeding into Norfolk, and the rail is closed in Charleston as of Tues Sept 11 17:00.
Trucking Update
Truck power after 12:00 EST today Sept 12, will be limited to non-existent due to road closures and limited staff at warehouses, ramps, etc. This covers Coastal Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and likely Georgia. Should Maryland be affected we will be updating with more information to come.
September 9-15, 2018 is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW). Please join NTL and Logistics Plus in honoring all professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment in tackling one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. These 3.5 million professional men and women not only deliver our goods safely, securely and on time, they also keep our highways safe.
PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVERS AND THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY:
Professional truck drivers drove over 273.9 billion miles in 2015, more than double 25 years ago. Those miles accounted for 14.2% of all motor vehicle miles and 29.8% of all truck miles.
The trucking industry paid $41.3 billion in federal and state highway taxes in 2014, and represented 12.1 percent of vehicles on the road. The trucking industry paid $18.7 billion in federal highway-user taxes and $22.6 billion in state highway-user taxes in 2015.
The trucking industry consumed 54.3 billion gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline in 2016. Based on consumption and price, ATA reported that motor carriers spent $142.9 billion in 2015.
The federal fuel tax for diesel in 2015 is 24.4 cents per gallon; the average state tax for diesel fuel was 27.4 cents per gallon.
There are 3.63 million class 8 trucks on the road in the United States and 11.7 million commercial trailers were registered in 2015.
There are 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States. Total industry employment is 7.4 million or one out of every 16 people working in the United States.
There are 586,014 for-hire carriers and 747,781 private carriers in the United States; 97.3 percent of them have fewer than 20 trucks and 90.8 are operating six trucks or less.
In 2016, the trucking industry hauled 10.55 billion tons of freight, or 70.9 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage. Rail was the next busiest mode, moving 13.8 percent of the nation’s freight tonnage.
In 2016, the trucking industry was an astounding $738.9 billion industry, representing 81.5 percent of the nation’s freight bill.
More than 80 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities.
A new truck produces one-tenth the fine particulate emissions and smog-forming NOx emissions as a similar truck manufactured just seven years ago.
Fine particulate emissions from on-road diesel trucks have been cut by more than half over the past decade.
Congratulations to Francisco Tijerina on becoming an official U.S. citizen today! Francisco joined Logistics Plus in 2002, and today he heads up business development and operations for the LP Mexico division. What a great achievement for one of the nicest and humblest guys you could know (he’s so humble, he begrudgingly allowed us to share his internal note and photos below).
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To my LP colleagues:
Just wanted to share with you my happiness.
September 7th, 2018, marks a very important milestone in my life.
Today I had the honor of becoming an American Citizen, in a very deep and special ceremony.
Joe Schember, Erie’s Major, was within the special guests, and gave a really welcoming speech, it was for sure a nice touch. I’ve been in other ceremonies, where friends got their citizenship, and maybe because this was mine, but I felt this was different. He made us, me and the other 48 people – from 22 different countries – receiving the citizenship, feel not just welcome, but also needed in Erie. Of course he also reminded us of the responsibilities we are receiving as well.
16 years ago I started this journey, with many dreams and little expectations (I was young and naive!!!), and today I celebrate each moment that has helped me to get to this point.
Thanks to every and each one of you, you have been with me through this journey, thought me many things, and it is fair to share the happiness with you.
The National Hurricane Center expects a storm surge along the coastlines of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, with potential water swells as far north as Maryland. Freshwater flooding is expected due to heavy rainfall. Damaging hurricane force winds are likely along coastal areas and could spread inland into the Carolina’s and Virginia, and potentially Northern Georgia.
The federal fuel tax for diesel in 2015 is 24.4 cents per gallon; the average state tax for diesel fuel was 27.4 cents per gallon.