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Atlanta « Chicago « Houston « Los
Angeles « Miami « New
York « Oakland « Seattle a January 2012 V9.1 publication by Sea Shipping Line (California) Inc - circulation >1850 |
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And Yet Another New Year! Please let Sea Shipping Line be one of the first to welcome you to 2012! The year has a nice vibration and we are optimistic of an even better year than 2011. We have a lot of things to talk about this month, so let's get right into it... Well, you may have noticed the newsletter has been refreshed, although the shell is basically the same. The underlying code is much cleaner and should look much better in your email software. If you are having any issues, you can always click on over to our new website and check out the version posted there. Remember product design is as important as the product itself, simplicity and quality always win. |
Mostly everything in colored type is usually a hyperlink of some sort. We purposely remove the underlining for aesthetic purposes. This hyperlink may be a mailto email address or a linkto another website or a linkto a document of some sort. Don't be afraid to click on them. They are all scanned for maliciousness and will always open in a new window. |
Did You Say New Website? That's right, after 8 years we finally gave our website an overhaul and we are pleased with the new, simple, lightning-fast look and feel. Most of the data is still the same, there is not much more we can add, but we designed the site so that it takes the user no more than two clicks to get what they want. We did away with traditional menu driven navigation and gave it more of an iPad type experience, without the touch screen of course. The entire site is designed to get what you need as quickly as possible - things kinda slow down a bit when you get to carrier websites for scheduling data. When are the carriers ever going to figure it out? Anyway, click on the picture to the left and feel free to mouse around. |
Most companies tend to spread risk by expanding the decision making to a committee, effectively killing great projects. Trust your gut and make a decision - be intuitive! Don't become paralyzed by the data. Maintain a critical eye, and learn from both the best and the worst.
Some Client Feedback... |
FMC Seeks to Improve NVO Tariff Filing. The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has issued a notice of inquiry seeking comments on ways to make the tariff filing exemption provided to licensed non-vessel-operating common carriers last year more useful, including giving foreign-based NVOs not licensed by the agency, the ability to enter so-called "negotiated rate arrangements" (NRAs). "NVOCCs have now been able to use NRAs for more than six months," the FMC noted. "In accordance with the statements in the final rule, the commission now invites comment and information from all members of the interested public (whether they be located in the United States or elsewhere), including ocean common carriers, ocean transportation intermediaries, exporters, and beneficial cargo owners, on ways to make the exemption more useful, including possible extension of the exemption to include foreign unlicensed NVOCCs." Comments must be submitted to the FMC by March 26. FMC Revives Joint NSA Proposal. The Federal Maritime Commission is reviving a long dormant proposal that unaffiliated NVOCCs be able to jointly offer NVO Service Arrangements (NSAs) to shippers. Currently NSAs allow cargo to be moved under contracts between one or more shippers and one NVOCC or a group of affiliated NVOCCs. In 2005, the FMC began a docket to look at allowing unaffiliated NVOCCs to also jointly offer NSAs, and some comments were filed, but the proposal has languished for many years. At a recent FMC meeting, Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr., asked staff to prepare an update on the issue. In 2005, a coalition of companies and trade associations that included the National Industrial Transportation League, Agriculture Ocean Transportation Coalition, Transportation Intermediaries Association, UPS and FedEx said "generally beneficial cargo owners would benefit from joint NSAs because they would have more service options." They also said "given the growing trend of VOCC consolidations, permitting, NVOCCs to join in NSAs to offer expanded service to shippers could provide a competitive and potentially more cost-effective alternative to the services offered by VOCCs, particularly for small and medium sized shippers who rely more heavily on NVOCC services." The World Shipping Council, the principal trade association for the liner industry, said the FMC would have to resolve the legal issue of whether joint NVOCC action would be immune from the antitrust laws under the Shipping Act and argued that the agreements and activities for which the Shipping Act provides antitrust immunity are those undertaken by vessel operating common carriers--VOCCs, not NVOCCs. |
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Our Oversize Division Rocked In 2011. Sea Shipping Line (California) Inc operates an oversize division that specializes in the movement of out-of-gauge flat racks, open tops, project cargoes, break-bulk consignments, and basically any type of cargo that will not fit into the conventional container configurations. We have personnel spread over our four offices who are experts at obtaining pricing and coordinating the complexity of these types of cargo moves. This division is overseen by Rolf Kohler who is based in our Seattle office. They can be reached at... oversize@seashipping.com. Last year proved to be quite successful for this division, answering over 1315 quote requests, which generated 143 individual bookings, and if I am doing the math properly, enjoying a 10.87% success ratio. The last quarter of 2011 included some unusual cargo. As reported by our President, Frank Rosenberg, "These pictures to the left are of the Osprey V-22 tilt rotor aircraft. In partnership with one of our good customers, we shipped it to a trade show in Dubai and then returned it to the United States. These are pictures of the loading in Dubai including flying into the pier for the return trip to the USA. In order to maintain schedule, we arranged to hold the ship at port for 24 hours on the outbound move and we diverted a ship to call in Dubai to return this one piece of cargo. For security, we arranged passage for two personnel who stayed with the helicopter on board during both voyages. The helicopter discharged safely back in the States in early January." We would not be doing justice to the division unless we mentioned the hard work and diligence of Phil Waterman, based in our Houston office. The Houston project market is always active and Phil personally responds to many oversize quote requests. Much of our success is directly attributable to Phil's negotiating expertise and close client relationships. Please remember that oversize quote requests take quite a bit longer than our FCL contract quotes as each consignment has its own unique qualities and challenges. Thanks for giving us a try. |
 
Every single booking is important to us. Here's why - our numbers show that
our average booking size is now 2.83 teus. A teu is a twenty-foot equivalent
unit, so a forty-foot container would be two (2) teus. So doing the math,
our average booking is between 2-3 teus. This logic proves that each booking
is valuable and we are grateful for each and every account that graces us
with their support. We especially cherish bookings that have multiple
containers. Always willing to negotiate, call us first and last. |
What Do Internal Combustion Engines &
Shipping Containers Have in Common? Amendment 35 of the IMDG code is mandatory from 01.01.2012. From that date any vehicle, equipment or machine powered by an internal combustion engine fuelled by flammable liquid (petrol or diesel) or flammable gas (propane, butane and others) must be booked and shipped by sea as hazardous cargo UN 3166, Class 9, when moving in containers. Examples include, but are not limited to, large items such as motor cars, trucks, boats, excavators or smaller machine items such as lawnmowers and chainsaws. Shippers will be required to declare and make a hazardous booking, provide a DG note and Container Packing Certificate. When packed into the container it must display 4 x class 9 placards, one at each end and one on both sides. Cargo may be exempt from the above ruling provided the fuel tank has been drained of flammable liquid or flammable gas, battery disconnected and the bare terminals prevented from short circuiting. (Vehicles and equipment are not subject to this provision of the IMDG Code if they are stowed as roll-on/roll-off cargo on a ship specifically designed and approved for the carriage of vehicles and equipment provided there are no signs of leakage). |
   
Our field sales representative in Seattle,
Karen Elken,
has a husband,
Mark Elken, who works at Starbucks. He provided the above picture for
their new store in the Seattle area that is made entirely of shipping
containers. |
SBF - Standard Bunker Factor - Another Term
to Know? Our contract administrator, John Paul, based in our Oakland office has sent this advisement to us... Effective January 1, 2012, Maersk and Safmarine are introducing their new Standard Bunker Factor (SBF) which will replace the Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) in their tariffs and service contracts. The Standard Bunker Formula provides a simpler, more sustainable and transparent calculation. Existing service contracts which continue past December 31, 2011 will be recalculated to keep them revenue neutral during the transition. Normal monthly bunker adjustments for the month of January will be factored into this calculation. Clean Truck Fee Update - Los Angeles and Long Beach In the New Year, the landmark Clean Trucks Program will hit its final milestone, permanently barring the oldest, most polluting drayage trucks from Port terminals. Although the final ban starts January 1, significant reduction in truck related pollution was reached nearly two years ago. Today, 98 percent of trucked container moves at the Port are done by rigs with newer, less polluting engines. “We set an example for the entire industry,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Susan E. Andersen Wise. “We helped replace more than 10,000 pollution spewing trucks with newer, less polluting ones and the bottom line is that our communities can breathe better. Everyone at the Port can be proud of this accomplishment, and we are grateful to all our partners in the trucking industry and the environmental community who helped us get here.” January 1, 2012 will mark the last phase of a progressive ban that has succeeded in replacing the entire drayage fleet in the largest port complex in North America. The final ban will take another 280 older container trucks off Port roads, and all 11,000 drayage trucks servicing the Port terminals will be 2007 or newer models. Another 800 older non-container trucks will be purged from the Port’s drayage registry and barred from doing business at the Port. Hot Off the Presses - SSL Seattle is Hiring! Position: full time customer service person. Responsibilities: superior customer service focusing on individual needs of our customers, promoting long term customer relationships and loyalty. Day to day duties: include maintaining all documents relating to ocean export activities including but not limited to quotes, bookings, and ocean bills of lading. Experience: minimum 2 years customer service preferred. Excellent communication and computer skills essential. Please forward your resume to: Darin Kessinger, General Manager of our Seattle operation. |
 "The Egoscue Method delivers results because it rests on trust that stems from how the patient really feels. Those feelings are always right.” Pete Egoscue takes his world-renowned program of postural therapy--which treats chronic musculoskeletal pain without drugs, surgery, or manipulation--to a whole new level. Using Eastern religions as a guide, he explores the mental and emotional, as well as physiological, processes of his Method. Egoscue's unique system has transformed the well-being of hundreds of thousands of people through personalized stretches and exercises that strengthen specific muscles, restore proper alignment, and leave the body feeling the way it was designed to be: pain free. |
Pain is Inevitable; Suffering is Optional! Emotionally, I always go through lots of issues during the holiday season, maybe you do too? It has in most cases always been a trying time of the year for me. Rarely do I enjoy it, mostly it is stressful and demanding and if the waning year happened to be a good one (as in 2011), then I have all kinds of creepy thoughts about the waxing new year (as in 2012). It is really a fear of the unknown, and believe it or not, writing this newsletter has helped squash those thoughts. I have declared war on "fear" and my main weapon is staying focused on the now. "Fear is an extreme form of expectation and diverts energy away from healthy physiological processes. Fear freezes you and locks you out of the present moment." As time passes by, faster and faster lately, I can't help but notice the little aches and pains that begin to manifest. Personally, this gets in the way and irritates me to no end. Amazingly enough (you may remember in a previous newsletter I reviewed the book Pain Free by Pete Egoscue) I found Mr. Egoscue's latest book and also his clinic in Santa Monica, CA. I decided to give it a try. It is postural therapy - and in my humble opinion, it is what plagues the human experience right now. We are all hunched over our computers in the worst of positions. The clinic is straightening me out. Google it, there may be a clinic in your area. What a truly fragile world we live in, staying positive takes more than a monumental effort, but achieving optimum health and staying there is crucial to happiness. Sea Shipping Line wishes you a healthy 2012 in as many ways as you can define health. We want to be your favorite NVO and we will work hard to earn this accolade. Let's make 2012 a year without fear! Wanna Be a Rock n Roll Star? The rock-n-roll band that I have been involved in since summer is finally starting to get serious. We are currently looking for a great keyboard person, and a hot lead singer. If you are up to it, send me an email. We hope to be playing live gigs by the 2nd quarter. Grateful For Breath and
Movement Everyday... |
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Employer's Disclaimer: Any views or opinions presented in this newsletter are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Sea Shipping Line. Employees of Sea Shipping Line are expressly required not to make defamatory statements and not to infringe or authorize any infringement of copyright or any other legal right by email communications. Any such communication is contrary to company policy and outside the scope of the employment of the individual concerned. The company will not accept any liability in respect of such communication. Privacy Policy: Sea Shipping Line (California) Inc respects our client's right to personal privacy. It remains our policy and our commitment not to distribute, sell, rent or in any way make available your name, email address, or other information to any third party. Sea Shipping Line (California) Inc: 520 3rd Street, Suite 207, Oakland, California 94607. Copyright Sea Shipping Line (California) Inc ©2012. All rights reserved. To cancel your free subscription to our monthly newsletter click OPT-OUT. |
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