“This acquisition is not only an important expansion of Toll’s express freight operation; it is also a significant investment by an Australian company in the Japanese freight and logistics market. Japan has the largest economy in Asia and the second largest in the world and this acquisition gives Toll a very significant presence in this key market,” said Toll Group’s Managing Director Paul Little.

Footwork Express employs more than 5,000 people, has revenue of approximately A$775 million and is one of the top ten domestic logistics providers in Japan. Toll has held a minority stake in the business since April 2006. “The control that we will gain from the acquisition of the remaining equity will allow us to make the operational changes needed to secure the future success of Footwork within Japan and the region.

“The Toll Group’s range of world class express service providers includes Toll IPEC, Toll Priority, Toll Express and NQX Freight System. These businesses are market leaders and the expertise the Group has built over the years, combined with the knowledge of the Japanese market that comes from our existing stake in Footwork, give us confidence in this acquisition.

“When we acquired the IPEC express parcels business in Australia during 1998 it was underperforming and had fallen well behind its competitors. Over the next few years we turned that business around laying the groundwork for the business’ market leadership today. I am delighted that Pat Kearns who led the Toll IPEC transformation has agreed to head up Toll’s presence in Japan and will be working closely with Footwork’s senior management and customers.

“We anticipate the acquisition will be EPS positive in year one. The acquisition will be funded out of Toll’s existing cash reserves,” concluded Mr Little.

The acquisition price of A$95 million (including an estimated potential earn out payment of $15 million) for the remaining 64 per cent interest reflects an enterprise value of $270 million, including the business’ existing debt of A$120 million.

As a result of recent changes to accounting standards, Toll will be required to write down the carrying value of its existing 36 per cent holding to a fair value based on the 64 per cent that is being acquired. This will result in a non cash charge of up to A$30 million in the 2009/10 year.

For further information contact:

Paul Little – Managing Director
+61 3 9694 2820
+61 418 335 053

Brian Kruger – Chief Financial Officer
+61 3 9694 2849
+61 419 107 397

Andrew Ethell – GM Group Corporate Affairs
+61 3 9694 2890
+61 417 667 414

Sally Bruer, Partner Head of Industrial Research at property consultants Gerald Eve, delivered this stark message during her address at the recent UKWA Warehousing Futures Conference.

However, Ms Bruer went on to say that while speculative warehouse and distribution centre construction was likely to remain depressed for the next three to five years, the total amount of warehousing space currently available in the UK is on the increase. As a result, there are plenty of opportunities for warehouse occupiers to negotiate more favorable rent agreements with landlords. “Landlords are under pressure and the incentives many are offering are some of the most attractive seen since the beginning of the 1990s,” she said.

Nearly 150 delegates attended the UKWA’s Warehousing Futures 2009 conference. The event, which was held at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel, comprised a networking dinner on the evening of October 5th and a full day’s conference session on October 6th.

A full and varied speaker programme that included presentations from key personnel from some of the leading suppliers of materials handling and logistics products and services as well as interactive panel sessions, ensured that delegates left the event with plenty of valuable information that could be applied to benefit the day to day running of their businesses.

In addition, delegates had the opportunity to meet some of the foremost suppliers to the third party logistics and warehousing sectors at an exhibition held alongside the conference,

Roger Williams, chief executive officer of UKWA, commented: “Judging from the number and variety of questions that the presentations prompted from the floor, it is clear that our speakers generated a great deal of interest among the audience.

Warehousing Futures 2009 was organised by Gyros Communications in association with UKWA and the Logistics Leaders Network.

Peter Acton, Chairman of the Logistics Leaders Network, commented: “We have had lots of very positive feedback from delegates, speakers and exhibitors and are already starting to plan next year’s event.”

DHL’s existing six-year relationship with House of Fraser provided a solid platform to support a multi-channel strategy. Both companies worked in partnership to create an e-commerce solution that was incorporated into House of Fraser’s supply chain operations for its 63 UK and Irish stores. Target service levels were achieved immediately from the on-line go-live date of 2 March 2009, plus 99.8 per cent of first time consumer deliveries.

House of Fraser’s Supply Chain Director, Mark Holland said, ‘I am delighted to extend the commercial agreement between DHL and House of Fraser. DHL’s existing knowledge and understanding of our business enabled them to deliver a strong multi-channel solution to a demanding deadline with no disruption to this key part of our business.’

The integrated solution optimized existing warehouse and labor resources at the retailer’s 16,723 sq m National Distribution Center in Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, creating significant cost savings and cutting an average of three days out of the supply chain to support House of Fraser’s requirement for increased speed to market. The multi-channel operation was set up within a three-month deadline, which involved the transfer and integration of the on-line business from a previous supplier.

Paul Richardson, Managing Director UK, DHL Supply Chain Fashion, added, ‘The new commercial agreement is a commitment from House of Fraser which further emphasizes the strength of this partnership. This is a dynamic relationship whereby DHL manages the complete end-to-end supply chain covering inbound logistics, multi-channel operations including ecommerce, national transport, warehousing and vendor management. The integrated solution provides a reliable platform for House of Fraser’s further growth and development.’

DHL now manages over 30 million units annually from the Milton Keynes site which spans House of Fraser’s renowned range of products across several market segments and brand names, including fashion, beauty, homewares, perfume, linen and jewellery.

Freightpress.com
59 Piccadilly Manchester Manchester M1 2AQ
Telephone: +44 (0)161 236 5046
Fax: +44 (0)161 228 3478

The first seizure occurred on Tuesday at about 1 p.m. Officers with the port’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team were conducting a pre-primary enforcement operation when they encountered a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a silver 2005 GMC Sierra pick-up as he waited in line for inspection. During the interview, inconsistencies with the driver’s story resulted in the officers escorting the driver to secondary for further examination.

An intensive inspection, including the utilization of X-ray equipment,
click for hi-res
Sixteen wrapped bundles of cocaine sit atop a vehicle at the Calexico, Calif. port of entry.
CBP officers at Calexico, Calif were able to uncover more than $300,000 worth of cocaine from a vehicle attempting to enter the United States.

resulted in the detection of anomalies that led to the discovery of 16 wrapped packages of cocaine concealed within the sides of the pick-up bed. The weight of the cocaine was 38 pounds with a street value of $342,000.

CBP officers arrested the driver, a permanent resident of Calexico, California, for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and transferred him to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for further investigation.

The second seizure occurred later in the day, at about 7 p.m. when officers conducting a pre-primary enforcement operation encountered a 33-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a brown 1994 Ford Explorer. The detector dog screened the vehicle and immediately alerted to the presence of narcotics. The driver was then escorted to the secondary inspectional area for further examination.

An intensive inspection and usage of an X-ray imaging system led to the discovery of 12 wrapped packages of marijuana concealed inside all four tires of the vehicle. The weight of the narcotic was 91 pounds with a street value of $82,600.

CBP officers arrested the driver, a resident of Mexicali, Baja California, for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and turned him over to the custody of ICE agents for further processing.

The third seizure occurred yesterday at about 3 p.m., when port officers arrested a 48-year-old male United States citizen who attempted to smuggle 28 pounds of cocaine concealed in a grey 2007 Chevy Malibu he was driving.

The driver, who was waiting in line to be inspected, was escorted to the secondary examination area after a detector dog alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary enforcement operation.

An intensive physical inspection of the vehicle led officers to the discovery of 11 wrapped packages of cocaine concealed inside a non-factory compartment in the vehicle’s dashboard area. The weight of the narcotics was 28 pounds with a street value of $252,000.

The driver, a resident of Huntington Park, California, was turned over to the custody of ICE agents for further investigation.

CBP placed immigration holds on both Mexican citizens to initiate removal from the United States at the conclusion of their criminal proceedings.

CBP officers in all three incidents seized the narcotics and vehicles.

Credit insurance is a critical element in the supply chain as it provides suppliers of raw materials with guarantees that outstanding balances will be paid in the event of a steel manufacturer failing. In turn, credit insurance also protects steel producers themselves in the event of manufacturers defaulting on contracts. Steel traders and distributors are also heavily reliant on this insurance to be able to buy and sell on the commodities market.

Nasser Alaghband, Director of Balli Steel commented: “The trade finance sector of the steel industry is heavily reliant on bank finance and credit insurance. In the past three months bank finance has returned to normal trading, however, insurers remain unwilling to provide business credit insurance. This bottleneck is crippling companies’ abilities to trade with each other and could have far reaching consequences across the European economy just as the first signs of economic recovery are presenting themselves.”

Balli Steel highlights that this is an industry wide issue affecting even the largest organisations. For example in February 2009, Euler Hermes reduced the amount of cover it was willing to supply to Corus, the UK’s largest steel manufacturer, due to weakening global demand for steel.

Balli Steel highlights that as the banking crisis unfolded during 2007 and 2008, central banks stepped in to provide liquidity in the markets and eventually brought stability to the system. However, with the exception of AIG in the United States, insurers have not received the same level of assistance from Government and this is having a considerable impact on the sector.

Balli Steel believes that governments and central banks should assist in providing guarantees in the re-insurance market to provide the confidence to enable insurers to provide the necessary cover. If necessary, governments should be willing to become shareholders in institutions which require financial assistance.

Nasser Alaghband, continued: “The restoration of free flowing credit insurance market is essential for normal trading in steel to be resumed. We have first hand experience of European steel distributors being unable to complete deals worth several hundred thousand pounds due to a lack of available insurance. This is brining paralysis to certain sections of the steel market and is hampering economic recovery. We therefore believe where necessary governments and central banks should be willing to underwrite insurers to ensure business can resume.”

About Balli Holdings
Balli Holdings is a large private, multi-national corporation, headquartered in London, with offices in Dubai and other key business hubs around the world.

The Balli Group was established in 1982 and operates a number of affiliated companies specialising in commodity trading, industrial, real estate and private equity with operations in over 20 countries. Together with its affiliated companies, Balli employs over 2,000 people worldwide.

Balli Steel is the company’s principal operating subsidiary, and is one of the largest independent traders of steel in the world. Balli Steel provides raw materials and steel to a number of market segments including steel mills, steel service centres, pipe and tube makers, the oil and gas industry and other designated end-user segments such as the packaging products industry.

The company’s real estate operations currently have are invested in a significant property portfolio comprised of over 900,000 sq ft of property under development with a Gross Development Value of some $800 million, and an additional 2 million sq ft and a GDV of almost $2.5 billion in the pipeline.

Website: http://www.balli.co.uk/

The bill in Congress would enact a nationwide ban on texting only, punishing noncompliant states by withholding a certain percentage of highway funding. The bill was introduced following a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which showed that drivers who texted while driving were much likelier to be in an accident than those who did not.

The study focused on semi-truck drivers, noting an increase of 23 times in accident probability for truckers who texted on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), large trucks made up 8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal accidents in 2008. Almost 75 percent of large trucks involved in fatal accidents collided with other vehicles while making a delivery.

Facing scrutiny, truck drivers have a different perspective on the matter. In addition to personal phones or mobile devices, most truckers have computers in their cabs — which they use to check routes, delivery times, receive directions and stay in touch with dispatchers. Although they argue that the computers should not be included in the ban, truckers using such computers were found to be at 10 times the risk of being involved in a crash.

It is important to keep in mind the size ratio of a semi truck to the average vehicle on the road. Accidents involving semi trucks often have devastating and fatal consequences. Whether the ALERT Drivers Act passes in Congress, and whether the ban includes truckers’ computers as well as cell phones, remains to be seen.

Article provided by Injury Law Center – Law Offices of Jack Bloxham
Visit us at www.jackbloxham.com

The largest seizure occurred yesterday at about 9:15 a.m. after officers discovered an anomaly in the X-ray image of a 1984 Kenworth tractor pulling an empty trailer. The primary officer had developed information that caused him to refer the conveyance to be run through the port’s X-ray system and an intensive examination.

A false compartment behind the cab of tractor-trailer is opened to reveal 30 bundles of marijuana.
CBP officers at the Calexico, Calif. cargo port were able to prevent this tractor-trailer from bringing marijuana into the country. When a false compartment behind the cab was opened it revealed 30 bundles of marijuana.

Officers subsequently found 30 large packages of marijuana weighing 543 pounds in a false wall compartment behind the cab of the tractor.

The driver, a 36-year-old Tijuana man, was arrested and transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center. CBP seized the marijuana and the tractor and trailer.

About two hours later, officers intercepted another marijuana smuggling attempt when an empty 1992 Bobtail truck, driven by a 36-year-old Tijuana man, entered the port for inspection. The primary officer noticed inconsistencies with the truck and referred it for a more in-depth examination.

Officers drilled into the truck’s frame rails and discovered a leafy green substance that

Field tested positive for marijuana. They extracted 37 packages of marijuana weighing 81 pounds from both frame rails of the bobtail.

The driver was arrested. CBP seized the marijuana and the conveyance.

Fluctuating fuel costs, declining freight rates, increasing insurance requirements and escalating government regulations are all factors that make profitability assessment within the trucking industry critical to a trucking company’s survival. Recognizing the importance of customer rate profitability and staying abreast of current technologies is what has helped make McKelvey Trucking an industry leader for over fifty years.

Hoping to improve overall profitability when assessing potential and current customers, Dale Fink, CEO of McKelvey Trucking called on long time trucking analyst; Andy Ahern of Ahern & Associates for a solution. Fink found that solution in Financial I.Q.

Financial I.Q. transportation software is a windows based application which works directly off of the company’s actual financial statements to provide the user with keen insight on individual loads, shipping points, lanes, rates for bids, customers, round trips and equipment. When analyzing these individual segments, Financial I.Q. generates a profit and loss statement that accurately details total revenues, total expenses, bottom line profit, profit percentages and operating ratios.

In addition, Financial I.Q. has an outstanding “what if analysis” capability for measuring the bottom line effect of any changes in rates, costs, productivity, miles per gallon and business volume.
Fink and McKelvey Trucking regularly use Financial I.Q. to perform lane analysis when considering placement of a potential customer and to determine profitability. Fink explains, “Financial I.Q. gives us accurate analysis when we run a current or prospective customer through certain lanes; we can see if it’s profitable or not, then we can make adjustments.” Fink explains how they are able to make those adjustments, “It (Financial I.Q.) also gives us a handle on equipment by assisting us in determining who we put on certain loads; depending on the analysis, the software helps us decide whether we use an owner-operator or a company truck.”

Mark Gwynn, VP of McKelvey Trucking oversees the operation of Financial I.Q. and knows its effects first hand. “Financial I.Q uses our actual company data to help us gain a better understanding of what types of costs are associated with our customers’ lanes and gives us the ability to rate accordingly – it’s a tremendous tool which has made a real impact to our bottom line.”

Financial I.Q. is profitability software customizable for all sizes of truckload, LTL and freight broker firms; a free demonstration can be found at http://www.ahern-ltd.com/offers/financialiq .

About Ahern and Associates:

Ahern and Associates is North America’s leading trucking and transportation management consulting firm. The skilled consultants at Ahern and Associates specialize in mergers and acquisitions of trucking and logistics companies as well as the restructuring and evaluation of existing carriers that seek to increase operating efficiency and improve profitability. Since 1987, Ahern and Associates has aided hundreds of buyers in the acquisition of trucking and logistics companies throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as assisting many transportation and logistics companies in reducing their overall operating costs and increasing their profitability. For more information, please call 602-242-1030 or visit www.Ahern-Ltd.com .

About McKelvey Trucking:

McKelvey Trucking is a Phoenix, AZ based truckload dry van carrier that operates within seven western states; primarily between Arizona, California and Nevada and has been in operation since 1957. With a fleet of over 200 tractors, McKelvey specializes in direct to store/customer delivery with Qualcomm-equipped tractors and drivers experienced in providing customers with the service their business demands. Utilizing the most current shipping technologies, McKelvey offers state-of-the-art EDI as well as Internet-based Track and Trace to aid customers in monitoring their shipments. For more information, please visit www.McKelveyTrucking.com or contact Andy Ahern at 602-242-1030.

“CBP officers remain thorough and vigilant in their inspections,” said Ana Hinojosa, director of field operations in El Paso. “Their attention to detail helped them identify more than two dozen wanted people attempting to enter the U.S. at area ports. These types of apprehensions are something we see regularly because of the commitment of our officers.”

During the past week, area CBP officers apprehended people wanted for a variety of offenses. Included in the list were a military deserter, people facing larceny and burglary charges, those sought on drug charges, and a variety of other offenses.

In addition to the fugitive apprehensions, area CBP officers were busy performing their anti-terror mission and associated enforcement responsibilities. CBP officers made 14 seizures of prohibited agricultural items during the previous seven days. Violators paid $2,950 in penalties in association with the violations.

“A large number of the people who were assessed penalties were importing apples, probably because they are now ripening and being harvested in larger than normal numbers,” said Hinojosa. “We want to remind members of the public that they need to declare all agricultural items and by doing so they can avoid penalties if their products are prohibited.”

CBP officers this week seized apples, avocados, sugar cane, pomegranates, guavas, sweet potatoes, pork, chorizo and bologna. Dozens of other properly declared yet prohibited agricultural items were abandoned at area ports with no penalties being assessed.

CBP officers recorded 85 immigration violations this week including 24 intended immigrants. In these cases, individuals will use a legally issued border-crossing card (laser visa) to live or work in the U.S., which is not authorized. They also lose their documents and are generally returned to Mexico. CBP officers stopped 36 imposters because of thorough document exams. Imposters generally will use a legitimate entry document assigned to another person and present it as their own. Violators generally lose their documents, can be prosecuted and go to jail and/or are returned to Mexico. Area CBP officers also identified 25 people who made false claims to U.S. citizenship, attempted to enter with counterfeit or altered documents, and those who entered without inspection.

CBP officers at El Paso area ports of entry this week also recovered a stolen vehicle and seized prohibited crocodile skin boots and belts (turned over to the Department of Agriculture). While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.