Shipping law fears could help trucking

Australian trucking and rail transport operators could be beneficiaries of diverted coastal trade if shipping line concern about new maritime trade laws deepens.

Vehicle transporter Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) appears to be the first to put its misgivings into intended action, telling the market that, at present, it intends to halt carriage of local cargo from July 1.
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Contract and cranes for Patrick as customers criticise

Asciano has revealed a contract extension for stevedore Patrick with the world’s second-largest shipping line and confirmed crane investments a week after container-line representative body Shipping Australia took a heavy swipe at Port Botany productivity.

Patrick has secured a five-year Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) extension starting January 20, with MSC having the right of early termination at the end of year three. “The successful completion of another agreement with our long term customer, MSC, will see our Patrick operations handle approximately 550,000 containers nationally for MSC in the first year of the agreement,” Asciano CEO John Mullen says.
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Queensland disasters hit transport firm sales

Queensland’s floods have pushed several small trucking firms to the wall but buyers are so hard to find that many have withered on the vine, according to Savvy Business Sales.

The Queensland business brokerage does have and has recently had a few minor transport and transport related firms on its books, with Queensland Boat Transport and the heavy vehicle training firm Coastwide looking for buyers while the Bidvest franchise for Maroochydore has sold. But Savvy’s principal, Rod Russell, says shifting firms with more than a couple of trucks has been an almost fruitless task.
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