A car exporter in Bayonne, NJ got in the middle of a zoning fight that has some interesting ramifications for auto transport. The powers that be on the city council didn’t agree with the exporter than storing cars on site was a warehousing function properly part of the light industrial zoning status of the site. At least one councilman thought the cars were a bit too damaged and made the site look more like a junk yard, which was out of the desired character of the area.

It appears that Bayonne has tried to upgrade its image over the last few years. When the US Navy was running a series of “Port of Call” ads in the late 1970s, featuring exotic locales for shore leave, Saturday Night Live did a parody, “Port of Call: Bayonne, New Jersey,” with sailors doing laundry rather than enjoying shore leave. Today, many Caribbean-bound cruise ships are using Bayonne as their port of call, so the usedness of the used cars in question might be seen as a blight on the area.

Many time, appearance makes a difference in how government officials treat a business. A better breed of cars might have kept the city council off the exporter’s back in this case. Likewise, a newer, well-kept car hauler will be better received than a rusty one by both city officials and DOT inspectors, even if they both do the job of moving cars. As another SNL star, Fernando, would have said, sometimes it is better to look good than to be good.


Source: http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/bayonne/in...1360.xml&coll=3
http://www.cruisemates.com/ports/us-coasta...e-port-faq.html

Motorcycle shipping doesn't have to be a difficult or costly affair that leaves you wishing you had decided to rent or walk, instead of ship your motorcycle along to use as transportation. There are a large number of motorcycle transporters that can handle shipping a motorcycle to a far away location, but always do research on the company and services, before deciding on the firm to ship your motorcycle.

Before shipping a motorcycle there are a few things that you'll need to do to get the motorcycle ready to ship, but each firm will certainly have their own requirements that can vary from mover to mover.

Motorcycles that are being sent across country will usually be transported on an open-air or enclosed trucking transport, but for really valuable motorcycles we suggest you look for a firm that handles the transportation of such bikes using carefully packed crates or other enclosed transport. Motorcycles that are being transported across the ocean or other exotic locations are normally packed in this manner in the container in order to ensure safety of the motorcycle.

Make sure you understand the insurance coverage that's included with the transportation of the motorcycle. In the majority of cases firms will offer insurance above and beyond what standard cargo insurance covers. Take the time to read and comprehend both your own insurance policy and the motorcycle transporters policy or you could wish later on that you had.

Depending on the transporter you'll need to drain the gas tank before loading the motorcycle, while shipping a motorcycle in a crate or enclosed structure will require the tank to be totally emptied.

Also make sure you take all valuables or loose items off of the motorcycle before shipping. Loose objects can damage the motorcycle and the transport company or insurance company isn't going to pay for any items lost because you decided to store them on the motorcycle.


http://www.eagleoneexpress.com/motorcycle-questions.html
http://www.auto-car-transport.com/motorcyc...pping-tips.html
http://www.theexpressauto.com/motorcycle-faq.asp

Vehicle transport is a service of value to more than individual vehicle owners. These days many corporations move from one city or state to another. If those corporations own fleets of company vehicles, they can save money, time, and headaches by taking advantage of a professional vehicle transport service. Instead of setting up a convoy to move the fleet or relying on employees to move their company cars (in addition to their own personal vehicles), a corporation would be wise to use a professional service.

Of course, as with personal auto transportation, it is important to hire a reputable company. One that is experienced with fleet moves is preferable. References should be readily supplied, and insurance should be provided for each vehicle in the fleet.

Fleet vehicles should be prepared for transport in the same way that individual cars would be prepared. All vehicles should be inspected for damage, all fluids should be drained (oil, fuel, etc.) to prevent leaks, all loose objects should be removed from the vehicles, and appropriate paperwork should be available (i.e. registration or proof of ownership).

In addition to preparing the fleet, someone at the client corporation should be responsible for overseeing the move from start to finish. One person should be the contact point for any issues that might arise during the move. Depending upon the distance the fleet is moving, those issues could arise at any hour of the day or night. So it’s important that the transport company has the cell or home phone number of the responsible employee.

Finally, someone from the client corporation should be on hand when the fleet arrives to verify that all vehicles arrived in good condition. A reliable, professional vehicle transport service will ensure that they do.

As the largest international car shipping port in Sweden the Port of Gothenburg moved over 500,000 truck trailers across its piers in 2009, a reduction of almost 20 percent over the number of truck trailers moving through the port in 2008. The numbers released by the Port of Gothenburg indicate that the numbers of cars moving through the port on ocean-going car transports decreased by the most of all their freight volumes. These numbers are concerning for vehicle shipping firms that have contracts to conduct car deliver services in the Port of Gothenburg, despite the fact that the volume of car freight being moved through the port increased slightly near the end of 2009. Still, when compared to ports around the world the Port of Gothenburg held its own and is in good shape if business picks up in 2010, as the industry hopes.

The question for the Swedish freight industry is whether the improvement in freight volumes is going to be sustained in 2010? The problems in the auto industry around the world has of course affected the Swedish auto industry and the transition period that both industries are going through during the current recession are in away linked together. The health and growth of the car freight industry in Sweden will grow in proportion to the growth in the Swedish car industry and this means that they're ultimately linked together in any future growth.

The Swedish car industry will adapt to the need for new environmentally friendly vehicles and business will eventually pick up, but how many jobs will be lost in the freight industry in the meantime as freight capacity is brought off line to save money?


http://www.portgot.se/prod/hamnen/ghab/dal...0beab45745683a7
http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/new...20017743230.htm
http://www.portgot.se/prod/hamnen/ghab/dal...BC?OpenDocument

In China motorcycle transporters and car hauling firms are currently preparing to celebrate Christmas and they take the holiday pretty seriously, closing down business and factories in order to allow freight workers to celebrate Christmas. At the moment shippers are in a hurry to get all the freight out of China before the beginning of Christmas and the New Year and this has created a situation in which many shippers are being forced to pay the price for moving their freight that the shipping lines are requesting for moving their freight.

The problem has also been increased by the lack of freight capacity in the system at the moment because the industry has been taking capacity out of the network in the past few months that hasn't been put back on line as yet. This car shipping capacity isn't likely to be put back to work until after Christmas because the holidays are just too close to give them time to get the freight capacity back on line.

The lack of capacity is probably going to force firms that haven't planned ahead to wait until after Christmas to get the freight to destination. This could have serious business consequences for some firms with contracts that are binding, but what can they do if they can't get the freight out of China? Firms fortunate enough to find the freight capacity they need to get the freight out of China before the holidays are likely to pay a pretty penny for the service as well. What will the added cost do to the bottom line of their business is the question for many firms?

The price for moving freight out of China before Christmas could come down as firms begin to move beyond the peaceful stage of early and easy profits and into the stage of true competition with the firms they're competing for freight business against, but this isn't written in stone. A true reduction in the price of shipping freight out of China may have to wait until after the holidays, when more freight capacity will probably be brought back on line.


http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/ind...20017743303.htm
http://info.jctrans.com/jcnet/news/asn/201021847076.shtml
http://www.island.lk/2010/02/01/business6.html