1. Wall Street Journal - “Prices at the pump stand at 10-month highs. … The national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas climbed to $3.898 on Tuesday. [March 27, 2012]”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577299541558541650.html
Posted: April 12, 2012
2. United States Energy Information Agency - “On June 29, 2004, the EPA issued a comprehensive final rule regulating emissions from nonroad diesel engines and sulfur content in nonroad diesel fuel. … The rulemaking covers such equipment as tractors, bulldozers, graders, backhoes, heavy construction, mining, and logging equipment, airport tugs, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels. … The regulation addresses emissions and fuels simultaneously to maximize emission reductions by integrating engine and fuel controls as a system. To meet the standards, engine manufacturers will be required to produce new engines with advanced emission control technologies similar to those already expected for on-road (highway) heavy trucks and buses. Refiners will be supplying new lower sulfur diesel fuels in both cases. … For locomotive and marine diesel, the action establishes a ULSD limit of 15 ppm in mid-2012, providing the refining industry flexibility to align fuel supply operations with all other on-road and nonroad ULSD fuel regulations, which take effect in mid-2010.”
http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/aeo_2005analysispapers/candr.html
Posted: April 12, 2012
3. Fox - “High fuel costs are taking a big bite out of profits for local freight movers.
Nu Star Freight Services says they have seen business drop by as much as 65 percent compared to four years ago. Spokespeople say a key factor for that decrease is the high price of fuel.
Companies say pricey petroleum has also made it challenging to locate trucks for their consumers looking to ship goods.”
http://www.keyc.tv/story/17316101/high-fuel-prices-cutting-into-profits-for-businesses-moving-freight
Posted: April 12, 2012
4. Reuters - “Global maritime firms are starting to take container ships out of operation as rising fuel prices and falling freight rates erode profits, the head of industry leader Maersk Line said on Thursday. [March 15, 2012]
Around 5 percent of the global container capacity, or 800,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), are in lay up, an industry term for taking vessels out of action, said Soren Skou at Maersk's Singapore offices on his first overseas trip as CEO.
That figure could soon increase to more than 1 million TEUs, a level not seen since 2009 when trade was severely hit by the financial crisis, he added.
Firms only usually take a vessel out of service when it is no longer profitable to operate on a daily basis. It is a last-resort measure but many shipping companies are struggling for a fourth year, hit by overcapacity, weak demand for cargo, high bunker fuel prices and depressed freight rates. ….
Last year, overall freight rates were 8 percent lower than 2010 while bunker prices rose some 35 percent, Maersk said.
The world's largest container firm, a unit of Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, last month reported a net loss of 2.88 billion Danish crowns ($504.59 million) in 2011, and has forecast more losses in 2012.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/15/us-freight-demand-maersk-idUSBRE82E09620120315
Posted: April 12, 2012
5. Daily Finance - “The world's second-largest package delivery company was upbeat about the fourth quarter and year ending in May, saying revenue should continue to improve and its freight unit should return to profitability after 6 money-losing quarters. Shares rose 5 percent.
FedEx issued the outlook on Thursday as it reported that third-quarter earnings fell 3 percent. Rising fuel prices and harsh winter weather offset a double-digit rise in revenue.
The company earned $231 million or 73 cents per share for the quarter that ended in February, compared with $239 million, or 76 cents per share a year earlier. Winter storms reduced net income by about 12 cents per share. Snow and storms hurt operations for about 27 days, or nearly a third of last quarter. Fuel prices went up 30 percent from a year ago. Maintenance costs rose 19 percent as the company flew more aircraft.”
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/17/fedex-earnings/
Posted: April 12, 2012
6. Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance Information Center - “EPA fuel standards for locomotive, marine and non-road diesel fuel engines and equipment, such as farm or construction equipment, become effective at dates later than those for highway vehicles:
- Diesel fuel intended for locomotive, marine and non-road engines and equipment is required to meet the Low Sulfur Diesel fuel maximum specification of 500 ppm sulfur in 2007.
- By June 2010, the ULSD fuel standard of 15 ppm sulfur will apply to non-road diesel fuel production.
- Beginning in 2012, locomotive and marine diesel fuel must meet the ULSD fuel standard of 15 ppm sulfur.”
http://www.clean-diesel.org/nonroad.html
Posted: April 12, 2012
|
