Tag: Courier/Express/Parcels

USPS flex fuel vehicles lowered fuel efficiency

Posted by | May 27, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service tried to do the right thing, buying more than 30,000 American-made flex fuel vehicles capable of running on ethanol. However, the vehicles, purchase from 1998 to 2003, ended up decreasing overall fuel efficiency by 29% and increasing gasoline consumption by 1.5 million gallons, according to a USPS study.

The plan went wrong in two ways. The vehicles had larger than necessary engines and distribution of E85, the 85% ethanol blend of fuel, is still largely restricted to the midwest.

As a result, vehicles outside the midwest were run on gasoline, and their engines, which were larger than predecessor Jeep engines, burned more fuel.

In addition, E85, though cleaner burning than gasoline, contains less energy. It takes 1.33 gallons of E85 to travel the same distance a a gallon of pure gasoline. Thus, fuel efficiency was reduced even farther.

The USPS said in the future, new flex-fuel vehicles will only be deployed where E85 is conveniently available and competitively priced. The study said the price of E85 must be 30% less than gasoline to be cost effective.

The program was most successful in Minnesota, where the number of stations selling E85 increased from 15 to more than 200 over the last 5 years.

The flex-fuel vehicles purchased included Long Life Vehicles (LLV), Dodge Caravans and Chevrolet Uplanders.

The study also details the results of smaller-scale experiments with fuel cell, hybrid, electric and compressed natural gas vehicles.

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TNT expands in Kenya

Posted by | May 26, 2008 | |

TNT Express has acquired its long-term Kenyan agent Aircare Charters in a bid to strengthen its position in the country and develop Nairobi into a regional hub, the locally-based newspaper Business Daily reported.

The courier company has invested 138 million Kenyan shillings (EUR 1.4 million) towards expanding its foothold in the country, the newspaper said. Kenya will now be the company’s hub in the region providing a link for its operations in East and Central Africa.

TNT Express regional MD for Middle East and Africa, Jinendra Sancheti, said that the move was part of TNT strengthening its position in emerging markets and providing an extensive network to support intra-regional and international trade growth.

Kenya was strategically positioned to offer the company major traffic flows linking Southern, Eastern and Central Africa, he noted. Africa has been identified as a major growth point for the company. “Kenya provides a business opportunity for the group and we shall continue investing in the market,” he added.

TNT Express has been operating in the Kenyan market since 1980 through Aircare Charters, which held the franchise. Other major players in the market include DHL, UPS, FedEx, One World, Sky Net and Globe Flight.

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ABX Air and DHL to renew their hub services agreement.

Posted by | May 26, 2008 | |

ABX Air has announced that its Hub & Line Haul Services agreement with DHL is scheduled for renewal in August for an additional one-year period.

The agreement, as amended, covers sorting, maintenance, and other logistics services that ABX Air performs in support of DHL’s express package network in the US, including its management of DHL’s national sorting centre in Wilmington, Ohio, and fifteen of its regional sorting centres across the US.

The agreement took effect in August 2003, with a provision calling for subsequent automatic one-year renewals after the initial amended four-year term unless either party provides notice of intent not to renew at least 90 days before the anniversary date. ABX Air has not received a non-renewal notice from DHL before the 90-day deadline.

In addition to its renewal provisions, the agreement allows for DHL, with a 60-day notice, to change the scope of services that ABX Air is contracted to provide to DHL.

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Deutsche Post still to decide on selling Postbank

Posted by | May 26, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post hasn’t decided whether to sell its majority stake in German lender Deutsche Postbank AG as the company considers options for the holding.

Germany’s largest banks have been positioning themselves for takeovers since Deutsche Post, which owns 50 percent plus one share of Postbank, said last year it was assessing a possible sale. German newspaper Handelsblatt cited Postbank CEO Wolfgang Klein as saying in an interview that he expects Deutsche Post to decide on the future of the lender by fall.

Speculation about a sale of the bank has been fueled by a report in Manager Magazin that Frankfurt-based Commerzbank AG and Munich-based insurer Allianz SE made a combined bid for Postbank valued at about 10 billion euros (USD 15.7 billion). Appel declined to comment today on the report. Deutsche Post has started to collect bids for Postbank, Die Welt reported May 23.

The German government wants to be assured that a sale of Postbank, the country’s largest consumer bank by customers, would result in a stronger banking industry, Economy Minister Michael Glos said in a Bloomberg Television interview May 23. The German government controls about 30 percent of Deutsche Post through development bank KfW Group. Commerzbank Chief Executive Officer Martin Blessing said in a separate interview that he “can imagine a lot” in German banking consolidation.

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