BORDER LINES

A roundup of North American news:

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 6/1/1999

- Canada's Transport Minister, David Collenette, has proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicle Transport Act that would harmonize regulation of motor-vehicle safety in all Canadian provinces and territories. The proposal would establish a provincially administered safety regime based on Canada's National Safety Code for motor carriers and buses. If the amendments are adopted, provinces will be able to assign safety ratings and fitness certificates as well as apply sanctions to extra-provincial carriers. The amendments also would give Canada the authority to adopt reciprocal recognition of motor carrier ratings and standards under NAFTA.

- F.W. Myers & Co. Inc., one of the largest customs brokers on the United States-Canada border, has closed its doors. Myers, based in Rouses Point, N.Y., shut down its operations on May 11. Myers reportedly closed without warning, leaving numerous southbound shipments stranded in Canada. Rival Livingston International immediately offered to process shipments for Myers' former customers. "Our priority now is to get the goods through. We'll take care of the paperwork and any longer-term agreements after that," says Livingston CEO Peter Luit.

- Canadian Pacific Railway has established a centralized customer-service center to assist customers with claims and damage prevention. Claims specialists can assist new and experienced shippers with reporting damage, submitting freight claims, making salvage decisions, arranging inspections, and designing effective cargo-loading and -securing procedures. A new toll-free number (877-277-3732) replaces all numbers previously used to report damage to regional claims centers. Shippers also can find information about damage prevention and freight claims on CPR's Web site (www.cpr.ca) by selecting "Customers," then "Business Steps," and then either "Damage Prevention" or "Freight Claims."

- NAFTA Notes: Roadway Express has expanded its Time-Critical Service air option to shipments between the United States and Canada and Mexico. The guaranteed, expedited air service lets shippers choose next-day, two-day, and three-day door-to-door delivery. Transportación Marítima Mexicana (TMM) has launched a new ship, the TMM Ensenada. The 1,890-TEU vessel is operating in the company's Asia-to-Mexico service. Exel Logistics has received two awards from Procter & Gamble for outstanding logistics performance in Mexico. The Pinnacle Award recognizes outstanding quality assurance procedures and the MRP2 Star award honors the quality of value-added service provided by Exel at its Master Distribution Center near Mexico City. ITN Canada, an international logistics-service provider with five offices across Canada, will represent British freight forwarder and NVOCC SBS Worldwide Ltd. ITN will manage both air and ocean freight shipments in the busy Canada-United Kingdom trade lane. Canadian National will acquire 400 new centerbeam flatcars for its lumber fleet this year at a cost of CDN $35 million. By year's end, CN will have spent a total of CDN $125 million for 1,300 of the specialty railcars.