Shipping and Logistics
SMU Publisher to Travel on Ore Carrier M/V James R. Barker
Written by John Packard
July 6, 2015
At the end of July, Steel Market Update founder and publisher, John Packard, will travel from Two Harbors, Minnesota to Indiana Harbor, Indiana on the M/V James R Barker. The James R Barker is an iron ore supply ship owned by Interlake Steamship Company. The 1004 foot long vessel will carry approximately 63,000 tons of iron ore pellets from the mines in Minnesota to the mill at Indiana Harbor.
The purpose of the trip is to get a first hand experience as to how iron ore transits the Great Lakes to feed the fully integrated steel mills located in the Northern Indiana/Chicago/Detroit to Cleveland area.
John will be reporting from aboard the ship during the three day transit time. He will be sending out Tweets (@SMUsteel), Facebook and LinkedIn (Steel Market Update group) messages as well as blog posts from the Steel Market Update website. SMU will also have articles on the adventure in each newsletter published at the end of July.
Follow Steel Market Update to learn more about the vessel, the mine where the pellets are coming from, what it is like to transit Lake Superior and Lake Michigan on a 1004 foot vessel, how the ore is loaded and unloaded and more. More details coming soon!
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Shipping and Logistics
Reibus: Flatbed, dry van rates ticked up post-hurricanes
After closing the third quarter -3.84% on a y/y basis, our first look at fourth-quarter flatbed spot rates puts us virtually flat y/y, coming in at -0.68%.
Leibowitz: Thorny issues remain as ILA-USMX talks kicked into 2025
On Thursday, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing carriers and port operators on the East and Gulf Coasts, announced a three-and-a-half-month extension of the recently expired collective bargaining agreement. The extension kicks the can down the road until Jan. 15, 2025, after the 2024 election and the certification of the results on Jan. 6.
Ports strike over as longshoremen reach tentative pact with employers
The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative agreement on wages on Thursday evening. The move ends a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports that began on Tuesday and that had threatened significant supply-chain disruptions.
ILA rejects 50% raise, strikes ports on East Coast, Gulf Coast
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) launched a strike just after midnight on Tuesday at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The work stoppage spans from New England to New Orleans. It came after a last-ditch offer by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents maritime employers, failed to meet union demands.
Calls for talks as coastwide labor strike could hit supply chains on Tuesday
Unless a last-minute deal is struck by midnight on Monday, a massive work stoppage will hit ports up and down the East and Gulf Coasts on Tuesday and cause widespread supply chain disruption. Master contract negotiations remain stalled between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The employer group took […]