NASSTRAC, an industry association representing shippers, commended members of the House and Senate conference committee for their work in passing a highway bill that lays a foundation addressing America's need for adequate freight transportation infrastructure. NASSTRAC, otherwise known as the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, represents manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and distributors that rely heavily on over-the-road trucking to safely and efficiently move freight through their supply chains.

U.S. freight railroads will get $23bn worth of upgrades this year, and taxpayers won't pick up the tab. That's because the railroads build, maintain and improve their own infrastructure and even pay property taxes on their tracks. Also, freight trains are about three times as fuel-efficient as long-haul trucks, which means they help cut smog and reduce the U.S.'s carbon emissions and oil dependence. And forget those accident-prone trains your kids watch on Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. In reality, shifting freight from roads to rails sharply reduces crashes and congestion.

Zenith Global Logistics, a logistics service provider specializing in home furnishings, has opened a "White Glove" home-delivery hub in Louisville, Ky. The facility supports both brick-and-mortar and e-retailers seeking service for the final mile of order fulfillment.

Schneider National Inc. has entered into a multi-year agreement with the railroad CSX Transportation to expand services in northwestern Ohio.

Enrique Almanza Hernandez, logistics expert and former central Mexico regional director at Autotransportes de Carga Tresguerras SA de CV, discusses key issues surrounding effective North American supply chain management and explores the state of fully integrated North American logistics - including the evolution of some Mexican carriers into true 3PL providers. Hernandez spoke with Danny Slaton, SMC ³ executive vice president of business and product development.

The North European containerport market bounced back strongly from the economic downturn. Total demand reached 57.9 million TEUs in 2011, representing an increase of 22 percent since 2009. The eastern Baltic is seeing particularly strong growth.

Rising transportation costs and tight truckload capacity are creating more opportunities for intermodal rail in 2012, according to logistics executives.

U.S. ports plan to spend more than $46bn over the next five years in anticipation of fierce global competition for exports and imports, a report by the American Association of Port Authorities shows.

Northeastern U.S. states are sometimes depicted as not particularly business friendly. But that hasn't deterred some major companies from locating in the Keystone State recently, not least of which is Volvo Construction Equipment Americas. For one thing, Pennsylvania's location makes it very attractive for companies that must get product to customers in a huge portion of the country within a day. And a pocket in Franklin County, in the south central part of the state, is helping them do just that.

Purfresh Inc., a developer of technology for maintaining the integrity of fresh product in transit, has joined with Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) to serve worldwide markets.