9 minute read
Supply Chain Scan
Blimp maker secures funding
EDMONTON HUB
2,000 acres being developed for cargo 8
WALMART’S REEFER
First 60-foot refrigerated trailer hits the road 9
MOVERS + SHAKERS
Appointments and promotions 11
by Emily Atkins
FLYING WHALES IS planning to build the LCA60T, a rigid airship for heavy load transport with a carrying capacity of 60 tons. It has received 122 million euros in new funding from the French government, and other investors, including Investissement Québec. The Quebec government, through Investissement Québec, is already a 25 percent stakeholder in the project. Flying Whales was founded in 2012 and is supported by a consortium of 40 French and Canadian aeronautical companies. “Flying Whales is taking another step in its growth, where Quebec expertise will enable the development of a new generation of aircraft,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s minister of economy and innovation, and minister responsible for regional economic development. “Quebec is a world leader in aerospace. We must focus on innovation to keep this strength here and create economic spin-offs here.” Originally designed to meet the needs of logging in hard-to-reach areas, the LCA60T’s hovering, loading and unloading characteristics will provide solutions for heavy-lift logistics challenges around the world, with a low environmental footprint. The blimp is 200 metres long and 50 metres in diameter. Its 60-ton payload will be contained in a 96- by eight- by seven-metre cargo hold that
– Sébastien Bougon, Chairman and CEO of Flying Whales
can be loaded and unloaded during flight. Lift will be provided by unpressurized helium contained in rigid cells, and propulsion will come from seven different zones, enabling vertical take-off and landing. Maximum speed is said to be 100 kmh. Currently, the prototype blimps are operating on hybrid electric power, and will be fully electric once operational, the company said. The environmental footprint is also reduced by eliminating the need for ground-based loading and unloading infrastructure. This new funding will allow the company and its consortium to finalize the development of the LCA60T aeronautical program in France and Quebec, and to accelerate the work necessary to launch Flying Whales Services, an operating company.
Feds unveil EV incentives for commercial vehicles
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has unveiled incentives for the purchase of medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles
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(iMHZEV) Program began on July 11. Scheduled for four years, the program will help businesses and communities across the country make the switch to zero-emission vehicles with close to $550 million in incentives. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are all eligible.
The program offers purchase incentives for approximately half of the price difference between an electric vehicle and a traditional vehicle. The incentive tops out at $200,000 per vehicle (for a class 7/8 coach), and can be combined with provincial or territorial incentives. These incentives will apply to the purchase or lease of commercial medium- and heavy-duty zeroemission vehicles such as the Ford e-Transit cargo van, the Karsan e-Jest shuttle, the Lion8 vocational truck, the Volvo VNR-electric tractor truck, and more. Zero emission vocational on-road trucks (e.g., refuse or dump trucks) will be eligible, as would yard/shunt and drayage trucks. Zero-emission shuttle or coach buses will also be eligible. Vehicles that have been converted to electric will not be funded.
Businesses and provincial or territorial and municipal governments operating fleets are eligible for up to 10 incentives (or a maximum of $1,000,000) under the program each year.
Alberta Investment Management Corporation buys Cando Rail & Terminals
THE ALBERTA INVESTMENT Management Corporation (AIMCo) is acquiring a 100 percent equity stake in Cando Rail & Terminals Ltd. from TorQuest Partners. Cando was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brandon, Manitoba. It operates a network of 40-plus industrial railyards, nine owned terminals and one shortline railroad. The company has more than 400 active employee shareholders, who collectively own 25 percent of the business. There will be no changes to the company’s operations or management as a result of the transaction.
Edmonton getting new air cargo hub
A NEW CASH infusion will see the development of a new cargo handling zone at Edmonton International Airport (EIA). A 2,000 acre cargo handling hub will be built at the airport. The federal government has put up $100 million under the National Trade Corridors Fund for the project, which is expected to begin in 2023.
The new handling capacity is expected to expand the airport’s distribution reach in Canada as well as the United States and Mexico. “Cargo and logistics play a major role in our region’s economic growth and development,” said Tom Ruth, president and CEO of Edmonton International Airport. “Increasing air capacity and market access for exports and trade opportu-
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nities is a global game changer. It drives the growth of small and medium enterprises in Alberta and the rest of Canada, which creates jobs and spurs investment.” Ruth also said the federal investment into EIA will help accelerate its plan to position Edmonton as a multi-modal global logistics centre and vital trade corridor for Canada. He added that the new hub will be “transformational” for the Edmonton Metro Region.
Canadian wins regional young forwarder award
FIATA (INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF
Freight Forwarders Associations) and TT Club have revealed this year’s regional winners of the Young Logistics Professionals (YLP) Award 2022. Canadian entrant Karina Daniela Perez Perez won in the Americas region for her dissertation: Resilient Solutions: The Future of Freight Forwarding and Logistics. She works at DSV Air & Sea in the ocean exports department.
Perez Perez was selected by CIFFA in January as the Canadian Young Logistics Professional of the Year, after a review of her industry experience and a written dissertation demonstrating her technical knowledge. Perez Perez‘s paper illustrates the trans-
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Karina Daniela Perez Perez
portation of two key products for the Canadian economy, the challenges that freight forwarders must overcome to successfully deliver goods, and the resiliency of the supply chain with a focus on sustainability.
“All four regions were represented by a variety of impressive entries and the judges were struck by the high incidence of projects requiring close consideration of environmental factors and prioritizing sustainability,” said Mike Yarwood, managing director loss prevention, TT Club, and chair of the panel of judges.
“We never tire of reading about the innovative approaches to logistical challenges employed by our young professionals.” This year, if conditions allow, the four regional winners will present their dissertations at the FIATA World Congress in Busan, South Korea, during a dedicated session with the final judging and announcement of the YLP Global Winner 2022.
Walmart Canada adds first 60-foot reefer
WALMART CANADA’S fleet has expanded to include its first 60-foot multi-temperature refrigerated trailer. It’s also the first of its kind for Walmart in North America. The custom-built multi-temperature refrigerated trailer allows the retailer to ship more freight to stores in a single trip, resulting in improved efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. The trailer is being used on routes between the company’s Mississauga distribution centre and stores in Windsor and Woodstock. It can carry up to 30 pallets of perishable goods – like meat and dry or wet produce – requiring different temperatures. That’s four more than a standard 53-foot trailer. The increased capacity and multi-temperature zones allow for better routing and delivery planning. The company says it can now pair certain stops that would not normally ship on the same trailer. The trailer was built by Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, which adjusted its manufacturing capabilities to make it possible. “This is a truly custom solution, purpose-built for Walmart Canada to help us bring innovation to the industry and work towards reaching our regeneration goals,” said Brian Sookhai, senior manager, transportation innovation and planning at Walmart Canada. In 2012, Walmart initiated a pilot program with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to introduce 60-foot trailers to Ontario’s roads.
Amazon rolls out electric delivery vans
AMAZON HAS BEGUN putting its custom-designed Rivian electric delivery vans on the road across the United States. Starting July 21 the vans hit the road loaded with customer parcels in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis, among other cities. The company says it expects thousands of the electric vans will
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be on the road in more than 100 cities by the end of this year, with 100,000 deployed across the US by 2030. Amazon and Rivian announced the plan to jointly develop the vans back in 2019. Amazon has been testing deliveries with Rivian pre-production vehicles since 2021, delivering over 430,000 packages and accumulating over 90,000 miles. Rivian has also completed certifications with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California Air Resources Board, and US Environmental Protection Agency. Amazon expects the vehicles will contribute to its sustainability goals by reducing carbon emissions. The vehicles are made at Rivian’s factory in Illinois. They incorporate autonomous safety features along with embedded routing and navigation technology that integrates the delivery workflow with the vehicle. They also have special capabilities to speed up the delivery process including automatic door locking and unlocking as the driver approaches or leaves the vehicle, and a powered bulkhead door that opens when drivers reach their delivery location.
To support the addition of EVs into its fleet, Amazon has added thousands of charging stations at its delivery stations across the US. Amazon has also partnered with the nonprofit CERES, and several other fleet operators to launch the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance, bringing together companies to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
