Import cargo volume at the busiest U.S. container ports is beginning to ramp up after a flat summer, the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said in their monthly Global Port Tracker report.

The 10 ports the report tracks handled 1.32 million 20-foot-equivalent units in July, up 6 percent from June but down 4 percent from July 2010. August was expected to be flat with last year at an estimated 1.42 million TEUs.  The report said year-over-year comparisons were skewed by higher-than-normal shipments in the summer of 2010, when fears of tight shipping capacity caused many retailers to accelerate imports of holiday merchandise.  "This year, retailers have the luxury of importing holiday goods later than last year, which better ensures their inventory levels will accurately meet consumer demand," said Jonathan Gold, the retail federation's vice president for supply chain and customs policy.  Year-over-year growth is beginning to resume in September, which the report predicts will rise 11.8 percent to 1.5 million TEUs. October is forecast at 1.48 million TEUs, up 9.5 percent; November, 1.33 million TEUs, up 8 percent; and December at 1.2 million TEUs, up 4.5 percent. January 2012 is forecast at 1.19 million TEUs, down 1 percent from January 2011.  The total for 2011 is forecast at 15.4 million TEUs, up 4.3 percent from 2010. Last year's 14.7 million TEUs was a 16 percent increase over the unusually low numbers in the recession year of 2009.  Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett associates, expressed caution about future cargo flows. He cited the seasonal nature of cargo volume and continuing uncertainties about the economy.

Commercial truck drivers should be banned from using cell phones while driving, including hands-free phones, the National Transportation Safety Board said.  The NTSB cited an accident that killed 11 people Tuesday when recommending a nationwide ban on the use of mobile phones by truck drivers except in emergencies. The agency has no rulemaking power but makes recommends to agencies such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Congress and states.  Truckers are already banned from texting on the road. The NTSB wants the FMCSA and states to extend that ban to any use of a cell phone behind the wheel.  The Department of Transportation proposed a ban on cell-phone use by commercial drivers last year, but that proposal would allow use of hands-free phones.  "Distracted driving is becoming increasingly prevalent, exacerbating the danger we encounter daily on our roadways," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "It can be especially lethal when the distracted driver is at the wheel of a vehicle that weighs 40 tons and travels at highway speeds."

As part of a "Canada Starts Here: The B.C. Jobs Plan," British Columbia Premier Christy Clark yesterday announced the provincial government would provide $15 million for the $90 million "Road Rail Utility Corridor" project, the first phase of a planned $300 million development at the Port of Prince Rupert.  The "road rail" project is designed to expand Ridley Island's terminal capacity to help meet Asia's demand for western Canadian natural resources, Clark said in a prepared statement. In addition, the project - which calls for building new inbound and outbound rail lines, and extending on-site rail and utilities - will "anchor bulk, container and logistics terminal developments," said Port of Prince Rupert President and Chief Executive Officer Don Krusel.