We are indebted to the Hazardous Technical Information Services (HTIS) bulletin issued by the Department of Defense in Washington DC for the news that convicted spies, traitors and murderers are no longer allowed to drive vehicles carrying hazardous materials in the USA. While it is unlikely that many people in these categories will be enjoying much freedom at all in the foreseeable future, let alone the freedom to drive vehicles, there is a serious point behind the new rules.
Peter Jones reports a recent South African case on his Forwarderlaw website, where the issue was whether a company could rely on its trading conditions to limit or exclude liability for consignments stolen by its staff.
With only nine weeks left before Christmas stores in high streets and shopping malls are now well into the process of stocking up for the expected sales rush. Warehouses are beginning to fill up and greater amounts of consumer goods are on the move. While consumers are urged to start their shopping early to avoid the last-minute rush, so criminal gangs are also getting ready for their seasonal attacks on goods in transit.
We are grateful to Peter Quinter of the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff for drawing our attention to the decision of the US court of international trade in the case of United States v Pan Pacific Textile Group Inc.
Speaking at the Terminal Operators' Conference TOC 2005 held recently in Antwerp, Belgium, Alan Wilkins - the Club's Business Development Director - highlighted the risks that transport companies are being increasingly asked to accept in the name of logistics and supply chain management.
