A regional focus

摘要

With its recent expansion in the US, Clarke Logistics is not typical of the currently sluggish North American intermodal market. Whilst some of the largest US-based intermodal marketing companies (IMCs), namely Hub Group, Inc and Pacer International, have reported disappointing performances this year, it has increased its revenues by US$56 million. Compare this to Hub Group's intermodal revenue decreased by over 12% in the second quarter of 2001 compared to the same period last year, from almost $248 million to $217 million. But Clarke Logistics is also different from the majority of IMCs by being based in Canada, rather than the US. In the Canadian market, the railroads retail intermodal services directly to shippers rather than via the services of IMCs, unlike in the US. Steve Ramescu, vice-president at Clarke Logistics' Montreal (PQ) offices, explained the reason for this to Containerisation International: 'Previously there were many more railroads in the US. They couldn't keep track of goods, so they left it to the IMCs. In Canada the railways didn't have that mess. For the Canadian market to open up for us, we would need a change of mentality in the Canadian rail industry, which is not going to happen yet.'