34 American Journal of Transportation American Journal of Transportation ajot.com HEAVY LIFTING DONE RIGHT Our cargo-handling capabilities save time and money. Let the port that works be your gateway to North America and beyond. 1000 Foust Road, Brownsville, TX 78521 (956) 831-4592 • (800) 378-5395 portofbrownsville.com AWO’s Carpenter says Administration’s Jones Act waiver won’t lower gas prices By Stas Margaronis, AJOT (WAIVER – continued on page 38) The decision by the Trump administration to extend an existing waiver of the Jones Act, which it said would reduce US gasoline prices, is not work- ing, according to Jennifer Carpenter, President and CEO American Waterways Opera- tors (AWO). The Jones Act, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, requires that cargoes transported between US ports must be transported on vessels built in the United States, crewed by US mariners, and owned by US citizens. The Jones Act provides the United States with mariners, vessels, and shipbuilding to assure a US domestic maritime self-suffi- ciency that can also be mobilized in a wartime emergency. In 2019, PricewaterhouseCoopers produced: “Contribution of the Jones Act Shipping Industry to the US Economy” which concluded that: “In addition to the 95,470 direct jobs in the industry, the Jones Act shipping industry supported another 552,750 indirect and induced jobs in other sectors of the economy, or about 5.8 jobs for each direct job in the Jones Act shipping industry.” Carpenter Says Jones Act Waivers Not Reducing Gasoline Prices In a video interview with AJOT, Carpenter said that, contrary to asser- tions by opponents of the Jones Act and supporters of Jones Act waiv- ers, there is no evidence of gasoline price reductions when transporting petroleum products on foreign flag vessels: “We are developing evi- dence in real time that the next time somebody says, ‘Boy, the Jones Act is driving gas prices,’ we’re going to be able to point to and say, ‘No, it doesn’t.’ As we have been saying, gas Jennifer Carpenter DHL Express expands heavyweight segment DHL’s Heavy Weight Express is responding to high demand for moving heavy cargo DHL Express announced the worldwide expan- sion of its Time Definite International portfolio with the introduction of Heavy Weight Express (HWX), an express air solution for shipments up to 1,000 kilograms per piece and 3,000 kilograms per ship- ment. With this launch, DHL Express strengthens its role as a leading global integrator capable of moving heavyweight cargo with express speed and reliabil- ity across more than 220 countries and territories, supported by a dedicated aviation and ground net- work that ensures stable uplift, predictable transit times, and globally consistent handling standards. Heavy Weight Express is designed to meet the needs of industries where shipment reliability and timing are critical business drivers. The service inte- grates fast, time definite delivery with full end to end control, proactive monitoring, and transparent allin pricing that eliminates the rate volatility and cost uncertainties associated with other areas of freight. Customers benefit from guaranteed express transit times, comprehensive shipment visibility at every stage, and DHL’s uncompromising operational stan- dards, including stringent handling procedures for shocksensitive, highvalue, or regulated goods. DHL Express CEO John Pearson said “Heavy Weight Express represents a strategically important step for our business, expanding the value that DHL Express brings to global supply chains. As industries face rising volatility, increasingly complex produc- tion cycles, and significant financial exposure from delays and supply chain disruption, DHL’s ability to offer expresslevel speed, access to capacity and higher reliability for shipments up to 3,000 kilo- grams fundamentally changes the service levels that customers can expect from their logistics provider.” “Across SubSaharan Africa, we are seeing customers move larger, more critical shipments at faster speeds as industries scale, modernise and integrate into global value chains. Heavy Weight Express responds directly to that need—combining DHL Express’ unmatched timedefinite reliability with the capability to move complex, heavyweight shipments without compromise. This service gives businesses certainty, visibility and control at a time when supplychain performance is a key competi- tive advantage,” said Hennie Heymans, CEO DHL Express SSA. The introduction of HWX is supported by the introduction of dedicated Heavy Weight Priority Desks around the world. These specialized teams are responsible for proactive tracking, early excep- tion detection, realtime intervention, and direct communication with customers to ensure uninter- rupted shipment flow. Each heavyweight shipment receives dedicated case ownership, giving custom- ers predictability and personal attention often asso- ciated with smaller or specialist logistics providers, but with the additional advantage of DHL’s global integrator infrastructure, standardized processes, and 24/7 operational control. The solution directly addresses six critical heavy- weight use cases observed across global industries: avoiding production downtime, managing program and product launches with immovable timelines, optimizing working capital by reducing inventory buffers, supporting procurement driven largescale shipping environments, complying with stringent special handling requirements, and stabilizing com- plex multisite supply chains. These use cases are especially prominent in the technology sector, auto- motive manufacturing, engineering and machinery, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and the oil and gas and energy sectors—industries where even small delays can result in severe financial impacts. Reducing shippers’ dependence on fluctuating airline capacity and removing the cost variability of addon fees and handling surcharges, HWX offers customers the stability of a single carrier from pickup to delivery. DHL Express manages its own aircraft fleet, hubs, gateways, customs operations, and lastmile delivery—providing customers with predictability even during periods of global disrup- tion or limited air capacity.
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