Distinguish between commercial and non-commercial accommodation?

Answer 1

Class C licenses are issued in all states, except Massachusetts, in both commercial and non-commercial status. A non-commercial Class C license may not be used for hire. Most recreational vehicles that do not fall into the class D/E category, such as converted buses, tractor, lawn mowers, or full size (greater than 40 feet (12 m)) campers require a non-commercial Class C license and the corresponding permit from the state with which you reside. Class A: Combination (tractor plus trailer) vehicle of 26,001 pounds (11,794 kg) or more that tows a vehicle or unit weighing more than 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg). Examples are tractor-trailers and trailer buses. Class B: Single (straight) vehicle of 26,001 pounds (11,794 kg) or more (includes most buses including articulated buses) provided the vehicle being towed weighs 26,000 pounds (12,000 kg) or less. Examples include trucks and buses. Class C: Single vehicles that weigh 26,000 pounds (12,000 kg) or less being used to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver), haul hazardous material, or to operate a small school bus. Examples include small buses, strecthed limousines designed to carry 16 or more passengers, and non-commercial vehicles equipped with hazardous material placards.Professional drivers are usually required to add endorsements to their CDL to drive certain types of vehicles that require additional training. CDL endorsements requirements are mostly similar, but some vary between states. The training and testing requirements are regulated by the US Department of Transportation. Endorsements are as follows: P: Passenger Transport (required to transport more than 16 or more passengers and to drive a bus) H: Hazardous Materials (requires a TSA background check as well as an extensive written exam. Required to haul dangerous goods. The driver must be a US Citizen or permanent lawful resident to obtain an H or X endorsement.) N: Tank Vehicles (Required for carrying liquids in bulk.) T: Double/Triple Trailers (Class A licenses only - required to operate double or triple trailers. Most states do not allow triple trailers on the state roads.) X: Hazardous Materials and Tank Combination S: School Bus (In addition to a standard bus endorsement, more stringent TSA and CORI background checks are required. Required to operate a school bus and transport students to/from school.)There are two endorsements that do not come with a code: Air Brakes: Required to drive vehicles equipped with air brakes. If the CDL holder decides not to pass the written test, or be tested on a vehicle without air brakes, they'll be assigned an L restriction that will bar them from operating vehicles with air brakes. Combination Vehicles: Required for the Class A CDL to drive combination vehicles. Without passing this test, the applicant cannot apply for a Class A CDL, though they may instead opt for the Class B or Class C CDL. Licenses can be restricted through any of the following ways: B: Corrective Lenses are required while operating a motor vehicle. C: A mechanical aid is required to operate a commercial vehicle. D: A prosthetic aid is required to operate a commercial vehicle. E: The driver may only operate a commercial vehicle with an automatic transmission. F: An outside mirror is required on the commercial vehicle. G: The driver of a commercial vehicle is only allowed to operate during daylight hours. K: Drivers are authorized to drive a commercial vehicle within the state of issue (intrastate) only. This restriction applies to any holder of a CDL license who is under 21 years old or is not healthy enough to cross state lines. L: Drivers are restricted from operating a commercial vehicle with air brakes. This restriction is issued when a driver either fails the air brake component of the general knowledge test or performs the CDL road skills test in a vehicle not equipped with air brakes. M: CDL-A holders may operate CDL-B school buses only. N: CDL-A and CDL-B holders may operate CDL-C school buses only. O: Driver limited to pintail hook trailers only. Z: Alcohol Interlock Device required in the commercial vehicle. T: 60-day temporary license. In a rare exception to states and territories issuing driver licenses, the State Department's Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) issues driver licenses to foreign officials and diplomats, bypassing the states and territories in which they live. OFM-issued driver licenses are equivalent to a regular state-issued license. The minimum age to obtain a restricted driver license in the US varies from 14 years, three months in South Dakota to as high as 17 in New Jersey. In most states, a graduated licensing law applies to newly-licensed teenage drivers, going by names such as Provisional Driver, Junior Operator, Probationary Driver, or Intermediate License. These licenses restrict certain driving privileges, such as whether the new driver may carry passengers and if so how many, as well as setting a curfew for young drivers. For example, Utah drivers who are under 18 may not drive other people outside the family in their first six months with a license. Unlike in some states of Australia and some provinces of Canada, graduated licensing laws do not require lowered speed limits, displaying of L and P plates, restrictions on towing a trailer or boat, or prohibitions on highway driving or operating high performance cars. Drivers under 18 are usually required to attend a comprehensive driver's education program either at their high school or a professional driving school and take a certain number of behind-the-wheel lessons with a certified driving instructor before applying for a license. Some states like New York also require new adult drivers to attend some form of driver education before applying for a license.In some states all newly licensed adult drivers may be on probation for a set amount of time (usually between six months and two years), during which traffic violations carry harsher penalties or mandatory suspensions that would not apply to experienced drivers. According to federal law, the minimum age to operate a commercial vehicle in interstate transit is 21. As a result, the minimum age to apply for an unrestricted commercial driver's license is 21.Driving a school bus requires a CDL. The minimum age to drive a school bus is typically higher, usually 25. Some states issue restricted intrastate commercial driver's licenses, valid for operating commercial vehicles in that state only, to drivers aged 18 and older. Professional drivers who are aged 18–20 typically cannot be licensed to drive tractor trailers, hazardous materials or school buses. Below is a list of Graduated Driver's Licenses (GDL) and hardship licenses for minors laws for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The list includes the state agency responsible for issuing driver licenses and the length of time that a full (unrestricted) driver license is valid for. According to a December 2, 2004 Los Angeles Times article, only 43% of US 15-to-17-year-olds had drivers licenses in 2002. By comparison, the percentage of drivers licenses in this age group in 1982 was 52%. Driver's licenses issued in the United States have a number or alphanumeric code issued by the issuing state's department of motor vehicles (or equivalent), usually show a photograph of the bearer, as well as a copy of the bearer's signature, the address of the bearer's primary residence, the type or class of license, restrictions, endorsements (if any), the physical characteristics of the bearer (such as height, weight, hair color and eye color) and birth date. Driver's license numbers issued by a state are unique. Social Security numbers are now prohibited by federal law from appearing on new driver's licenses due to identity theft concerns. In most states, to be compliant with AAMVA standards, the orientation of a driver's license for persons under the age of 21 is vertical while a driver's license for those over the age of 21 is horizontal. Since the driver's license is often used as proof of a person's age, the difference in orientation makes it easy to determine that a person is legally allowed to purchase or consume alcohol and purchase tobacco (the drinking and tobacco age in all U.S. states is 21). Some states, such as Arizona, do not require that a driver's license be changed to horizontal at age 21. The vertical license does not expire until age 65 in the state of Arizona. Most states require that when a driver establishes residence in a state, he or she must obtain a license issued by that state within a limited time. Because there is no national identity card in the United States, the driver's license is often used as the de facto equivalent for completion of many common business and governmental transactions. As a result, driver's licenses are stolen and used for identity theft. Driver's licenses were not always identification cards. In many states, driver's licenses did not even have a photograph until the 1980s. Advocacy by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for photo ID age verification in conjunction with increasing the drinking age to 21 to reduce underage drinking led to photographs being added to all state licenses. New York and Tennessee were the last states to add photos in 1986. New Jersey later allowed drivers to get non-photo licenses, but that option was subsequently revoked. Vermont license holders have the option of receiving a non-photo license. Tennessee drivers 60 years of age or older had the option of a non-photo driver's license prior to January 2013, when photo licenses were required for voting identification. Those with valid non-photo licenses were allowed to get a photo license when their current license expired. Thirteen states allow a non-photo driver's license for reasons of religious belief: Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin.Later additions to licenses have included fingerprints, bar codes, magnetic strips, social security numbers, and tamper-proof features, most of which were added to prevent identity theft and to curb the use of fake IDs. States have slowly added digitized features to driver's licenses, which incorporate holograms and bar codes to reduce forgery. Many states provide identification cards for people who do not drive, usually through the same agency that issues driver's licenses. The Department of Homeland Security enforces standards of the Real ID Act of 2005 for identification of applicants and license design for state-issued driver licenses and identification cards. States are not required to comply with Real ID, but any driver licenses or ID cards issued by that state will not be valid for any official purpose with the federal government, including entering federal buildings or boarding airplanes. For a state to comply with Real ID, licenses and ID cards issued from that state must be approved by DHS to meet Real ID requirements. States can choose to issue both regular licenses and ID cards as well as Real IDs, but any non-Real ID must be marked "Not for Federal Identification". Real IDs are normally valid for eight years. Real IDs are allowed to be issued only to legal immigrants and citizens of the United States. An applicant for a Real ID, either as a new driver license or ID card applicant, or renewing a current license or ID card, must present a citizenship document (US passport, certified birth certificate or citizenship certificate) or proof of legal immigrant status, proof of a Social Security number if they have been issued one, proof of any name changes if using birth certificate, and two proofs of residency in the state. The state then must verify the documents and store them either electronically or on paper. No one may have more than one Real ID at one time. A Real ID can be identified with a gold or black star located on the top right third of the ID, depending on the state. As of October 2011, Connecticut issues them. Starting in January 2013, Ohio is issuing Real IDs under the name "Safe ID". California started issuing Real IDs on January 22, 2018. Some states, mostly those with an international border, issue enhanced driver's licenses and enhanced ID cards. Enhanced licenses combine a regular driver's license with the specifications of the new federal passport card. Thus, in addition to providing driving privileges, the enhanced license also is proof of US citizenship, and can therefore be used to cross the Canadian and Mexican borders by road, rail, or sea, although air travel still requires a traditional passport book. The enhanced licenses are also fully Real ID compliant. On March 27, 2008, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that Washington's enhanced driver's license was the first one approved under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. According to a Homeland Security press release, the department is working with Arizonan authorities to develop enhanced driver's licenses. On September 16, 2008, New York began issuing enhanced driver's licenses that meet WHTI requirements. Texas was expected to implement an enhanced driver's license program, but the program has been blocked by Texas Governor Rick Perry, despite a state law authorizing the Texas Department of Public Safety to issue EDLs and a ruling by the state attorney general, Greg Abbott, that Texas's production of EDLs would comply with federal requirements.As of May 2009, Vermont, New York, Michigan, and Washington were issuing enhanced driver's licenses and ID cards. In January 2014, Minnesota became the fifth state to issue enhanced driver's licenses, while Ohio is set to become the sixth state once it has been approved by its legislature. California, Iowa, and Delaware have proposed digital drivers licenses as a means of identification. The license would be available as an app by MorphoTrust USA and installed on a user's personal cellphone. Questions have been raised about user privacy, since a police officer may ask for one's license and gain access to one's cellphone. Louisiana passed House Bill 481 in 2014 which became Act 625, making Louisiana the first state with a legally accepted digital driver's license via LA Wallet, an app created by Envoc that launched in July 2018. The law allows Louisiana residents to present driver identification using LA Wallet "...upon demand of any officer or agent of the department or any police officer of the state, parish, or municipality...". The Louisiana digital driver's license requires no additional hardware to accept and includes a “no-touch” policy whereby the citizen remains in possession of the mobile device at all times. In October 2018, the Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin approved usage of LA Wallet for voter identification at the polling stations. In January 2019, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control issued a notice legally approving LA Wallet, Louisiana's Digital Driver's License app for purchase age verification for tobacco and alcohol sales. The Information Society Directive (familiarly when first proposed, the Copyright Directive) is a directive of the European Union that was enacted to implement the WIPO Copyright Treaty and to harmonise aspects of copyright law across Europe, such as copyright exceptions. The directive was first enacted in 2001 under the internal market provisions of the Treaty of Rome. The draft directive was subject to unprecedented lobbying and was considered a success for Europe's copyright laws. The 2001 directive gave EU Member States significant freedom in certain aspects of transposition. Member States had until 22 December 2002 to transpose the directive into their national laws, although only Greece and Denmark met the deadline. Articles 2–4 contain definitions of the exclusive rights granted to under copyright and related rights. They distinguish the "reproduction right" (Article 2) from the right of "communication to the public" or "making available to the public" (Article 3): the latter is specifically intended to cover publication and transmission on the internet. The two names for the right derive from the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (Arts. 8 & 10 respectively). The related right for authors to authorise or prohibit any form of distribution to the public by sale or otherwise is provided for in Article 4 (exhaustion rights). Article 5 lists the copyright exceptions which Member States may apply to copyright and related rights. The restrictive nature of the list was one source of controversy over the directive: in principle, Member States may only apply exceptions which are on the agreed list, although other exceptions which were already in national laws on 2001-06-22 may remain in force [Article 5(3)(o)]. The Copyright Directive makes only one exception obligatory: transient or incidental copying as part of a network transmission or legal use. Hence internet service providers are not liable for the data they transmit, even if it infringes copyright. The other limitations are optional, with Member States choosing which they give effect to in national laws. Article 5(2) allows Member States to establish copyright exceptions to the Article 2 reproduction right in cases of: photographic reproductions on paper or any similar medium of works (excluding sheet music) provided that the rightholders receives fair compensation, reproductions on any medium made by a natural person for private use which is non-commercial provided that the rightholders receives fair compensation, reproduction made by libraries, educational establishments, museums or archives, which are non-commercial archival reproductions of broadcasts, reproductions of broadcasts made by "social institutions pursuing non-commercial purposes, such as hospitals or prisons" provided that the rightholders receives fair compensation.Article 5(3) allows Member States to establish copyright exceptions to the Article 2 reproduction right and the Article 3 right of communication to the public in cases of: illustration for teaching or scientific research, provided the source, including the author's name, is acknowledged, uses for the benefit of people with a disability, current event reporting, provided the source, including the author's name, is acknowledged, quotations for purposes such as criticism or review, provided the source, including the author's name, is acknowledged, use necessary for the purposes of "public security" or to the proper performance or reporting of "administrative, parliamentary or judicial proceedings", use of political speeches and extracts of public lectures or similar works, provided the source, including the author's name, is acknowledged, use during religious celebrations or official celebrations "organised by a public authority", use of works such as architecture or sculpture located permanently in public places, incidental inclusion of a work in other material, the advertising the public exhibition or sale of artistic works caricature, parody or pastiche, for demonstration or repair of equipment, use of an artistic work, drawing or plan of a building for the purposes of reconstruction, for non-commercial research or private studyAccording to Article 5(5) copyright exceptions may only be "applied in certain special cases which do not conflict with a normal exploitation of the work or other subject-matter and do not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the rightholder", therefore the directive confirms the Berne three-step test. Article 6 of the Copyright Directive requires that Member States must provide "adequate legal protection" against the intentional circumvention of "effective technological measures" designed to prevent or restrict acts of copying not authorised by the rightholders of any copyright, related right or the sui generis right in databases (preamble paragraph 47). Member States must also provide "adequate legal protection" against the manufacture, import, distribution, sale, rental, advertisement, or possession "for commercial purposes of devices, products or components or the provision of services which": are promoted, advertised or marketed for the purpose of circumvention of, or have only a limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to circumvent, or are primarily designed, produced, adapted or performed for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the circumvention of, any effective technological measures.In the absence of rightsholders taking voluntary measures the Directive provides that Member States must ensure that technological measures do not prevent uses permitted under Article 5 on copyright exceptions, see Article 6(4). Article 7 requires that Member States must provide "adequate legal protection" against the removal of rights management information metadata. Unlike Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which only prohibits circumvention of access control measures, the Copyright Directive also prohibits circumvention of copy protection measures, making it potentially more restrictive. In both the DMCA and the Copyright Directive, production, distribution etc. of equipment used to circumvent both access and copy-protection is prohibited. Under the DMCA, potential users who want to avail themselves of an alleged fair use privilege to crack copy protection (which is not prohibited) would have to do it themselves since no equipment would lawfully be marketed for that purpose. Under the Copyright Directive, this possibility would not be available since circumvention of copy protection is illegal. Member States had until 22 December 2002 to implement the Copyright Directive into their national laws. However, only Greece and Denmark met the deadline, while Italy, Austria, Germany and the UK implemented the directive in 2003. The remaining eight Member States (Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Finland and Sweden) were referred to the European Court of Justice for non-implementation. In 2004 Finland, the UK (with regards to Gibraltar), Belgium and Sweden were held responsible for non-implementation.National implementation measures include: Czech Republic: the amendment No. 216/2006 Coll. of the Czech Copyright Act Finland: 2005 amendment to the Finnish Copyright Act and Penal Code France: loi no 2006-961 du 1er août 2006 relative au droit d'auteur et aux droits voisins dans la société de l'information, better known as "DADVSI" United Kingdom: Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 In 2016, leaked documents revealed that two new provisions were under consideration. The first, aimed at social media companies, sought to make automated screening for copyrighted content mandatory for all cases in which a user can upload data. The second proposed that news publishers should benefit financially when links to their articles are posted on a commercial platform. Responding to criticism, Axel Voss admitted that the law was "maybe not the best idea" but went on to support its passage and draft some of the language being used to amend Article 11.The update has been widely derided as a link tax. Its critics include German MEP Julia Reda, Internet company Mozilla and copyright reform activists associated with the Creative Commons. Some discussion has concerned the inability for news agencies to opt out of the payment system and the claim that ancillary rights for news snippets contradicts the Berne convention. A narrowboat is a particular type of canal boat, built to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, but with the advent of the railways, commercial canal traffic gradually diminished and the last regular long-distance transportation of goods disappeared in 1970. However, some commercial traffic continued. From the 1970's onward narrowboats were gradually converted into permanent residences or as holiday lettings. Today, approximately 6000 narrowboats are registered as permanent homes on Britian's waterway system and represent a growing alternative community living in semi permanent moorings or continuously cruising. To enter a narrow lock, a narrowboat must be under 7 feet (2.13 m) wide, so most narrowboats are just 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) wide. A narrowboat's maximum length is 72 feet (21.95 m). Anything wider or longer will be unable to navigate most of the British canal network. Some locks are shorter than 72 feet (21.95 m), so to access the entire canal network the maximum length is 57 feet (17.37 m) The first narrow boats played a key part in the economic changes of the British Industrial Revolution. They were wooden boats drawn by a horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member. Horses were gradually replaced with steam and then diesel engines. By the end of the 19th century it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrowboats and their fixtures and fittings. This tradition has continued into the 21st century, but not all narrowboats have such decorations. Modern narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, or as permanent or part-time residences. Usually, they have steel hulls and a steel superstructure. The hull's flat base is usually 10mm thick, the hull sides 6mm or 8mm, the cabin sides 6mm, and the roof 4mm or 6mm. The numbers of boats have been rising, with the number of licensed boats (not all of them narrowboats) on canals and rivers managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT) estimated at about 27,000 in 2006 by 2019 this had risen to 34,367. Although a small number of steel narrowboats dispense with the need for a rear steering deck entirely, by imitating some river cruisers in providing wheel steering from a central cockpit, most narrowboats' steering is by a tiller on the stern. There are three major configurations for the stern: traditional stern, cruiser stern and semi-traditional stern. Narrowboats are "Category D" boats which are intended only for navigating rivers, canals and small lakes; but some intrepid boaters have crossed the English Channel in a narrowboat. The narrowboat (one word) definition in the Oxford English Dictionary is: A British canal boat of traditional long, narrow design, steered with a tiller; spec. one not exceeding 7 feet (approx. 2.1 metres) in width or 72 feet (approx. 21.9 metres) in length Earlier quotations listed in the Oxford English Dictionary use the term "narrow boat", with the most recent, a quotation from an advertisement in Canal Boat & Inland Waterways in 1998, uses "narrowboat". The single word "narrowboat" has been adopted by authorities such as the Canal and River Trust, Scottish Canals and the magazine Waterways World to refer to all boats built in the style and tradition of commercial boats that were able to fit in the narrow canal locks.Although some narrow boats were built to a design based on river barges and many conform to the strict definition of the term, it is incorrect to refer to a narrowboat (or narrow boat) as a widebeam or a barge. In the context of the British inland waterways, a barge is usually a much wider, cargo-carrying boat or a modern boat modelled on one, certainly more than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide.Another historic term for a narrow boat is a long boat, this name was used in the Midlands and especially on the River Severn and connecting waterways to Birmingham.Usage has not quite settled down as regards (a) boats based on narrowboat design, but too wide for narrow canals; or (b) boats the same width as narrowboats but based on other types of boat.Narrowboats may have ship prefix NB. The key distinguishing feature of a narrowboat is its width, which must be less than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide to navigate British narrow canals. Some old boats are very close to this limit (often built 7 feet 1 1⁄2 inches or 2.17 metres or slightly wider), and can have trouble using certain narrow locks whose width has been reduced over time because of subsidence. Modern boats are usually produced to a maximum of 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) wide to guarantee easy passage throughout the complete system. Because of their slenderness, some narrowboats seem very long. The maximum length is about 72 feet (21.95 m), which matches the length of the longest locks on the system. Modern narrowboats tend to be shorter, to permit cruising anywhere on the connected network of British canals — including on canals built for wider, but shorter, boats. The shortest lock on the main network is Salterhebble Middle Lock on the Calder and Hebble Navigation, at about 56 feet (17.07 m) long. However, the C&H is a wide canal, so the lock is about 14 feet 2 inches (4.32 m) wide. This makes the largest "go-anywhere-on-the-network" narrowboat slightly longer (about 58 feet or 17.68 metres) than the straight length of the lock, because it can (with a certain amount of "shoehorning") lie diagonally. Some locks on isolated waterways are as short as 40 feet (12.19 m). Where it was possible to avoid going through locks, narrow boats were sometimes built a little larger. Wharf boats or more usually 'Amptons, operated on the Wolverhampton level of the Birmingham Canal Navigations and were up to 89 feet in length and 7 foot 10.5 inches wide.Hire fleets on British canals usually consist of narrow boats in varied lengths from 30 feet (9.14 m) upwards, to allow parties of different numbers or varying budgets to be able to hire a boat and get afloat. The first narrow boats played a key part in the economic changes of the British Industrial Revolution. They were wooden boats drawn by a horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member, often a child. Narrow boats were chiefly designed for carrying cargo, though some packet boats carried passengers, luggage, mail and parcels. The first canals to feature locks in the now standard size were the canals designed by James Brindley and approved by Parliament in 1766, including the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Trent and Mersey Canal. Although construction took many years, the lock size became standard for many canal building projects. Boatmen's families originally lived ashore, but in the 1830s as canals started to suffer competition from the burgeoning railway system, families (especially those of independent single boat owner/skippers) began to live on board, partly because they could no longer afford rents, partly to provide extra hands to work the boats harder, faster and further, partly to keep families together. As late as 1858, a Household Words article states that "the Grand Junction Canal company did not allow the boatmen's families on board." The crew of the non-stopping ("fly") boat in the article (skipper, two crew and a "youth") is said to be typical. The rear portion of the boat became the "boatman's cabin", familiar from picture postcards and museums, famous for its space-saving ingenuity and interior made attractive by a warm stove, a steaming kettle, gleaming brass, fancy lace, painted housewares and decorated plates. Such descriptions rarely consider the actual comfort of a (sometimes large) family, working brutally hard and long days, sleeping in one tiny cabin. However many shore-bound workers endured harder indoor trades in less healthy conditions and in worse accommodation, where the family was separated for long hours rather than being together all day. The lifestyle afloat, by definition itinerant, made it impossible for children to attend school. Most boat people were effectively illiterate and ostracised by those living "on the bank", who considered themselves superior.As steam and diesel progressively replaced the tow-horse in the early years of the 20th century, it became possible to move even more cargo with fewer hands by towing a second, un-powered boat, referred to as a "butty", "buttyboat" or "butty boat". Although there was no longer a horse to maintain, the butty had to be steered while being towed. So that the butty boatman could lengthen or shorten towline as needed, the towline wasn't tied-off on the bow, instead travelled over the buttyboat through permanent running blocks on stands or retractable middle masts and managed in the stern. On a wide canal, such as the Grand Union Canal, the pair could be roped side-to-side ("breasted up") and handled as a unit through working locks. Cargo-carrying by narrow boat diminished from 1945 and the last regular long-distance traffic disappeared in 1970. However, some traffic continued into the 1980s and beyond. Two million tonnes of aggregate were carried on the Grand Union (River Soar) between 1976 and 1996, latterly using wide beam barges. Aggregate continues to be carried between Denham and West Drayton on the (wide) Grand Union Canal and on the tidal estuary of Bow Creek (which is the eventual outflow of the Lee & Stort Navigation). A few people are doing their best in the 21st century to keep the tradition of canal-borne cargo-carrying alive, mostly by "one-off" deliveries rather than regular runs, or by selling goods such as coal to other boaters. Enthusiasts remain dedicated to restoring the remaining old narrow boats, often as members of the Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club. There are many replicas, such as Hadar, ornately painted with traditional designs, usually of roses and castles. Boats not horse-drawn may have a refurbished, slow-revving, vintage diesel engine. There are some steam-driven narrow boats such as the ex-Fellows Morton and Clayton steamer President. By the end of the 19th century it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrow boats and their fixtures and fittings. Common sites include the doors to the cabin, the water can or barrel and the side of the boat along with ornate lettering giving the boat's name and owner. This tradition did not happen in all regions, the Chesterfield Canal being one waterway where narrow boats never bore such decorations.The origin of the roses and castles found on canal boats is unclear. The first written reference to them appears to be in an 1858 edition of the magazine Household Words in one of a series of articles titled "On the Canal", showing that the art form must have existed by this date. For some time, a popular suggestion was that it had some form of Romani origin; however, there does not appear to be a significant link between the Romani and boating communities. Other suggestions include transfer of styles from the clock-making industry (in particular the decoration on the face), the japanning industry or the pottery industry. There is certainly a similarity in style and a geographical overlap, but no solid proof of a link. There are similar styles of folk art in Scandinavia, Germany, Turkey and Bangladesh. In the 18th century, similar Dutch Hindeloopen paintwork would only have been a sailing barge journey away from the Thames. There is also an article in the Midland Daily Telegraph of 22 July 1914 that credits the practice of painting of water cans, at least, to a Mr Arthur Atkins. While the practice declined as commercial use of the canals dwindled, it has seen something of a revival in recent times with the emergence of leisure boating. Narrowboat decoration with roses and castle themes are a common sight on today's canals, although these may utilise cheaper printed vinyl transfers in place of the traditional craft of hand-painted designs. The number of licensed boats on canals and rivers managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), a charitable trust, formerly British Waterways, was estimated at about 27,000 in 2006. By 2014 this number had risen to over 30,000. There were perhaps another 5,000 unlicensed boats kept in private moorings or on other waterways in 2006. Most boats on CRT waterways are steel (or occasionally, aluminium) cruisers popularly referred to as narrowboats. Modern leisure narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, as permanent or part-time residences. Usually, they have steel hulls and a steel superstructure, but when they were first being developed for leisure use in the 1970s glass reinforced plastic (fibre-glass) or timber was often used above gunwale height. Newer narrowboats, say post 1990, are usually powered by modern diesel engines and may be fitted inside to a high standard. There will be at least 6 feet (1.8 m) internal headroom and often or usually similar domestic facilities as land homes: central heating, flush toilets, shower or even bath, four-ring hobs, oven, grill, microwave oven, and refrigerator; some may have Satellite Television and mobile broadband, using 4G technology. Externally, their resemblance to traditional boats can vary from a faithful imitation (false "rivets", and copies of traditional paintwork) through "interpretation" (clean lines and simplified paintwork) through to a free-style approach which does not try to pretend in any way that this is a traditional boat. They are owned by individuals, shared by a group of friends (or by a more formally organised syndicate), rented out by holiday firms, or used as cruising hotels. A few boats are lived on permanently: either based in one place (though long-term moorings for residential narrowboats are currently very difficult to find) or continuously moving around the network (perhaps with a fixed location for the coldest months, when many stretches of canal are closed by repair works or "stoppages"). A support infrastructure has developed to provide services to the leisure boats, with some narrowboats being used as platforms to provide services such as engine maintenance and boat surveys; while some others are used as fuel tenders, that provide diesel, solid fuel (coal and wood) and Calor Gas. On almost all narrowboats steering is by tiller, as was the case on all working narrow boats. The steerer stands at the stern of the boat, aft of the hatchway and/or rear doors at the top of the steps up from the cabin. The steering area comes in three basic types, each meeting different needs of maximising internal space; having a more traditional appearance; having a big enough rear deck for everyone to enjoy summer weather or long evenings; or protection outside in bad weather. Each type has its advocates. However, the boundaries are not fixed, and some boats blur the categories as new designers try out different arrangements and combinations. Traditional stern Many modern canal boats retain the traditional layout of a small open, unguarded "counter" or deck behind the rear doors from which the crew can step onto land. It is possible to steer from the counter, but this is not very safe, with the propeller churning below only one missed step away. The "tiller extension" allows the steerer to stand in safety on the top step, forward of the rear doors. (On a working boat, this step would have been over the top of the coal box). On cold days, the steerer can even close the rear doors behind themselves, and be in relative comfort, their lower body in the warmth of the cabin, and only their upper body emerging from the hatchway and exposed to the elements. In good weather, many trad-stern steerers sit up on the hatchway edge, a high vantage point giving good all-round visibility. On trad boats, the bow "well-deck" forms the main outside viewing area, because the traditional stern is not large enough for anyone other than the steerer to stand on safely. Internally, trads may have an engine room forward of a traditional "boatman's cabin", or an enclosed engine tucked away out of sight and the increased living space this brings. Cruiser stern The name for this style arises from the large open rear deck resembling that of the large rear cockpits common on glass-fibre (glass-reinforced plastic or GRP) river cruisers which in turn derives from elliptical sterns used on cruisers and larger warships in the 20th century. At the stern, a "cruiser" narrowboat looks very different from traditional boats: the hatch and rear doors are considerably further forward than on a "trad", creating a large open deck between counter and rear doors, protected by railing (perhaps with built-in seating) around back and sides. The large rear deck provides a good al fresco dining area or social space, allowing people to congregate on deck in good weather and the summer holiday season. In winter (or less than perfect weather of summer) the steerer may be unprotected from the elements. The lack of an enclosed engine room means that engine heat does not contribute to keeping the boat warm and there may be "wasted" space above the deck area. A "cruiser" stern allows the engine to be located under the deck, rather than in the body of the boat. Although this may make access to the engine more of a nuisance (due to weather considerations) the whole deck can usually be lifted off in whole or in sections, allowing the operative to stand inside the engine bay, the cruiser stern has a major advantage that the engine is located entirely outside the living space. In this configuration also, it is common to find that the engine bay contains batteries, isolator switching, fuel tanks and seldom-used kit, spares and equipment. Semi-traditional stern A semi-traditional stern is a compromise to gain some of the "social" benefits of a cruiser stern, while retaining a more traditional design and providing some protection for the steerer in bad weather or in cooler seasons. As with the cruiser stern, the deck is extended back from the hatch and rear doors, but in this case most of the deck is protected at the sides by walls which extend back from the cabin sides – giving a more sheltered area for the steerer and companions, usually with lockers to sit on. The engine is located under the deck, much like a cruiser, again allowing a separation between the cabin and the engine bay, with the steps down to the cabin being located past the false sides of the "semi-trad" social area. With a butty stern A butty boat is an unpowered boat traditionally with a larger rudder with (usually) a wooden tiller (known as an elum, a corruption of helm) as the steering does not benefit from the force of water generated by the propeller. The tiller is usually removed and reversed in the rudder-post socket to get it out of the way when moored. A few butty boats have been converted into powered narrowboats like NB Sirius. The term butty is derived from the dialect word buddy, meaning companion. Centre cockpit While the vast majority of narrowboats have tiller steering at the stern, a small number of steel narrowboats dispense with the need for a rear steering deck entirely, by imitating some river cruisers in providing wheel steering from a central cockpit. This layout has the advantage (as have many Dutch barges) of enabling an aft cabin to be separate from the forward accommodation. Scottish Canals Inland Waterways Association — campaigns for the use, maintenance, and restoration of Britain's inland waterways National Association of Boat Owners (NABO) — 3,000 members in 2004. They publish one of the few in-print books about living aboard a narrowboat, Living Afloat (2005). See also 'Living Aboard', The History Press (2008). National Community Boats Association — a federation of organisations running narrow and other boats on navigable waterways for the benefit of the community. The Canal & River Trust The Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica, is a species of Old World quail found in East Asia. First considered a subspecies of the common quail, it is now considered as a separate species. The Japanese quail has played an active role in the lives of humanity since the 12th century, and continues to play major roles in industry and scientific research. Where it is found, the species is abundant across most of its range. Currently, there are a few true breeding mutations of the Japanese quail. The breeds from the United States are: Texas A&M, English white, golden range, red range, Italian, Manchurian, Tibetan, rosetta, scarlett, roux dilute and golden tuxedo. The Japanese quail was formally described by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck and the German ornithologist Hermann Schlegel in 1848 and given the trinomial name Coturnix vulgaris japonica. This species is now placed in the genus Coturnix that was introduced in 1764 by the French naturalist François Alexandre Pierre de Garsault.The Japanese quail was formerly considered to be conspecific with the common quail (Coturnix coturnix). The range of the two taxa meet in Mongolia and near Lake Baikal without apparent interbreeding. In addition the offspring of crosses in captivity show reduced fertility. The Japanese quail is therefore now treated as a separate species. It is considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The morphology of the Japanese quail differs depending on its stage in life. As chicks, both male and female individuals exhibit the same kind of plumage and coloring. Their heads are tawny in color, with small black patches littering the area above the beak. The wings and the back of the chick are a pale brown, the back also having four brown stripes running along its length. A pale yellow-brown stripe surrounded by smaller black stripes runs down the top of the head.The plumage of the Japanese quail is sexually dimorphic, allowing for differing sexes to be distinguished from one another. Both male and female adults exhibit predominantly brown plumage. However, markings on the throat and breast, as well as the particular shade of brown of the plumage, can vary quite a bit. The breast feathers of females are littered with dark spots among generally pale feathers. Contrastingly, male breast feathers show off a uniform dark reddish-brown color that is devoid of any dark spots. This reddish-brown coloration also appears in the male cheek, while female cheek feathers are more cream colored. Some males also exhibit the formation of a white collar, whereas this does not occur in any female members of the species. It is important to note that while this coloration is very typical of wild populations of Coturnix japonica, domestication and selective breeding of this species has resulted in numerous different strains exhibiting a variety of plumage colors and patterns. Most of the strains are sexually dimorphic, however, there are some that can not be distinguished on the basis of plumage colouration, these include Texas A&M, English white, tuxedo and others .Males tend to be smaller than females. Wild adults weigh between 90 and 100 grams while their domesticated counterparts typically weigh between 100 and 120 grams. However, weight among domesticated lines varies considerably, as commercial strains bred for meat production can weigh up to 300 grams.Compared to the common quail the Japanese quail has darker upperparts with more contrast and is deeper rufous below. In the breeding season the male of the Japanese quail has distinctive rufous throat feathers. These are replaced by long pale feathers in the non-breeding season. This plumage feature is not observed in the common quail. Some 28 different call types have been distinguished based on the circumstances in which they are used and the various behaviors that are exhibited during the call. The call types of the Japanese quail differ between male and female, the same stimulus resulting in differing vocalizations. Most of the calls used by this quail are present after five weeks of development; however, they remain relatively changeable until sexual maturity is reached. The typical crow of the Japanese quail is characterized by two short parts that precede a final, major trill.Crowing of males has been observed to expedite the development of the female's gonads as those exposed to such crowing reach maturity much earlier that those who are not exposed to male vocalizations. Differences in crow patterns have been observed between males with mates and un-mated males. Populations of the Japanese quail are known to mainly inhabit East Asia and Russia. This includes India, Korea, Japan, and China. Though several resident populations of this quail have been shown to winter in Japan, most migrate south to areas such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and southern China. This quail has also been found to reside in many parts of Africa, including Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Namibia, Madagascar, and the area of the Nile River Valley extending from Kenya to Egypt.Breeding sites of the Japanese quail are largely localized to East and Central Asia, in such areas as Manchuria, southeastern Siberia, northern Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. However, it has also been observed to breed in some regions of Europe, as well as Turkey.The Japanese quail is primarily a ground-living species that tends to stay within areas of dense vegetation in order to take cover and evade predation. Thus, its natural habitats include grassy fields, bushes along the banks of rivers, and agricultural fields that have been planted with crops such as oats, rice, and barley. It has also been reported to prefer open habitats such as steppes, meadows, and mountain slopes near a water source. Normally, the Japanese quail has been considered to possess an underdeveloped sense of taste, this being evidenced by their inability to distinguish different kinds of carbohydrates presented to them. However, studies have shown that a limited ability to taste is indeed present. Evidence for this includes quail individuals exhibiting preferential choice of sucrose-containing solutions over simple distilled water and the avoidance of salty solutions. Though the Japanese quail possesses an olfactory epithelium, little is known about its ability to sense smell. Despite this, certain studies have revealed that these birds are able to detect certain substances using only their sense of smell. For example, they have been reported to be able to detect the presence of certain pesticides, as well as avoid food containing a toxic chemical called lectin, using only the sense of smell. Through nasolateral conversion of the eyes, the Japanese quail is able to achieve frontal overlap of the eye fields. Long distance perception occurs with a binocular field accommodation. In order to maintain focus on a certain object while walking, the quail will exhibit corresponding head movements. The Japanese quail has also been shown to possess color vision, its perception of color being greater than that of form or shape. Not much is known about Coturnix japonica hearing; however, it has been shown to be able to distinguish between various human phonetic categories.This quail species is also an avid dust bather, individuals undergoing numerous bouts of dust bathing each day. When dust bathing, this bird will rake its bill and legs across the ground in order to loosen up the ground, and then use its wings to toss the dust into the air. As the dust falls back down to the ground around the bird, it will shake its body and ruffle its feathers to ensure they receive a thorough coating. This behavior is believed to function in such things as simple feather maintenance and parasite removal. The type of relationship exhibited between male and female members of the Japanese quail has returned mixed reports, as they have been seen to exhibit both monogamous and polygamous relationships. A study of domesticated specimens reveals that females tend to bond with one or two males, though extra-pair copulations are also frequently observed.Japanese quails show peak breeding activity during the summer season, when Testes increase in size and testosterone hormone concentrations hit their peak.The Japanese quail exhibits a quite distinct and specific mating ritual. First, the male grabs the neck of the female and mounts her. After mounting the female, the male extends his cloaca by curving his back in an attempt to initiate cloacal contact between him and the female. If cloacal contact is achieved, insemination of the female will be exhibited by distinguishable foam present in the female's cloaca. After successfully mating with a female, the male characteristically performs a distinctive strut. Females will either facilitate the mating attempts of the male by remaining still and squatting in order to ease the access of the male to her cloaca or impede the attempts of the male by standing tall and running away from him. Females can also induce the initial sexual interactions by walking in front of a male and crouching. Males acting aggressively toward a female during the mating ritual have been shown to reduce successful matings.Eggs tend to be laid in the few hours preceding dusk. Incubation of the egg starts as soon as the last egg in the clutch is laid and lasts an average of 16.5 days. Japanese quail females carry out most of the incubation of the eggs, becoming increasingly intolerant of the male throughout the incubation process. Eventually, the female will drive the male away before the eggs hatch. Thus, the females also provide all of the parental care to the newly hatched young.Egg weight, color, shape, and size can vary greatly among different females of a Japanese quail population; however, these characteristics are quite specific and consistent for any given female. Eggs are generally mottled with a background color ranging from white to blue to pale brown. Depending on the strain of the Japanese quail, eggs can weigh anywhere from 8 to 13 grams, though the accepted average weight is 10 grams. Age seems to play a role in the size of eggs produced as older females tend to lay larger eggs. The diet of the Japanese quail includes many different types of grass seed such as white millet and panicum. They also feed upon a variety of insects, their larvae, and other small invertebrates.The Japanese quail mainly eats and drinks at the beginning and end of the day: behavior shown to closely follow the photoperiod. However, they will still eat and drink throughout the day as well. The earliest records of domesticated Japanese quail populations are from 12th century Japan; however, there is evidence that the species was actually domesticated as early as the 11th century. These birds were originally bred as songbirds, and it is thought that they were regularly used in song contests.In the early 1900s, Japanese breeders began to selectively breed for increased egg production. By 1940, the industry surrounding quail eggs was flourishing. However, the events of World War II led to the complete loss of quail lines bred for their song type, as well as almost all of those bred for egg production. After the war, the few quails left were used to rebuild the industry, and all current commercial and laboratory lines today are considered to have originated from this population of quails. The Japanese quail is considered to be a closely related allopatric species to the common quail, though both are still recognized as distinct species. Due to their close relationship and phenotypic similarities, as well as the recent decline in wild common quail populations throughout Europe, the Japanese quail is often crossed with the common quail in order to create hybrids that are used to restock the declining wild quail populations. Countries such as Greece, France, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland, Canada, China, Australia, and Italy all release thousands of such hybrids each year in order to supplement their dwindling wild quail populations, often releasing these birds right before the start of the hunting season. These hybrids are practically indistinguishable from the native common quail in these areas, though there are worries that such hybridizations could be detrimental to the native quail populations. As the Japanese quail is easily managed, fast growing, small in size, and can produce eggs at a high rate, it has been farmed in large quantities across the globe. Countries such as Japan, India, China, Italy, Russia, and the United States all have established commercial Japanese quail farming industries. The Japanese quail provides developing countries with a stable source of meat and developed countries with a suitable alternative to chicken. However, the quail finds its true economic and commercial value in its egg production, as domesticated lines of the Japanese quail can lay up to 300 eggs a year at a very efficient feed to egg conversion ratio. A feed to egg conversion ratio of 2.62 was accomplished by the 1990s. Interest in the Japanese quail as a research animal greatly increased after 1957 due to groups at the University of California and Auburn University who proposed its value in biomedical research. It is now widely used for research purposes in state, federal, university, and private laboratories. Fields in which Coturnix japonica is widely utilized include: genetics, nutrition, physiology, pathology, embryology, cancer, behavior, and the toxicity of pesticides.Japanese quail eggs have orbited the Earth in several Soviet and Russian spacecraft, including the Bion 5 satellite and the Salyut 6 and Mir space stations. In March 1990, eggs on Mir were successfully incubated and hatched. Cevital (French pronunciation: [sevital]) is the largest private conglomerate in Algeria, with interests in the agri-food sector, retail, industry and services, created by Issad Rebrab. The company's headquarters are in Kouba, Algeria. Cevital is a founding member of the Desertec project. The company's earnings in 2009 were US$3,589 million. Main subsidiaries and affiliate companies of Cevital include food processing, shopping centers, construction, automobile sales, and glass manufacturing: Cevital Food Processing IndustryCreated in 1998, Cevital Food Processing Industry (Cevital Agro-Industrie) consists of various production units such as: oil refinery, sugar refinery, margarine production unit, mineral water packaging unit, a unit for producing and packaging refreshing drinks, cannery, port silos as well as a terminal for port unloading. Cevital Food Processing Industry has permitted Algeria to go from the importation stage to the exportation one for oils, margarines and sugar.Its products are sold in several countries, particularly in Europe, in the Maghreb, in the Middle East and in Western Africa. Cevital Food Processing Industry is the biggest private complex in Algeria. Its production tools are divided as follows: CeviagroCreated in 2004, Ceviagro is an innovative firm of mass agricultural production, operating in the field of the production of arboreal plants, arboriculture, potato seeds, market gardening productions in greenhouses and in open country, as well as the marketing of fertilizers. NolisCreated in 2000, Nolis-SPA (Joint Stock Company) is the subsidiary in charge of the maritime trade of the Group. HMAThe Joint-stock Company Hyundai Motor Algeria, created in 1997, is a distributor of Hyundai Motor Company products, for the range of light vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses and commercial vehicles, and Hyundai Heavy Industries for public works equipment. It comprises more than 45 distributing agents split over the whole national territory. COGETPCreated in 2008, the General Company of Public Works Equipment COGETP (Compagnie Générale des Équipements de Travaux Public) is the exclusive dealer of Volvo CE and SDLG (China) in Algeria. COGETP markets public works equipment, sells spare parts and ensures after-sales service conforming to European standards. The product range of Volvo public works equipment includes more than 50 models of mechanical diggers, loaders, grading machines, retro-loaders, finishers, compactors and articulated tip-up cars. ACTSCreated in 2004, ACTSpecialist (Associated Car & Truck Specialist) specializes in the marketing and maintenance of vehicles (commercial, industrial, public transportation and public works). ACTSpecialist distinguishes itself from its rivals by the diversification of its areas of activities, particularly by the importation and marketing of industrial vehicles (trucks, buses, tractor-trailers and public works vehicles) and assembly in CKD of tractor-trailers of the brand RANDON, in the factory situated in L’Ârbaa, Wilaya of Blida. A policy embodied in trade agreements with first rank suppliers: RANDON, SUMITOMO, CHETRA, NEOBUS, CAMC, LONKING. Public Works EquipmentCreated in 2008, Cevital MTP (Public Works Equipment) specializes in the renting of the equipment of public works, transportation and construction. With a workforce of 131 people, Cevital MTP has 226 equipment units in its assets. Cevicar – Car RentingAs a result of a co-operation between Cevital Group and Hyundai, CEVICAR was established in 2007. Fiat ImmobisCreated in 2006, Immobis-SPA (Joint Stock Company), operates in the domain of real estate as a project manager for projects being carried out across the national territory. Industrial Sector: Logistic tri-temperature platforms in Oran: 17,000 m² of storage area. Logistic tri-temperature platforms in Bouira: 75,000 m² of storage area. Platforms of 5,000 m² were planned. Service Sector: plans included 3 shopping centers of 16,000 m² in Bouira, Ain Defla and Mostaganem; 4 shopping centers in Sidi Abdellah, Setif, Tlemcen and Bordj Bou; 3 Office towers and 2 hotel towers and apartment hotels in Algiers.Housing Sector: Luxurious accommodation in Hussein Dey, Cheraga, Sidi Abdellah (soon) Future MediaCreated in 2006, FUTURE MEDIA is a company that specializes in multimedia communication, including graphic design and billposting. SamhaLaunched in 2006, Joint-Stock Company SAMHA Home Appliance is the official and exclusive representative of the brand Samsung Electronics for electrical household products, and manufactures household appliances and audiovisual devices. At its factory in Setif, it employs more than 1800 workers and its product range includes refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines and colored TV sets. MFGMediterranean Float Glass (MFG), created in 2007, is the biggest producer of flat glass in Africa, with a production capacity of 600 tons/day. Established in Larbaa, Wilaya of Blida, MFG launched a production line of laminated glass in 2009, with a production capacity of 400 tons/day, and a factory for processing glass products opened in October 2010. Cevital MineralsCreated in 2008, its role is to carry out the prospecting and the exploration of all mineral substances, to exploit these deposits and to treat the extracted substances. It now has eight mining titles between exploration and exploitation. BaticomposBaticompos, a company of industrialized components, stemmed from the subsidiarization of the industrial group BATIMETAL. Acquired by the Cevital Group in 2007, it has a unique know-how in terms of manufacture of sandwich panels, false ceilings, veined metal sheets and shaped pieces. It also makes other products such as Saharian Cabins (residence, offices, sanitary), drilling camps, modular constructions, bungalows, cold storage rooms and shelters for telecommunications equipment. Prainsa Cevico AlgeriaConsidered as an unprecedented experience in Algeria, the creation of CEVICO and the functioning of its factories has permitted the supply of the construction projects of Cevital Group with prefabricated concrete elements to accompany its goal of acquiring the structures in its development strategy. CEVICO holds a certificate of classification and professional qualification of category VIII. Sierra CevitalCreated in 2011, Sierra Cevital is a joint-venture established between the Cevital Group and Sonae Sierra. It specializes in the development and management of shopping centers. NumilogCreated in 2007, Numilog provides global logistic services including land transportation, storage and stock management, packaging, co-packing, labeling, as well as varied complementary services (customs transit). Numilog is a Cevital Group subsidiary with resources to respond to enterprises logistics and transportation needs. Numilog is a key player in the logistic and supply chain and can assist organizations in activities optimization, relying on world-class infrastructure. NumidisCreated in 2006, Numidis specializes in wide distribution. It has set for itself the objective of developing a chain of supermarkets and hypermarkets under the brand names Unocity and Uno. Cevital has made the following acquisitions: Official website (in English)A container ship (sometimes spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport and now carry most seagoing non-bulk cargo. Container ship capacity is measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). Typical loads are a mix of 20-foot and 40-foot (2-TEU) ISO-standard containers, with the latter predominant. Today, about 90% of non-bulk cargo worldwide is transported by container ships, and the largest modern container ships can carry over 23,000 TEU (e.g., MSC Gülsün). Container ships now rival crude oil tankers and bulk carriers as the largest commercial seaborne vessels. There are two main types of dry cargo: bulk cargo and break bulk cargo. Bulk cargoes, like g