Coyote Logistics - Mastering Cross-Channel Logistics

MASTERING CROSS-CHANNEL LOGISTICS

JOEP KUSTERS, SVP, Head of Europe, at Coyote Logistics, explains how companies are managing cross-channel shipping challenges post-Brexit.

he impact of Brexit on cross-channel trade between the UK and the EU has had devastating effects for many companies on both sides of the English Channel. Shipping freight across international borders is challenging, with lots of paperwork, customs requirements and delayed crossings, and in the last few years, hurdles to shipping international freight have dramatically increased. Both the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine have severely disrupted international supply chains. It has not gone unnoticed that this resulted in rising energy and fuel costs, and a shortage of talented young logistics professionals. Complexities like these have impacted many logistics service providers, especially in the transport sector.

European shippers in particular have been struggling with the

difficulties of shipping goods across the English Channel. Since the UK withdrew from the single market and customs union, freight shipping has required more time and effort, increasing the risk of costly errors and delays. Brexit has fundamentally changed the way goods are shipped between the UK and EU. Quite a few transport service providers stopped accepting cross-channel shipments two weeks after Brexit because they could not manage the

“After Brexit, our customers struggled with the unknown and had to adjust their supply chains accordingly.

Our aim at Coyote Logistics is to help them solve their post-Brexit hurdles”

JOEP KUSTERS, SVP, Head of Europe

additional workload. For shippers, there is a growing need for logistics service providers with the expertise to manage the complex challenges of shipping cross-channel freight.

With both technological innovation and a dedicated service team, Coyote Logistics helps traders and manufacturers to master their shipping hurdles. A leading global logistics service provider with headquarters in Chicago and Amsterdam, Coyote Logistics connects shippers and carriers worldwide, handles more than 10,000 shipments per day, and employs more than 3,300 people in 20 offices worldwide. The company’s European service portfolio includes not only Full Truck Load (FTL), Express Van freight, customs brokerage and 4PL services, but also a full-service cross-channel logistics solution. With its expertise

and over 20 years of experience in the European freight market, Coyote Logistics helps shippers to overcome their cross-channel shipping challenges.

Joep Kusters is SVP, Head of Europe, at Coyote Logistics. He says, “After Brexit, our customers struggled with the unknown and had to adjust their supply chains accordingly. Our aim at Coyote Logistics is to help them solve their postBrexit hurdles. After all, managing crosschannel freight for many companies in the UK and the EU is a rather existential concern for their businesses.”

Stateside Skates was one of the companies that benefited from Coyote Logistics’ cross-channel solution. The British company is an award-winning, worldwide distributor of extreme sports products, importing, designing and distributing roller skates, skateboards and scooters all around the world.

“With the current investment in our carrier relationships and our people, we at Coyote Logistics are building on our strong industry legacy. We connect our innovative technology with dedicated customer service, enabling us to support our customers even better in the future”

Stateside Skates’ trade relations with the EU were particularly important, as it used to export more than half of its volume – 65 per cent – to customers within the EU. The company therefore needed to find a solution to continue with its business.

Coyote Logistics offered Stateside Skates full-service support including export documentation and import clearance. The company benefitted from Coyote’s in-market and freight specialist team, with over 20 years of experience and covering 30 different languages, as well as Coyote’s digital transport platform CoyoteGO®, which offers many features to make the processes of booking and tracking of freight easier.

Alistair Crichton, CEO at Stateside Skates, says, “The solution offered by Coyote seemed like a very elegant way of dealing with the issue of cross-channel freight. What Coyote presented was how we envisaged it always working postBrexit, and they had the solution that we thought

was the best one. It’s very easy to liaise with the staff at Coyote, whether in the UK or abroad. Our teams work very closely together on a daily basis. All the paperwork and the forms were easy enough to follow and create.

Coyote Logistics allows businesses to go back to the way they were trading before Brexit.”

In order to provide its European customers with the same level of dedicated service in the future, Coyote Logistics is expanding its activities on the European market. With an investment in its carrier network, it continues to drive its growth strategy.

Coyote Logistics has set up a new service centre in Wroclaw, Poland, and significantly increased its number

of employees in Europe. The centre offers 24/7 customer support and services for the US, as well as the other three European Coyote Logistics branches in Amsterdam, Dover and Frankfurt/Main.

Joep continues, “With the current investment in our carrier relationships and our people, we at Coyote Logistics are building on our strong industry legacy. We connect our innovative technology with dedicated customer service, enabling us to support our customers even better in the future.”

So, what are the biggest challenges for the European logistics and transportation market at the moment? Joep answers, “Players in the market are facing a variety of challenges right now. Many of them are struggling with rising fuel costs. For me, however, capacities are what matter most and will be the key issue in the next couple of years. We have seen a steady decline of capacity over the years, not just because of the driver shortage, but also because of the new EU regulations. While the current

“We offer close support, including both logistics and customs services in 30 languages! For our crosschannel logistics solution, this enables our customers to successfully manage their shipping challenges and continue their business in the future”

economic situation does not permit any reliable statements on further developments, existing customers of Coyote Logistics demand more capacities for their businesses.”

The last two years have shown that many companies need to invest more time and energy in making their supply chains fit for future challenges and in order to remain competitive. Technological innovation plays a key role here, from track and trace technology to big data management and artificial intelligence. Joep adds, “Technology is just one part of the equation. Human expertise is equally important for remaining successful in logistics. It is about finding the balance between the two factors. The combination of technology and human expertise is part of Coyote

Logistics’ DNA. With our innovative platform CoyoteGO®, we offer our clients a centralised marketplace, where we bring together carriers and shippers.”

At the same time, the Coyote Logistics team is constantly growing in order to help customers with their individual needs and challenges. Joep concludes, “We offer close support, including both logistics and customs services in 30 languages! For our cross-channel logistics solution, this enables our customers to successfully manage their shipping challenges and continue their business in the future.”

For further information on Coyote Logistics, visit www.coyotelogistics.com

www.coyotelogistics.com