FORWARDER magazine issue 81

ALL-ISLAND RAIL REVIEW

ALL-ISLAND RAIL REVIEW

An opportunity that must be seized, says Logistics UK

PROFICIENT CUSTOMER SERVICE will safeguard (& strengthen) peoples’ jobs

THE FACE OF BUSINESS RATES

CPA & the dawn of a fairer era

WHY EUROPE’S DRIVER SHORTAGE

ISN’T JUST A PERSONNEL PROBLEM

THE SECTIONS

AIR FREIGHT

If it flies and it's freight, we'll feature it.

SEA FREIGHT

If it floats and it's fr... you get the idea.

ROAD FREIGHT

By far the largest share of cargo transport in the USA.

RAIL FREIGHT

The second stalwart; road's right-hand man.

PROJECT CARGO

Oversized, heavy, high-value or mission-critical stuff.

PORTS & HUBS

Gateways to the wider world.

TECH & DIGITISATION

From data to drones. Welcome to the future.

EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS

From promo to expo, don't risk FOMO.

CUSTOMS & SECURITY

If only COVID had been subject to this...

INDUSTRY SERVICES

Everything from freight forwarding to insurance.

CRISIS RESPONSE

The latest emergency, from money to monkeypox.

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

Growing, perfecting, and certifiying your business.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

The other way to grow your company.

MEDIA & MARKETING

This is a vital industry. Let's shout about it!

GIVING BACK

Environment. Fundraising. Charity. The feel-good stuff.

AIR FREIGHT

A system of transporting goods by aircraft.

Related topics

AOG (aircraft on ground)

OBC (on-board couriers)

Air charter

Sponsored by

ONE AIR COMPLETES INAUGURAL FLIGHT & BEGINS PREPARATIONS TO WELCOME SECOND

Britain’s new all-cargo airline, One Air, has completed its inaugural Boeing 747-400 freighter flight, operating a full charter for client Shandong Glory from China to the United Kingdom.

It is a proud day for us to operate our first customer flight and marks the start of our strategic development plan to build One Air’s reputation with clients in prime air cargo markets around the world.

Paul Bennett , CEO, One Air

The 100-tonne payload arrived at London Heathrow from JinanShandong last night, marking the commercial launch of the new airline.

This is a landmark day for One Air and all our team and partners in the UK, who have worked so hard to prepare for our successful launch since the awarding of our AOC by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. As well as ad hoc charter flights, we are now also commencing a regular flying programme from Asia Pacific to Europe with two 747F flights per week. Work is also under way to add a second 747F to our fleet, which we hope will enter service in early Q4. We are delighted to be open for business.

Chris Hope, Chief Operating Officer, One Air

One Air anticipates regular demand for flights from the UK to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia regions, with services to China and the US to follow.

One Air is the only UK operator of the Boeing 747 with its dry leased B747-400SF. In preparation for its launch of operations, it has established a team of over 100 aviation and air cargo specialists, based at its headquarters near London Heathrow.

We are proud to have shared this milestone with One Air and thank everyone connected with the flight from China for a highly efficient operation and customer experience. It is pleasing to see a new British cargo airline take to the air and we wish One Air great success as it works to establish its place in the global market.

Jacky Wu, General Manager, Shandong Glory

RWS HAS JOINED YOCOVA AS

AN ISV PARTNER

RWS Group, a world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services has joined Yocova

RWS, a unique, world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services, has become a Yocova member. The UK-headquartered company with over 65 offices across the globe is a leading player of content creation in multiple languages. With over 7,000 employees, RWS has the capability to create content in any language to help businesses extend their global reach and communicate with customers and clients globally.

RWS provides its services across many industries, including regulated, government, high-tech and industrial organisations. It provides businesses with a service that helps them to meaningfully connect with their audiences and customers in multiple languages around the world.

RWS’s presence in the aviation industry is going from strength to strength. Norse Atlantic Airways has recently selected a combination of its language services and Tridon to ramp up its operations, and has been working with them since autumn 2022. Driven by the need to create content in multiple languages, Norse Atlantic Airways chose RWS to deliver multilingual booking experiences to its customers.

RWS is now seeking to expand its presence further in the global aviation industry by connecting with other key global players via the Yocova platform.

RWS Group comment

Our collaboration marks a significant milestone as RWS. Together, we aim to revolutionize the aviation industry by facilitating meaningful connections, enhancing multilingual customer experiences, and extending businesses' global reach. Our unwavering commitment to excellence, and Yocova’s expanding presence in the aviation sector, exemplifies the immense value this partnership brings to the global aviation ecosystem.

Yocova comment

We’re delighted to have RWS onboard. Given that RWS is driven by its mission to connect people around the world with meaningful content in multiple languages, it’s fantastic to have them join our global aviation community. As a member, RWS will be able to easily share its services within the Yocova Marketplace, to benefit businesses and global players in the sector. As we look to connect the world through aviation, it’s fitting that RWS has joined us to strengthen this ability through their innovative communication technologies.

ABOUT RWS GROUP

RWS Holdings plc is a unique, world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services. Through content transformation and multilingual data analysis, our unique combination of technology and cultural expertise helps our clients to grow by ensuring they are understood anywhere, in any language.

Our purpose is unlocking global understanding. By combining cultural understanding, client understanding and technical understanding, our services and technology assist our clients to acquire and retain customers, deliver engaging user experiences, maintain compliance and gain actionable insights into their data and content. We work with over 80% of the world’s top 100 brands, more than three-quarters of Fortune’s 20 ‘Most Admired Companies’ and almost all of the top pharmaceutical companies, investment banks, law firms and patent filers. Our client base spans Europe, Asia Pacific and North and South America. Our 65+ global locations across five continents service clients in the automotive, chemical, financial, legal, medical, pharmaceutical, technology and telecommunications sectors. Founded in 1958, RWS is headquartered in the UK and publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (RWS.L).

Silk Way West Airlines, the leading cargo airline in the Caspian and Central Asian region, has purchased a 777200LR Interchange Reality7e Full Flight Simulator (FFS) from L3Harris. The FFS will provide a best-in-class training experience at the Flight Training Center in Azerbaijan National Aviation Academy.

The Boeing 777-F Reality7e FFS will include a Boeing 777-200LR interchange to enable Silk Way West Airlines to offer training for its cargo operations, as well as the option to allocate excess training time to other B777-F and 777-200LR operators. The simulator is planned to be installed and ready for training by September 2024. The new device will increase the training capacity of Silk Way West Airlines qualified and trainee pilots, enabling them to keep pace with future demand for aviation services in Europe.

We are pleased to sign this agreement that will give us an invaluable advantage in optimizing our crew cost. Moreover, having this simulator located in Baku brings more flexibility and convenience in planning of crew training. This is an excellent way to maximize our efficiency.

Mirsamed Movsumzade, CFO, Silk Way Group

ABOUT L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES

L3Harris Technologies is a Trusted Disruptor for the global aerospace and defense industry. With customers’ missioncritical needs always in mind, our 46,000 employees deliver endto-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains.

VOLUME DECLINE SLOWS IN JUNE

BUT ‘FOMO’ CAUSES IRRATIONAL AIR CARGO PRICING ENVIRONMENT

The decline in global air cargo volumes eased again in June but the ‘fear-of-missing-out (FOMO)’ created an irrational airline and freight forwarding market as shippers indulged in a 41% year-on-year fall in the general airfreight spot rate, shows the latest weekly data from industry analysts, CLIVE Data Services, part of Xeneta.

Air cargo capacity rose 8% yearover-year in June but despite this surge in availability, the drop in global chargeable weight stayed at -1%, repeating the market performance seen in May. However, the -41% fall in the market average took the global air cargo spot rate down to US$2.31 per kg.

Niall van de Wouw, Chief Airfreight Officer at Xeneta, said June’s air cargo data demonstrates the jumpiness in the market. The surprise in June is the difference between the sentiment in the market and what the actual data is showing us. It is getting pretty nasty out there and stress levels among airlines and forwarders are clearly rising, but we see a clear distinction between market sentiment and market fundamentals and sentiment is more negative right now. Airlines and forwarders are getting jumpy because of falling rates, not so much

the volumes. It’s the fear-of-missing-out that is driving the aggressive drop in cargo rates because no one wants to lose volumes, and they also want to get more of the cargo that’s in the market. We can see forwarders taking big risks.

A slowing decline in volume and a slowdown of capacity growth versus previous months provided protection against a big drop in dynamic load factor in June, CLIVE’s market analysis measurement of cargo load factor based on both volume and weight perspectives of cargo flown and capacity available. It fell at a slower pace of 3 percentage points year-on-year to 56%, a 1 percentage point recovery on the May level.

Looking into major freight corridors, Xeneta’s latest market data shows the air spot rate from Northeast Asia to Europe of US$3.25 per kg in June was down 1% from a month earlier, and 55% down year-on-year. The Northeast Asia to US air spot rate, in contrast, rose 3% from a month earlier to US$4.19 per kg, but this still represented a fall of 49% from a year ago.

The average spot rate level from Northeast Asia to the US remained 70% above its pre-pandemic level, 17 percentage points higher than the Northeast Asia to Europe route. But it is worth noting that June saw the mid-low cargo rate – the rate seen at the 25 percentile of the market –return to its 2019 level of only US$2.53 per kg on the transpacific route.

The Europe to the US air cargo spot rate experienced a large decline of 14% month-over-month to US$1.92 per kg in June, down 45% from a year earlier. It is the only corridor among the three sectors referenced where the air spot rate (valid for up to one month) fell below its seasonal rate (valid for longer than one-month).

Sentiment on the seller side of the market appears to remain pessimistic. Some freighter airlines are currently undertaking major reviews of their route and capacity strategies as demand for all-cargo aircraft returned to pre-pandemic levels due to the recovery and availability of belly capacity.

Freight forwarders still ‘handcuffed’ by high airfreight rates locked under BSA (blocked space agreements) with airlines, are also facing growing pressure from shippers pushing to relaunch tenders to negotiate freight rates down to the new market level, inspired by the aggressive pricing policies of other forwarders trying to gain their volumes.

This can be seen in the shipper contracts negotiated in the second quarter. Xeneta saw 6-month and 6+ months contracts gaining more ground as the airfreight market continues to normalize. The 6-month contract remained the most preferred option for shippers, accounting for over one-third (37%) of all valid contracts existing in Q2. The 6+ months contract also gained in popularity, with a share of 28%. The most time-consuming spot market negotiation option shrank from 25% in the 2nd quarter of last year to only 14% in the corresponding period in 2023.

Looking ahead, the summer months for the air cargo industry will likely remain muted in terms of growth, given the continuing uncertainties around the market. The possibility of no peak season in the ocean freight market could provide a boost to air cargo’s recovery later in the year if shippers need urgent shipments or consumer spending suddenly picks up. However, Xeneta expects any airfreight peak will be short-lived and not at the level seen previously.

The air cargo market is a toxic mix at the moment. We see some forwarders agreeing to 12-month fixed rates with shippers, including fuel, that are lower than the rates we see in the market overall. That is nearly ‘going to Vegas’ in terms of risk, but forwarders are anxiously looking to secure volumes in the face of fierce competition. Shippers we are talking to are, in general, not looking for a massive overhaul of their supplier base, but they do want to see a benefit because rates and market conditions are so much lower than they were 6-9 months ago. The big question now for carriers is do they go for margin or volume? No one wants to be flying empty, and even the most respected airlines seem to be recognizing they have to join the game because if they keep their rates at a high level, they just won’t get the volume. Two years ago, airlines were asking ‘what am I going to do with my belly aircraft’ and now it’s a case of ‘what am I going to do with my freighters?’ It's going to be a long summer for airline cargo departments, and it looks as though it will take a few quarters for the market to move away from the current irrational pricing environment, van de Wouw added.

SEA FREIGHT

A system of transporting goods by ship.

Related topics

Shipping lines

Biofuels

Ships' parts

Sponsored by

SURVITEC EXPANDS UK SERVICING CAPABILITY WITH NEW SERVICE CENTRE AT PORT OF SOUTHAMPTON

Global Survival Technology solutions provider Survitec has completed a major expansion of its UK servicing capability with the opening of a new service centre in the Port of Southampton.

The 10,000 sq. ft building, newly fitted out with equipment and facilities for the servicing and repair of liferafts, lifejackets, immersion suits and other safety equipment, will deliver increased capacity and faster turnaround times when meeting the needs of customers in the cruise, defence, Border Force and commercial shipping sectors.

Our new Service Centre is strategically positioned in Southampton to be closer to our customers in the port – it will allow us swift access in and out of the docks to provide an enhanced service to ships. We spent many months searching for and fitting out the right facility in Southampton. We will now have the capability to service more than 2,000 liferafts a year, with room in our new location to expand to meet customer needs.

Iain Allan, Operations Manager, Survitec

Alongside reducing servicing turnaround by up to 50%, Survitec has increased its headcount to meet the demands of the new Service Centre by 20%.

A 3,000-litre water tank has been installed for testing liferafts and rescue boats, equipped with a davit launch frame for load testing. The centre also features a dedicated lifejacket servicing and repair area with a special platform to accommodate 151-man liferafts, a compressor for inflation and calibrated tools.

The location of this new Service Centre effectively allows us to manage and build upon our offering to support our customers in the region. Longer term, the new facility will enable us to expand upon our customer offering and to provide fire, lifeboat and mooring equipment services.

Ronnie Vettese, Managing Director UK Marine, Survitec

Survitec’s latest Service Centre launched this week to coincide with Seawork, Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition in Southampton.

The opening of the new Service Centre reinforces Survitec’s position as a world leader in the supply, inspection, testing, servicing and repair of safety and survival equipment, adding to a global footprint of more than 400 service centres covering 2,000 ports worldwide.

COSCO SHIPPING CONNECTS

EUROPE & SOUTH AMERICA WITH NEW ESE2 SERVICE

The new weekly service will start on 16th September 2023 in Montevideo, Uruguay

With its new weekly service ESE2 starting this September, COSCO SHIPPING connects North Europe and Mediterranean with the East Coast of South America, including the fastest transit time of only 12 days between Algeciras, Spain and Santos, Brazil.

ESE2 fully covers the South America East region, radiating to markets such as Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay more effectively. Callings such as Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Paranagua, Itapoa and other major ports in Plata have been included.

With ESE2’s calls in various base ports in Europe, including consuming markets such as UK, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium, customers can rely on more precise delivery to the European region, while the calling of Lisbon reflects the diversity of this service and will boast the continuous development for potential market.

ESE2 provides a stable weekly service and offers very competitive transit times from East Coast South America to Europe, e.g. connecting Santos with Rotterdam in only 18 days and vice versa in 26 days.

By using its supply chain products and European feeder network, COSCO SHIPPING connects all areas in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean area with main economic regions of East Coast South America.

With the launch of ESE2, COSCO SHIPPING as a trusted partner and supporter of long-term development demand for customers further strengthens its customer-centric concept with faster transit times, reliable schedules and comprehensive coverage.

The new branded ESE2 service will commence in Montevideo on 16th September 2023 in Montevideo, Uruguay, with COSCO SHIPPING’s “Xin Nan Tong” to become the very first vessel on the new route. In Europe, “Xin Chong Qing” will start on 21st September 2023 from Rotterdam.

The rotation is as follows:

Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Lisbon

– Algeciras – Santos – Paranagua – Montevideo – Buenos Aires

– Itapoa – Paranagua – Santos – Rio De Janeiro – Algeciras

– Rotterdam

CARBON CAPTURE PROJECT BY WAH KWONG & QIYAO ENVIRON TEC RECEIVES APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE FROM BUREAU VERITAS

Approval in Principle follows joint study that confirms feasibility of retrofitting carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to upgrade and maintain CII ratings

Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection and certification, has delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings, a Hong Kong shipowner, and Qiyao Environmental Technology (Qiyao Environ Tec), a subsidiary of Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute, for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project onboard two Wah Kwong vessels.

The AiP, which was delivered at a ceremony held at BV’s Shanghai office, follows a joint study led by BV, Wah Kwong and Qiyao Environ Tec, which validated the technical feasibility of using CCS technology on existing vessels as a measure to ensure compliance with the IMO’s Carbon Intensity regulation.

The analysis focused on two bulk carriers in Wah Kwong’s fleet and assessed the viability of using CCS technology to upgrade those vessels’ CII ratings.

Based on the specific design parameters of the vessels, Qiyao Environ Tec developed a customised design of a CCS unit for the two vessels. The CCS unit has passed laboratory tests, achieving over 85% CO2 capture from the exhaust gas flow, and is being continuously optimised and upgraded. The system is based on an organic amine solution which extracts CO2 from exhaust gas, before it is cooled into liquid form and stored in a low temperature storage tank.

The study showed that CCS enabled the two vessels to remain compliant by upgrading and maintaining their CII rating at a C level until 2030. It considered all aspects of retrofit space, operational impact, CAPEX and OPEX, as well as the upcoming EU ETS, to assess the future investment and revenue expectations for each vessel.

BV provided comprehensive support for the project, from vessel selection in the early stages of the project, to the design layout of the CCS system on board, certification and cost analysis. BV reviewed the plans according to existing regulations and rules to ensure the safety of the vessels and equipment, and validate that the carbon emission reduction targets are effectively achieved during the operation of the vessels.

The project aims to support the future commercial application of CCS technology in the maritime sector, providing a clear analysis to guide decision-making by ship owners and related parties, especially for older vessels in operation.

With regulations such as the IMO’s CII and the EU ETS coming into force for shipping, it is essential to ensure compliance and to reduce the carbon footprint of existing vessels for years to come. Carbon capture and storage technology is one of the net-zero solutions currently available.

Wah Kwong takes a holistic approach to sustainability and is proud to work with Bureau Veritas and Qiyao Environmental Technology on this pioneering application of CCS for the maritime sector, which is now validated with the issuance of an AiP. We hope this would encourage further studies or advance implementation of the CCS technology.

Hing Chao, Executive Chairman of Wah Kwong

Long-term contract agreed to fuel vessels with low-carbon hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), cutting CO2 emissions

Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. MollerMaersk, has today announced an EcoTow agreement to fuel a fleet of five tugs dedicated to the South Hook LNG Terminal in Milford Haven, with hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), a low-carbon fuel. The switch from fuelling tugs with marine gas oil (MGO) to HVO will reduce CO2 emissions, whilst maintaining a safe and reliable service for South Hook LNG and its customers.

The long-term deal which requires no modifications to equipment or engines, will see a significant reduction in CO2 emissions from the five tugs servicing the LNG discharging at South Hook.

South Hook LNG Terminal is the first terminal at the Port of Milford Haven to switch its towage contract to low carbon fuels, taking advantage of Svitzer’s EcoTow solution.

Commenting on the long-term agreement with South Hook, Mattias Hellström, European Chief Commercial Officer, Svitzer Europe, said: We are committed to providing sustainable marine services, and delighted to be working with a partner like South Hook LNG Terminal to deliver a more sustainable fleet of towage vessels in Milford Haven. We look forward to continuing working with South Hook to operate vessels that benefit the local port environment through reduced particulate emissions. Running these vessels on HVO also means Svitzer is able to continue cutting carbon emissions across its UK operations.

In 2022, the switch from MGO to HVO in Svitzer’s UK fleet prevented more than 21,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere. With the HVO conversion of the fleet dedicated to the service of South Hook LNG, there are only a few tugs left to be converted to complete the conversion of Svitzer’s entire UK fleet to low carbon fuels.

6 JULY 2023 | Source: SVITZER

SVITZER & SOUTH HOOK ECOTOW AGREEMENT TO

ROAD FREIGHT

A system of transporting goods by road.

Related topics

Groupage Couriers

Last mile

Sponsored by

PALL-EX INTRODUCES NEW ‘PARCEL PALLET’ TO MAKE LARGE & MULTIPLE PARCEL DISTRIBUTION EASIER THAN EVER

The Pall-Ex Group continues to innovate its product offering by introducing a new pallet size designed specifically for parcel distribution. The new Parcel Pallet is a first-to-market offering within the pallet network sector. It offers a cost-effective, efficient and secure way to send large parcel and multiple parcel consignments. The Parcel Pallet also has the advantage of greater weight capacity and reduced damaged rates, compared to traditional methods of parcel distribution.

Leading palletised freight distribution provider, Pall-Ex Group, operates a hub-and-spoke model that revolves entirely around delivering the most efficient and effective service for its members. With the introduction of the Parcel Pallet, businesses who send parcels can now benefit from Pall-Ex Group’s quality promise of excellent service performance.

The new Parcel Pallet definition measures 0.6m x 0.8m x 1m and offers a maximum weight of 150kg. This differs from the standard base micro pallet currently offered within the sector, as it is has a smaller footprint but almost double the height. This is a first-to-market pallet for the sector and will revolutionise the way businesses send larger and multiple parcel consignments. This product offers businesses a viable alternative to traditional parcel distribution for the larger parcel consignments, covering the grey area between large parcels and smaller pallet deliveries.

The introduction of the innovative product offering on 1st July opens opportunities for Pall-Ex Group to expand into new markets. This new and improved way to distribute large and bulky parcels, reacts to the dynamic and competitive needs of customers within the marketplace.

Furthermore, a weight capacity of 150kg means there is added flexibility when sending smaller but heavier items, such as automotive equipment or air conditioning units. This reduces the risk of damage compared to traditional parcel delivery methods, such as cages, where parcels may be manually handled in a way that causes damage.

After reviewing our full product range, we noticed that there was a gap in the market for an efficient and cost-effective way to send larger parcels, particularly those that lie in the grey area between parcel and pallet delivery. We are delighted to bring this market leading initiative to the pallet network sector and are excited about the unique selling proposition that this will provide to our members.

Barry Byers, Managing Director – UK Group, Pall-Ex

INVESTING IN TEAMS, TECHNOLOGY & TRUCKS TO ENSURE

SUCCESS

The International Road Transport Organisation (IRU) recently released a plan to tackle driver shortages across Europe. However, recent conversations with transport operators suggest these plans lack what is required to recruit future talent.

European road freight operator Europa Road believes the answer lies in upskilling your team members and investing in your fleet, making long journeys more comfortable for drivers. This is why the company has invested £7m in its domestic fleet, upgrading its whole fleet in just 14 months.

Malcolm Castle, General Manager for Domestic Transport at the road division of Europa Worldwide Group, sheds some important light on the investment:

According to a 2021 study, 55,000 HGV drivers left the industry. With tiring journeys and lengthy periods of time away from families, life on the road can be tough. Therefore, it’s important to be investing in our fleet, showing our drivers that they are valued and that we will go the extra mile to ensure they can do their job safely and comfortably. We have now replaced our entire fleet with top-spec Renault Trucks, which have power inverters, extra storage for personal items and innovative telematics software. As well as offering comfort, the technology offers our drivers guides for suitable conditions, real-time driver scoring metrics and a fourcamera platform for better incident management. The Renault T models, and all other trucks in Europa Road’s fleet, also meet the stringent Euro 6 emissions standards to ensure their environmental impacts are kept to a minimum. We are committed to providing our drivers with the best vehicles on the market, and with these upgrades, we can continue to optimise driving conditions for everyone.

Europa Road’s domestic fleet is located at its £30m state-of-the-art 1Hub in Dartford (the largest groupage hub of its type in the UK) and consists of 54 vehicles in total.

Within its domestic network, Europa is also investing in upskilling its team, offering regular training with ADR and ADR Awareness courses to further the education. Reinforcing its position as innovators in road freight solutions, the company is supporting a team member, formerly employed as a Class 1 driver through a Driver Assessor course, so that all driving assessment can be taken in-house.

We believe that investing in your team is important for staying ahead of the skills gap and consider it crucial to our fleet’s success.

Europa Worldwide Group is an ambitious independent logistics operator with three divisions, Europa Road, Europa Air & Sea, and Europa Warehouse, and has been featured in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 for three years. Europa has invested £5m in its innovative market-leading service, Europa Flow, providing a frictionless flow of goods between the EU and the UK post Brexit. The group employs over 1,400 people with 29 international sites in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong, China and the UAE. The global operator recently reported a record turnover of £302m for the last 12 months, as of August 2022, and remains on track with its ambitious investment programme.

ROAD FREIGHT SERVICES DEFY INFLATION WITH STABLE PRICES YEAR-ON-YEAR

Haulage and courier sectors weathering inflation storm, but new threat of mechanics shortage looms

The latest data from the TEG Road Transport Price Index shows that year-on-year haulage and courier prices remain stable, despite inflation pushing prices up elsewhere. However, this stability might not last long, with the reintroduction of the HGV levy and staff shortages on the horizon.

The overall price-per-mile in June 2022 was 121.9 and is now 122.3 – a marginal 0.3% change. In the last month, courier prices rose 1.2%, while haulage prices increased by over 3%. But if some economic forecasts are to be believed, even small increments like these could soon be behind us. By the end of the year, the Bank of England is widely expected to raise interest rates to a 19-year-high of 6.25%. This might then lead to recession, reducing road transport demand and prices.

HGV mechanic shortage threatening UK supply chains

In the past few years, UK logistics companies have been focusing on cutting the well-publicised driver shortage. One tactic in this fight is tempting people into becoming drivers with greatly increased salaries and signing-on bonuses.

This led many HGV mechanics to make the switch to driving jobs, which means hauliers have traded one skill gap for another. Over half of the businesses surveyed by Logistics UK have struggled with hiring enough fitters, technicians and mechanics.

Unfortunately, the end result here could be out-of-action vehicles impacting a supply chain just re-finding its feet.

Return of HGV levy looming

From August 2020, HGV operators benefitted from the suspension of the HGV levy as they recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the levy is set to return on 31 July, with a new focus on emissions, weight and time spent in the UK.

Even as diesel prices have fallen to a quarter of July 2022 prices, the reinstatement of the levy will be a challenge to many operators. It’s another factor that may cause some to reevaluate their pricing strategy.

It is, perhaps, surprising that prices have remained so stable given the multiple challenges facing the industry right now. In addition to ongoing inflation, they now have to contend with the return of the HGV levy and mechanic shortages. The problem for the industry is that many operators have paid mechanics higher salaries to become drivers and they’ll now struggle to attract new mechanics – particularly if they can’t afford those high salaries. All told, it might be difficult for logistics companies to keep absorbing costs, particularly if demand is affected by slow economic growth. However, the silver lining right now is significantly lower diesel prices. The industry has long been calling for lower prices and now they’ve finally come, which will at least help with everyday business costs.

Lyall Cresswell, CEO of Integra, says:

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: there’s no greedflation in road transport. Yes, both the indices for spot haulage and courier have risen compared to last month, but haulage continues to show year-on-year deflation and courier is only at 0.8% inflation. Of course, diesel prices have come down. But until fairly recently, even though the price was coming down, diesel was still inflationary when comparing it with a year previously: because of the speed with which it rose.

Kirsten Tisdale, Director of Logistics Consultants Aricia Limited and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport

In its response to government’s call for evidence, business group Logistics UK has supported the move to allow Earned Recognition (ER) operators to either carry out their own MOT testing on vehicles and trailers or delegate the responsibility to their third-party maintenance provider, subject to them meeting additional compliance requirements. These changes would replace the current system in which DVSA undertakes all Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) annual tests through privately owned authorised test facilities (ATFs).

Allowing ER operators to MOT test their own vehicles would increase efficiency and reduce costs for those operators as the booking of the test can be precisely scheduled along with the maintenance of the vehicle. This will reduce the time the vehicle is off the road significantly – a huge benefit to the businesses charged with delivering for the UK economy. These changes should also have a positive impact on emissions reduction as operators will not need to make additional journeys to a separate testing centre. Road safety must remain a priority; Logistics UK is therefore recommending that DVSA introduces a quality monitoring process to provide assurance that testing providers maintain high levels of compliance and safe operation of vehicles and in the fullness of time this offering could be extended to other compliant operators. Logistics UK is urging that these proposed changes be implemented as soon as possible; however, in the meantime, DVSA should provide a greater guarantee of requested ATFs slots for all operators, with increased flexibility around days or hours testing will be offered by DVSA.

Phil Lloyd, Head of Engineering Policy, Logistics UK

In its response, Logistics UK has also highlighted the need for DfT to work with the Traffic Commissioner throughout the consultation process, to eliminate any potential for conflicting regulations that would negatively impact operators and cause unnecessary delays for a revised testing process.

9 JUNE 2023 | Source: LOGISTICS UK

LOGISTICS UK SUPPORTS DELEGATED TESTING FOR ER OPERATORS

RAIL & INTERMODAL

The use of railroads and trains to transport cargo, as opposed to human passengers.

Related topics

Belt & Road Initiative

HS2

Rail terminals and depots

FORMATION OF OMNI BULK SERVICES A DIVISION OF OMNI TRANSLOADING & LOGISTICS

Omni Transloading and Logistics, Inc., a rail transloader, warehouse and distribution services provider, announces the formation of Omni Bulk Services, Inc. Omni Bulk is a natural extension to its parent company serving marine, rail, and truck transloading of bulk chemicals, foods, and gases. Omni Transloading and Logistics was founded by Arturo Sanchez, president of Omni T&L.

Brian Nowak, an experienced tank truck industry leader, will serve as the CEO and president of Omni Bulk Services, Inc. Prior to joining Omni Bulk, Brian was president of Superior Carriers, Inc., one of the largest tank truck companies in North America, where he learned the tank business from the ground up, during his 30 years there. While president at Superior Carriers the company received the Heil Trophy for Safety, a prestigious tank truck industry award. Additionally, he has numerous Board affiliations including the National Tank Truck Carriers, Transloading and Distribution Association and Alliance of Bulk Carriers. In addition, Brian is a DOT Transportation Safety Institute graduate.

James Ridgely, Omni T&L’s VP of Operations, an expert in data analysis and transloading, will support Omni Bulk Services as it takes a foothold in the bulk transportation service market. The new division of Omni is backed by a senior management team well known in the logistics industry, over 75 years, for the safe handling of highly hazardous freight and food-based products.

Omni Bulk is a privately held transloader with strong relationships with all seven Class One railroads plus short lines. The company also has deep and trusted connections in Mexico which expands their service offerings for many types of bulk services on either side of the border.

Further, Omni Bulk offers above ground storage and is incorporating many U.S. Port relationships to enhance services to customers. In addition, Omni Bulk offers 3PL (third party logistics) services, from analyzing consignee data for optimum rail distribution to handling white glove truck delivery with carriers of choice, plus all reporting requirements. Omni Bulk has an aggressive growth strategy and will open new facilities per its customers’ needs.

Our goal in creating a new division for bulk transport was to create a preferred direct rail to truck transloading service for shippers throughout North America. I look forward to working with Brian as we grow this important freight sector, providing safe, reliable services for our bulk shipper customers.

Arturo Sanchez , founder & president, Omni Transloading and Logistics

RAIL SPECIALISTS FREIGHTLINER

UNVEIL

NEW NATIONAL OPS CENTRE CONTROL ROOM

Following a site survey within three days of the original enquiry, UVS provided detailed proposals for video wall options. The newly-installed video wall comprises 4x2 55-inch LCD displays, with only 3.5mm bezel to bezel dimensions, and uses Lucidity WBC40 video wall controller with a wide range of source inputs, including workstation HDMI, a collaboration device, IP video stream decoding and display, web page data and dynamic message box information.

Leading rail freight provider Freightliner has used technology supplied by video wall experts Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) for a new National Operations Centre control room at its Birmingham depot.

Freightliner, part of the Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) group, offers a wide range of rail freight solutions to cater for diverse needs, providing safe, reliable and cost-effective rail freight partnerships.

UVS were approached by Freightliner’s consultants, Bentley Compton, who were designing and implementing the new control room, which has allowed G&W to streamline its terminal operations, ensuring efficient management of its entire estate from a centralised hub.

The requirements included...

• Fast and simple control of the video wall by multiple operators, with a centralised touch panel control

• The ability to view data from remote sites via web connections

• The ability to control web applications on the video wall

• A collaboration facility where visitors can securely share content on the video wall

• Inputs from local workstations

• Future proofing for viewing data from workstations at remote sites (via IP encoded signals)

• The ability to view content of the video wall remotely

This innovative approach empowers G&W to maintain its status as the UK’s leading rail freight operator and terminal provider. The National Operations Centre team seamlessly support both internal and external stakeholders as part of an overall solution of mission critical technologies and swift and accurate problem resolution, enabled by the UVS video wall.

Nigel Mann, Terminal Services Director, Freightliner Limited

We are delighted to have been able to help Freightliner with such an important project. Following a detailed evaluation of the proposed technology by key staff based across multiple locations, via a live demonstration on Microsoft Teams, Freightliner were convinced they had chosen the right configuration, technology and partner.

Steve Murphy, Managing Director, UVS

Award-winning Freightliner is an established rail freight provider with businesses in the UK and Continental Europe. It invests in locomotive technology, wagons and terminal infrastructure to provide the quality of service that surpasses customer expectations.

UVS, based in the Burnley First – Burnley Business Centre, provides video wall displays and audio-visual solutions to a range of clients across the UK and the rest of the world. It is led by four senior colleagues who, between them, have more than 80 years’ combined Audio Visual, Control Room and Visual Solutions experience.

The publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review identifies a much-needed vision for rail freight across the island of Ireland, according to Nichola Mallon – Logistics UK’s Head of Trade and Devolved Policy.

Currently, there is no freight moved by rail in Northern Ireland, with restrictions to rail lines facilitating passenger travel only. Delivery of enhanced rail connectivity to move goods would be a game changer for the logistics industry which underpins the economy. With one freight train able to remove up to 76 HGVs from the road, it would significantly reduce road congestion and emissions and facilitate more efficient transport of goods to ports giving a boost to trade. While some of the 30 recommendations in the report could take up to 25 years to deliver, there are new rail freight services that could be up and running within the next two years. While viability must be carefully considered, the economic and environmental benefits are clear. What is now needed is governments’ commitment and investment to make it happen. Northern Ireland needs an Executive and Assembly to be reinstated and for it to work in partnership with the Irish Government to take these transformative projects forward.

ALL-ISLAND RAIL REVIEW ...AN OPPORTUNITY

PROJECT CARGO

The transportation of large, heavy, high-value or critical (to the project they are intended for) pieces of equipment.

Related topics

Heavy lift

Abnormal load

OOG (out of gauge)

Sponsored by

NO LOAD IS TOO HEAVY OR LARGE FOR TRANSNETWORK AFRICAN FREIGHT

We are pleased to announce Transnetwork African Freight are new members in South Africa. Based in Durban, they are efficient and professional in project cargo handling & shipping and abnormal & heavy road freight.

Transnetwork African Freight offers total logistical solutions, tailormade to each project's specifications and needs. We aim to simplify our clients' freight transportation requirements. We are specialised and experienced in the international transportation of large, high-value & critical project cargo and the national and cross-border transportation of OOG, heavy and abnormal loads. We have all the expertise and equipment that allows us to reliably offer these services – no load is too heavy or too large!

Nonpareil International are glad to share a successful shipment from the Philippines to Australia they recently completed with the cooperative efforts of WRL Shipping.

The cargo, a Caterpillar tractor and its accessories, were weighed at 19,500 kg with a volume of 69.9 CBM. The dimensions of the tractor measured 6.5 (L) x 3.2 (W) x 3.3 (H) meters .

Nonpareil International received the tractor locally in the Philippines via truck before loading it onto a 40' flat rack. The company handled lashing, securing and canvassed the cargo before escorting it to the Port of Batangas. After setting sail, operations were taken over in Sydney by WRL Shipping who moved the cargo onward to its final destination.

NONPAREIL COLLABORATE WITH WRL ON TRACTOR SHIPMENT GOODRICH NOMINATED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECT IN KAZAKHSTAN

Goodrich Central Asia were recently nominated for a residential construction project in Kazakhstan, with the specific task of transporting delicate battery moulds. The dimensions of the cargo meant they had to be transported vertically with a height of 3.8 meters and a weight of 35 MT per truck .

Also, there was to be no reloading of the trucks due to the delicate nature of the moulds. Due to the current geopolitical circumstances, Goodrich utilised an alternative route from Udine in Italy, through Turkiye, to the final destination in Kazakhstan.

We satisfied our client's requirement of no reloading and using the "Central Corridor".

CargoCrew are pleased to report a recent delivery they completed involving the transport of a large stator from Germany to Spain.

The company handled pre-transportation from the production site to the nearest inland river port by large and heavy road transport.

The cargo was then loaded onto a river barge by crane transfer before onward transportation to the seaport of Schiedam in the Netherlands.

At the terminal in Schiedam, the goods were re-loaded from the barge into a coaster vessel by shore crane. On-site, our welding and lashing crew took care of the relining with wooden laths and the professional load securing for the main run to Spain.

PORTS & HUBS

Any place where goods are allowed to pass, by water or land, into and out of a country and where customs officers are stationed to inspect or appraise imported goods | logistics hubs where goods are stored under ideal conditions, for onward distribution.

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Cargo handling

Container terminals

Drayage

Warehousing

Pick ‘n’ pack

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LEADING MATERIAL HANDLING PROVIDER PUBLISHES NEW FINDINGS ON SAFETY IN THE HIGH-TECH WAREHOUSE

Logistics companies that invest in safer warehouses for their employees are winning the war for talent, according to a report produced by Linde Material Handling UK.

The more enlightened businesses are also committing to a ‘no blame’ safety culture, which is having a positive impact on staff morale and corporate reputation.

Innovative technological solutions play an equally important role in helping to create a safer working environment in which hazards can be identified and dealt with before they cause injuries or even fatalities.

Safety products are not the only answer. Starting with a positive safety culture and building on that with preventative measures really demonstrates that safety is being taken seriously. Historically, customer requests for safety solutions were unfortunately in response to an incident that had already occurred. More reassuringly, it’s good to see customers taking a more proactive approach.

Gavin Carslake, Safety Sales Manager, Linde MH UK

The report – A Smarter Approach to Safety in the High-Tech Warehouse – is based on contributions from industry leaders and experts. It reveals...

• Where requests for safety solutions were usually in response to an incident that had already occurred, there is now a more proactive approach among companies.

• Forklift solutions range from the simple seatbelt interlock and safety lighting to advanced driver assistance solutions using ultrawideband technology to operate beyond direct line of sight.

• Integrating automated vehicles into existing facilities requires a risk assessment to identify the safety devices that can co-exist alongside people and other processes.

• How vehicles, pedestrians and loading bays interact with forklift trucks are areas which have undergone significant changes, mostly through task-based risk assessments and improvements by front-line teams.

• The opportunity for developing a more open safety culture lies in coaching the leaders rather than forklift drivers and other operatives.

• The need for senior leadership to commit the time, the effort and the energy to coach frontline managers to make a difference and to listen to the workforce more.

• The requirement for a whole-industry commitment, from the largest companies to SMEs, to recognise that safety is as important as operations.

• Safeguarding against complacency around automation, which can put safety at risk, will require a real change in attitude in terms of logistics training – there needs to be a recognition that machines and autonomous systems can sometimes go wrong.

Source: HAMBURG PORT CONSULTING

HPC TO SUPPORT AIR FORWARDER CHI IN TRUCK FLEET CONVERSION TO CLIMATE-FRIENDLY

The project includes market research up to successful co-financing through national funding programs

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) has supported CHI Cargo Handling International, one of the leading providers of air cargo logistics services at Frankfurt Airport, in the conversion of its truck fleet to climate-friendly propulsion with a feasibility study and the successful acquisition of funding.

In order to offer its customers in the vicinity of Frankfurt Airport climate-friendly transport of airfreight cargo, CHI is planning a pilot project as part of its 'Green Logistics' strategy as an entry into carbon dioxide-neutral land transport.

In preparing the business decision, CHI has commissioned HPC to identify the propulsion technology suitable for the areas of application in a feasibility study, to appoint an efficient truck manufacturer and to compile a funding application for the investment.

The subject of the study is the technical requirements for environmentally friendly transport in the short-haul sector in the area of the Frankfurt Cargo City Green Line. Furthermore, the performance requirements for the future use of CO2-free trucks in long-distance transport between Frankfurt Airport and Nuremberg Airport were examined.

As part of its comprehensive due diligence, HPC conducted an operations and technical assessment, including feasibility and risk analysis, as well as equipment and civil engineering assessments.

As a technology pioneer and one of the leading provider of forwarding handling in air freight, we want to take into account the increasing requirements for climate-neutral transports in the air freight sector.

When selecting the appropriate environmentally friendly truck type, we have to ensure that we can deliver the usual reliability and high quality to our customers. In this respect, the feasibility study has provided us with a sound basis for decision-making.

Kai Domscheit , Managing Director, CHI Germany Cargo Handling

With its operational expertise and holistic approach, HPC is wellpositioned to help clients navigate complex acquisitions and make informed investment decisions.

HPC assisted CHI in successfully applying for funding for the procurement of its first electrically powered truck, including the appropriate charging infrastructure. The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport with around 500,000 Euros as part of the guideline on the promotion of light and heavy commercial vehicles with alternative, climate-protective drives and associated refuelling and charging infrastructure (KsNI). The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH, and applications are approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility.

Many freight forwarders are more and more often faced with the task of implementing their customers' expectations of carbon-free transport of goods at reasonable investment costs. The national as well as European grant programmes are an important additional support for the medium-sized freight forwarding sector in this regard. We are very delighted to have identified a future-proof solution for CHI.

Hartmut Beyer, Associate Partner & Head of Funding Management, HPC

With the introduction of an electric-powered truck, CHI has made the first step towards CO2-neutral truck transport. Further steps to convert the entire fleet are planned if the results can be realized on the road as planned.

The new specialised installation offers contract logistics to the rapidly growing Auto EV cluster in Northern France

PSA BDP, a leading provider of globally integrated and portcentric supply chain, transportation, and logistics solutions, celebrated the inauguration of its new Electric Vehicle (EV) battery logistics warehouse in Dunkirk, France, on the evening of 1 June.

The inauguration of the newly built 22,000 square meter warehouse featured a formal reception attended by prestigious and well-recognized personalities including Patrice Vergriete, Mayor of Dunkirk and President of the Urban Community of Dunkirk, Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Region, Franck Dhersin, Vice-President of the Hautsde-France Region, François-Xavier Bieuville, Sub-Prefect of Dunkirk and Maurice Georges, CEO of Dunkirk-Port, as well as many stakeholders from the EV battery industry, the Port of Dunkirk, the supply chain sector and PSA BDP.

With this highly specialized warehouse, PSA BDP will offer contract logistics services to the region’s rapidly growing Auto EV cluster.

The facility is BREEAM certified and meets the highest standards for sustainable EV battery handling, including in-rack sprinklers, temperature and humidity cameras, quarantine containers and water basins. PSA BDP chose Northern France for its new warehouse as this region is becoming a prime location for the development of EV technology with no less than four EV battery gigafactories announced to date. In April, PSA BDP shared news of the agreement to handle the contract logistics and hinterland transportation for Automotive Cells Company (ACC) in Dunkirk. A joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies, through its subsidiary Saft, ACC is establishing its first gigafactory in Billy-Berclau in Northern France.

With its proximity to the Port of Dunkirk logistics zone, the PSA BDP warehouse is ideally positioned to service the region's nascent Auto EV industry by offering enhanced connectivity to deploy sustainable solutions like e-trucks, e-barges, and rail transportation. As such, PSA BDP can support EV battery producers’ ambition of achieving zero emissions and enabling circular supply chains. During the inauguration event, attendees witnessed a test drive from the eActros, the first all-electric truck from Mercedes-Benz, from ACC’s gigafactory in BillyBerclau to PSA BDP‘s warehouse in Dunkirk.

Our team is thrilled to commemorate this pivotal moment for PSA BDP and the industry as a whole with the inauguration of this stateof-the-art supply chain center. We are honoured to be surrounded by so many distinguished guests as we celebrate this new opportunity to offer enhanced, sustainable, and end-to-end solutions to EV customers in this flourishing region.

Mike Andaloro, CEO, PSA BDP

Pascal Reinards, Head of Business Development, PSA BDP, shared his excitement on this new development for the organization: This new and specialized warehouse addresses all supply chain needs of the burgeoning EV battery industry in Northern France. EV battery manufacturers are seeking to partner with companies that offer the full suite of services and are also flexible enough to adapt to their constantly changing needs. This profile fits PSA BDP perfectly.

PSA BDP LAUNCHES NEW EV BATTERY WAREHOUSE IN DUNKIRK

AN EFFICIENT WAREHOUSE FOR SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS

Sustainability has become a pressing issue in warehouse management in the past decades. Reducing the environmental impact of operations is a multifaceted challenge that can be overcome by improving process efficiency. In many cases, this is achieved by implementing warehouse automation. Efficient, automated processes enable reduced energy consumption, fewer emissions, and more compact facilities. However, by choosing an automation partner that champions sustainability, warehouse operators can truly maximise these benefits.

Hans Jongebloed, Senior Postal and Parcel Expert at Prime Vision, a global leader in computer vision integration and robotics for logistics and e-commerce, looks at sustainability challenges facing warehouses and how the company reduces environmental impact.

Sustainability considerations for warehouses

A good place to start on the journey to a sustainable warehouse is the facility itself. Solar panels, modern insulation and choosing a renewable energy supplier can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of operations. Placement is another factor to consider. A giant warehouse in an area of outstanding natural beauty is obviously undesirable from an aesthetic and ecological viewpoint, but logistics also play a part. Locating a compact warehouse in an optimal area for local deliveries, with good road connections, away from nature hotspots, minimises environmental damage and traffic pollution.

Sustainability also applies to people. Thankfully, the days of warehouse workers walking miles carrying heavy loads week in week out are almost behind us. With robots and other material handling solutions, personnel are no longer subjected to this level of manual labour, ensuring a happier, healthier workforce.

While these sustainability goals can be attained, a particular industry challenge illustrates how warehouses can further improve the efficiency of operational processes to reduce environmental impact.

The point of no return

We’ve all indulged in clothes shopping at some point, and many of us choose to do it online. However, while a prospective outfit can be easily tried on at the store, e-commerce customers must do it at home, presenting warehouses with a big sustainability problem: returns.

It is estimated that in the UK, more than a fifth of all clothes bought online every year are returned, while in the US, one logistics company posited that the CO2 cost of returning e-commerce purchases was similar to the output of 3 million cars.[1]

Returns are a big sustainability issue for e-commerce, as they constitute a high volume of products swimming against the stream of the normal shipping process. First, the item needs to travel back to a distribution centre (often different from where it came from) which incurs transport emissions. Then, it is a long, cumbersome manual procedure to identify the product, check the condition and sort it properly. This often requires large numbers of personnel, generating extra CO2 from commuting.

If an item can’t be recycled or resold, it ends up in landfill, producing unnecessary waste. Needless to say that in the era of unlimited free returns, all these processes can also create extra costs for sellers.

This is clearly an area for improvement. However, enhancing the efficiency of the process flow offers a solution not just for returns, but any warehouse operation.

Automation equals efficiency

Naturally, automation is one of the main answers to this efficiency challenge, and thankfully, increasing efficiency always has a positive impact on sustainability.

Using the returns example, being able to quickly check products with computer vision systems, transport goods to appropriate areas for resale or recycling with robots, plus spot trends and areas where processes can be improved with analytics software can greatly expedite operations. Furthermore, it requires less personnel to function. By harnessing renewable energy to power automated equipment, warehouse operators can also mitigate the impact of the electricity demand, delivering these efficiency benefits sustainably.

Automating warehouse processes in this manner allows fulfilment

and returns to be conducted on a reduced timeframe, within a more compact site, all while minimising emissions, energy consumption and, effectively, lowering the operating costs. This means that sustainability goals can be met at every level of operations. However, choosing the right solutions can also bring additional benefits.

Sustainable approach to automation

Prime Vision is working to not only provide products that enable the efficient, sustainable running of warehouse operations, but is also reducing the carbon cost of the solutions themselves.

Robots are a critical component of a modern automated warehouse but are complex pieces of equipment that are intensive to produce. Consequently, Prime Vision focuses on reducing the impact of maintaining robots. A repair rather than replace approach helps improve sustainability, but when a robot is irreparable, Prime Vision rescues as many parts as possible to be used as spare components. Good-quality parts are fitted to other robots or used for in-house research - effectively recycling the components. Inspections identify and separate sub-par components, so there is no risk of fitting the robots with inferior parts. Localised repair facilities further ensure that spares and maintenance personnel can reach customers without generating the excessive carbon emissions associated with long distance travel.

Software is another area of focus. Maintenance can be carried out remotely, so nobody needs to drive to site to carry out updates. Prime Vision also continually optimises its software to run more efficiently, which reduces the number of servers required. Expanding on hardware, helping customers to collate facility computing power in an optimal, well monitored space can save additional energy during installation and operation. Prime Vision applies new IT developments too, such as hyper-converged infrastructure. Such cloud-style solutions with high scalability and efficiency can eliminate the need for large quantities of servers on-site, allowing customers to downsize infrastructure while adding the required flexibility.

Choosing the right partner

Ultimately, to save the planet, the whole supply chain must work together to achieve the most sustainable logistics operations. This includes cooperation between warehouses and the companies that supply automation solutions to them. While the increased process efficiency enabled by robots, computer vision and analytics software can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of warehouse operations – there is the provider to consider too.

Prime Vision is dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of its products and operations. A dedicated sustainability team continually assesses carbon footprint, identifying focus areas and actively lowering company’s emissions. Along with its solutions, this ensures that while Prime Vision contributes to improving the sustainability of warehouse operations, like its customers, it is also working on reducing the impact of the overall supply chain.

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OPTIMIZE A.I. ALGORITHMS

GENERATE EFFICIENCY GAINS FOR WELCH’S TRANSPORT

Leading transport and logistics optimisation specialist Optimize has delivered measurable efficiency gains for Welch’s Transport, a family-owned transport group based in Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

A member of Palletline, the UK’s leading palletised freight network, Welch’s is responsible for collecting and delivering goods across five counties.

Following a successful trial which delivered a 15% reduction in mileage and emissions, Welch’s are now rolling out Optimize across its 80-vehicle fleet, which also includes electric vehicles.

Welch’s was first introduced to the Optimize technology at the beginning of 2023, and at the recent launch of Optimize’s new suite of AI based algorithms, at the Royal Institution in London.

We were very excited from the outset about the potential efficiency gains we could make with the use of the Optimize algorithms. We had tried a number of different route optimisation software systems previously but had had limited success.

Chris Welch, Commercial & Operations Director, Welch’s Transport

The Optimize algorithms work across a number of customer requirements to route and schedule fleets for maximum efficiency, and allow businesses to reduce carbon emissions, by optimising fleet productivity. Welch’s is also utilising the Optimize technology to

maximise the use of its new electric vehicles. The algorithms intelligently predict battery capability and available range to ensure full deployment of the EV vehicle fleet in the most efficient way.

We are delighted to be partnering with Welch’s Transport and working together to help optimise, decarbonise and transform the logistics sector. Through the continued use of Optimize, Welch’s Transport can expect to reduce costs, increase productivity, and cut emissions. Optimising its new electric vehicles is a clear example of the contribution we can make to the decarbonisation journey of our clients, enabling the transition to a fully zero emission fleet.

Colin Ferguson, CEO, Optimize

Chris Welch concluded: One of the most appealing parts of the Optimize algorithms is its subscription model through which you only pay once a vehicle is optimised, meaning you only need to pay when a vehicle is already saving money – a win win!

TECH & DIGITALISATION EXPERTS

Despite AI’s incredible advances, human connection rooted in empathy and proficiency to address and exceed customers’ needs is irreplaceable

No matter where you look, someone, somewhere is discussing artificial intelligence right now. As exciting as the technology is, it is understandable that workers around the world are worried.

AI presents a very real threat to jobs, with PwC forecasting that 44% of global workers with low education will be at risk by the mid-2030s.

Based on its findings, the consulting solutions company indicates more men will be affected in the long run as machines replace manual tasks traditionally performed by males. However, it is women who will be most impacted initially due to their higher representation in clerical and administrative functions.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs has put job losses at some 300-million in the next decade.

Yet this is only one side of the debate...

The same PwC analysis suggests that the implementation of AI and other smart automation has the potential to contribute up to $15-trillion by 2030 due to greater productivity.

It adds that as much as employment will be lost, jobs will also be gained as needs change in the AI world.

What is missing from all these equations, however, is the aspect of human empathy, which remains a vital part of doing business and is a key differentiator in creating value for clients.

Attention to detail, precision, accuracy and meaningful visibility are just some of the enablers needed when servicing clients. In an industry where competition is aggressive, meeting client KPIs and adding value to their supply chain could lead to a long-term partnership with the client.

Marcus Ellappan, Operations Director, Bidvest International Logistics (BIL)

Ellappan’s colleague Rhett Oertel, who heads BIL’s sales division, agrees that there is simply no substitute for personal interaction in building relationships. While AI is based on logic and data, the essence of excellent customer service is a 'feeling' that arises between service provider and client when looking for solutions.

I believe AI could possibly help with suggestions to these problems by analysing data or scenarios, but, ultimately, it’s the people who will decide, Oertel says.

For the moment and foreseeable future, the human ability to put oneself in a client’s position will enable a business to gauge the impact every decision has on the customer’s operation.

By showing empathy, you are able to get a better understanding of client needs and challenges. Logistics and supply chains don’t always go as planned, so one needs to be able to provide reassurance, show understanding and then offer effective solutions to these problems. In the end it also builds trust, Oertel says.

The experts point to key skills needed to optimise effective client relationships. They include:

• Proactive communication

• A problem-solving mindset

• Responsiveness

• Expertise

• Empathy & understanding

• KPI adherence

• Joint value creation

• Ongoing quality Improvement projects

At the same time, Ellappan and Oertel urge businesses not to fear automation and AI capabilities since they can be very useful.

It’s important to remember that AI is here to stay and we will have to develop complementary skills so we can maximise the benefits of people working with AI, Oertel says.

We should not be afraid of testing it and using it in scenarios. AI can and will have an impact on our day-to-day working environment, but I really do believe we could use it to make decisions quicker, test different scenarios, give quicker feedback and ultimately take over the mundane parts of a job, allowing us to focus on the more value-adding activities.

From big data to AI to robotics and machine learning, manual tasks are becoming automated. Getting to understand the data from the automated process is imperative for all. Data-driven decisions will be the key to producing solutions to improve customer service and costs.

Ellappan likens the advent of AI to the introduction of wheels on a suitcase. This innovation, while subtle, created convenience in that it reduced the manual effort of carrying luggage around. Similarly, with digital transformation becoming a key focus area in business today, one has to keep up with innovation and technology.

PwC says governments and businesses will be required to work together to help people adjust to the new technologies, and it will be imperative to establish a culture of adaptability and lifelong learning to spread the benefits of AI across society.

PERSONALISED & PROFICIENT CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL SAFEGUARD (& STRENGTHEN) PEOPLES’ JOBS

INTRODUCTION OF PASSIFY DIGITAL SOLUTION REPLACES TRUCKER CARD

This month, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) will begin testing a digital solution which allows truckers to access the Hamburg container terminals in a safer and more efficient way. The passify app will replace the current truck handling process involving the trucker card. The product was developed by HHLA Next, the innovation unit of HHLA.

With passify, we are considerably increasing security and efficiency at our facilities in Hamburg. We are working on digitalising terminal handling to such an extent that our facilities become the standard for other terminals in terms of digitalisation. HHLA is using such projects to underpin its claim to being a driver of innovation in logistics.

Jens Hansen, Executive Board member, HHLA

The passify app is initially revolutionising truck handling at HHLA’s terminals in Hamburg by both increasing the security of truck access and simplifying the handling process for truck drivers. In future, more than 6,000 truck drivers who transport containers to and from HHLA’s terminals in Hamburg every day will have access to all the necessary information directly on their smartphones via passify. The smartphone app is fully integrated into terminal processes and digitalises the processes at the gates. The system accompanies truck drivers along the entire handling process and thereby simplifies it. Furthermore, passify offers drivers a mobile self-service terminal in one app.

Since all drivers can clearly identify themselves using passify, access to the terminals also becomes safer. At the same time, entry processes at the gates are simplified since access is only granted to authorised truck drivers. passify upholds security and data protection standards and meets all requirements of the ISPS Code, which applies around the world.

HHLA will begin to replace the conventional plastic trucker cards with passify at its Hamburg sites this year. Testing of the smartphone app will begin in July and will be gradually expanded to include all HHLA sites in Hamburg.

All haulage companies will then begin to receive access to passify and will be actively supported while switching from the trucker card to the app. They will also receive information about how drivers can register and verify their identities to use the app on their smartphones. Following its successful introduction at the HHLA terminals in Hamburg, additional terminal operators will be able to use the practical digital tool at their gates. We intend to make passify the standard for other stakeholders at the port as well.

The UK's leading supplier of Vehicle CCTV and Telematics is set to display an exciting array of new AI driven products that are designed to improve safety and driver awareness. at one of the country’s foremost freight transport, logistics and supply chain managements EXPOs.

Multimodal, which is set to take place at the NEC Birmingham between 13th-15th June, will showcase the latest developments in both technology and ser vices for the transport and logistics industry. Cenglobal will be exhibiting on stand number 8012.

At the show, Cenglobal will be exhibiting its latest innovations within the AI space, in which it has been developing products that will not only help drivers to be better aware of their surroundings but will also help predict potential collisions with vulnerable road users.

Cenglobal will also be displaying its innovative Driver Fatigue System which monitors driver behaviour and alerts both the driver and fleet manager if any issues occur including driver tiredness, mobile phone usage and more.

Another of Cenglobal’s latest innovations is the CENEYE camera system. This cutting-edge tech utilises the power of AI to warn drivers when a pedestrian, vehicle or object is within close proximity of the vehicle. The system, which not only meets but exceeds the R151 regulations, is also able to warn the driver in real time of a possible collision before it occurs.

Video footage of an event is then seamlessly uploaded to the Cenglobal Live portal for further analysis. Cenglobal has launched the new system in order to help reduce on-road deaths in the UK.

Cenglobal Managing Director Geoff Cross believes that the adoption of CENEYE will not only assist operators enhance the visibility for drivers but will be vital in helping Transport for London in achieving its Zero Vision pledge of all deaths and serious injuries will be eliminated from London's transport network by 2041.

The introduction of Artificial intelligence into our driving and safety management technologies is essential for improving road safety and the conditions vulnerable road users face every day. Our systems ensure that drivers of large commercial vehicles not only stay alert but have full awareness of what’s going on around both the tractor and trailer. We are excited to be given the opportunity to exhibit at Multimodal again, it has proved a popular show for Cenglobal and allows us to showcase our latest innovations to the industry whilst also being a valuable networking platform for our team to discuss developments within the industry and consider ways we can further improve the safety of UK roads. We invite everyone to explore our broad variety of AI driven technology on Stand 8012 at Multimodal at the NEC on 13th-15th June and experience what the future of the logistics industry looks like.

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UKWA AWARDS: LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

We are pleased to announce that Howard Tenens Logistics has been awarded the UKWA Logistics Service Provider of the Year Award. We are pleased to have been recognised for our excellence in the field of logistics and our dedication to providing first-class services to our clients.

Howard Tenens Logistics is a family-run business that has been providing exceptional logistics services for over 70 years. Since its establishment in 1953, Howard Tenens Logistics has grown into one of the most reliable and efficient logistics service providers in the United Kingdom. Our culture is centred around pushing to be our best, focusing on solutions, and being inspired to make an impact through talent, passion, hard work, and commitment to our customer base. We pride ourselves on our proactive and flexible approach to logistics, which is focused on delivering innovative and tailored solutions to customers, ensuring longterm efficiency and effectiveness.

Furthermore, we would also like to extend our congratulations to Elliot Ashton, our Senior Commercial Manager, for being highly commended as the Young Professional of the Year. Elliot has a proven track record of achieving and exceeding commercial targets. He has been instrumental in identifying new business opportunities and developing strategies to convert prospects into long-term customers. He has also played a key role in onboarding new clients, ensuring a smooth transition and high customer satisfaction. With his deep understanding of customers' needs and success in delivering solutions that meet or exceed their expectations makes Elliot a key member of our team.

Congratulations to our Warehouse Manager, Richard Parry on being shortlisted for the Warehouse Manager of the Year Award. Being recognised as one of the top contenders in this category is a fantastic achievement. Richard is a driven and dedicated individual who is committed to building a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. He has successfully transformed his team into a very high-performing one, earning the respect and admiration of his colleagues and clients alike.

The UK Warehouse Association Awards recognise and celebrate excellence within the warehousing and logistics industry in the United Kingdom. These awards aim to highlight the achievements and innovations of companies and individuals who have made significant contributions to the sector. The awards cover various categories and winners are chosen based on their exceptional performance, operational efficiency, sustainability initiatives, technological advancements, and overall impact on the industry.

At Howard Tenens Logistics we know that exceptional logistics service is the backbone of success, being awarded such a prestigious recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering first-class solutions to optimise supply chains, streamline operations and drive business growth for our valued customers.

BIGGER & BETTER: ANTWERPXL ����

AntwerpXL, the world’s only event dedicated exclusively to breakbulk, project cargo and heavy lift, will return to the Antwerp Expo, Belgium, 28–30 November 2023.

Upwards of 3,700 delegates from the likes of Caterpillar, Vestas, Shell, Solvay, Sumitomo, Thyssenkrupp, Desmet Ballestra, Siemens, Storaenso, ArcelorMittal, and many more, will visit AntwerpXL this November to connect, learn and do business.

The industry’s best and brightest will share their ideas and insights during the three-day Main Deck conference, and the much-celebrated XL 40 Under 40 will return to champion the next generation of industry leaders.

C.Steinweg, Conti-Lines, MSC, Spliethoff, Fednav, BBC Chartering, Konecranes, Varamar, and Zuidnatie are just a few of the industry stalwarts making up this year’s exciting exhibition. On top of that, visitors will have the chance to enjoy an exclusive tour of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a recruitment day, a champagne reception, an afterparty, project cargo forwarding training sessions, and so much more.

Antwerp has one of the busiest maritime ports in the world, which handled over 12 million tonnes of breakbulk last year. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges hosts 1,400 companies and has over 15 terminals dedicated to breakbulk. That, on top of its strategic location at the crossroads of major European transport corridors, makes Antwerp the home of breakbulk. AntwerpXL is much the same, the highlight of the diary for everyone in the industry, and we’re so excited to be returning in 2023, bigger and better than ever before. Building on the success of last year, AntwerpXL 2023 will have more exhibitors, more knowledge sharing, and more opportunities to network and do business. We look forward to seeing you all in November!

Margaret Dunn, Portfolio Director, AntwerpXL

Following the success of Multimodal 2023, organisers have announced next year’s event will take place from 11th–13th June 2024 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Delegates were spoilt for choice across the four theatres to attend sessions, training and talks covering an array of topics. Some highlights include:

Multimodal 2023 was the biggest yet, enjoying a sell-out exhibition, record visitor numbers and the most ever entries to its awards event. Over the three days of the show in June, 320 exhibitors showcased their products and services to a record 12,267 visitors – an increase of 25% on last year. In addition, the coveted awards ceremony received over 250 entries, beating previous numbers for this leading industry event.

Organisers were pleased to welcome exhibitor newcomers including Plan Transport, PwC, MG Invest, Calais Promotion, 3squared, ErgoPack, Miran Logistics, Ziegler Group, ICL and Payoneer, joining established supply chain industry exhibitors.

But the success of this year’s event cannot be determined by numbers alone. The assortment of expert speakers played a large part in its triumph. Among the 55 speakers were:

• Jon Gore, Head of Primary & Global Logistics, Tesco

• Sally Wright, Head of Delivery Transport Hub, Nestlé UK and Ireland

• John Lucy, Director, Liverpool Freeport

• Hizmy Hassen, Chief Digital & Supply Chain Officer, Apollo Tyres

• Christian Pryce, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Dover

• Joep Kusters, Senior Vice President, Head of Europe, Coyote

• Peak Season Preview 2023

• Digitalisation of International Trade and Transport

• A Rail Retail Revolution

• Roadblocks to sustainable freight – and how to overcome them

• Cargo integrity

• The UK’s new approach to import controls

– understanding the Target Operating Model

The 2023 event saw the introduction of The Google Digital Garage, where visitors received free training to improve their digital skills.

With the buzz Multimodal 2023 still in the air, there’s no better time to save the dates of 11th – 13th June 2024, for what will be another popular exhibition.

Don’t miss out on any of the latest news, sign up to the Multimodal newsletter to stay informed.

LEANDNA NAMED PARTNER IN COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION IN THE 2023 MANUFACTURING LEADERSHIP AWARDS

LeanDNA was recognized in the Collaborative Ecosystems Category for its work with Johnson Controls

The National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Leadership Council recognized Johnson Controls (JCI) and LeanDNA with a 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Award. The companies entry in the Collaborative Ecosystems category, “Creating Velocity through a Digitally Threaded Collaborative Ecosystem,” highlighted how they created a fully threaded, digital ecosystem that connects JCI’s sites, systems, and suppliers using LeanDNA’s collaborative technology. By empowering JCI’s supply chain with streamlined workflows for production planners, buyers, suppliers, and managers there is a comprehensive view and united strategy to make decisions easier and faster with more accuracy and confidence.

LeanDNA helped enhance communication and visibility across our international organization and network of hundreds of suppliers to maximize efficiency and revitalize material health. Supply chain teams inside and outside the company can now work together to prioritize critical actions resulting in improved on-time delivery and reduce excess inventory.

Mandeep Sahota , Vice President Operations, Johnson Controls

The Collaborative Ecosystems category recognizes organizational efforts at utilizing Manufacturing 4.0 technologies to enhance internal and external cross-functional collaboration to boost productivity, satisfy customer requirements, accelerate innovation, or achieve greater speed and agility. Manufacturing organizations that win this award

create corporate structures and policies that support a collaborative enterprise and develop effective strategies to further its growth.

We are honored to be recognized for our work by members of the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Leadership Council. It’s a pleasure to work sideby-side with our partners at Johnson Controls to provide one single view across over 800 suppliers and 12 manufacturing sites.

Richard Lebovitz , founder & CEO, LeanDNA

This was a record year for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards, with the most-ever entries submitted in the program's history. Manufacturing Leadership Award finalists were selected based on evaluations by a panel of expert judges who reviewed and scored each nomination. From the field of finalists, the highest-scoring projects were selected as category winners.

All finalists and winners were recognized at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala on June 28 in Marco Island, Florida. Technology and consulting partners who had an active role in an award-winning manufacturing project, including LeanDNA were named Partners in Collaborative Innovation.

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UK EXPORTS ENJOYED STEEPEST RISE OF ALL G7 NATIONS IN APRIL

ParcelHero has been analysing the latest OECD data and says the UK experienced the steepest monthly rise in exports of any G7 nation in April, up by 5.86%. In contrast, US exports came bottom of the table, down -5.30%

In a remarkable reversal of fortune, the UK topped the list of G7 nations’ export growth figures in April. The international delivery expert ParcelHero says new data shows UK exports soared by 5.86% in April, to $38.25bn (around £30.74bn, seasonally adjusted).

That was the biggest percentage rise in exports of all the G7 economies, according to new OECD figures.

UK exports performed healthily in April, with a rise of 5.86% over a disappointing March. In March, the UK actually came bottom of the list of G7 exporters, down -5.02% at $36.14bn (£29.78bn, seasonally adjusted).

That makes April’s bounce-back a truly encouraging performance, especially as Japan, the country that enjoyed the second highest percentage improvement in exports, had just a 2.52% increase.

In contrast to the UK’s exports success, US exports plummeted by -5.30% against March, leaving it at the bottom of the percentage change table. Even so, the US still topped the G7’s list in terms of the actual value of exports at $163.82bn (around £129.44bn).

Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures broadly align with the OECD’s April results (though it values them at a slightly higher £31.4bn). It says a 7.3% (£1.1bn) rise in exports to non-EU countries was largely responsible for the jump.

The US took the lion’s share of Britain’s non-EU exports, and the US is now ParcelHero’s No.1 individual export market. That makes sense when you look at the USA’s imports in April, which rose by 2.14% to $260.92bn.

Imagine the opportunities the US will offer UK exporters if that elusive UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is ever reached. Credit where it’s due, Prime Minister Sunak did recently sign an “Atlantic Declaration” that could help UK companies selling green tech, such as car batteries, to the US. Significant hurdles in US trade remain, however. Most UK goods exported to the US that are valued at over $800 (the US import tax threshold) are still subject to tariffs of 0% to 37.5%, with the typical rate being 5.63%. ParcelHero’s USA page gives full details on Customs advice, sending food, prohibited items, etc.

US duties difficulties aside, the UK’s buoyant April exports make a welcome change from recent gloomy economic news. Here’s the full G7 export “league” table for April (as a percentage change from March):

UK: 5.86%

Japan: 2.52%

Germany: 1.51%

Canada: 1.22%

France: 0.96%

Italy: 0.93%

USA: -5.30%

For ParcelHero’s expert advice on UK-US shipping, including useful frequently asked questions (FAQs), help for exports and prohibited items details, see: www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/international-courierservices/usa-parcel-delivery

David Jinks M.I.L.T., Head of Consumer Research, ParcelHero

BILLY DAWSON

Tell me how you got into the freight industry...

Initially I took an admin position at a European 3PL, progressed through the ranks and this is where I found a passion for technology and the fastpaced, dynamic environment logistics provides. It’s a people business at heart and being connected to a Global network is a huge draw.

How did the opportunity at CNS arise?

As my interest in technology grew, CNS was the perfect environment for my career to progress, especially given the ambitious plans over the next few years. The expansion into new geographical territories provides an incredible challenge for me to explore.

What have you focused on since joining the business?

I’ve joined the commercial team focusing on CNS’s new customs and cross-border products at a time when their growth strategies are on an ambitious upward trajectory. My role is focused upon engaging the market on our new products, introducing new customers to our technology.

What makes CNS unique?

What sets it apart from your competitors?

Our experience of port community systems across multiple modes of transport in the UK is unique, this has enabled us to grow into new areas both up and down the supply chain – all undertaken with a level of insight and experience, no one else has developed. We can draw upon our parent company [DP World] Global reach, which combined with our know-how make a compelling proposition for anyone looking to achieve efficiencies in their own teams and their supply chain as a whole.

BUSINESS MANAGER, CNS

Can you define your company culture?

As much as we are a technology business, we’re also a people business. From the commercial team through to the helpdesk, our aim is to be first in class across the board. This level of customer service is a standard we can only achieve as a team, essentially one unit pulling in the same direction. Whilst we maintain the objective of being considered by our customers and the industry, as ‘best in class’, this can only be achieved with a culture that is bred from close working departments across the company.

How does CNS enable trade in the UK?

Our technology is customer focused. The fact we’re established as a CSP means we’re well versed in connecting people to ports and to relevant Government bodies such as Port Health and HMRC. Through our new technology ventures, we’re enabling automation and digitations of the customs process to enable our customers to be agile, responsive and quicker in their everyday tasks.

What's the most important thing you're working on right now, and how are you making it happen?

We are upgrading and developing our technology continuously, however our customs platform, CDMS is undergoing changes to allow for the CHIEF – CDS transition switch to exports later in the year. We are combining this feature with a range of new upgrades – all with the customers UX at the centre of our thinking to simplify the process for our customers and facilitate enhanced compliance. We also have major upgrades to our port community system technology, a revamp to our core business, which means all departments have ramped up communications so we can keep customers and the industry updated.

Which division is thriving the most at the moment?

Across the board we’re entering into an exciting time for CNS. Building on our renowned port community system technology, we’ve expanded by bringing our trade, supply chain logistics experience to develop both customs and cross-border software.

What has been your biggest learning/challenge to date?

Leading growth into new territories. This year CNS will be rolling out our customs and cross-border software into Continental Europe, with our key consideration being to ensure all customers experience the same level of support regardless of language or geographical location.

FACT FILE : CNS

EEZYIMPORT PARTNERS WITH DRIP CAPITAL & STREAMLINES ACCESS TO SIMPLIFIED TRADE FINANCING FOR SMB IMPORTERS

This strategic Eezyimport - Drip Capital alliance revolutionizes the traditional trade finance landscape by providing faster, more efficient digital solutions for U.S. importers engaged in cross-border trade.

Eezyimport, a leading global import management platform, has announced a partnership with Drip Capital, a global fintech company, to provide integrated, streamlined trade finance solutions for U.S. importers. This collaboration will enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to quickly access collateral-free trade financing online while simplifying import processes and reducing documentation.

Eezyimport's innovative self-service platform provides a seamless experience for U.S. importers, helping them navigate the complexities of global trade. With its user-friendly interface, Eezyimport allows businesses to manage their import process, from initial order placement to shipment tracking, customs clearance, and now trade financing in collaboration with Drip Capital.

Drip Capital provides working capital solutions to SMBs globally. In the US, the company offers payables financing, which gives buyers additional time to pay for all their purchases with minimal documentation and no collateral. The financing platform has developed a data-driven risk assessment model to underwrite transactions and disburse funds within 24 hours.

The Eezyimport - Drip partnership will immensely benefit businesses seeking import management solutions and trade financing services.

We are thrilled to partner with Drip Capital and integrate their cutting-edge trade finance solutions into our platform. This partnership aligns with our mission to simplify global trade for SMBs by providing them with the tools and resources necessary to succeed in today's competitive landscape.

Barak Ben Or, CEO, Eezyimport

The partnership comes at a crucial time when U.S. importers face numerous challenges after the global pandemic. Moreover, supply chain disruptions and tightening credit conditions have made it necessary for SMBs to gain easy and safe access to working capital to sustain operations. The combined expertise of Eezyimport and Drip Capital alleviates these pain points by offering fast, efficient, and reliable import management solutions to importers.

We are actively seeking partnerships with experienced ecosystem players such as Eezyimport, who share our mission of making global trade accessible for SMBs. This partnership provides SMBs hasslefree financing solutions and all the essential resources to manage their import operations efficiently.

Pushkar Mukewar, CEO/Co-Founder, Drip Capital

The Future of Digital Trade

The CNS suite of products is designed to provide users with the most efficient and robust technology, combined with a world-class support helpdesk.

Customs Declarations Management Software

Simple, intuitive, and easy to use cloud-based platform to submit CDS, CHIEF and UK transit declarations. Our technology allows users to submit declarations for CNS, Pentant and MCP ports, with CCS-UK integration on the roadmap.

Crossborder Management

Our suite of Cross-border Management products, BEEMS, has been developed to remove complexity and reduce paperwork, saving significant time and offering reassurance that movements are complying with relevant regulations.

BEEMS Border Management products support businesses managing movements across borders on RORO pre-lodgement routes between the UK and EU, providing direct access to all the relevant customs systems.

CNS – Port Community System

HMRC-approved port community system that supports many of the largest maritime ports in the UK, enabling business and government stakeholders to securely and reliable exchange information and collaboratively manage cargo movements.

The system is fully approved by HMRC for imports, exports and transhipments at temporary storage locations, and provides users with real-time visibility of unit and cargo status as cargo moves through the port environment.

REPORT FINDS

DRAMATIC RISE IN CHILEAN FREIGHT CRIME

The latest analysis from international freight insurer, TT Club and business improvement consultants BSI SCREEN, reports dramatic 2022 year-on-year increases in freight crime in Chile with incidents of theft estimated at 27% up on pre-pandemic levels.

The report highlights:

• A 450% increase in the frequency of insurance claims in 2022

• Increased value of claims over same period of 820%

• Over half of cargo crime incidents involve hijacking

• Insider threat heightened due to socio-economic factors

• Most common commodities targeted were electronics (25%) and foodstuffs (20%)

TT Club has once more come together with BSI SCREEN, this time with the Logistics Association of Chile (ALOG) and the crime investigation unit, Signum Services (an associate of TT within the Thomas Miller Group), to focus on a worryingly dramatic trend in the Chilean freight transport sector. The extensive report, based on the wide-reaching data resources of the four organisations, has recently been published. Entitled ‘Freight crime in Chilean supply chains’ it is available for download on our website.

In an introduction to the risk landscape, the report notes that pandemicinduced measures such as quarantine, restrictions in movements, curfews and had the effect of reducing the incidence of cargo theft for much of 2020 and 2021. However, last year, with such limitations lifted, levels of crime sprung back with vengeance to 27% higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to ALOG data.

The underlying factors that seem prevalent in explaining the alarming statistics seem to be predominantly social and economic in nature. Inflation, increases in the cost of living and social unrest have motivated individuals to turn to crime. These circumstances, which also encourage a larger black market, particularly in foodstuffs, instil heightened criminality in the population.

Mike Yarwood, Managing Director of Loss Prevention, TT

Indeed, the report found that criminal organisations that are behind much of the theft have exploited to a greater degree than in the past those employed in the supply chain, to provide valuable data and information on cargo flows, nature of loads and an ability to falsify delivery instructions. Labour strikes, also common in a recession, create pinch points in the usual smooth flow of goods. Such locations become a focal point for crime. The reported statistics show that second to hijacking as a mode of theft (57%), is the combined activity of stealing from a facility or of a vehicle itself, when cargo is at rest, contributing to 32% of all incidents.

A primary goal of TT in participating in this report is the same as that of our partners at ALOG and BSI. It is to create a greater awareness of the threats, so operators can take mitigating protectionist steps. To this end, our report carefully details two of the primary strategies used by the criminal fraternity, – hijacking and the use of insider knowledge and cooperation. The report also provides a well-researched case study on the role criminal organisations are playing in infiltrating the supply chain in Chile, and throughout Latin America.

As with all awareness reports of this nature, TT and its co-authors are keen to offer guidance on how such theft risks can be alleviated with advice, in particular on combatting the criminal device of fictious pickups. The report contains a long list of measures from secure verification procedures and driver ID checking to staff training in identifying suspicious circumstances and monitoring through tracking technology to ensure shipments are being delivered correctly.

With the help of our partners, utilising a wide range of in-depth data resources, TT will continue to research cargo crime internationally in order to forearm the supply chain industry with information on trends in such damaging losses, concludes Yarwood.

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Newest office highlights emerging markets -focused growth

WeFreight, a leading emerging markets freight forwarder, is pleased to announce the official commencement of its operations in Mexico. This expansion marks another significant milestone for WeFreight as it continues to establish itself as the agile leader in emerging markets logistics.

Ingo Kloepper, Global Managing Director at WeFreight, highlighted the significance of the expansion, stating, We are pleased to launch our operations in Mexico, which is a market with solid growth potential. This move represents a strategic step forward for WeFreight as we continue to strengthen our global footprint and bring our unique perspective to the world of logistics. We believe that our digital approach, combined with our deep understanding of key industries, will enable us to offer unparalleled value to our customers in Mexico.

Situated among the world's top 15 economies and holding the title of Latin America's second-largest, Mexico exhibits a strong commitment to trade and a diverse manufacturing sector deeply embedded in global value chains. After posting a 4.7% growth rate in 2021, the economy expanded by 3.1% in 2022. This positive trend led the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revise Mexico's GDP growth estimates upward to 1.8% in its April 2023 report, reinforcing the country's economic prowess underpinned by its thriving manufacturing base.

Experienced executive Miguel Trejo, Managing Director of WeFreight Mexico, commented, Mexico is a dynamic market with a growing economy, and we are delighted to be part of its logistics future. We are committed to leveraging our extensive experience and industry knowledge to deliver tailored solutions that address the specific needs of our customers in Mexico. With our customer-centric approach and focus on technology-driven efficiencies, we are confident that WeFreight will quickly establish itself as a trusted partner for businesses across the country.

WeFreight's entry into Mexico aligns with its vision to be at the forefront of emerging markets logistics, offering innovative and flexible solutions that drive growth and enable seamless trade. With its digitalfirst approach, WeFreight aims to improve the logistics industry by providing transparent and efficient services that deliver value and optimize supply chains.

BROKER LAUNCHES RTC CRISIS LINE TO PROTECT HGV DRIVERS & OPERATORS

Award-winning fleet transport insurance specialist, McCarron Coates, has launched a unique legal advice service for its clients – RTC Crisis Line - as it notes an increased probability of HGV drivers and operators being prosecuted following a collision.

The service, on offer to all McCarron Coates’ clients, offers HGV and removals operators 24/7 access to transport-sector legal specialists who can instantly offer advice and legal representation, the minute a driver is involved in a road traffic collision.

With just one call, the service connects any driver, standing at the roadside facing police interview after a blue light collision, with a legal specialist. The specialist offers instant instruction on how to proceed and liaises with police, to determine to which police station the driver will be taken. The legal specialist will then head to that station, to instruct, advise and protect the driver during their police interview. This, in turn, protects the company and senior individuals within it.

The service covers the golden minutes associated with any such incident – those in which a shocked or traumatised driver can unwittingly incriminate themselves, by saying something later used against them. Driving incidents are the only type of crime for which this is possible, with any other seeing initial accounts taken only at the police station.

RTC Crisis Line steps in to help prevent cases being won or lost in those early moments, when the driver might speculate about what happened and be taken at their word later.

Early dialogue with the police means the legal expert receives critical information at the start, rather than at the end of the criminal investigation, when it can be too late to put forward viewpoints as to why a situation might have occurred. Early legal representation can help control the cost of a claim but, most crucially, also keep a driver – or their employer or agency – out of prison.

The service assists with charges such as causing death by dangerous driving, those relating to serious injuries caused by drivers, corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974. RTC Crisis Line is also being launched by McCarron Coates as we approach the anniversary of a new driving offence, which has largely gone under the radar. This is ‘causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving’, introduced in the 2022 Police Crime and Sentencing Act and added to the Road Traffic Act 1988. This can result in drivers being interviewed at police stations, if a ‘serious’ injury has been inflicted on a third party, with that definition even covering just a broken bone. A jail sentence of up to two years is the possible penalty, for just a momentary loss of focus and concentration on the road.

However, the new RTC Crisis Line service does not just provide the expert legal representation required but also helps minimise any reputational damage to the employer’s or agency’s business, through crisis PR.

We are proud to offer our clients this ‘first’, having recognised that the legal implications of a driver being involved in any type of RTC are huge. With the 2022 Highway Code establishing a hierarchy of road users, with drivers of HGVs at the bottom, deemed responsible for the safety of all other road users, there is even more likelihood of the law coming down hard on drivers of these larger vehicles.

Ian McCarron, Director, McCarron Coates

New team delivers patients’ cells to the right place at the right time, right temperature

AIT Worldwide Logistics is proud to announce the launch of its new Critical Solutions Group, a team of deeply experienced industry professionals dedicated to providing ultra-reliable, personalized logistics solutions for life-saving therapies under the strictest possible quality standards.

The Critical Solutions Group collaborates with customers to develop individualized, stringent shipment plans for life-saving therapies, including cell and gene therapies (CGT), autologous vaccines, CAR T-cell and TCR therapies, and patient samples.

AIT made a significant investment to launch the Critical Solutions Group – we have assembled the most experienced team in the CGT industry and expanded our first-class quality program to create pressuretested quality standards that meet the extraordinary requirements of these highly individualized deliveries. The team provides 24/7 global coverage every single day of the year and they are fully prepared to pass our customers' most extensive audits. Everything they do is for the patients they're serving.

Chris Amberg, Executive Vice President, Life Sciences, AIT

The dedicated Critical Solutions Group’s subject matter experts leverage their combined 100-plus years of specialized life-saving logistics experience, including direct-to-patient and direct-to-facility deliveries to locations around the world, in support of customers developing cutting-edge personalized therapies.

From research all the way through to commercialization, our team provides both start-up and established biotech companies with expert consultation and fully customized logistics solutions. Our customers know they can count on our industry-leading quality protocols to ensure the highest levels of safety, risk management and integrity for their lifesaving therapies.

Dave Murphy, Vice President, Critical Solutions Group, AIT

Every shipment the Critical Solutions Group manages includes its own comprehensive route planner and 24/7/365 consultative customer care, as well as the peace of mind that comes with AIT’s good distribution practices certification and best-in-class quality assurance program. Smart asset data tracking, temperature-controlled packaging and monitoring are available, together with assured chain of custody and chain of identity management.

Murphy added that AIT’s global network of core carriers managed by more than 110 locations gives the Critical Solutions Group the flexibility to support customers anywhere in the world via AIT’s air charter, next flight out, on-board courier and dedicated truck services.

AIT WORLDWIDE LOGISTICS

CRITICAL SOLUTIONS GROUP DEDICATED TO PERSONALIZED CELL & GENE THERAPY DELIVERIES

INDUSTRY SERVICES EXPERTS

NNR itself was in the process of moving to its new state-ofthe-art distribution centre in mid-2020 when lockdowns forced the closure of the construction site – barely four weeks prior to the DC being opened. A huge challenge for the company, but we successfully overcame it, taking occupancy three months later and still satisfying customer demand over the pandemic – where some demand peaked by 1000%.

In Contract Logistics it is common for quality service providers to be flexible and adaptable to change, an attribute driven by close cooperation with customers in determining sales supply and demand. Transparency of data has always been the cornerstone of successful partnerships between 3PLs and the customers they serve.

Whereas demand spikes due to seasonality, promotions, and new product introductions where ingrained in customer demand planning and 3PL operational planning, what happened over the course of 2020 to 2022 was exceptional and truly tested the world of supply chain management. In June 2023, Forwarder Magazine published a similar article from Janette Page , NNR UK’s Head of Ocean Development, highlighting the challenges faced by Ocean Freight; but let’s be clear, such challenges affected the total end-to-end.

For many, Contract Logistics incorporates the complete End-to-End supply chain but the contribution of warehousing and distribution hugely determines the success or failure of products getting to market in full and on time. Such efficiency and performance directly drive sales performance and profitability.

With the disruptive forces of the pandemic and Brexit, 3PLs were tested to the core; lockdowns, product demand changes, supply issues on materials, finished goods and packaging availability, shipping delays, retail closures, and staff sickness - all provided a constant challenge to 3PL and warehouse operators. Everyone working in logistics felt an unprecedented level of stress, workload, and also a responsibility to keep supply chains operational through the most serious and darkest of modern times.

Continuing into 2022, the warehousing industry saw huge demand for warehouse space, due to the storage requirement of PPE and also to house excess stock as a result of retail closures during lockdown periods. For many, inventory levels doubled, as the seasonal stock needed to be stored and held back by 12 months. Over this period many 3PL invested in increased space to manage this demand until the PPE and the seasonal stock levels reduced over time.

Out of these stormy waters, 3PLs have developed new areas of expertise; those continuing to provide excess storage space (pallet-in/pallet-out), the e-com specialists, and total end-toend contact logistics specialists. It is evident that the 3PLs that made investments in people, technology, environmental policy, and quality systems were better equipped to tackle the challenges they encountered. Continual investment in such areas is critical to support the industry; proving essential in navigating the current and future economic headwinds faced and turning challenges into opportunities for success.

NNR is an acronym of Nishi Nippon Railroad, also known more commonly as Nishitetsu Group; a business of Japanese descent operating for the past 115 years. NNR Global Logistics is the logistics division of the parent company. NNR has its own operations in over 130 global locations, including 4 sites in the UK. We are a ‘World Top 20’ ranking logistics service provider. Key highlights below and further visuals and business case studies can be found at nnrglobal.com/wdc

Business rates have risen dramatically since re-evaluation in April 2023, with warehouses seeing increases of up to 30%. Coupled with a lengthy legal process to challenge these rates, and rising running costs, many logistics companies are facing unprecedented inflation. Commercial Property Advisors (CPA) are challenging the status quo and fighting for fairer rates and better regulation across the industry.

Traditionally, business rates have been determined by the rental value of commercial properties. Local authorities assess each property's rateable value, and businesses are taxed based on this figure, contributing to local government funding. This often results in higher rates than necessary. It’s an approach which often results in disproportionate tax burdens, with certain regions or industries facing higher rates than others due to fluctuations in property prices and rental values.

This is especially true for warehouse operators, as rates are calculated based on data from 2021, a time when retail units received a 10% cut in business rates. These costs were then redistributed to industries such as freight, who still face increases to supplement local government budgets today.

We’re finding that the majority of companies with large warehouses are significantly overcharged when it comes to business rates. Our aim is to give businesses access to better advice and help them garner fairer rates without any risk to their business.

David Transwell, Founder, CPA

Fighting for better regulation

Business rates specialists, like CPA, challenge valuations by compiling evidence and assessing whether or not there is a case for your rates to be reduced. Alone, this could take a business many years to complete, not to mention a lot of stress, but a specialised team can shoulder this burden on a business's behalf. Currently there is a lack of regulation over the whole process, with many business rates specialists charging up front fees, or charging based on businesses being accepted into the appeals process - knowing that every appeal is accepted. CPA operates differently; after completing an assessment of the building and initial fact-find, the team shares their findings with the customer, before taking strong cases through the formal hearing process.

Founded in 2015, CPA are currently the only Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) regulated business rates specialists, a fact that Founder David Transwell, and Operations Director Ben Sayer, are incredibly proud of. Having worked together for over a decade, they share a passion for fairness and better regulation across the industry.

RICS is a globally recognised professional body that has promoted and enforced the highest professional qualifications and standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure since 1868, though they can be traced back even further to 1792. An institution in surveying, they now cover a broad range of specialisms globally, and promote an ongoing commitment to developing legislation.

CPA has always taken its responsibility to the industry seriously. So, the team was thrilled to announce accreditations from RICS, and the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA).

We’re incredibly proud of our accreditations from RICS and UKWA. It feels good to have our work recognised in this way.

We’re pleased to be able to share this with our clients and to give them peace of mind that we can genuinely help them reduce their business costs without giving them any added stress.

Ben Sayer, Operations Director, CPA

As CPA has grown over the last few years, the team has expanded to include specialists across the customer journey. Home to some of the most qualified Surveyors, CPA offers highly qualified and compliant service. Knowing the industry inside out has led to an incredibly high track record of winning appeals. Giving their experts room to do their job well, CPA hires a dedicated team of Account Managers. This gives customers reassurance and provides regular updates throughout the process.

At the heart of CPA lies a genuine compassion for the businesses they serve. They understand that each business is unique, with its own set of goals, limitations, and aspirations. By taking the time to listen and empathise with their clients, CPA builds strong, trustworthy relationships that are based on a mutual understanding of the challenges businesses face in the commercial property sector.

Giving back to businesses

In the competitive world of commercial property, businesses face numerous challenges in finding the right space, negotiating leases, and optimising investments. Having a compassionate and knowledgeable partner can make all the difference. CPA has emerged as a beacon of support, offering businesses a guiding hand through the complexities of the commercial property market while prioritising understanding and empowerment.

We had been through this process many years ago with a different firm, who were absolutely dreadful and left us to do most of the work. CPA’s approach was the exact opposite; there was no pressure or hard-sell tactics during our first meeting – they took control of the entire process and promptly provided helpful updates upon request. We are absolutely delighted with the final savings achieved by CPA, which are even more important right now given the current economic climate.

Christopher Welsh, Ethicall, One of CPA’s clients

As co-sponsors of the next Forwarder Event in Bristol on the 14th September, CPA are keen to reach – and support – more warehouse operators. Business rates on warehouses, especially large or complex buildings, are heavily inflated, with many operators unaware of the savings they could be making.

CPA has emerged as a game-changer in the commercial property sector, empowering businesses with expert advice, strategic insights, and innovative solutions. With their comprehensive range of advisory services, CPA has proven to be a valuable partner for businesses seeking to optimise their commercial property investments, negotiating favourable terms, and making informed decisions in this dynamic market. As the commercial property landscape continues to evolve, CPA remains a trusted resource, guiding businesses towards success and growth in the competitive world of commercial real estate.

If you want to find out if you can reduce your business rates, reserve your space at September’s Forwarder Event and ask the CPA team in person.

HOW CPA ARE CHANGING THE FACE OF BUSINESS RATES

...THE DAWN OF A FAIRER ERA

CRISIS RESPONSE

From money woes to monkeypox, from climate change to COVID, there's usually something going on that needs close monitoring. Here we'll report your stories about emergency management.

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LOGISTICS INDUSTRY RECOVERY STILL HAS SOME WAY TO GO SAYS LOGISTICS UK REPORT

After three years of heightened trading conditions and untold pressures on the supply chain caused by the global pandemic, business group Logistics UK’s annual Logistics Report (released today 13 June 2023) shows that recovery is starting to be seen across the sector.

The report – the business group’s market-leading overview of the sector – reveals that, according to the latest available data (for 2021), logistics businesses added £163 billion to the UK economy and generated just over £1 trillion in revenues; a 19.2% increase on the previous year and the same as in 2019, and a welcome sign of recovery from Covid-19.

Despite this, 2022 remained a challenging year as Chief Executive of Logistics UK, David Wells, explains: While the initial months of 2022 witnessed a resurgence in consumer spending and increased business activity, in the second half of the year the logistics sector navigated a difficult economic climate due to a global energy price shock – triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine – in addition to changing trade processes driven by Britain’s exit from the EU and the increasing need to decarbonise. Nevertheless, our industry continued to demonstrate its adaptability with the UK trading £414 billion exports and £644 billion imports in 2022. The outlook for overall business performance continues to be

encouraging with 77% of survey respondents noting the same or better economic expectations for 2023 compared to 2022.

However, as the report highlights, further challenges remain for the sector, particularly decarbonisation and the impact of inflation and the cost of living crisis. Mr Wells continues: Transport remained the highest greenhouse gas (GHG)-emitting sector across the UK in 2022, with industry calling for reform and investment across a host of policy areas. Our sector is embracing the challenge of decarbonisation, with almost all respondents (93.7%) reporting they will invest either the same as last year, or more, in alternative fuels in 2023. However, there is still an urgent need for investment and innovation to reduce GHG emissions at the pace and scale necessary to meet net zero targets. And with inflationary pressures continuing to affect prices across the economy, the current turbulent business conditions look set to continue in the next twelve months.

The Logistics Report 2023 uses in depth analysis of the latest official national statistics, as well as data collected by Logistics UK’s Industry Survey to provide oversight and analysis of the issues which have shaped the industry over the past year. To view the report, please visit: logistics.org.uk/research-hub/reports/logistics-report

The Logistics Report 2023 The Logistics Report 2023

TENSIONS RISE AFTER NERVOUS AIR CARGO MARKET'S LOWEST RATES IN MAY SINCE

Tension is mounting in the global air cargo market heading into the weaker Summer months with general airfreight rates falling in May to their lowest level since March 2020 as restless airlines and freight forwarders went in search of volumes, indicates the latest weekly market analysis by CLIVE Data Services, part of Xeneta.

The global airfreight spot rate fell 40% in May from a year earlier, reaching its lowest level in over three years of USD 2.41 per kg, just days after IATA predicted airline cargo revenues and yields could fall by more than 31% and 29% respectively in 2023.

Softening global air cargo demand saw a less severe year-over-year drop of -1% in chargeable weight in May, the smallest monthly decline in the past 12 months, but the influx of belly capacity for the peak Summer leisure travel market applied more downward pressure on rates. Global air cargo capacity in May continued its double-digit increase, up 14% year-on-year.

Less demand and more capacity led to an inevitable fall in dynamic loadfactor, CLIVE’s measurement of global volume and weight perspectives of cargo flown and capacity available. It was -5% pts lower vs. May 2022 at 55%.

Niall van de Wouw, Xeneta’s Chief Airfreight Officer, said it’s not only rising capacity which is causing restlessness. There are a lot of ambitious forwarders in the market that want to grow – but they cannot grow with their current customer bases because the airfreight demand is not there, so, as we highlighted in April, they are looking to take a bigger share from someone else. At the same time, we see a lot of shippers going to market now because they want to refresh their rates and benefit from the different conditions to 3-6 months ago. Challengers for their business – not the incumbent freight forwarders – smell a chance to buy volumes and are going in and offering low

rates. And, whether they get the business or not, the overall rates drop because shippers often stick with their current provider but expect them to adjust their rates accordingly to this lower market level.

The year-on-year decline of freight rates on most of the major fronthaul lanes in May outpaced the industry average. In line with deteriorating PMI readings, the outbound Southeast Asia market experienced the largest year-on-year rate fall among top fronthaul corridors. Its spot air cargo rates to the US and Europe fell 68% and 62% respectively over the month.

Northeast Asia (excluding mainland China) to the US saw cargo rates slump 60% from a year ago. The only exception is the China to the US corridor. It recorded only a 31% decline from a year earlier, which is below the industry average of -40%. Furthermore, this is the only corridor among these major lanes to experience a price surge from a month ago.

This is influenced by a small window of opportunity for air cargo in May, which stemmed from the latest dockworker absences due to persistent US west coast labor contract negotiations and weight limits set for passing through the Panama Canal due to low water levels. However, with ocean freight demand matching the fortunes of air cargo, any benefit of some goods switching from ocean to air is likely to be short-lived and have little meaningful impact at a global level.

Shippers are the dominant players in the market right now, as freight forwarders and airlines are nervous of missing/losing the volumes that are actually offered in the market. It’s a time of ‘stick or twist’ for airlines and forwarders. Do they become more short-term driven and flick the ‘let’s-just-buy-the-volumes’ switch or do they sit it out? Do they take drastic action or hold their course? If companies become trigger happy in using such tactics, we could see more downward pressure on the air cargo market than the actual changes in demand/supply. In my conversations with airlines and forwarders during Transport Logistic in Munich in mid-May, I heard the market was slow, but there was no panic. But the overall market sentiment seems to be changing. Now, more airlines and forwarders are clearly getting nervous, are accepting the fact that hopes of an uptick in peak season demand later in the year are dwindling.

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

Organisations and bodies that provide and train staff for the freight and logistics industries.

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Sponsored by

BOOST FOR LOGISTICS SECTOR AS GOVERNMENT & INDUSTRY COLLABORATE TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT

• Government and industry effort to encourage retention and recruitment of younger people into the logistics sector

• Second year of funding for Generation Logistics campaign aims to deliver supply chain resilience and grow the economy

• Additional funding follows a highly successful first year of the campaign which has strengthened the sector

Young people are being encouraged to take-up careers in the logistics sector in the next phase of a campaign, backed by £300,000 of Government funding, supporting the sector to thrive and grow the economy.

Following a highly successful first year, the Department for Transport will continue to invest in the industry-led Generation Logistics campaign to improve recruitment and retention of a skilled and diverse workforce in the logistic sector, vitally supporting the UK’s supply chain resilience and helping grow the economy across the country.

The campaign’s second year will now primarily focus on raising the profile of logistics in schools and colleges, by supporting educators with resources and materials, driving a new generation of talented individuals to pursue rewarding career paths in the sector.

The first year of the campaign contributed towards a more diverse and stable workforce across the logistics sector through raising awareness and improving perceptions. To date, the campaign has seen just under 2.9 million engagements with social media posts and 521,000 visits to their innovative online hub. An Ambassadors Network has been established, with now over 280 logistics professionals working to inform and inspire new talent through events and engagements.

The campaign is one aspect of the Government’s Future of Freight plan, setting a strategy for the Government and industry to work more closely together to deliver a world-class, seamless flow of freight across the UK’s roads, railways, seas, skies and canals. Announcing this new funding, the Transport Secretary will speak at today’s Road Transport Expo, hosted by Logistics UK, to announce further funding for the campaign.

The first year of Government funding has had a positive impact, showcasing the diversity of career opportunities in this vital sector. That is why we are pleased to announce additional year two funding to further build resilience into the sector.We continue to work closely with industry leaders, like CILT (UK) and Logistics UK, to fully understand the needs of the industry and this is yet another step we are taking to grow the economy and support industry across the UK.

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary

At what is a critical time for the sector, the DfT’s investment lays the foundations for the campaign to push Generation Logistics into its second year. This government support, alongside industry backing, will provide the platform for the industry to raise awareness of the diverse and fulfilling roles within the sector and identify the next generation of logistics professionals.

Phil Roe, Executive Sponsor, Generation Logistics

The funding comes as part of wider Government efforts to help more people into work, as the best way to support families in the long-term and grow the economy. In total, the Department has invested £645,000 (£345,000 in year one, £300,000 in year two). As in year one, the Department’s year two investment will be supplemented by industry sponsorship from leading companies and trade associations.

PRIME MINISTER HAILS ‘MISSION CRITICAL’ LOGISTICS CAREERS

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has signalled his support for young people considering logistics careers, describing the sector as 'mission critical to how we live our lives' and celebrating logistics professionals as 'the lifeblood of our economy' where “nothing happens without you and your colleagues.'

Speaking at a PM Connect town hall event, hosted at IKEA’s new Wincanton-operated distribution centre in Dartford, the Prime Minister outlined the importance of encouraging young people into logistics’ careers in light of Generation Logistics research showing that while 40% of respondents agreed the logistics sector is ‘crucial in keeping the country running’, only 10% would consider a role in the industry.

During his remarks, Mr Sunak championed the importance of communication and highlighted the varied and fulfilling roles that exist in the sector, saying, I'm sure if any of your friends spend time with any of you or came here, they'd be pretty inspired by what all of you are doing and the skills you're learning and the careers you've got.

Generation Logistics is an industry-led, government-backed initiative to increase awareness and find the next generation of logistics talent. It was launched in August 2022 and is a collaboration between more than 40 leading companies and trade associations from across the industry, managed by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT(UK)) and Logistics UK. The campaign uses ‘non-traditional’ communication channels to raise awareness among young people and has already generated almost 600,000 visits to the Generation Logistics Hub, and over three million engagements on social media such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Echoing the campaign’s strategy, the Prime Minister recognised the importance of highlighting the careers open to young logistics professionals by saying, probably the best thing we can do is get you guys filming a bunch of videos and put that out there right now.

Generation Logistics is speaking directly to the next generation of logistics professionals by promoting real people, doing real jobs, with real passion. Encouraging young people into the sector is critical and there can be no higher endorsement of the profession than the Prime Minister.

Bethany Windsor, Programme Manager, Generation Logistics

The Department of Transport recently announced its continued support for the campaign by pledging £300,000 for Year 2 activity, and organisations interested in supporting Generation Logistics in the second year of its campaign should contact Generation Logistics.

The Wolverhampton-based pallet network, Pallet-Track, has teamed up with a local school to improve road safety awareness

Caroline Green, chief executive at Pallet-Track, joined colleagues and secondary pupils at neighbouring school, The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton on Millfields Road, for an interactive road safety activity designed to improve awareness around the challenges faced by HGV drivers.

The pallet network partnered with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to deliver a visibility demonstration using an HGV cab and blind spot mats.

The interactive training session provided the students with the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat to better understand the potential danger zones at the front, rear and sides of the vehicle where pedestrians and cyclists cannot be seen due to visibility restrictions.

Pupils also learnt about the daily challenges encountered by HGV drivers with a talk delivered by the RHA and an accompanying training video.

National figures from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) show that 1,200 children per month are injured in traffic related collisions that happen within 500m of a school, with almost half of accidents occurring between 3pm and 6pm.

The interactive activity was enthusiastically received by pupils and was organised as part of Pallet-Track’s ongoing safety drive, which has also included road safety awareness training for its staff.

The interactive workshop was well received by pupils and staff, who were able to identify the potential dangers around road safety and gain a better understanding of how larger vehicles operate on the road. Pupils were excited to ask questions and found the session to be really insightful, and were keen to discuss the topic further upon returning to the classroom.

Mr Dhillon, Assistant Principal for Behaviour & Attitudes, The Khalsa Academy

Safety is our number one priority at Pallet-Track, and we are committed to working with the local community to increase knowledge around HGV visibility restrictions. I am pleased the event was so well received by the pupils, and I would like to thank the school for supporting us with this exercise and the team at the RHA for its help with creating an activity that had such a positive impact and was so well received. At Pallet-Track, we believe it is important to demonstrate the difficulties faced by HGV drivers and make road users, particularly young people and those who live close to our operations.

Caroline Green, chief executive, Pallet-Track

At the RHA, we believe there is nothing more important than keeping young people safe on our roads and giving them the knowledge to keep themselves safe on the journey to and from school. It was a well-received and productive day – we were delighted to be involved with Pallet-Track in delivering this life-saving training for local school pupils.

Simon Priest , Area Manager, RHA

10 JULY 2023 | Source: PALLET-TRACK

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING EXPERTS

It's no secret that global supply chain disruption has dominated headlines since mid-2020. And, over the past three years, the continuing aftershocks of the COVID pandemic, combined with geopolitical factors and an economic downturn, have caused significant upheaval for shippers, cargo receivers, service providers, brokers, freight forwarders, carriers – and of course consumers.

Today, driver shortages in the road freight sector are threatening to cause further disruption. Catalysed by initial pandemic downtime – which saw many drivers leave the industry, take early retirement or extended sick leave – driver shortages are now a significant strain on supply chains. Especially given rising demand for road freight transportation.

A recent report by the world road transport body IRU revealed that there could be an eye watering two million unfilled driving positions in Europe by 2026 (already now there are around half a million unfilled positions in Europe).

In the UK, a drop in migration from Central and Eastern Europe caused by Brexit has further highlighted driver shortages where, according to the French transportation union FO Transports, the number of driving vacancies in France could currently be as high as 50,000. The situation is even worse in neighbouring countries where there are currently around 80,000 vacant driving positions in both Germany and Poland (IRU).

Transforming the ‘Great Retirement’ into greater opportunities

With a global recession looming, it’s widely believed that we’ll soon see an influx of candidates onto the job market. Though this may ease personnel shortages in some sectors, it’s unlikely to solve road freight driver shortages.

The primary reasons for this are demographic shifts leading to the ‘Great Retirement’. The same IRU report found that 30% of drivers are planning to retire by 2026 – outstripping any potential recession-related increases in driver availability. So, it’s clear that simply poaching drivers from elsewhere in the industry isn’t a long-term solution for companies.

The IRU also found that young people are joining the driver community in the road freight industry at a rate between four and seven times lower than drivers are retiring – with the average age for European drivers now over 50 years old.

Twentieth-century approaches won’t solve a twenty-first-century problem

The bottom line is that the European driver shortage is not just a personnel problem. Dwindling driver numbers would not present such a challenge if transport operations were smarter and more efficient. According to scientists at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, increasing the efficiency of US drivers by just 18 more minutes of active driving time per day could solve the country’s driver shortage. This claim was based on research in the US but pointed out that the same principle is likely to apply in Europe.

There’s a multitude of ways that companies can look to boost efficiency. But to do so, they must first understand where there’s room for improvement. More are now turning to solutions that offer real-time insights. This helps companies to uncover previously hidden inefficiencies (like empty runs and excessive waiting times in yards) and improve visibility by tracing deliveries.

Within the logistics industry, another trend we’re seeing is Autonomous Case-handling Robot systems (ACR) to reduce labour needs. Selfdriving trucks are still a long way off in logistics transportation, but it is possible to make significant efficiencies within warehouses in loading and unloading processes, as well as automating time slot and yard management processes. But by implementing smart software, businesses can start to look to reduce waiting times for drivers from hours to minutes.

Conclusion

Ultimately though, enhancing the effectiveness of transport logistics depends on increasing collaboration between all participants, rather than companies simply working to optimise its own performance – as is currently often the case. Indeed, a recent survey of international supply chain experts revealed that the vast majority rate ‘increased collaboration between supply chain partners’ as both ‘highly probable’ and ‘highly desirable’ in the run-up to 2025.

When working collaboratively as part of a wider network, rather than in isolation, organisations can significantly streamline key processes such as freight sourcing, transport execution, dock scheduling, freight matching, payment and settlement.

Solving the UK and Europe’s road freight driver shortage can’t be done overnight. And, moving forward, companies should view this as an operational matter, rather than simply an HR or personnel problem. The solution lies in adopting a network approach and collaborative solutions that focus on finding new efficiencies.

With the unique approach of combining automation, real-time insight, and collaboration, a transportation management platform can alleviate the driver shortage, reducing empty miles, eliminating unnecessary dwell times and optimising yard operations - the integral intersection between the road and the warehouse.

WHY EUROPE’S DRIVER SHORTAGE ISN’T JUST A PERSONNEL PROBLEM

Stephan Sieber, CEO, Transporeon

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING APPOINTMENTS

WOLFGANG MAIER & MATTHIAS HERRMANN

HELROM GMBH

OF

C.O.O. & C.F.O.

CFO & COO : HELROM FILLS KEY POSITIONS

With the appointment of the two Executive Board positions of CFO and COO, Helrom GmbH was able to significantly strengthen its corporate management. From the company’s point of view, the high level of professional expertise and experience of Wolfgang Maier and Matthias Herrmann represent further steps on the way to establishing Helrom GmbH in the market and continuing its course of growth.

CEO Roman Noack emphasises the importance of the two new management team members and looks forward to working with them: We’re happy and proud that we have succeeded in bringing Wolfgang Maier and Matthias Herrmann to Helrom. Wolfgang Maier is a real professional heavyweight when it comes to rail freight transportation. He has unique experience in the setup and operational management of rail trans port services. With his international financial experience and clear focus on Environmental Social Governance (ESG), Matthias Herrmann is also an ideal team mem ber on our path to success.

Wolfgang Maier – 42 years of experience and exper- tise in rail freight transportation

Wolfgang Maier’s entire career is linked closely to rail freight transportation services in Europe. Before joining Helrom, Maier spent 42 years in all areas of freight transportation – from his start at the mar shalling yard in Munich to operational management of European rail freight transport at DB Cargo, with responsibility for

more than 5,000 employees. I got to know many areas of freight transportation in all of its facets. And it was always important to me to stay as close as possible to the grassroots of the business, so where the trains run.

As COO, he would like to make a contribution towards realising the market opportunities and possibilities for Helrom GmbH in the coming years. At the moment, the main thing is to continue setting up the structures. By the middle of next year we will no longer have just 18 wagons, but 120, and that’s a big task. The employees are the measure of all things. And Helrom has a motivated and extremely enthusiastic team. Working with the highly committed team at Helrom is therefore really great.

Matthias Herrmann – From youngest board member to financial expert with a focus on ESG

Matthias Herrmann started his career in 2005 as a banker at Commerzbank. He then worked for Grenke AG from 2008, in Ireland from 2009, where he set up a finance team for Grenke AG in his management role and was responsible for all financing issues for six years. In addition to his doctorate in business adminis tration, Matthias Herrmann is a Chartered Accountant (ACCA), Professional Risk Manager (PRMIA) and Certified Mediator (Mediators’ Institute of Ireland).

As the new CFO, he wants to combine economic and social goals in his work with Helrom: My goal is to develop Helrom into a great company. We are an investment with real value, which makes a contribution towards decarbonisation while easing the burden on truck drivers. I’m grateful to be an active part of this.

CHARLES HOGG & KEITH BAGULEY

NATIONAL CHAIR & VICE-CHAIR

UK FREIGHT ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW NATIONAL CHAIR & VICE-CHAIR

Charles Hogg has succeeded Rachel Morley as the elected national chair of BIFA –the British International Freight Association – for a two-year period.

Charles, commercial director at BIFA member company, Unsworth, who has been vice-chair for the past two years, was appointed a director of BIFA in 2019 and chairs the trade association’s Surface Policy Group.

Alongside Charles will be Keith Baguley, UK import manager at Atlantic Container Line (ACL)who became BIFA’s regional chairman, Merseyside in 2018, and has now been elected as vice-chair.

Rachel Morley becomes immediate past chair for a two-year term, and Sir Peter Bottomley, MP, remains as BIFA president.

ABOUT BIFA

WANT

SOMEONE ABOUT YOUR

In welcoming Charles and Keith into their new positions, I wish to express my appreciation for the contribution made by Rachel Morley over many years; and pleasure that Sir Peter has agreed to continue in office. Charles and Keith’s’ wide-ranging experience and senior roles in successful freight forwarding companies will ensure that BIFA and its members will benefit greatly from these new appointments.

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is the prime trade association for UK registered companies engaged in the international movement of freight by all modes of transport, air, road, rail and sea, and/or customs brokerage. BIFA has approx. 1500 members in the logistics and supply chain sector, known generally as freight forwarders, who offer a wide range of services within these various modes. Members of BIFA are organisations engaged in the movement of freight to/from the UK by all modes of transport: air, road, sea and rail. Some members are also provide customs clearance and other cross border services

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING VACANCIES

FEATURED POSITION

WHAT WHERE

EUROPEAN ROAD FREIGHT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

WHO

BARRON WOOD DISTRIBUTION

NATIONWIDE (REMOTE WORKING ROLE)

Salary: £40k–£90k (DOE)

THE COMPANY

Barron Wood is a privately owned, family business established for nearly 30 years providing road transport solutions to a wide range of customers. Currently the company moves over 900 loads every day within the UK & Europe, having experienced consistent growth for the last three decades.Our family values are very important to us and at the heart of our company and as we have grown, we have made sure these remain in our core.

THE ROLE

We have an opportunity for an experienced BDM to join our international division, selling import, export and cross-border road freight services to Europe and Ireland. The role will allow you to play a key role in the companies future growth. This will be a home based role with a requirement to attend our Preston office, and will involve UK & international travel.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Managing all aspect of the sales process from identifying sales leads to implementing new customer contracts.

• Working with the existing management structure to develop a sales & marketing strategy for the European road business.

• Undertaking appropriate marketing activity to support the sales strategy.

• Responding to tender requests & providing quotations.

• Site visits & presentations to new customers.

• Account management of key customers.

• Working with the operations team to identify sales opportunities.

• Requirement for business travel in the UK & Europe

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE MUST HAVE

• Excellent communication & presentation skills.

• Demonstrable record of winning new business in the European road freight sector.

• Database of potential sales leads.

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in European road freight sales role.

BENEFITS

• Excellent salary with scope to increase earnings

• Unlimited career prospects for long term career

• Company pension

• Up to 25 days holiday through loyalty scheme

Applications should be sent to careers@bwd-traffic.co.uk

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

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NATIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

HAMBURG, GERMANY

Salary: €80,000–€90,000

• Builds successful partnerships with key stakeholders at all levels of customers’ organizations to cultivate relationships and generate revenue opportunities across all FF product and service lines.

• Presents solutions to customers to gain approval of proposals and move forward with the sales process.

• Sells technology solutions (Flex Global View) to customers to secure their business, provide added value to proposals and satisfy business needs.

GATEWAY SERVICE SPECIALIST

FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Salary: €50,000–€64,000

Financial analyzes & action plans:

• Accounts payable control and coding

• CASS difference report

• Cost development analyzes

• Statistical reports for management

Drive Operational excellence:

• Process optimization (LOP/SOP adjustments)

• Quality Management (KPI performance)

• Compliance

• Performance reports

• Support to identify training needs and develop training plans

• Development of action plans

Customer Service:

• Coordination between gateway and service centers

• Support Implementation of new customers

• Handling of Customer Complaints

• Develop and promote use of CEP

MULTIMODAL OPERATOR

BIRMINGHAM, UK

• To provide shipping, transport and forwarding expertise across Ocean movements, to build and develop relationships with customers, understanding their needs and requirements. To provide service information, quotations, take bookings and champion the needs of the customer.

• To operate, provide service information, quotations, take bookings and champion the needs of the customer.

• To offer a high standard of customer service, by providing accurate and appropriate information and demonstrating a professional, helpful and positive manner.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

COLNBROOK, UK

• Assist in defining and creating process maps & standard operating procedures

• Update & manage controlled documents

• Carry out various ad hoc project related tasks

• Maintain & update project plans

• Issue & log non-conformance reports

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

MIDLANDS, UK

SALARY: £ 45 ,000

• This is a fantastic opportunity to join a company committed to providing quality, innovation, and value-added logistics services.

• Based at DSV Road Tamworth the successful candidate will cover a designated set of postal codes across either the East or West Midlands region of the UK

VACANCIES

FREIGHT FORWARDING AGENT –CONTROL TOWER KEY ACCOUNT

ATLANTA, GA

SALARY: CIRCA $45 ,000 - $55 ,000

• Provide accurate, timely, and proactive customer service to the Company’s customers as well as effectively communicating and coordinating with internal departments and third parties to meet customer requirements

• Process simple and complex freight forwarding services, while following all government regulations and abiding by company policies and procedures

• Maintains thorough understanding of regulations and laws affecting international transport of cargo

FREIGHT FORWARDING AGENT, REEFER

MIAMI, FL

SALARY: CIRCA $38, 400

• Obtain all necessary information from the customer including weight, dims, container size, temperature, etc. to plan the best and most efficient routing for the shipment via LCL of FCL

• Book the cargo with ocean carrier, trucking companies, warehouse companies, cold storage, etc. as needed for the shipment

• Capable of finding solutions for the customers to their satisfaction, while earning profit for the company

EXPORT MANAGER

REMOTE – EAST COAST/CENTRAL TIME ZONE

HOURS

SALARY: CIRCA $ 80,000 - $ 95 ,000

• Seek the most profitable mode of transportation while meeting the customer’s requirements for the movement of their cargo.

• Proactively identify gaps and contribute to the process of establishing controls resulting in zero compliance issues

• On-board new team members providing them with the proper resources including training on our SOP’s and software tools/systems

OPERATIONS MANAGER

TORONTO, ON

SALARY: CIRCA $55,000 - $65,000

• Leading the Domestic & International Ocean, Air, Inland Freight Forwarding services, you will have responsibility for managing all Ocean, Air and Inland operations and pricing activities. Operations Manager provides planning for, direction to, and controls available resources associated with the timely, damage-free movement of cargo.

• Work closely and support sales and pricing teams, customers and vendors to develop the freight forwarding products Ocean, Air, Inland.

• Monitor company’s or department’s performance, prepare periodically reports for senior management, ensuring compliance with the company’s partner/vendor/country/ government standards and regulations

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NORTHAMPTON LOGISTICS COMPANY

TAKES ACTION TO ACCELERATE GROWTH

ANorthampton logistics specialist is accelerating its growth following the acquisition of a local parcel and pallets company. Crisis Logistics has acquired Action Express as part of its ambitious growth plans, as the company works on expanding its portfolio of services.

Established as a same day delivery specialist in 1998, Crisis Logistics has developed its service offering to include warehousing and fulfilment, alongside national and international road haulage.

Action Express is a member of the APC Overnight parcel delivery network and the Pallet-Track network, which enables independent hauliers to work collectively to deliver palletised goods nationwide.

The company plans to retain Action Express’ Brackmills Industrial Estate depot and make key investments in the site and its facilities as it increases the volume of pallets and parcels it handles.

It has already purchased 10 new vehicles for Action Express, including seven articulated lorries and three 18-tonne trucks, and plans to create new jobs as it grows the company.

Action Express founder and former APC Overnight chief executive, Syed Ziaullah, who established the company in 1982 with just a bike and a van, will join the board of directors at Crisis Logistics.

As part of our growth strategy we are expanding our business and developing Crisis Logistics into the market leader and one-stop shop for all logistics services in Northamptonshire. The acquisition will benefit customers of both companies by enabling us to provide a full range of logistics services across pallets, parcels and general haulage, in addition to specialist services like temperature-controlled delivery and secure distribution. We are delighted that Syed will join our board for the next five years to allow us to benefit from his wealth of knowledge and enable a smooth integration into Action Express’ new era.

Charles Grant-Salmon, chairman at Crisis Logistics

We want to provide flexible solutions for our customers as they expand and diversify their own operations, and the acquisition of Action Express will allow us to do that. The business is a perfect fit with our own operation, as we’re both well-established firms with a loyal longterm customer base, and we remain committed to providing the best experience for all of our customers. In recent years, we have invested heavily in building a Customer Relationship Management system to improve efficiency and speed up processes, which has ensured we are in a strong position to grow while also maintaining the quality of service that is so important to our customers.

Edward Grant-Salmon, managing director at Crisis Logistics

We are delighted to be working with Crisis Logistics and would like to extend a warm Pallet-Track welcome to Charles, Edward and the whole team. Action Express is a well-respected and long-term member of our network and we have every confidence that the new team will steer the business to great success in its new era.

Caroline Green, chief executive at Pallet-Track

The Pallet-Track network is made up of over 90 independent logistics companies, who work collectively to collect and deliver palletised freight throughout the UK.

SENNDER &POSTE ITALIANE STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIP WITH €2.3 BILLION COMMERCIAL DEAL TO EXPAND ITALIAN JOINT VENTURE

• sennder and Poste Italiane have renewed and strengthened their partnership with a €2.3 billion commercial deal, committing to their Italian Joint Venture, sennder Italia S.r.l., for up to 10 years

• sennder Italia S.r.l. has achieved strong profitability, delivering €4.5 million EBITDA in 2022 and generating significant cost savings for Poste Italiane through technology that increases transportation efficiency, network density and reduces manual operations

• sennder Italia S.r.l. serves as the blueprint for sennder's sennCONTROL service model, offering end-to-end management of Full Truck Load volume, bringing benefits to shippers and carriers across Europe

sennder Technologies GmbH (“sennder”), Europe’s leading digital freight forwarder and Poste Italiane S.p.a. (“Poste Italiane”), the leading Italian postal and logistics operator, have renewed their Italian Joint Venture (JV) and commercial agreement for up to 10 years, with the potential to generate up to €2.3 billion revenues for sennder Italia during that period. Together, the two logistics leaders are utilizing technology to optimize Full Truck Load (FTL) operations and boost the movement of parcels and mail between Italy’s sorting and distribution hubs.

In 2019, sennder established operations in Milan and created sennder Italia S.r.l. through a JV with Poste Italiane. Since then, sennder Italia S.r.l. has become the leading digital operator in the Italian FTL market, developing a profitable business, reporting €4.5 million EBITDA in 2022. The success of the partnership has led to continuous year over year double-digit growth as sennder Italia S.r.l. has grown its network capacity and expanded its customer base.

Due to the success of the JV, sennder Italia S.r.l. will be expanded for a duration of 10 years. The agreement is expected to generate €2.3 billion revenues for sennder Italia during that period. As part of the agreement, Poste Italiane and sennder have agreed to accelerate the respective conversion rights envisaged by the pre-existing agreements and, as a result sennder owns 75% of sennder Italia while the remaining 25% is retained by Poste Italiane. In return, Poste Italiane has increased its stake in sennder to approximately 10% on a fully diluted basis. sennder will further integrate the Italian network into its broader European platform.

With this partnership, the two logistics leaders will be able to further realize economies of scale and accelerate industry digitalization. Poste Italiane will continue to benefit from full GPS visibility of trucks, state-of-the-art automation technology and reduced CO2 emissions through vehicles powered by alternative fuels, as well as their increased utilization.

The partnership between Poste Italiane and sennder exemplifies the tremendous value that can be generated when a leading and established operator joins forces with a technology company. It is a true win-win relationship where Poste Italiane benefits from significant cost savings, our operations run more profitably and we achieve remarkable CO2 emission reduction through network optimization. This partnership is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration in the logistics industry, setting a benchmark for future partnerships. We are proud to be at the forefront of this journey, delivering tangible benefits for all stakeholders in the industry.

David Nothacker, CEO & Co-Founder, sennder

Through advanced technology and cutting out middle-layers of subcontracting, sennder has enabled thousands of small carriers to efficiently and transparently transport Poste Italiane’s loads, leading to enhanced operational efficiency and streamlined logistics processes. sennder’s platform helps track, monitor and operate shipping loads digitally, removing manual processes, reducing empty kilometres and increasing efficiencies. Additionally, sennder’s technology enables Poste Italiane to track its CO2 footprint and implement green business solutions, reducing emissions.

The collaboration was the initial blueprint for sennCONTROL, sennder's innovative service model. sennCONTROL offers end-to-end digital management of customers' FTL volume through a single portal and interface, ensuring control, transparency, and a single point of contact for shippers and carriers. The collaboration between sennder and Poste Italiane has paved the way for the expansion of sennCONTROL across Europe and is already used by nearly 10 customers.

Business as usual across PML’s UK network. Opportunities for global growth.

Seafrigo has acquired the specialist UK-headquartered forwarder Perishables Movements Limited (PML); with the formal signing of the deal taking place in London on July 10th 2023. Effective immediately, all PML employees will join the Seafrigo Group which will provide the group with a platform for future investment and growth in the region.

In the coming months all PML locations will operate using a new cobranding with a view to eventually becoming Seafrigo. PML operates from three locations in the UK, Heathrow, Lincolnshire and Kent and across air, ocean and road forwarding while also offering warehousing and value-added services to customers.

With its excellent market reputation and our shared expertise in the management and distribution of temperature-controlled goods this deal is the perfect fit for us. Through an expanded airfreight capability which PML will bring to our operation, all our customers will be able to benefit from an improved service offering, expanded geographic coverage, scale of operations, improved buying power and enhanced service solutions.

Jason Knox, Regional CEO, Seafrigo

For us this new era is very much business as usual for all our customers. We are delighted to become part of the Seafrigo Group which has more than 40 years’ specialist leadership in the temperaturecontrolled food logistics market. The deal provides us all with the opportunity to grow and enhance our business and to truly control the global logistics chain from origin to destination for our customers.

Mike Parr, CEO, PML

The UK PML operation will plug-in seamlessly to the global Seafrigo network enabling both companies experts in their fields to leverage their knowledge to deliver an even better service for customers.

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new colleagues from PML. Together we have the synergies and determination to build the world’s leading end-to-end temperature-controlled organisation and I am delighted to have their team onboard.

Eric Barbé, CEO, Seafrigo Group

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BRIGADE ELECTRONICS RACE ONTO THE ROAD TRANSPORT EXPO

Brigade Electronics will be racing onto the Road Transport Expo scene this June

Alongside sponsorship partners Northside Truck and Van, Brigade Electronics will be exhibiting the seven times winning truck of British Truck Racing Champion Ryan Smith, on stand R16.

Visitors will be able to see the race truck, which is fitted with a range of Brigade cameras, and talk to Ryan Smith about his incredible achievements. The truck is fitted with four VBV-790C cameras to the chassis, one for each wheel. Initially, the cameras were fitted to monitor what the truck’s suspension was doing. However, it quickly became apparent that the team could also monitor the heat sensor that releases water to cool the brakes if they become too hot.

Ryan’s team had been spending between £6000 to £8000 on new brakes every year. Then, via the cameras, the team spotted that the heat sensor had moved out of alignment and wasn’t measuring the temperature of the brake system adequately. This meant the brakes were overheating and needed replacing regularly. The team were able to immediately re-align the sensor, saving thousands of pounds and time in downtime.

Ryan said: Brigade’s cameras have saved us a substantial amount of money due to not having to replace the brakes as often. The camera image is crystal clear. The quality is excellent. There is no flickering or delay, and I am pleased to have Brigade systems on my truck.

Ryan Smith’s truck is fitted with eight cameras in total. A VBV-790 on the back to improve vision when reversing, two VBV-320Cs on the cab to act as wing mirrors and one VBV-320C inside the cab, which is used as a forward-facing camera. All the cameras are connected to Brigade’s MDR508G 2tb digital recording system with live access to camera footage.

In the cab, the truck holds two seven-inch monitors mounted in portrait view and one 10-inch monitor for the reverse view.

SHIFT ACQUIRES KEY TUFFNELLS DEPOTS & PLANS JULY RELAUNCH

Shift, a rapidly growing UK-based logistics platform, is pleased to announce that it intends to open 25 Tuffnells depots and has reached an agreement to take over nine delivery depots that were previously operated by Tuffnells Parcels Express Limited (‘Tuffnells’) and the Group remains in advanced discussions with landlords over a further six former Tuffnells depots.

Shift will re-launch Tuffnells in July 2023 and retain use of the Tuffnells brand, preserving its rich heritage.

Tuffnells was placed into administration on 12 June 2023 with the loss of over 2,000 jobs. As announced on 26 June 2023, Shift secured the future of Tuffnells by acquiring the intellectual property, brand and selected assets from the administrator, Interpath Advisory (‘Interpath’).

Since then, Shift has been engaged in proactive discussions with Interpath to reach an agreement on delivery depots, with Shift assessing every depot for its suitability and alignment with its tech proposition and ethos. In concluding an agreement on the nine sites, Shift has succeeded in securing depots that are efficiently located to provide even nationwide coverage, alongside being the most suitable for its plan to aggressively modernise and use technology to optimise the customer offering.

Today’s announcement also enables Shift to hire former employees that were made redundant as part of the administration process. This rehiring is advancing well. Since Shift’s initial announcement on 26 June 2023, it has been receiving expressions of interest from former Tuffnells employees via a dedicated link on the Tuffnells’ website. In addition, Shift is continuing to engage with former customers of Tuffnells and expects to enter into contracts on commercially agreeable terms. By overlaying its proven technology into Tuffnells, Shift plans to generate operational efficiencies that will in turn drive better pricing for Tuffnells’ customers.

The nine of the original Tuffnells depots taken on by Shift are located at...

• Basingstoke

• Belvedere (London)

• Breirley Hill (Birmingham)

• Darwen (Manchester)

• Felling (Gateshead)

• Coalville (Leicester)

• Ivybridge (Plymouth)

• Wellingborough (Northamptonshire)

• Lanark (Scotland)

Further to taking on the depots from the administrator of Tuffnells, Shift remains engaged in advanced discussions with commercial property agents to agree leases on additional, well-invested depots, such that when Tuffnells relaunches in July 2023 it will have a geographically efficient network of circa 25 sites, to service nationwide client contracts.

We have secured a future for Tuffnells and are well on the way to launching 25 depots, part of this includes taking on nine of the original Tuffnells depot network that have been chosen for being strategically well positioned and suitable for our plans to invest significantly in onsite technology. This enables us to provide employment for several hundred former employees. We intend to relaunch Tuffnells in July when, with our tech overlayed and integrated, it will be an operationally efficient business with significant potential for the generation of ongoing and profitable growth. We are genuinely excited by the prospect and look forward to welcoming back former Tuffnells customers, partners and employees to the Shift family.

Jacob Corlett , CEO, Shift

Elon Musk has axed Twitter’s famous blue bird logo, replacing it with an ‘X’. ParcelHero says it’s the latest move in Musk’s plan to transform Twitter-X into a super-app offering global shopping, shipping and payment services

The famous Twitter blue bird logo, named ‘Larry’ after the famous basketball star Larry Bird, has been axed in favour of a new ‘X’ logo. The home delivery expert ParcelHero says it’s all part of Elon Musk’s plan to transform the social media site into X – a global ‘everything’ app focused on shopping and payment services as well as messaging.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says...

When the controversial billionaire Elon Musk finally bought Twitter in October 2022, he swiftly set about pulling apart the popular social networking site. While laying off half its workforce, the changes he introduced included reducing content moderation, monetising blue tick verification marks and limiting the number of messages users can read. These moves now make sense as Twitter begins its transformation away from a dedicated messaging app into a global super-app to be called X.

The latest moves towards a new “everything” app include changing the name of the business to X Corp and dropping the familiar blue bird logo in favour of a white “X” on a black background.

The main reason (albeit reluctantly) Musk paid around $44bn for the loss-making business is to emulate the super-apps that have taken Asia by storm. These include China’s WeChat and Moj, and India’s PayTM, Indonesia’s Golek and Singapore’s Grab. Using these apps, people can shop online, order tickets, book a ride, make a cashless payment and even book a parcel collection.

WeChat appears to be the main inspiration for X. Like Twitter, this was originally a social media platform. It now offers a huge range of services, with people using it to send not only messages to friends and family, but also money. They also use it to pay for shopping and services. WeChat has around 1.29 billion users in China alone and it’s thought some people spend a third of their waking hours on the app.

A social media app that is also an e-commerce and payment platform is potentially the future of both retail and communications, all rolled into one. If the project goes according to plan, then we are all likely to be both chatting and shopping on X before very long. At least, that’s Musk’s gamble.

However, its perhaps portentous that Musk is calling messages sent on the new platform “Xs”, rather than “Tweets”. Users may soon choose to be “exes” – previous Twitter users who have moved on to new rival apps, such as Meta’s Threads, in protest against the wholesale dismantling of their favourite messaging site.

We believe that X will now begin to transform rapidly into a broader super-app. That could be good news for British shoppers who choose to remain on the platform and want to see broader tie-ins between their interests and activities and information about new products and services. It could also represent new opportunities for UK SME sellers, particularly those who are engaged in US marketplace sales as, initially, this is likely to be where most sales opportunities are focused.

However, even a super-social and sales app won’t be able to counter all the problems around US e-commerce. Currently, the main hurdle is US Customs duties and taxes. Most UK goods exported to the US that are valued at over $800 (the US import tax threshold) are still subject to tariffs of 0% to 37.5%, with the typical rate being 5.63%. ParcelHero’s USA page gives full details on Customs advice, sending food, prohibited items, etc.

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PANTHER LOGISTICS CHARITY TEAM

AIM TO BE A RUNAWAY SUCCESS

Panther team training for charity challenge to boost funds for company’s chosen charity

Big-hearted team members at Panther Logistics announced their latest charity efforts to raise money for the company’s corporate charity, Over The Wall Children’s Charity.

Members of the Panther team in Northampton and from depots across the company’s extensive UK network, are joining forces to run for miles to raise thousands of pounds for the charity. Training is underway for multiple members of the Panther team as they spend their summer pounding the pavements to get fit for their latest charity challenge.

The fitness feat will see a total of 13 Panther colleagues collectively taking part in this year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon taking place this October, with miles of the route traversing four of London’s eight Royal Parks, including Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.

The determined runners’ efforts are part of Panther’s pledge to provide ongoing support and raise money for the charity Over The Wall, which provides free activity camps for seriously ill or disabled children and their families at several sites in the UK. Through its Camp in the Cloud the charity also provides online camps for young people that are unable to attend camps in person.

We are thrilled that so many of our team members from all departments across the company are putting their best foot forward to train for this fitness fundraiser. We will also be staging some additional activities to help boost our overall fundraising in a bid to raise thousands more for this fantastic charity, which is close to all our hearts.

Vicki Barber, Head of People & Engagement, Panther Logistics

The Royal Parks Half Marathon will be one of Over The Wall’s largest challenge events in 2023, and Panther Logistics making up the majority of our corporate runners is absolutely incredible. Panther Logistics continue to raise the bar on both fundraising and engagement numbers in their charity events, and we’re delighted that so many people have gotten involved this year. Thanks to every single one of them, and best of luck with all of your training and fundraising over the coming months… we’re looking forward to cheering you all on in London!

Christopher Pitts, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Over The Wall

The Panther Logistics colleagues taking part in the charity challenge are Vicki Barber, Samuel Scott, James Langer, Lindsey Martin, Georgina Stubbs, Tatiana Vichilu, Rosemary Pinkerton, Steve Owen, Kirsty Railton, Tony Wilkes, Kallum Farrall, Debs Loughran and Ryan Mitchell.

Scott, Director of Sales and Marketing and Rosemary Pinkerton, Customer

Pictured left to right: Lindsey Martin, Purchase Ledger Clerk; Georgina Stubbs, Finance Manager; Tatiana Vichilu, Assistant Finance Manager; James Langer, Business Development Manager; Vicki Barber, Head of People and Engagement; Samuel

Experience Manager

PLEDGE LAUNCHES EMISSIONS CALCULATOR TO BRING GREATER VISIBILITY OF SUPPLY CHAIN CARBON EMISSIONS

The free-to-use calculator provides accredited calculations, giving freight forwarders an insight into how they can help customers meet emissions compliance regulations

Pledge's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David de Picciotto, has today announced that the climate-tech company, specialising in technology for freight forwarders, is launching an open-access freight emissions calculator.

Pledge provides freight forwarders with the tools they need to enable their customers to understand, report, and remove their freight emissions. The platform is built with accessibility, transparency, and simplicity at its core.

A prime component of the calculator is Pledge’s Clarity™ feature, which promotes transparency by creating a clear and detailed breakdown of how emissions are calculated at each leg of the shipment journey based on the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) methodology.

With rising consumer concerns about corporate greenwashing and the EU's proposed Green Claims Directive, businesses are demanding better emissions transparency and visibility in their supply chains,” said David de Picciotto, Co-Founder and CEO, Pledge. We built our freight emissions calculator to show freight forwarders how our platform can deliver value for their supply chain customers in minutes.

Pledge is accredited by the Smart Freight Centre (SFC) as compliant with the GLEC Framework for global coverage of air, sea, road, rail, inland waterways, and logistics hubs.

Its solution is also ISO:14083 aligned, meaning forwarders can have confidence in Pledge’s ability to comply with upcoming regulations that will impact their customers.

The UK and the EU are starting to mandate the reporting of supply chain emissions, meaning there will be pressure on shippers to calculate and report their emissions in the near future. Our freight emissions calculator shows freight forwarders how Pledge can help them get ahead of the curve by offering accredited emissions reporting to shippers and other supply chain partners who will be required to meet these regulations, said de Picciotto.

The calculator is simple for freight forwarders to get started with and only requires freight origin, destination and shipment weight to begin calculations.

Inputting additional data points such as vessel numbers, carrier codes, and flight numbers will improve routing and subsequent emissions calculation accuracy.

Caring company helps to keep the neighbourhood tidy and gives support to a local charity

To mark the company’s World Caring Day in June big-hearted team members at Peli BioThermal made collective community contributions helping with local foodbank efforts and organising a local litter pick.

The Peli BioThermal teams pledged their support for community causes after staff made significant collections, which were delivered to the Leighton Linslade Homeless Service and Leighton Linslade Community Foodbank, which is helping hundreds of people, providing much needed food donations in the local area.

Colleagues collated numerous donations in the workplace, which were delivered to the charity and the team then volunteered their time to help prepare food parcels for those most in need.

The Leighton Linslade Homeless Service was delighted with the support shown from the team of volunteers at Peli BioThermal, which they described as ‘a company with a big heart.’

Rosemary George said: On behalf of the trustees, and all who volunteer with Leighton Linslade Homeless Service and Leighton Linslade Community Foodbank, I would like to thank you most sincerely for a wonderful day. What a difference a day can make when we have visiting volunteers preparing food parcels to help with the Leighton Linslade Community Foodbank. An increase in referrals for food parcels, from many areas of the local community, began during the pandemic and has continued because of the cost-of-living crisis being faced by many people. We want to thank all who contributed to the fantastic food donation and for the very dedicated support provided. It really makes a big difference to have such support and especially from a local business.

Multiple members of the Peli BioThermal team took part in the caring community activities which also included a local litter pick, organised in conjunction with the town council. Two teams of staff from the Stanbridge Road site visited parks and green spaces nearby to pick litter, bottles, bus tickets and other discarded detritus.

The dedicated litter picking teams worked tirelessly to tidy up and collect numerous bags of rubbish from the local area.

To learn more about Peli BioThermal and the company’s wide range of products and offerings, visit www.pelibiothermal.com

WRITES TO MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT URGING PROGRESS ON DECARBONISATION

Logistics UK has written to Minister of State for Transport, Jesse Norman MP, to call for the urgent publication of the Low Carbon Fuels (LCFs) strategy as well as a closer partnership between government and industry to navigate the transition to a greener economy, in a way that is cost efficient for the sector, its customers and taxpayers.

The logistics industry is working hard to meet vehicle phase out dates and emission reduction deadlines however government plays an integral role in this and must meet deadlines they have set themselves. The Low Carbon Fuels (LCFs) strategy is now six months late and this, together with concerns over the pace of electric vehicle infrastructure and zero emission freight trials, is inhibiting private sector investment. Costs are a key concern across all sectors of the economy, and businesses are reluctant to invest without a clear strategy that outlines how cost, supply and infrastructure challenges will be addressed. It also remains unclear whether government is viewing LCFs as a transitional tool or if they will have a long-term role to play.

Kate Jennings, Director of Policy, Logistics UK

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The letter follows a parliamentary roundtable on decarbonisation held earlier this week, organised by Logistics UK and hosted by Greg Smith MP. It also calls for a halt to proposed changes to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) and greater progression on the Zero Emission Road Freight demonstrator.

Despite a monumental push towards battery electric, the real future of fuel is not written yet. The way we de-fossilise is up for grabs and low carbon fuels and synthetic fuels must be part of that. We look forward to continuing to engage with industry on the subject to drive forward positive change.

Greg Smith, MP

Ms Jennings continues: At the parliamentary roundtable, industry highlighted how vital a strategic partnership is with government to deliver a fair transition to a green economy. Members also raised significant concerns over adding costs to customers if decarbonisation is not delivered efficiently. Industry fully recognises the role it has to play to achieve decarbonisation but sufficient support must be in place to ensure it is achievable and does not push prices up on the shelves.

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