FORWARD magazine September 2021 - EN

Colophon

Brouwersvliet 33 / Box 1, 2000 Antwerp (Belgium)

T +32 3 233 67 86 info@forwardbelgium.be www.forwardbelgium.be

Responsible publisher: Olivier Schoenmaeckers

Administration: Ines De Bruyn

Marketing: Vanessa Thys

Change of address: Ines De Bruyn, ines@forwardbelgium.be

Editors: Nicole Verstrepen, Olivier Schoenmaeckers

Pre-press: Ingrid Renders

Concept & creation: KMOdynamoo

The new normal

The offices of most forwarding companies are well filled again. The signs on the lifts saying “max. 1 person” and the posters reminding everyone that it is compulsory to wear a face mask and keep a distance of 1.5 metres are still up in the entrance hall.

Some offices are empty or only manned part-time. Teleworking and flexible hours, and all of that. So, who had said that teleworking would be impossible in our sector? Too conservative, right? Suddenly, we are an attractive employer for the young generation thanks to our focus on a good work-life balance and well-being, and our commitment to the 17 SDGs, which showcases our drive for sustainable business and our contribution to better environmental policies.

The new normal looks promising. Volumes are booming, customers are paying record prices, shipping companies are recording historic profits, terminals are operating at full capacity, transporters are even managing to pass on surcharges and waiting times to customers... Everyone in the logistics chain is happy. Or maybe not? It turns out that the logistics system is cracking, and the service aspect is disappearing! Do you expect that everything will return to the way it was once we have put this pandemic behind us? Think again!

Perhaps the balance has changed for good. Shipping companies have become even more powerful thanks to historic profits and they are integrating themselves deeply into the logistics chain by taking over forwarding agents and customs representatives, even acquiring participations in air carriers. Terminals are groaning under the pressure and are also diversifying their services by setting up digital platforms, acquiring participations in inland terminals and offering intermodal solutions...

We fully support all initiatives taken towards the European competition authorities, President Joe Biden urging the Federal Maritime Commission to take action against skyrocketing maritime freight rates, Chinese investigations into anticompetitive behaviour by shipping companies, etc.

But shouldn’t we first and foremost look at ourselves? Forwarders are the real architects of transport - creative, flexible and stress-resistant.

Don’t forget to tell your customers/shippers how you moved heaven and earth to get their goods to their destination, the efforts it takes to get a container on board of a ship today, how inventive we need to be in order to load a container at the customer’s and then deliver it to the terminal within the Yard Opening Time, taking into account the various closures of the shipping companies, daily discussions about extra costs and surcharges, and so on...

Make sure your customers do not forget how tough these past months have been! Do not point fingers at other parties but emphasise your own strengths, your added value and your objective and trustworthy service during the past months. It can’t do any harm to remind your customers in the future, when they might be approached by other parties...

And in the months ahead, let’s continue to jointly look at the way we do logistics. E-commerce volumes, night opening times, congestion and waiting times, Oosterweel, the CO2 tax, the modal shift...

The new normal will urge us to move away from ingrained habits and look for new solutions.

Olivier Schoenmaeckers

We must draw lessons from the turmoil of recent months

The Covid-19 crisis has brought about a significant disruption in the logistics chain worldwide. Patrick Kockx, managing director of shipping company CMA CGM, Dirk Van den Bosch, CEO of container terminal DP World Antwerp, and Jens Roemer, representing FORWARD Belgium, each outline from their own business perspective how the supply chain has been disrupted and how they now look to the future. “We must draw lessons from the turmoil of recent months”, as Patrick Kockx puts it.

Patrick Kockx and Dirk Van den Bosch explain how a huge boom in volumes occurred in the autumn of 2020, resulting in congestion in many ports worldwide.

Patrick Kockx: “The capacity of a number of shipping companies has increased, but not enough. Ships are experiencing delays, sometimes up to dozens of days. This puts pressure on the other stakeholders in the logistics chain.”

Dirk Van den Bosch: “If we analyse the consumption boom, we find that we have more than made up for the decline in the first half of 2021, but

the net growth is actually not that impressive. The shipping companies have to make proportionally much more effort and deploy more ships in order to absorb this limited growth. The root cause of this lies in the US, where dozens of ships are at a standstill at times. This has an impact all the way to Asia. Cargoes cannot be shipped to America and get in the way at the terminals. The shipping companies and the terminals have to make do with what they have available. The Port of Antwerp, often the last port of call, seems to then have to deal with all these problems in a concentrated way.”

Bottlenecks

“No one could have foreseen this consumption boom,” Jens Roemer chimes in. “But the land-based supply chain reached its limits years ago. One setback turns the whole chain upside down. In many countries, there is a shortage of drivers and trailers. The loading and unloading infrastructure is often also outdated.”

“A second bottleneck is the size of the ships, which has evolved from 12,000 to 13,000 TEU eight years ago to as much as 23,000 TEU today. As a result, more operations are required at the terminals. We keep on adding containers. The terminals can no longer handle them in time, so the system collapses.”

“We have to constantly plan and reschedule. Because of the tighter delivery windows, we sometimes only have one day to deliver our containers free of charge. This creates a rat race and generates congestion on the roads.”

Patrick Kockx also sees bottlenecks from the perspective of shippers and recipients: “Think of night opening hours. At the port we are doing perfectly in that view, but warehouses (in the hinterland) have limited opening hours. We realise changing these opening hours comes at a cost, but we have been asking for years. A se-

“

The land-based supply chain reached its limits years ago”

Jens Roemer

cond bottleneck is the lack of multimodality. Waterways and railways are still underutilised. We must tackle this with all the parties concerned. Perhaps we should even abandon the just-in-time principle.”

He is convinced that the chain is able to organise flexibility and bundle cargo in inland hubs and then bring it to the terminal by barge or train, depending on the closing of the cargo.

Jens Roemer agrees with him, but points out that the Central Booking Platform that FORWARD Belgium set up five years ago with the intention of bundling cargoes has not been a success: “The problem is that there are no ‘grey - neutral’ containers that can be used by every shipping company. Each individual shipping company only wants to transport its own con-

tainers featuring its own colours and brand name. Most shipping companies refused (and still refuse) to make their hinterland containers available to the Central Booking Platform (CBP). There is great concern that Merchant’s Haulage is being discriminated against by the shipping companies in favour of Carrier’s Haulage so that the shipping companies can impose their own conditions on the shippers!”

Dirk Van den Bosch notes that when it comes to these bottlenecks, the regulator still has work to do: “Politicians do talk about night shifts, but concretely, nothing much has come of it, and as far as waterways are concerned, weekend work should be facilitated further.”

Digitalisation

He goes on to say that good planning

is key: “The right information must be made available more quickly. Digitalisation is an ideal tool in this view, but even that is no easy feat. Companies have their own IT systems and their own data policies.

He adds that it makes a world of difference to a terminal to know the next mode of transport in advance and in good time, so that container movements can be planned better.

Jens Roemer laments the fact that he has to have a different interface for each port if he wants to exchange data.

What lies ahead

FORWARD is keen to know how the two men look to the future.

Patrick Kockx: “In the short term, we

will struggle to work our way out of this crisis. But every crisis comes with opportunities and forces people to change. However, I am afraid that this process will take a while.”

Dirk Van den Bosch: “I am convinced that we will get through it. In the short term, I do not think we can count on a miraculous solution. But the second quarter was already a lot better managed from both sides. The fact that we are sitting around the table with three stakeholders shows that we are looking in the same direction in search of solutions.”

Nothing but praise for the logistics ‘heroes’

All three of our speakers have nothing but praise for their employees. Jens Roemer: “They are real heroes. They constantly need to amend and adjust their plans. That is why they often feel frustrated at the end of the day.” Dirk Van den Bosch: “Our operational teams work extremely hard to solve problems. Unfortunately, the results are often not as expected and these efforts have to be maintained for some time.” Patrick Kockx: “I fully agree. Nothing but respect.”

FORWARD Goals for sustainable development

Sustainability is not just a fad in our industry, but an absolute must. At FORWARD Belgium, we are therefore encouraging our members - in a feasible and approachable way - to pursue a sustainable course. With that in mind, FORWARD

Belgium recently launched the sustainability label ‘FORWARD Goals for Sustainable Development’. By participating in the ‘FORWARD Goals’ you demonstrate that you can legitimately present yourself as a sustainable logistics provider. The most original initiative will also be put in the spotlight during a FORWARD event and receive the FORWARD Goals Award.

More info: info@forwardbelgium.be

Justitiestraat 26

2018 Antwerp

Tel: 0032/ (0)3/203.40.00

Fax: 0032/ (0)3/225.28.81

www.vandoosselaere.be

Van Doosselaere Advocaten focuses on companies with a specific specialization in the legal branches of transport, logistics, customs and excise duties, insurance and company law

Our team of lawyer experts is available for your services. Guy Van Doosselaere (guy@vandoosselaere.be)

Adry Poelmans (adrypoelmans@vandoosselaere.be)

Jan Daneels (jan@vandoosselaere.be)

Geert Preckler (geertpreckler@vandoosselaere.be)

Christophe Van Mechelen (christophevanmechelen@vandoosselaere.be)

Meet the new chairpersons…

Intermodal CommitteeWim Gijbels

Wim Gijbels, 48 years old, married to Liesbet and father of 2 teenage children, Willem and Lien.

I have been active in the sector for 26 years and I have been fortunate enough to work in fast-growing companies where not everything was strictly compartmentalised. This allowed me to help determine the structure and work on a very broad range of applications, projects and tenders from A to Z. Thanks to this career path, I was able to build up extensive practical knowledge in different types of goods, flows and modes.

I joined PSA in 1995 (when it was still called Noord Natie),

where I learned about all aspects of forwarding and I discovered the extensive possibilities that the Port of Antwerp and all its stakeholders have to offer.

I have been working at H.Essers since 2011, where as Business Unit Manager Forwarding & Customs I am responsible for a team of 70 passionate employees. We ensure that the inbound and outbound goods of our global customers are transported to and from our warehouses as efficiently as possible and the necessary customs permits and documents are produced in a timely and compliant manner, always in cooperation with and according to the wishes of our customers. We tackle all the pieces of the puzzle in close cooperation with our customers to manage their supply chain as efficiently as possible.

IN doing so, we are increasingly relying on synchromodal transport. Depending on the route, the requirements or a particular approach (e.g. CO2 reduction), this can be achieved by sea freight, air freight, rail, inland shipping, short sea or by road (or a combination of the above).

We offer customers a tailor-made and dynamic solution that best meets the demand.

As H.Essers, we are increasingly focusing on this synchromodal strategy and in recent years, we have invested heavily in our own assets. A few years ago, we took over railport Genk, through a recent acquisition we expanded the Markiezaat container terminal in Bergen op Zoom and as from 2023 we will assist in the development of the Port of Limburg in Genk. In addition, we are sending more and more of our own 45-ft containers to and from China by block train and our 2,000 tank containers are travelling through Europe in an intermodal way.

A year and a half ago, I got the opportunity to join the Board of Directors of FORWARDBelgium and a few months ago I was also elected chairman of the Intermodal Committee. In this committee, we aim to further promote the modal and mental shift, so that the available capacity of the various modes of transport is better utilised and we can all join forces to contribute to reducing waiting times and congestion: in traffic jams, at the terminals, at the warehouses... To do this successfully, we need the necessary knowledge and/or supporting systems. And we have noticed that in many cases, both are lacking in the sector.

So that is another important hurdle to overcome: telling people how it can be done, who can help and how much it costs. Once the first successes have been achieved, that will set the ball rolling.

That is why the Intermodal Committee has joined forces with the Port Authority and we are currently looking at how we can disseminate knowledge better with a How-to Guide. We want to show that booking a container on a barge or a train can be just as simple and quick as booking a truck, from A to Z. Freight forwarders are usually under enormous time pressure. If they can book a truck faster, other modes of transport are quickly pushed aside.

We will also need to sit around the table with all stakeholders to look for solutions to ease the current congestion in the port of Antwerp. If we all continue to do what we are currently doing, the situation will not change. Rome was not built in a day, but if at FORWARDBelgium we can be part of the solution, we will gladly throw our weight behind this initiative. I encourage everyone to join forces to tackle this issue! ▪

On 19 October – during the Transport & Logistics fair –Young FORWARD Belgium will be organising a Young Logistics Challenge. This Challenge is a one-day Hackathon aimed at young talents within the logistics sector as well as students.

The Challenges - which were inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations - were drawn up in such a way that they can be worked out in one day.

The participating teams will seek a solution for the following issues:

- What do you expect from your employer as an attractive, sustainable company? What attitude can your employer expect from you?

- How can you make e-commerce sustainable?

- How can you, as a logistics service provider, contribute to the climate objectives?

During the Young Logistics Challenge the participants also have time to visit the Transport & Logistics fair. More info: jongeren@forwardbelgium.be

Meet the new chairpersons…

Sustainability Committee Anne De Beule

Anne De Beule, 31 years old, graduated with a Master’s in Applied Economic Sciences from the University of Antwerp and has been active in the logistics sector for 7 years at Haeger & Schmidt Logistics Belgium. In 2014 I joined the then RKE nv as a junior dispatcher in the newly set-up Intermodal department. As a newcomer to the maritime sector, the first years I gained an enormous amount of knowledge about the various aspects of the container business. The core activity of our department was the planning and handling of the container ships that come from Germany over the Rhine to Antwerp. A few years later, the train was added to complete the concept of intermodality. In addition to scheduling the ships, we also take care of all the customs formalities in Antwerp. From this position, I was able to develop into Team Leader of the Intermodal department. This has given me the opportunity to develop myself further and to take part in various working groups within the Port of Antwerp, allowing me to look after the interests and needs of the Barge Operators in container barge transport. In recent years, the pressure on container terminals has been increasing, which brings with it a greater demand for intermodal solutions.

One year ago, I joined Young FORWARD Belgium in order to further develop my professional network and sharpen my knowledge of the sector in general. Also because in Covid times it was not easy to make contacts with

colleagues in the sector. But it also made me realise that FORWARD Belgium plays a key role within the maritime sector. As an umbrella contact point, but also to defend the interests of the members at various levels.

A few months after joining Young FORWARD Belgium, I was asked to become chairperson of the new Sustainability Committee. It was a unique opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. I receive so much support from Tia Meyvis, vice-chair of the committee and president of Young FORWARD Belgium, and also from Olivier Schoenmaeckers.

Sustainability has become a hot topic in recent years. We are already noticing changes in customers’ thinking patterns. They are no longer always looking for the cheapest solution, but they are becoming more aware of the CO2 emissions that certain modes of transport generate. That is why it is very important for us to be able to calculate these emissions correctly for the various modes of transport. We want to assist our members in this view and provide them with the right tools to do this as accurately and easily as possible. Within the committee, by means of testimonials, we try to showcase solutions to do things differently. The 17 SDGs, which were drawn up globally, acts as a guideline to work towards a more sustainable future. And, with time, to achieve the targets set for 2030. With this idea, we developed the FORWARD Goals for sustainable development. The logistics sector bears a key responsibility in achieving the climate objectives and reducing CO2 emissions. In a feasible and easily accessible way, we try to encourage our members to sail a sustainable course. It is something that every company can participate in and does not require complex reporting. We hope to be able to award the first Labels by the end of the year. So, I encourage all stakeholders to take part in this project▪

“ The logistics sector bears a key responsibility in achieving the climate objectives and reducing CO2 emissions”

FORWARD E-contract application

A large number of contracts are concluded, general terms and conditions exchanged, powers of attorney and mandates signed between forwarders/customs representatives and their customers.

Concluding and managing such contracts is a time-consuming and expensive process. And it is often done manually. Through the FORWARD E-Contract application, FORWARD Belgium offers its members the possibility to send, sign and manage contracts digitally, FREE of charge. This way of working is not only easy, it also saves time and money. It also guarantees legally valid digital signatures.

In a nutshell, the application allows you to:

- Send contracts digitally

- Upload and/or change and/or delete statutes

- Sign contracts with a legally valid digital signature

- Check whether the right/authorised person has signed the contract

- Easily manage contracts

In consultation with the users of the application, various UPDATES have been implemented in the past few months to increase its user-friendliness even further.

For more information, please contact Caroline Gubbi caroline@forwardbelgium.be

FORWARD Belgium and Air Cargo Belgium aim for an intensive partnership

FORWARD Belgium and Air Cargo Belgium (ACB) are currently exploring whether they can work together in a more intensive manner. Both professional and lobbying organisations see a lot of opportunities to strengthen one another. “In the area of digitalisation, for example, a lot of quick wins can be made,” says Nathalie Luyckx. As a member of the Executive Committee of ACB, she had the idea of contacting FORWARD Belgium.

Air Cargo Belgium was founded just over five years ago.

Chairman David Bellon: “ACB brings together all stakeholders in the air freight industry around Brussels Airport: the airlines, the air-freight forwarders, the handlers, but also IT providers, for example, who supply software to improve our processes.

Historically, there were already several players who had joined forces, such as the air-freight forwarders within BAFI (Belgium Airfreight Institute), and the airlines within ACMAB (Air Cargo Managers Airlines Belgium).

These non-profit organisations were dissolved and their members joined Air Cargo Belgium. Yet there remained a need to cluster certain branches of the industry within ACB, each with their own agenda and activities. We set up the Forwarders cluster, for example, under the chairmanship of Sven Lacante.”

Similar initiatives

Nathalie Luyckx: “At ACB, I saw several initiatives emerge, and I knew similar ones were being launched at FORWARD Belgium and vice versa. So, we contacted the forwarders association and that got the ball rolling.”

Both associations currently meet regularly to get to know each other better and to examine how they can join forces and exchange knowledge.

David Bellon: “Now that the Covid rules are less strict and we can meet physically again, it is easier to communicate and develop a real project and structure for the longer term.”

Nathalie Luyckx: “We can see some quick wins, especially in terms of digitalisation. For example, we are analysing how we can reap the benefits of the systems that are already in place, so as to integrate certain processes without duplicating data.”

David Bellon: “We are very pleased that FORWARD Belgium was willing to listen to us. As a large organisation, FORWARD Belgium also represents freight forwarders within CLECAT and FIATA, respectively the European and global associations of freight forwarders. In turn, ACB is an important niche association. Our members will definitely benefit from this cooperation and single agenda” ▪

Portilog presents its revamped training course portfolio

“We gear our training courses to the latest developments”

Digitisation, connectivity, sustainable logistics chains, an increasing need for multimodal transport.. These are all new developments that have an impact on the shipping and forwarding industry and on the work of the various stakeholders. As a provider of practical port-related and logistics training, Portilog responds to these needs. The training centre is offering a revamped train-

ing course portfolio, fully geared to the latest developments. All training courses can also be held on site, at the participants’ company premises.

Those who would like to work in the maritime or logistics sector and retrain for this purpose can register for the key basic course ‘Port Professional’, which has been entirely revamped.

Yves Van Meirvenne, Director of Portilog: “Under the supervision of a working group in which the Antwerp Shipping Association, FORWARD Belgium, Binnenvaart Vlaanderen and HR managers and lecturers from the sector were represented, we completely transformed the diploma course for shipping/expedition. We introduced the renewed ‘Port Professional’ course in 2020-2021. From October of this year, we will be adding a third year in which you can specialise as a shipping agent or freight forwarder.”

European recognition

In addition, Portilog reworked the Customs masterclass and expanded the offer of logistics training courses.

Yves Van Meirvenne: “The training process fully complies with the stipulated modalities and conditions for the recognition of specialised training in Belgium in customs, VAT and excise regulations (MB 21-01-2021).”

Revamped website including search function

The Portilog website has also been revamped. The colours indicate very clearly which level the training is intended for: awareness, starter, trained, experienced or expert. A convenient search function provides an overview of the courses that match your interests.

Online and in class

Yves Van Meirvenne: “In addition to in-class courses, we also have an online offer, mixing webinars and

e-modules, which you can complete at your own pace.

For HR service provider Randstad, we developed customised practical training courses that prepare applicants for vacancies in the maritime and logistics sector.”

Portilog was established 71 years ago by FORWARD Belgium (then VEA), the Antwerp Shipping Association and the General Association of Maritime Clerks. At that time, the training centre was called ‘Beroepsinstituut voor Havenbedienden’ (the Professional Institute for Port Workers). Portilog is recognised by the SME portfolio and also has a Qfor quality label. ▪

The new logistics training courses on offer:

- Support for exceptional transport of port vehicles

- Logistics planning in practice

- Good Distribution Practice (GDP) – Pharma Logistics

- Reporting with Power BI

- Sustainable supply chain management

- Smart Lines HTL4.0: transformation and digitalisation in ports, transport and logistics

The new courses within the Customs cluster:

- Litigation in customs matters

- Impact of the incoterms on the VAT return

- Basic training in excise duties

- EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: practical implementation

- Optimisation of customs clearance (2nd year - very successful)

- Preferences & Free Trade Agreements: a Practical Approach

- A closer look at circulars

Verification, scanning procedures and the FAVV (Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain)

More information on www.portilog.be/opleidingen