4 FBJ FREIGHT BUSINESS JOURNAL contacts 2010


SALES JOHN SAUNdERS - publisher tel: +44 (0)151 427 6800 Fax: +44 (0)151 427 1796 Mobile: +44 (0)7932 102026 john.saunders@fbj-online.com


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EdITORIAL


cHRIS LEWIS - editor tel: +44 (0)208 645 0666 Mobile: +44 (0)7778 106433 chris.lewis@fbj-online.com


GILES LARGE tel: +44 (0)1728 685 558


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We never planned it like this – honest – but a very large proportion of the stories in this issue of FBJ involve technology in some form or other. Whether it’s malfunctioning customs computers, new systems to reduce the tedium of the freighting process or sophisticated track and trace programmes as described on our IT pages, there’s no getting away from the computer these days. When it works, technology is brilliant, liberating both bosses and workers from time-consuming, boring jobs and allowing them to do something more interesting and, hopefully, more profitable, with their time. When it doesn’t, it can have you longing for the days of paper and the quill pen. The problem with technology is that it breeds dependence, and when


it all goes wrong we lack the knowledge and abilities to find work- arounds and keep things moving in its absence. The same could be true of the entire global logistics industry. Because,


on the whole, it does such a brilliant job at getting goods from the far corners of the globe to our shop shelves and kitchen cupboards, we all take it for granted, notwithstanding the odd bit of port or airport congestion. The logistics industry is the ‘system’ that keeps the entire global economy working. Of course, there are parts of the world where logistics doesn’t work properly, or at least not all the time. We all saw what happened in Haiti when as many lives were lost in the aftermath of the earthquake due to the non-functioning of the ports and airports as the quake itself. Perhaps we should give thanks from time to time that we live in a part of the world where this rarely if ever happens.


The other day I attended a fascinating talk at the UK India Business Council about the food supply chain in that country. Like many developing countries, India does have its problems with logistics. Once


food comes out of the ground or the slaughterhouse, there is virtually no means of stopping the process of decay. Cold stores are few and far between, and most of the ones that do exist are clapped-out, and if you want refrigerated transport you will probably have to order it up from Delhi or Mumbai, a good two days or more away. As a result, most food is consumed close to where it is grown or reared,


and usually within a few days of its production. The Indian housewife will probably go to her local market virtually every day to ensure that what she feeds her family is fresh and safe to eat. Of course, it wasn’t so very long ago that we in the West lived in exactly


the same way, and judging by the hordes visiting farmers’ markets and the like, many wish we could go back to local food production. All the while, India is doing everything in its power to leave all that behind. Nostalgia is very selective. We tend to forget the monotonous diets,


the sheer tedium of keeping home and hearth together even in the 1960s and 70s. I can remember when things like avocadoes could only be had from delicatessans - not that we would have known what to do with them when we got them home. It conveniently forgets the fact


that this daily shopping-and- cooking routine was sustained by an army of womenfolk who today form around half the workforce. And if all the exotic produce on our supermarket shelves were to be swept away and replaced by rows and rows of turnips, apples, or strawberries or whatever happened to be in season on the local farms – would we really be any happier?


OpINION FROM THE EDITOR


ISSUE 3 2010


FBJ has already become established as the only UK and one of the few pan-European Multimodal newspapers. The comments we have received prove there is still room for a hard copy publication with the freighting industry. You don’t have to look at a screen all day!


FBJ boasts the most informative and authoritative source of information with unrivalled in-depth knowledge of the rapidly changing freight business environment.


Chris Lewis


Will British high street giant Argos’ decision to sue Maersk Line for breach of contract lead to a raft of similar actions? It may do, but the process could take several years before a final verdict is reached, barring an out-of-court settlement – unlikely because it could trigger a whole raft of ‘me too’ actions by shippers. The commercial courts tend to grind exceeding slow at the best of


times – damage claims often take years to resolve - and if, for example, the courts were to find in favour of Argos, Maersk might then appeal, ensuring that the process takes even longer. Despite the fact that there is, at least on the face of it, some scope


for legal action by aggrieved shipping and airline customers, there does seem a reluctance to do so. The Argos case is the first of its kind for some time. It’s seen as an arduous task, perhaps not worth the effort, and there’s a reluctance to upset people. This is a close-knit industry, after all, and many of its practitioners have spent time on both sides of the fence, in shipping or airlines and as shipping managers. But maybe the case does signal a sea-change in relations between freight industry and providers and their customers. Perhaps in future both parties will provide for regular reviews, a bit like they already do for bunker and currency adjustment factors. Formal contracts are currently the exception than the rule, but that might start to change.


As the definitive publication within the sea, air, road and rail freight sectors, each issue includes regular news and analysis, in-depth coverage discovering the business decisions behind the news stories, shipper and exporter reports, opinion, geographical features, political and environmental issues.


If you have any stories or letters which should be of interest or any feedback on FBJ, please contact our editor Chris Lewis - +44 (0)208 6450666 chris.lewis@fbj-online.com


NEXT ISSUE


Our November issue will include features on the UK North- West, France and Scandinavia plus our regular IT Section and Multimodal News Pages. For further details contact John Saunders - +44 (0) 151 427 6800 john.saunders@fbj-online.com


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