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Issue 6 2019 - Freight Business Journal


Im perial L o g i s t ics’


automotive activities are centred on the contract logistics side of the business, with limited freight management activity apart from the intra-European road services it operates with its own vehicles. “But this will change, as


one of our strategic objectives is to enter freight management on a significant basis,


initially


probably through one or more acquisitions of freight forwarders. This will enable us to offer a one- stop solution for every element of a customer’s likely needs, domestically and internationally,


and for exports and imports.” In the UK, outsourcing has become normal in the automotive industry and Imperial Logistics’ experience in Germany is also that vehicle manufacturers are increasingly moving in this direction, so that they can focus on their core


business, part of a global trend, Knecht believes. BMW or other German car


manufacturers do source material from the UK, and Brexit could have an effect. However, Knecht says that it is very difficult to predict the final outcome, or what impact it might have


///GERMANY


on European logistics, given all


the currently unresolved


questions – not least, who will be handling negotiations at a political level on both sides. But: “Overall, we remain hopeful that the politicians will engage with business and recognise that frictionless trade is best


for everyone, and will work to preserve that. But, even in a worst case scenario where tariffs and borders appear, we are logistics experts: problem-solving is in Imperial Logistics’ DNA. Every problem has a solution, and we will make it our business to find it.”


With central Europe heading for another


long, hot summer,


container logistics network Contargo modified four of its barges to give 10-15 cm more water beneath the keel in very low water conditions on the river Rhine. “We use barges for about 75% of


our container transport”, explained Cok Vinke, managing director of Contargo Waterway Logistics. “Periods of very low water like those we experienced last year lead to big reductions of the amounts that can be transported, and extra costs due to the purchase of additional tonnage and other


transport capacities.” Boat yards in Antwerp and


Dordrecht have welded metal plates onto four vessels in such a way that they now have to sit only 130cm instead of 150cm deep for their propellers to have enough water. The €10,000 per vessel investment allows the barges to operate in the same water levels with 10-15 cm more water beneath the keel, and they can transport 200-300 tons more cargo in low water. Even with very low water levels, the barges can navigate the shallowest point at Kaub. Vinke adds: “Water levels in


the Rhine have always been subject to seasonal fluctuations. However, in the interests of the transport industry and climate protection, goods transport by inland waterway needs to be strengthened. For this reason public policy must take the initiative and act


as soon as


possible to remove existing bottlenecks. In the current Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan, draſt optimisation of navigation channels in the Middle Rhine is addressed as a priority need. We hope this will be implemented as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, the port of Hamburg


said that the latest inland vessel data from the northern statistics


Barging into Europe


For decades Imperial Logistics has operated barges on the Rhine, Danube, Moselle and the German canal system – currently around 600 units, including owned and chartered vessels. It owns 110 of these, which include conventional, tanker and gas barges as well as non-motorised barges used in conjunction with pushboats. In addition, the company charters


in barges on both long-term and short-term contracts, to provide the flexibility to cope with traffic peaks. Barges are, naturally, slower


than road or rail. However, for huge volumes of bulk cargo (Imperial moved 60 million tonnes in 2018), it is highly cost-effective. This is because of the large payload of barges, which can typically transport between 350 – 8,000


tons subject to trading areas, water- levels and customer requirements. Handling is faster and simpler than loading a much larger number of rail wagons or road vehicles. Indeed, given that the necessary


infrastructure is already in place, barge shipping is really the only cost-effective transport mode for bulk cargo into Germany’s manufacturing heartland. Moving such volumes by road or rail would put unacceptable strains on land transport infrastructure, as well as costing much more, and having a much greater environmental impact. Barging is used mainly for


bulk and break bulk cargo, liquid chemicals, liquefied gases and petrochemical products. There is also an operation in


The car industry, among others, is heavly dependenr on the waterways.


Paraguay involving around 80 units, where it has developed an integrated solution for inland shipping by re-opening the port of Concepcion on the Rio Paraguay, which connects to the ocean via the River Parana. Since February 2018 it has offered a one-stop storage, handling and alternative transport solution at Concepción, for producers and traders of the agricultural products grown in the southern Brazilian federal state of Mato Grosso do Sul.


office reported that it had handled 34,640teu in the first three months of 2019, an increase of 20% over the same period last year. The total quantity of cargo carried by inland waterway craſt between Hamburg and its hinterland was 2.57m tonnes, up 12%. However, a limiting influence


on the further development of inland vessel traffic this year was the barely navigable River Elbe caused by low water since May. Head of the port’s representative office in Dresden Stefan Kunze said it was difficult to forecast future cargo traffic on the Elbe this year. Last year, the undammed section between Geesthacht and Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic came


to standstill at times from June onwards because of inadequate draſt. With road and rail networks


Luſthansa launches next- generation cool container


already operating almost at capacity, he called for inland shippingto be incorporated far more into transport planning.


Lufthansa Cargo has approved the CSafe RAP cool container for transport on its network of airlines, serving over 300 destinations in more than 100 countries. CSafe’s proprietary ThermoCor VIP insulation together with an innovative cooling and heating system maintains a defined payload temperature throughout transport in ambient conditions of -30°C to +54°C - the broadest operating range in the industry.


Exports drive DSV growth


DSV is seeing “massive growth in the German market,” says Michael Morberg Madsen, DSV Road’s general manager for Eastern


Europe, Austria and


Germany. Despite the uncertainties


surrounding Brexit, DSV in the UK has continued to grow its share of the German market during 2019. In fact, since 2013 it has seen a 12% year on year increase in turnover and 16% growth in consignment numbers with exports from the UK to Germany being the big driver. One of the key successes has been the company’s daily departures


from all major


depots in the UK into DSV Krefeld, located in Germany’s


industrial heartland. Madsen explains: “Our ability to collect groupage consignments in the UK on day one and arrive at the German depot the following day for onward distribution has had a lot of interest from


UK manufacturers looking for a quick and reliable delivery service to their customers across the whole of Germany.” DSV offers daily departures


from its own consolidation


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