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Issue 8 2019 - Freight Business Journal


Buildings make way for cargo at busy Southampton


The Port of Southampton has started demolition of a longstanding landmark to make room for more cargo. The former Vessel Traffic


Service (VTS) building, a prominent feature of the skyline, is being taken down along with a dry goods storage shed in


the Eastern Docks as part of a £4.3 million project, within an ongoing programme of investment in infrastructure and quayside facilities. Once the work is complete, the


largest car carriers in the world will be able to berth in the newly created space. Southampton is


the UK’s number one export port and primary automotive port, handling 900,000 cars every year. The space generated will


also play a critical role in the movement and trade of high and heavy cargo – typically exports of farm, construction or specialist


ACL extends Liverpool contact


Grimaldi’s Atlantic Container Line (ACL) has agreed a new 15-year contract extension for its container and roll-on/roll- off operations at the Port of Liverpool until 2035. Liverpool owner Peel Ports


Group is


making a significant investment at Royal Seaforth Container Terminal accommodate ACL’s new fleet of G4 vessels, including widening of the passage entrance by 28 metres and two larger ship-to-shore cranes. Peel Ports says that quayside


and landside throughput in


October at its Liverpool container terminals exceeded all previous figures on record,


machinery and vehicles. Regional director for


Southampton Alastair Welch said: “Continued investment around the port is essential and ensures that we stay one step ahead of adapting to our


customers’ changing needs.”


with year on year growth of 12%. It also managed to reduce the length of time trucks are spending at the port with the average turnaround time now consistently below 40 minutes, a UK leading service standard, it says. Peel Ports recently entered


into a joint venture agreement with global terminal business, Terminal Investment Limited to develop Liverpool2 container terminal and accelerate growth plans. Work has started on the second phase of the Liverpool2 project with the arrival of STS cranes expected before the end of the year. The overall project should be completed during 2021.


Tensions take their toll of world trade


World merchandise trade is expected to remain below trend into the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s latest Goods Trade Barometer. The reading of 96.6 is a slight improvement over the 95.7 registered in August, but it remains well below the index’s


baseline value of 100. (Readings of 100 indicate growth in line with medium-term trends; readings greater than 100 suggest


above-trend growth,


while those below 100 indicate below-trend growth.) Indices for export orders automotive products


(97.5), (99.8), and container shipping (100.8) have firmed up components but


international air freight (93.0), electronic


(88.2),


and raw materials (91.4) have all deteriorated further. Electronic component trade


was weakest of all, possibly reflecting recent tariff hikes affecting the sector. In


September, WTO


economists downgraded their growth expectations for 2019 to 1.2%, down from the 2.6% forecast in April. They attributed this substantial deceleration to slowing economic growth, increased tariffs, Brexit-related uncertainty, and the shiſting monetary policy stance in developed economies.


Ports call for planning refresh


The British Ports Association and


the consultancy arm


of Associated British Ports, ABPmer, have published a white paper on how master- planning can contribute to growth in coastal regions as well as help communicate strategies and visions to stakeholders. It’s also calling on the


Government to update its planning guidance for the sector, pointing out that this has been neglected for several years. The BPA is calling on central, regional and local policy


makers to take note of port master plans so the potential of ports can be included in wider strategies. It forms part of a Port


Futures programme led by BPA and ABPmer, who see port master plans and the process through which they are developed as an extremely useful way in which ports can shape and communicate their strategic plans by engaging with regional planners. Tony Brooks, Master


planning lead at ABPmer said: “A master plan outlines how a port intends to respond to


change. It begins with what is happening at the port now, and why. It then explains what needs to happen in future. By going through the master planning process, ports can describe how they can facilitate development and investment whilst building in stakeholder interests. The process can be an invaluable way to transmit what developments and initiatives a port wants to drive forward.” BPA chief Executive,


Richard Ballantyne added: “At a time when sub national and regional bodies are exploring


initiatives to drive growth


and investment, this report highlights the potential and process through which ports can transmit their aims and aspirations to policy makers. “We are also keen that the


UK Government updates its Port Master Planning Guidance for English ports which hasn’t been refreshed for over a decade. This needs reviving and we’d like to encourage some discussion with the devolved administrations as to how master planning might be recognised in other parts of the UK.”


growing and


Live event logistics company Rock-it Cargo has increased its stake in fellow specialist forwarder Antwerp -based Triple M Entertainment Logistics. It will become part of Rock-it’s CargoLive Logistics subsidiary. Triple M focuses on live entertainment, stage, performing arts, and corporate logistics and operates an inland jetty allowing containers to be trucked or barged to its cross-load site which can handle up to 15 containers or trucks simultaneously.


Kuehne + Nagel is to acquire the overland and logistics activities of Netherlands-based Rotra, subject to conditions. KN board member Stefan Paul, described the company as “a leading and well-rooted player in the Netherlands and in Belgium – two of the centres of gravity for logistics in Europe” that would strategically complement Kuehne + Nagel’s existing network in Europe. Rotra has about 800 employees and a yearly net revenue of over €100 million. Its seafreight, container terminal and airfreight activities will remain with the current owners.


German forwarder Dachser has started work on an extension to its branch in Öhringen, about 50km north of Stuttgart, due to open by summer 2020. A total of 3,500sq m will be added to the facility, while the number of gates will increase from 38 to 87. At the same time, a new storey will be added to the accompanying office building.


The International Transport Workers’ Federation Dockers’ section has joined the International Cargo Handling and Coordinating Association (ICHCA) to advance the rights and safety of workers globally. An ITF delegation recently attended ICHCA’s International 20/20 Cargo Vision Conference and Exhibition, led by Steve Biggs from Unite the Union and Bob Dhaliwhal from ILWU-Canada, where they discussed “the terrible safety record of the port industry globally”, and raised specific issues from safe work in ports, to lashing, digitalisation and automation.


The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) launched a Transport Workers’ Sanitation Charter on 19 November to mark World Toilet Day. The charter provides guidance on what action should be taken by employers and governments to ensure access to toilets for transport workers. World Toilet Day is an opportunity to take action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and provide decent facilities for all by 2030. It is estimated that over 673 million people worldwide are forced to practice open defecation. Access to toilets is particularly challenging for transport workers and a particular issue for women.


Turkish-owned logistics operator Ekol has signed a cooperation agreement with Italian groupage and intermodal company UBV. The agreement will initially develop services in Spain and Turkey and there is also a plan to offer a 96- hour service between Turkey and Italy. The aim is to connect Barcelona with 24hr services to five main destinations in northern and central Italy along with daily connections to other main areas of Spain, such as: Madrid, Zaragoza, Valencia, Basque Country and Galicia. The two partners will then focus on developing services in Hungary.


Maritime Transport group executive chairman John Williams, and his father, Tommy Williams, of TDW Distribution, have both gained an FTA Lifetime Achievement Award for their dedication and extensive contribution to the logistics industry at a ceremony in London on 24 October. John Williams acquired Maritime Transport in 2001, building the company up from 137 vehicles and revenue of £18 million to a £300 million turnover business, while paying off “daunting” debts.


News Roundup Forwarding & Logistics


///NEWS


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