Transport communications

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Archives for May 2021

TT Club highlights the variable trends in supply chain security risk

The risk of loss or damage to goods in the global supply chain has never been more prevalent. In combating the dangers, international freight insurance specialist, TT Club has launched a second series of its podcast to draw attention to the variable and complex nature of these risks and offer increased guidance on loss prevention.

TT Club is further increasing its efforts to deliver more of its long-established guidance to transport operators on managing their protection against theft and fraud. In Series 2 of its successful podcast, TT Live, risk management experts discuss current trends in criminal activity that target cargo in transit and storage. The six episodes cover such aspects of the problem as fraud, the insider threat, theft strategies, secure parking for vehicles and the targeting of depots and warehouses.

All the new episodes, along with those from Series 1, and the extensive library of written advice from TT are available as free downloads on the insurer’s specially designed Supply Chain Security webpage. TT Live is also available on Spotify, Apple, Google and many other podcast streaming services.

Mike Yarwood is TT’s Managing Director, Loss Prevention. He hosts the podcasts and comments, “The current freight transport environment features higher than normal volumes of cargo movement across all modes on land, sea and in air, as well as significant disruption to well-established routings and methods of transport. Added to these facets are increased inventories of certain goods at many locations and more sub-contracting activity, potentially employing less reliable entities. All these factors allow well-organised criminal organisations to exploit security weaknesses along the supply chain.”

Accompanying Yarwood on the podcasts is David Thompson of Signum Services*, the in-house investigative arm of TT’s managers, Thomas Miller & Co. Ltd. His career spans 30 years as a Detective with London’s Metropolitan Police and a further eight as an investigator with Signum. “Organised crime has never been so organised,” says Thompson. “Much cargo crime is perpetrated by well-oiled business-like machines that target goods that are in market demand and easily converted into cash. They are well-informed and adapt quickly to new transport trends, spotting opportunities with intelligence and resource.”

Among identified trends apparent during the recent lockdowns has been a move away from the theft of higher value, more easily traced goods, such as electronics and domestic appliances, to food and drink commodities that have had a ready market. Thieves have also noted and exploited the congestion in the supply chain that has increased the use of temporary warehousing and storage sites that are not always as secure as established premises. The second series of TT’s podcast addresses these along with a range of other risk pinch points.

Keeping ahead of, or more often, up with the variable modus operandi that criminal organisations employ, and combating the threats to cargo assets they enable, are major tasks and are the challenges that TT Club’s loss prevention resources are posed to face through increased awareness and guidance on protective action.

*Signum Services

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

www.ttclub.com

Dachser creates more loading space

Successive conversion of semitrailers in the European Logistics business line optimises capacity utilisation and at the same time improves the climate footprint of transports

Kempten, May 26, 2021 – Since April 2021, Dachser has opted exclusively for so-called ‘mega trailers’ when purchasing new semi-trailers in Germany. Because of their more generous cargo space dimensions – with otherwise the same length and width – the mega trailers achieve better fuel economy than standard semi-trailers, especially over long distances. Full conversion of the German fleet is scheduled to be completed by 2027, with some 680 new mega trailers in total. In the next few years, Dachser will also start replacing its fleets in the 24 other European countries where it is represented through its European Logistics business line.

So-called Mega trailers have the same length and width as a standard semi-trailer, and their overall height remains below 4 meters, the maximum vehicle height permissible in Germany. They boast an additional 20 centimetres in interior height, as the loading area is just under 100 centimetres above the road surface. This results in a total of 8 cubic meters more cargo space. With double‑deck loading, a mega trailer offers space for 67 euro pallets. It thus comes close to the capacity of a semi-trailer truck with two swap bodies—however, as this offers five more pallet spaces than the mega trailer, it will remain Dachser’s preferred option for now. 

“The limiting factor in the groupage business is usually not the maximum permissible total weight of 40 metric tons, but the available loading volume,” explains Christian Schütz, Department Head Technics/Technical Purchase at Dachser. “More cargo space means better capacity utilisation; in the case of the mega trailer, that can be as much as 18 percent. This is efficient and also good for our carbon footprint, as it saves us trips.”

“Dachser pioneered the introduction of the swap body 50 years ago, and it remains the benchmark in terms of cargo space efficiency. Today, we want to be the first major groupage provider in Europe to use mega trailers instead of standard semi-trailers,” says Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at Dachser. “Mega trailers are more expensive to purchase, but they make up for it over their service life through their greater cost-effectiveness. In addition, this progress in process efficiency contributes to our long-term climate protection strategy.”

In pursuing this strategy, Dachser focuses on efficient logistics and technological innovation. The company believes this is the best way to achieve the 2-degree target set by the Paris Agreement as well as the climate protection targets of the European Union and many other countries over the medium and long term. To this end, Dachser works together with customers and partners who are also keen to actively shape how logistics moves to adopt low- and zero‑emission technologies. Dachser concentrates its climate protection initiatives on four key fields of action: process efficiency, energy efficiency, research and development, and corporate citizenship. The latter refers to a commitment to society and social issues that goes beyond Dachser’s own direct business interests.

About Dachser:

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customised services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 30,800 employees at 387 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2020. The same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 78.6 million shipments weighing 39.8 million metric tonnes. Dachser is represented by its own country organisations in 42 countries on five continents. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

GEODIS strengthens its automatization offering

Antoine Pretin joins GEODIS as Vice President Engineering Group. He will oversee the growth in automatizing GEODIS’ service offerings to its customers.

Antoine Pretin, 38, engineer, began his career in 2007 as a project manager at Sidel Cermex, first in Dijon, then in Atlanta, USA. After a few years at Fives Intralogistics, he joined Actemium Logistics, a VINCI Group company specializing in automated intralogistics solutions, in 2014, where he was head of the distribution business.

“Faced with the acceleration of e-commerce and new consumer demands, the automatization of logistics warehouses is an essential response to handle growing flows in an ever-shorter timeframe. With his experience, Antoine will contribute to an open and constructive dialogue between the GEODIS teams and the various players in the field of automatization, to serve the needs of our customers around the world,” explains Philippe de Carné, Executive Vice President Business Development, Innovation & Business Excellence.

“The arrival of increasingly autonomous intelligent robots and a constant search for competitiveness are paving the way for increased automatization. Such solutions provide great leverage to improve performance and assist in order preparation in e-commerce warehouses, reducing repetitive tasks, but also gaining quality and reactivity. I am delighted to have joined GEODIS, a world leader in supply chain management, to support this development. The mobilization of all the existing skills within the Group and the team I am building will be a great support for our customers,” says Antoine Pretin.

GEODIS has around fifty automated sites worldwide.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a direct presence in 67 countries, and a global network spanning 120 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France, #6 in Europe and #7 worldwide. In 2020, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.4 billion in sales.

GEODIS opens an airside cargo station at Paris-Charles de Gaulle

GEODIS announces the opening of a new 6,000 sqm site within the cargo area of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport to provide certified services, especially for customers in the health and luxury goods sectors.

The new complex will have immediate airside access.  It will be located near Air France’s main warehouse (G1XL) and other main service providers at the airport.

The GEODIS site is located within the cargo station No. 4 (SC4) at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. ©Alain Leduc, ADP Group

The latest generation of cargo handling technology, highly secure and certified CEIV[1] and TAPA[2] Level A, will offer a level of service excellence targeted at the pharmaceutical and luxury goods sectors. The complex will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for the processing of temperature-controlled products, including negative temperatures.

“With this investment, GEODIS confirms its ability to provide a high-quality air cargo offering. Thanks to the strategic location of this new cargo station, we are able to accelerate processing times for the flow of goods, both for export and import, while ensuring rigorous safety standards for the products entrusted to us by our customers,” says Massimo Norcaro, Director of the Freight Forwarding line of Business of GEODIS in France.

As part of GEODIS’ ongoing commitment, this HQE Excellent certified building will ensure the highest environmental standards are met.

The site will be operational in October 2021 and will have around 120 employees.

[1] Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics.

[2] Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a direct presence in 67 countries, and a global network spanning 120 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France, #6 in Europe and #7 worldwide. In 2020, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.4 billion in sales.


Russian transport operators must insist on comprehensive insurance cover

Recent changes to regulations in Russian law now make it possible for forwarders and road hauliers to access full liability cover, similar to that enjoyed by those in the global supply chain. However, most insurance products on the market don’t offer comprehensive protection. Executives from Panditrans, TT Club’s Network Partner in Russia, have outlined the improved regulatory situation but emphasized the inferiority of the cover available in the market. Valuable risk management advice on temperature controlled and tank container cargoes was also presented at the recent TransRussia trade show in Moscow.

Moscow & London, 17th May, 2021

After five years of pressure from the Russian freight forwarding and transport community comprehensive freight liability cover is now possible, as officially confirmed by the applicable transport laws. Sadly, local insurers have not responded by changing the terms of their very restricted policies that continue to deny valid claims in many circumstances. TT Club’s Network Partners in Russia is strongly urging forwarders, and road hauliers, in particular to increase their demands on insurers for better, all-inclusive insurance cover.

Alexander Petrenko of Panditrans

In his lecture at the TransRussia event last month, Alexander Petrenko of Panditrans drew attention to the shortcomings of the policies that are still on offer in the market despite the regulatory change. “Operators are still opting to buy cheaper forms of protection,” he stated, going on to provide a range of examples of such policy restrictions. “We see cover that has just a few named risks, such as traffic accidents, fire and theft. Often, additional conditions are imposed, with special requirements put on sub-contracting, parking places and driver practices, that are difficult to comply with. Typical of most contracts with poor cover are low claims limits and pro-rata reimbursement clauses for when the cargo value is higher than the limit per incident.”

Having in the past cited the lack of freedom in the regulations to purchase more comprehensive cover, forwarders and carriers are now failing to demand better value for their insurance premiums. “Now is the time to change these attitudes and for demands to be made of insurers to improve their service,” urged Petrenko. “Extensive risk mitigation tools are now possible through which the insured can avoid policy restrictions as well as safeguard against other risk such as errors and omissions and legal defence costs. Higher insured limits on the value of goods in transit are also possible avoiding excessive deductibles. Forwarders and road hauliers in Russia must now demand such protection from their insurers.”

Panditrans also took the opportunity to address many stakeholders in the freight transport sector at the TransRussia conference to present some of TT Club’s loss prevention initiatives to assist those involved in temperature-controlled cargo movements, as well as the risk management of tank container operations.

Kirill Berezov of Panditrans

Kirill Berezov of Panditrans lead this part of the conference agenda. “With the movement of perishables increasing in Russia, by both container and road trailer, it is timely to remind those in the sector of the wisdom of maintaining the safety of cargoes through professional risk management,” explained Berezov. “Panditrans and TT Club have much experience in these measures, ranging from pre-preparation of the transport equipment, packing and route planning; through to awareness of, and measures to mitigate the risks involved; and ultimately the appropriate insurance cover.” Such comprehensive advice is available to download for free in both Russian and English on TT Club’s website: Stop Loss: Temperature Controlled Cargo.

Similarly, when considering the risks involved in the movement of tank containers and their often hazardous cargoes, careful consideration of safety and security issues are critical. “The main danger lies not in the loss of the tank with the cargo itself or in damage from road accidents, but in a complex chain of errors that, as a result, can lead to catastrophic consequences given the hazardous nature of many commodities involved. Severe liabilities for the transport operator can ensue,” warned Berezov.

The main risks, with the highest potential cost of damages are environmental and injury to, or even the death of, third parties. The correct choice of specialised tank equipment, as well as thorough preparation, including cleaning to avoid contamination, are basic to avoidance of calamity. Once more, TT Club has set out best practice guidelines for operators that can be accessed in the Russian and English languages: Stop Loss: Tank Containers.

In addition to having the accolade of The Official Insurance Company of TransRussia 2021, the organisers of the event marked its 25th Anniversary by presenting Panditrans/TT Club with an award for their ‘Contribution to the Business Programme’.

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

www.ttclub.com

Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council Report

Organizing a Future Vision for a Hydrogen Society and Quantifying Supply and Demand

The Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council (hereinafter, ”Council”), in which Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (hereinafter ‘“K” LINE) participates as a member, has prepared a report entitled “Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council Report – Organizing a Future Vision for a Hydrogen Society and Quantifying Supply and Demand-”.

Overview KobeKansai Hydrogen Utilization Council Report

The Council has formulated a future vision for the Kobe/Kansai area, and estimated the potential hydrogen demand, supply volume and price based on this vision. The Council subsequently quantified the hydrogen supply chain around 2030, identified potential issues, and formulated an action plan for realizing its vision.

Through the activities of this council, “K” LINE Group will promote social implementation of CO2 free hydrogen and contribute to the realization of carbon-free society.

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., ENEOS Corporation, Iwatani Corporation, The Kansai Electric Power Company, Incorporated, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Kobe Steel, Ltd., Marubeni Corporation, Mitsubishi Power, Ltd., Obayashi Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Shell Japan Limited (Alphabetized)

SECRETARIAT

Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC, Iwatani Corporation, Marubeni Corporation (Alphabetized)

Contact for Inquiries

LEADERS OF THE COUNCIL

Iwatani Corporation : Public Relations Dept. Tel:+81-6-7637-3468 (Direct)

Hydrogen Division Tel:+81-6-7637-3458(Direct)

Marubeni Corporation  : Corporate Communications Dept. Tel:+81-3-3282-2435 (Direct)

New Energy Business Development Dept. Tel:+81-3-3282-7896(Direct)

Member of the Council

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Fuel Strategy & Procurement Group  Tel:+81-3-3595-5619 (Direct)

“K” Line : Change of Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members

Please be advised that “K” Line Tokyo Head Office, issued the following press release today, please refer to the attached PDF file.

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/other/other9162967076542076848/main/0/link/210430EN.pdf

It is also available on the “K” Line website in both English and Japanese.

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/

Establishment of “K” Line Wind Service, Ltd. for Offshore Support Vessel Operation

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd, and Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha Ltd. are pleased to announce the agreement to establish a joint venture company (“K” Line Wind Service, Ltd) for the purpose of providing marine related services for offshore wind power business

  1. Target and Purpose of “K” Line Wind Service, Ltd.

Japanese Government has announced its Green Growth Strategy for carbon neutrality by 2050. Offshore wind power is a prerequisite to the decarbonization of the electricity sector and it started to promote its supply chain development.

“K” Line Wind Service is established for the target of contributing to offshore wind power development and carbon neutrality of the society by gathering the whole “K” Line group’s worldwide experience and expertise in the offshore vessel operations. “K” Line Wind Service will provide offshore support vessel services with 150T bollard pull Anchor Handling vessel “AKATSUKI” and 6,000 PS Offshore Support vessel “KAIKO” owned and operated by Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha group and further expand the expertise to various types of offshore wind vessels.

  • Corporate Profile

Company Name “K” Line Wind Service, Ltd.

Address 2-1, Kasumigaseki 3-Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Shareholders Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. 50%, Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. 50%

President Yutaka Kuge

  • Schedule

Start of Operation to be scheduled as June 1st, 2021 (Tue) ,subject to approval from relevant authorities.

Nils Aden joins Harren & Partner Group

German shipping and logistics group Harren & Partner is strengthening its management team with Nils Aden joining the group as Managing Director on 1 May 2021.

The Harren & Partner Group has significantly expanded its services over recent years, growing its global presence even further with the acquisition of SAL Heavy Lift and cooperation with Bremer Bereederungsgesellschaft (BBG), as well as the recently formed joint venture with Jumbo Shipping. To strengthen the management team on this international growth path, Nils Aden will resume his role with a focus on the group’s global ship management services and strategic developments.

Nils Aden

“I am extremely pleased that Nils is becoming part of our team now. He has tremendous experience in the shipping industry and will bring enormous creativity and drive to this role,” explains Dr. Martin Harren, Managing Director of Harren & Partner. “We are convinced that getting Nils on board will put us in a very good position for the future. Together, we want to set new standards and develop our group further.”

Nils Aden joins with a wealth of experience from leading roles in international ship management, transformation projects, M&A transactions and integration. In his previous assignments, he overlooked the merger of V.Ships and Norddeutsche Reederei H. Schuldt as Managing Director, led Zeaborn as CEO and transformed E.R. Schiffahrt as CEO into an international ship management player. The 48-year-old brings more than two decades of know-how as an executive in the industry.

Nils Aden: “Joining Harren & Partner is a very special moment for me – not only because I am re-joining some twenty years after starting my maritime career here, but especially because I find the global activities from ship owning and management to leading heavy lift services, complex industrial logistics and sustainable renewable energy projects to be fascinating. I am looking forward to working together with this highly motivated and skilled team to further develop the group’s long-term growth path. This is a very compelling organisation that I am proud to join, again.”

About Harren & Partner: The Harren name is synonymous with over 30 years of experience and expertise in the ever-changing world of shipping. The shipping group was founded by Captain Peter Harren in Bremen in 1989 and employs around 270 people ashore and about 2,900 crew members. Today, the privately owned business is a diverse group of companies with strong brands: SAL Heavy Lift, Jumbo-SAL-Alliance, SAL Engineering, SAL Renewables and Intermarine are five of the world’s leading companies in the maritime transport sector for heavy lift, wind and project cargo. Combi Lift is specialised in multimodal door-to-door and turnkey forwarding concepts, while Harren Tankers and Harren Bulkers are responsible for the commercial and technical management activities for the group’s tankers and bulkers fleet.

Another core activity involves offering high quality ship management services to in-house and international third-party clients. The fleet currently consists of 85 units – heavy lift carriers, bulkers, tankers, dock ships, container vessels, tugs, barges and offshore vessels. With specialised teams for the different types of ships and strong shipping DNA in its business culture, Harren & Partner guarantees the highest standards of quality – both ashore and at sea.

For more information about Harren & Partner, go to www.harren-partner.de