Transport communications

Portcare International is the press relations consultancy for the shipping and logistics industry. Formed by transport people for transport people. We can truly claim to understand our clients’ needs and ‘talk the same language’. Portcare provide effective, value for money PR to some of the industry’s best-known names.

Dachser UK

Dachser launches test operations with Mercedes-Benz eActros

All-electric 18-ton truck supplies Dachser customers in Stuttgart city center

Stuttgart and Kempten, Germany—May 23, 2019. The Dachser vehicle mix for emission-free deliveries in Stuttgart city center is now complete. Martin Kehnen, Head of CharterWay Rental & Major Customer Management at Mercedes-Benz Trucks Germany, has now handed over the keys to the all-electric 18-ton Mercedes-Benz eActros to Markus Maurer, General Manager of Dachser’s Kornwestheim branch.

As soon as employees have been briefed and completed all the requisite training, Dachser will integrate the eActros into its ongoing test operations in Stuttgart. As with the all-electric 7.5-ton FUSO eCanter, the truck will be used in professional driver training. “We’ll be using the eActros for transporting deliveries both directly to customers and to the microhub in the Heslach district of Stuttgart. From there, pedelecs are used for the last mile,” Maurer explains.

The eActros has a payload of 4 to 5 metric tons, depending on the design, and offers space for 18 pallets. With a range of 200 kilometers, it is ideal for daily delivery transports in and around Stuttgart city center. Its 240 kWh lithium-ion batteries charge in 2 hours at 150 kW. According to the Mercedes-Benz Trucks division, the prototype is set to go into large-scale production in 2021.

Electric vehicle mix for city distribution

With its innovative city logistics concept known as DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery, Dachser is providing emission-free deliveries of groupage shipments in downtown Stuttgart. The company has plans to roll out the concept in other city centers, too. In December 2018, Dachser won Germany’s national competition for sustainable urban logistics, organized by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the German Environment Agency.

Dachser operates two other types of vehicles with alternative powertrain technologies in Stuttgart, each with its own strengths: maneuverable, electrically assisted cargo bikes, which are used for the last mile, and a compact, all-electric 7.5-ton FUSO eCanter truck, which will also be based in the city center. With the addition of the 18-ton eActros, the all-electric vehicle mix is now complete.

In conducting these test operations, Dachser is gathering the data and experience it needs to determine the right vehicle mix for sustainable deliveries of groupage shipments to city centers. In addition to Stuttgart, tests are also underway in Berlin, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Málaga, Mannheim, Paris, Tübingen, and Ulm.

“We’re not looking to take a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, we want to come up with a range of solutions, each of them focused on optimizing deliveries, routes, and times,” says Stefan Hohm, Corporate Director, Corporate Solutions, Research & Development at Dachser. Holm heads the City Distribution innovation project.

ENDS

About Dachser:

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Dachser Air & Sea Logistics launches operations in Sweden

Kempten/Gothenburg, May 21, 2019 – Dachser Air & Sea Logistics enters the Swedish market and now has an office for air and sea freight in Gothenburg.

“For us, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics Sweden is a further investment in our global air and sea freight network and a way to build up our position in the Scandinavian market,” says Jochen Müller, COO, Air & Sea Logistics. Up until now, Dachser has had branch offices for air and sea freight in Denmark and Finland. “Our new office in Gothenburg lets us offer our Swedish customers access via Dachser to global markets,” Müller adds. The service portfolio comprises all global air, sea, and rail services as well as customs clearance and warehousing.

Dachser has eight employees at the new location in Gothenburg, and plans to have 20 experts for air and sea freight there in the long run. Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and has the largest export harbor in northern Europe. The city is located on an E-road highway that is one of the most important north-south road connections for Sweden and Norway.

Working together with the Swedish overland transport organization, which has four offices in Sweden, Dachser can now offer its existing and potential customers the full portfolio of multimodal logistics services.

Anna Bergdahl, the head of the new country organization for air and sea freight in Sweden, is a seasoned logistics manager. “In the long run, interlocking with our overland transport activities will make us a strong service provider in Scandinavia and put us in a position to offer customers all our services,” says Bergdahl, Country Manager, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics Sweden.

Dachser Air & Sea Logistics opened a branch office in Kolding, Denmark in 2018. In Denmark, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics has offices in Copenhagen and Kolding; in Finland, it has offices in Helsinki and three further locations.

ENDS


About Dachser:

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

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries. 

New Managing Director for Dachser European Logistics Iberia

Celestino Silva, long-standing General Manager West Iberia, to take the helm of the Iberian overland transport organization.

Madrid / Kempten, April 26, 2019. Celestino Silva will take over as Managing Director of Dachser’s European Logistics (EL) Iberia business unit. He succeeds Juan Quintana, who has opted to leave the company to pursue new professional opportunities.

A native of Portugal, 51-year-old Silva brings a wealth of experience in logistics management to the helm of the Iberian overland transport organization. He began his career at Azkar—the predecessor of Dachser EL Iberia—over 20 years ago when the Portuguese country organization was first established. Following Azkar’s acquisition by Dachser, a family company with a global presence, he successfully integrated the Portuguese overland transport organizations. In 2014, he also assumed responsibility for Dachser’s business in the Galicia region in northwestern Spain.

“Celestino Silva is a successful manager with many years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the company, its processes, and the Iberian market,” says Michael Schilling, COO Road Logistics at Dachser. “He was closely involved in the successful transformation of our Iberian business unit from the outset and will oversee its further integration into Dachser’s European network.”

Juan Quintana has been heading the successful restructuring of Dachser EL Iberia’s business model since 2013, focusing on systematic alignment with the culture and the principles of the Dachser European Logistics network. This goes hand in hand with closer integration into the network, an ongoing endeavor that was reflected in the 2017 rebranding.

The transformation has brought economic success: the Iberian business unit has grown every year since 2013 and increased its revenue by around 27 percent in the same period. In 2018, the EL Iberia business unit generated unconsolidated gross revenue of EUR 661 million euros across 65 locations. Last year, the Iberian overland transport organization handled 20.7 million shipments. It employs a workforce of around 3,000 people.    

“Over the past few years, Dachser EL Iberia has laid the groundwork for a successful future. I’m looking forward to leading the business unit into the future and continuing to drive its alignment with the European business,” explains Silva, who will take over as Managing Director of the Dachser EL Iberia business in the future. “I’ll be placing a strong focus on quality, customer satisfaction, and employee motivation—all of which, in turn, will help drive dynamic growth in our Spanish and Portuguese business,” he says.

ENDS

About Dachser:

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Dachser pursues sustainable growth

Logistics provider reports 5.5 percent growth; European export business remains primary growth driver; new records in shipment, tonnage, and workforce

Kempten, Munich. April 2, 2019. Dachser posted substantial growth once again in 2018. The logistics provider increased its consolidated net revenue by 5.5 percent to EUR 5.57 billion. As they did last year, shipment numbers increased, rising by 2.5 percent to 83.7 million; tonnage rose 3.0 percent to 41.3 million metric tons. With 30,609 employees in total, up 1,511 from the preceding year, Dachser’s workforce reached a record high.

The global logistics provider’s growth was again boosted by economic conditions. However, certain challenges became increasingly apparent: the shortage of professional drivers and logistics operatives; potential capacity bottlenecks resulting from pronounced seasonal peaks and a shortage of load capacity; and growing uncertainty about diesel driving bans, Brexit, and the future of international trade relationships. “By 2018, it was clear that logistics had to focus on the discipline of scarce resources management,” explains Bernhard Simon, CEO Dachser SE. “Against this backdrop, it is important to handle growth with purpose and manage it such that we maintain a healthy balance between quality, processes, and costs. Only sustainable growth will benefit our employees and customers.”

Business development in detail

Dachser’s Road Logistics business field—which comprises the transport and storage of industrial goods (European Logistics) and food (Food Logistics)—posted dynamic growth again in 2018 to increase its consolidated net revenue by 6.6 percent to EUR 4.47 billion.

The European Logistics (EL) business line posted the strongest growth with net revenue up 7.0 percent to EUR 3.55 billion. Shipments and tonnage each increased by 3.1 percent. “All four regional business units helped substantially strengthen the network. The network effects in the export business ensure that the EL business units continue to grow and mutually drive each other’s growth,” says Simon.

Dachser’s Food Logistics business line also posted robust revenue figures for 2018. Consolidated net revenue increased by 5.3 percent to EUR 917 million. The virtually unchanged number of shipments compared to the previous year was offset by tonnage growth of 2.0 percent. “We continue to pursue our quality strategy, and it is paying off. Dachser Food Logistics has seen positive development for many years now and is generating growth with national transports and contract logistics. We have also seen encouraging growth rates in cross-border transports,” reports Simon. “On the downside, the shortage of freight space and drivers plus seasonal fluctuations in volume are hitting this segment hard.”  

The Air & Sea Logistics business field again proved to be volatile. As a result of exchange-rate effects, decreasing freight rates, and a downturn in volume on the China-Europe route, consolidated net revenue stagnated at around EUR 1.19 billion. A 2.9 percent decrease in the number of shipments was offset by tonnage growth—most notably in sea freight—of 6.6 percent. “By 2020, we aim to replace all isolated solutions with our Othello transport management system, which we developed in-house. In 2018, we completed the rollout of the system in China to mark a major milestone in this project,” Simon explains. “The key to sustainable growth in air and sea freight lies in mastering and managing complex interfaces and the deep integration of our logistics systems. As we have seen with European overland transport, our investments in integration and standardization will pay off here, too.” 

Investment in network and personnel

In times of scarce resources, investment in personnel, capacities, and innovations is critical to Dachser’s continued growth. In 2018, the company invested EUR 126 million in logistics facilities, IT systems, and technical equipment. For 2019, the company has earmarked EUR 234 million for this purpose. Dachser also places a strong focus on training, an approach that has proved very successful, particularly for professional drivers. “At present, we have 207 people training to become professional drivers through Dachser Service & Ausbildungs GmbH, which makes us one of the largest driver training centers in Germany. Our next step is to broaden our focus to include logistics operatives in transit terminals and warehouses,” Simon says. 

Overview of net revenue:

Net revenue (in EUR millions) 2018 2017 Change
Road Logistics 4,465 4,187 +6.6%
European Logistics 3,548 3,316 +7.0%
Food Logistics 917 871 +5.3%
Air & Sea Logistics 1,185 1,190 -0.4%
Consolidation
(deducting revenue from company interests of 50% and lower)
-80 -98  
Group 5,570 5,280 +5.5%

Overview of gross revenue, incl. duties and import tax:


Gross revenue (in EUR millions)
2018 2017 Change
Road Logistics 4,741 4,441 +6.8%
European Logistics 3,824 3,570 +7.1%
Food Logistics 917 871 +5.3%
Air & Sea Logistics 1,835 1,785 +2.8%
Consolidation
(deducting revenue from company interests of 50% and lower)
-83 -107  
Group 6,493 6,118 +6.1%



About Dachser:

Thanks to some 30,600 employees at 399 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2018. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Growth in business sees DACHSER plan New Facility in the North of England

Northampton, 7 February 2019

Rochdale Logistics Centre, Kingsway Business Park - Feb19

Dachser Ltd in the UK is to build a new 5,175 square metre logistics centre in Rochdale to replace its existing distribution facility. The development of the 3.7 hectare (9.2 acre) site represents EUR 16 million (GBP 14.4 million) investment by the company.

Since the acquisition of J. A. Leach Transport Limited in 2010, including the current site of Dachser operations in the North of England, business has grown fivefold, necessitating the warehouse expansion.

“Our significant investment is evidence of Dachser’s commitment to the UK market and our optimistic view on the future of both import and export trade with the rest of Europe,” commented Mark Rollinson, Managing Director Dachser UK.

According to Rollinson the new logistics centre is evidence of how Dachser has grown in the UK in tandem with its customers. “With the extended resource provided by this new facility we will satisfy the demands of our customers’ global integrated supply chains as well as a sustained increase in UK exports delivered through Dachser’s extensive European distribution network,” stated Rollinson,

Located on the Kingsway Business Park adjacent to the Trans-Pennine motorway, the M62 at junction 21, the new facility will have 49 dock loading doors and an additional four level access doors. There will be an internal area of nearly 7,000 square metres, including office space.

“The Rochdale Logistics Centre is connected to the global Dachser network with daily direct freight services,” explains Gary Atkinson, Branch Manager Dachser Rochdale. “With this new construction, our location in the North of England is evolving into an important hub within Dachser’s European network.  Ensuring that the new facility remained within Rochdale was an important consideration in the interests of the company’s workforce; the location is also optimally situated from a logistics viewpoint on an important artery of the UK’s ‘Northern Powerhouse.”  he continued.

Dachser UK currently employs a total of 448 people, 106 of whom are based in Rochdale where the company expects to create many jobs over the next five years.  

ENDS

ABOUT DACHSER UK

Dachser UK is part of the Dachser group, a major international logistics provider which on 31 December 2017 generated total sales worth EUR 6.12 billion. 29,100 staff working in 369 locations worldwide handled 81.7 million consignments comprising 39.8 million metric tonnes. Dachser has been established in the UK since 1975, and now has four locations which include a new logistics centre in Northampton as well as branch offices in Rochdale, Dartford and Bristol.

Dachser aims to be the supplier of choice for European logistics and value-added services. A fully-integrated European distribution network provides a comprehensive, high quality service of total freight solutions supported by the latest technology. Core services in the United Kingdom comprise European export, import and UK pallet distribution, as well as contract logistics, value added services and international sea and air freight forwarding. 

For more information, please visit   www.dachser.co.uk

 

Dachser wins German federal competition for sustainable urban logistics

181206 Preisgewinner-FINAL-Bildquelle-BMU-Heiko-Adrian-2

Caption: left to right: Stefan Hohm, Corporate Director, Corporate Solutions Research & Development, Dachser, Dr. Petra Seebauer, Publisher of the industry journal ‘Logistik Heute’ and CEO of EUREXPO, Hella Abidi and Andre Kranke, Consultants Research & Development Dachser, Svenja Schulze, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Preservation and Nuclear Safety Picture Source: BMU, Heiko Adrian

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery makes deliveries of groupage shipments in central Stuttgart sustainable

Berlin/Kempten, December 6, 2018. Dachser’s innovation project for zero-emissions groupage deliveries in central Stuttgart has won a federal award for sustainable urban logistics in Germany. Svenja Schulze, German federal environment minister, presented the award to Stefan Hohm, Corporate Director Corporate Solutions, Research & Development, in Berlin.

“Sustainable solutions are also desperately needed for heavy palleted goods shipments to city centers,” said Dr. Petra Seebauer, the publisher of industry journal “Logistik Heute” and CEO of EUREXPO. “By offering an integrated solution for Stuttgart that combines elements such as city hubs, electrically supported cargo bikes, electric trucks, and IT-controlled goods grouping and route planning, Dachser has taken the initiative and is setting an important example for this market segment to follow.” The jury also praised the fact that the solution is designed to be transferable and reflects both social and commercial considerations.

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery

Dachser’s award-winning pilot project covers an area of some four square kilometers in central Stuttgart within which all groupage shipments to B2B and B2C customers are delivered with zero emissions. A FUSO eCanter all-electric light truck either delivers goods directly to customers or brings them to the microhub operated by partner VeloCARRIER. There, pallets are unloaded and shipments transferred to electrically supported cargo bikes for the delivery runs. Dachser will integrate an all-electric 18-ton Daimler eActros into these operations as soon as the vehicle is available. The charge point for the electric truck is located at Dachser’s Kornwestheim branch to the north of Stuttgart, which—like all the logistics provider’s branches in Germany—purchases 100 percent hydroelectric power. The electric trucks are driven by trainee truckers; this lets them get fully acquainted with electromobility from the outset.

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery is built on a modular toolbox for city-center deliveries and can equally be implemented in other cities. Taking transportation as a whole—collection and line-haul are still performed with conventional diesel trucks—this new service reduces CO2 emissions per shipment by 24 percent, particulates emissions by 32 percent, and nitrogen oxide emissions by 26 percent.

“DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery in Stuttgart marks a promising start for us in city logistics. But there is still a long road ahead of us—for a start, we have to resolve issues surrounding the availability of trucks with alternative powertrains,” explains Stefan Hohm. “To get new, more sustainable city logistics off the ground, all the parties involved will have to work more closely together. We’re not looking to take a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, we want to combine a range of solutions, each of them focused on optimizing deliveries, routes, and times.”

About Dachser:

Thanks to some 29,100 employees at 396 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated revenue of EUR 6.12 billion in 2017. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 81.7 million shipments weighing 39.8 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

PHOTO NOTE:

A high resolution digital images is attached to accompany this press release.

Caption:  left to right: Stefan Hohm, Corporate Director, Corporate Solutions Research & Development,  Dachser, Dr. Petra Seebauer, Publisher of the industry journal ‘Logistik Heute’ and CEO of  EUREXPO,  Hella Abidi and Andre Kranke, Consultants Research & Development Dachser, Svenja Schulze, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Preservation and Nuclear Safety

Picture Source: BMU, Heiko Adrian

Dachser focuses on lithium-ion technology

Kempten, November 20, 2018.181120 Li-Ion Ground conveyors charging at Dachser cross docking hall-kl

By 2022, logistics provider Dachser plans to replace all of its roughly 6,000 ground conveyors in Europe with vehicles powered by energy-saving lithium-ion batteries.

Compared to conventional lead-acid batteries, the lithium-ion variety lasts three times longer and boasts significantly shorter charging times. This increases the flexibility of using vehicles equipped with these batteries, and does away with the need for special rooms set aside for battery charging. The resulting freed-up space in transit terminals can be used for cargo handling. “When you factor in the savings in avoided maintenance and damage costs, since the batteries no longer have to be taken out of the vehicle every day for charging, then having a lithium-ion fleet has already paid for itself today,” explains André Bilz, Team Leader Fleet Management Terminal Equipment at Dachser.

The switch is also good news for environmental sustainability. For one thing, the conventional batteries, which have to be replaced after about 1,200 charging cycles, contain lead, a toxic heavy metal. For another, the lithium-ion batteries conserve energy and thus save some 1,600 kilograms of CO2 per vehicle per year. Multiply that by 6,000 ground conveyors and you get 9.6 million kilograms of CO2 annually.

“Dachser invests continuously in cutting-edge logistics facilities and equipment, which ultimately enhances the quality of its services,” explains Michael Schilling, Dachser’s COO Road Logistics. “This modernization project is an excellent example of how profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand, which in turn produces benefits for our customers.”

By 2022, Dachser wants to convert all its Road Logistics locations in Europe to this new technology. The switch will be made step by step; locations will not operate both technologies together. Lithium-ion technology has already been successfully introduced in the Radeburg and Erlensee (Food Logistics) branches, and will now be followed by construction and expansion of facilities, for example in Freiburg and Munich, the plans for which will include the necessary electrical infrastructure from the outset.

In looking at the many suppliers of ground conveyors, once again Dachser aims to work with the leading manufacturers. And as for battery technology, charging infrastructure, and energy management software, the logistics provider has selected Triathlon to be its preferred supplier.

This switch to lithium-ion technology is by no means the end of the project: “Together with our partners, we will be driving forward the development of ground conveyor technology. Our aim is to increase the vehicles’ usability by making them smaller, more maneuverable, and more lightweight,” Bilz says.

About Dachser:

Thanks to some 29,100 employees at 396 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated revenue of EUR 6.12 billion in 2017. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 81.7 million shipments weighing 39.8 million metric tons. Country organizations represent Dachser in 44 countries.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Aldi & Dachser extend their UK Partnership

10 October 2018

The two companies have signed a new 5 year contract which will see Dachser provide a warehouse platform as well as UK & Ireland distribution services for a wide range of Aldi’s products.

The co-operation between Aldi and Dachser in the UK goes back more than 25 years, during which time the logistics provider has operated an increasingly varied portfolio of customs services, inbound logistics, freight forwarding, warehousing and value added services for the fast expanding retailer.

In 2011, in response to Aldi’s strategic objective to improve product availability and shorten lead times to its rapidly growing store network, Dachser created an Excise Bond platform for wines and spirits. Inbound stock arrives on a daily basis from Aldi’s suppliers, and is received and stored under bonded conditions pending delivery to Aldi’s regional distribution centres in the UK and Ireland. The process enables regular and efficient deliveries to the distribution centres on the basis of multiple-product, consolidated orders comprising full trailer loads.

‘The improvements to our wines and spirits supply chain were visible right from the outset’, says Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Logistics at Aldi. ‘Very quickly, we were able to consign more and more products from an increasing number of suppliers via Dachser’s platform. The operation has proved itself to be highly scalable and has directly supported our continued increase in market share.’

‘We have been very pleased with Dachser’s high level of commitment to our mutual partnership in the UK’, he adds, ‘and are delighted that we are now able to build on this further through the securing of a long-term contract’.

Dachser has recently signed a 10-year lease for a brand new warehouse, adjacent to its existing logistics centre on Northampton’s Brackmills business park, providing the necessary additional capacity to accommodate a combined platform operation for Aldi’s alcohol and general ambient products.

‘We are extremely proud and happy that Aldi have chosen Dachser for this significant contract’, says Mark Rollinson, Dachser UK’s new Managing Director. ‘Over the years, Dachser has been privileged to be involved with Aldi’s UK success story, providing an ever-increasing scope of logistics and supply-chain services. Our relationship with Aldi is founded on a true partnership approach, incorporating a high level of open communication and trust. This has resulted in a clear and mutual understanding of what is important for both our companies in order to create relevant and sustainable logistics and supply chain solutions.’

‘I am really looking forward to working with Aldi in my new role’, he adds, ‘and to continue to develop this highly successful co-operation.’

ENDS

ABOUT DACHSER UK

Dachser UK is part of Dachser, a major international logistics provider which on 31 December 2017 generated total sales worth EUR 6.12 billion. 29,100 staff working in 369 locations worldwide handled 81.7 million consignments comprising 39.8 million metric tonnes. Dachser has been established in the UK since 1975, and now has four locations which include a new logistics centre in Northampton as well as branch offices in Rochdale, Dartford and Bristol.

Dachser aims to be the supplier of choice for European logistics and value-added services. A fully-integrated European distribution network provides a comprehensive, high quality service of total freight solutions supported by the latest technology. Core services in the United Kingdom comprise European export, import and UK pallet distribution, as well as contract logistics, value added services and international sea and air freight forwarding.

For more information, please visit   www.dachser.co.uk

As a new training year starts, the Dachser workforce passes 30,000

180913 New training year beginsKempten, September 13, 2018. As of the first of September, logistics provider Dachser has more employees than at any other point in its history: some 30,500 people around the world are employed by the family company based in Kempten in Allgäu, Germany; that same country is home to 16,246 of those employees. In addition, this year 732 young people have chosen to train or study with Dachser in Germany—the largest number ever.

As the economy continues to boom, its effects are being felt on the labour market, too: logistics provider Dachser currently has its largest workforce since the company was founded. It employed 29,098 people at the end of 2017; now, just six months later, that figure has risen by some 5 percent. “People are and will continue to be our most important resource,” says CEO Bernhard Simon. “After all, it is our employees who pave the way toward a connected, globalized economy, who organize storage and delivery processes that span the globe, and who are the face to our customers.”

The family company is again earning top marks for its training program as well. A total of 732 young people from all across Germany have decided to start their careers with Dachser—5 percent more than in the previous year. In total, Dachser trains 1,757 apprentices and students nationwide; outside Germany, 41 prospective logistics specialists are currently undergoing a training programme to become “Dachser forwarding and logistics specialists”. The most popular options for trainees are freight forwarding and logistics agent, warehouse clerk, and professional truck driver. Development in the number of people that the company is training as professional drivers with the help of Dachser Service und Ausbildungs GmbH is especially gratifying: in summer 2018, 23 drivers successfully finished the program, and another 106 people in Germany started that same program. Dachser now plans to expand its successful training concept to Austria. In fact, eleven people have started training as professional truck drivers at Dachser Austria—an increase from last year, when only three people throughout the whole country signed up for the training.

“As Germany’s third-largest industry, logistics offers a broad range of challenging careers that promise a bright future,” says Vera Weidemann, Head of Corporate Human Resources at Dachser. “In our industry, qualified staff is the limiting factor for growth. That’s why we need well-trained and motivated employees, now more than ever.” Demanding yet effective training is part of the corporate culture at family-owned Dachser: its training rate is about 10 percent. And in the spirit of corporate responsibility, the company hires trainees who successfully complete their programme. 

New Managing Director for Dachser UK

Mark Rollinson Aug 18

Mark Rollinson, Managing Director for Dachser UK

After more than 17 years at the helm, Nick Lowe is taking early retirement from Dachser at the end of September to pursue other interests. His successor, Mark Rollinson, who has formerly held senior Director positions at Schenker and Allport Cargo Services, began a three month induction and hand-over process on the 2nd July.

‘I’m delighted to be joining Dachser at this time, having witnessed from an external viewpoint the organisation’s successful development and growth in the UK over many years’, explains Mark. ‘I do see an enormous potential for further growth and the introduction and implementation of an ever wider range of logistics services in the future’.

Nick is very happy to have overseen the expansion of Dachser’s UK business since 2001. ‘Dachser’s culture and values, the strength and quality of our network and a loyal and hard-working team here in the UK have all combined to drive our success’, he says. ‘Despite some challenging external economic conditions from time to time, we have continually increased our market share and delivered some great solutions for our customers.’        

Dachser UK increased its annual sales turnover in 2017 by over 15% to £ 76 M, experiencing strong growth in particular in European road freight, contract logistics and value-added-services.

Mark and Nick agree that Brexit, whilst initially having the possibility of creating short-term supply chain disruption depending on what evolves over the next few months, will also present new horizons and opportunities that a company such as Dachser is well-positioned to embrace.

Mark Rollinson sums up Dachser’s outlook for the future. ‘Irrespective of the prevailing trade, economic and political contexts we may be faced with, we will continue to support and add value to our customers’ supply chains. At the same time, we will maintain the high levels of service reliability and quality that our customers have come to expect’.    

 

ABOUT DACHSER UK

Dachser UK is part of the Dachser group, a major international logistics provider which on 31 December 2017 generated total sales worth EUR 6.12 billion. 29,100 staff working in 369 locations worldwide handled 81.7 million consignments comprising 39.8 million metric tonnes. Dachser has been established in the UK since 1975, and now has four locations which include a new logistics centre in Northampton as well as branch offices in Rochdale, Dartford and Bristol.

Dachser aims to be the supplier of choice for European logistics and value-added services. A fully-integrated European distribution network provides a comprehensive, high quality service of total freight solutions supported by the latest technology. Core services in the United Kingdom comprise European export, import and UK pallet distribution, as well as contract logistics, value added services and international sea and air freight forwarding.

For more information, please visit www.dachser.co.uk